Synthevolution! Synthespians evolve beyond Avatar ... Darwin puzzled.

As Jim Cameron's Avatar becomes the largest grossing in film history ... surpassing even his film Titanics massive box office return, the interest and focus on the art of "Synthespians" is intensifying. The possibilities of recreating movie icons of the past and creating remarkably realistic synthetic performers are compelling ... and not without risk of altering our ideas of "live" performers for better or for worse.


Jeff Kleiser and Diana Walczak coined the term "Synthespians" in a 1988 experiment "Nestor Sextone for President" ... and synthetic thespians have been their passion since working on Tron and other early 3D films. As any 3D artist understands, emulating "realistic" human expressions and movements are difficult to achieve.


Camerons dedication to quality has resulted in a marvelous tapestry of artificial reality that is genuinely "immersive". As "augmented reality" visual tools become commonplace in public, dealing with Synthespians in retail settings or malls will likely become less and less discernably artificial. Faceless ATMs and retail kiosks will take on personality ... that will be personalized and will evolve for you as your preferences change. Your mobile phone habits will let these personas know who and where you are (if you allow it) ... and let them "serve you better". Potentially tricky stuff for automatons to do well without a lot of human intervention regarding "user experience".


I'm not sure I want to see a Humphery Bogart "surrogate" in a contemporary film except for cameos or such and Cameron agrees about leaving long gone movie stars alone. Popwatch discusses Camerons thoughts on keeping living stars like Clint and Cruise rejuvenated. The options are real ... and Jeff Kleiser's work for Disney on Surrogates showed a "youth-enized" Bruce Willis (a good thing considering how beat up his screen persona looked!).  


Since the technology exists, liberties will certainly be taken and mistakes made ... but qualitative standards will surely follow amidst complaints. Testing the limits is how we define new visual crafts ... and the artists role is to challenge conventions. Since "Synthespians" are here to stay, we might as well make them welcome ... and like with own my kids, I'll keep an eye on their behavior!

Google's China dilemma ... Act 2

Google is re-examining it's course in China on Google.cn after discovering cyber attacks had been made on Gmail accounts of known political dissenters. Google states that it's system was not breached, but that phishing scams or malware were used to attempt to hack email of 2 political activists. Other corporate sites in China were also attacked and it is clear that government operatives were involved. Google is sharing it's tracking data openly and publicly stating it's concerns moving forward.


The experiment with self-censorship in China has been tricky water for "open information" internet search giant Google. It will prove crucial for Google to take a clear & firm stance on such systematic invasions of privacy or it risks more censorship quicksand worldwide as political winds blow. It will bear watching how Beijing reacts to being rebuked by a corporate entity. With China's need to be at peace with global economic forces (perhaps more than political ones), we will see how the oil and water relationship between politics and personal rights in China resolves itself. More drama to come, I'm very sure ...

Official Google Blog: A new approach to China

Google's "Near me now" brings search Home ... to your local business

With "Near Me Now", Google has completed a powerful loop that should prove a major consumer tool ... and a major opportunity for small businesses in America. Currently for iPhone and Android, the system uses the users phone GPS tracking to match up local businesses that have what you want. Beyond coffeeshops and restaurants,  retailers, theatres and event promoters can create a new dynamic with search that is right in the sweet spot of interested passersby.

Keep in mind this can effectively leveraged by regional business associations, retail malls, business parks or sponsored by distributors to point to local outlets. I've been working with GPS enabled wireless visual intelligence for a number of years and have seen how enabling field force users with the right information on a real-time basis makes a decisive difference. We can only use the information we have ... and "Near Me Now" opens up some very interesting horizons to businesses that sense how to connect with their customers. This is one to watch ...

Reinventing the wheel ... and making it sexier!

It's a challenge for any brand to take on a new icon ... it can be even harder to reinvent an old beloved one. Sun-Maid Raisins has looked to modernize it's nearly 100 year old image with a new 3D version of the Sun-Maid Raisin Girl developed by Synthespian Studios. It's a move welcomed by the growers and corporate marketing team ... but not unexpectedly seen it's share of criticism. Recently a short and fairly positive blog article in conservative DC journal Weekly Standard called her "hot" and compared her to Julia Roberts. (My personal viewpoint leans towards Anne Hathaway). Before you could say "busty", Jezebel, PopCrunch, and even Yahoo Finance jumped in with considerably more than 2 cents worth. Fresno's KSEE TV added some regional viewpoint ... and the viral machine just keeps spinning. The YouTube video has received over 60,000 views in a week and hundreds of comments and emails coming in.

I believe the age old Ad Age adage (;-)) ... goes "any Press is good Press", but is it? Oh yes, definitely ... at least in this case. A peruse of blags and comments shows the tone as overall positive, with some bemusement as to why this is even an issue at all.  Discounting some typical venom around sex in advertising, America body image fixation, her body being too ample (or not ample enough), her moral outlook, orientation, etc ... the reality is that the Sun-Maid girl is a hot online news topic nearly 3 years after she was "developed". Not bad for a 90 year old babe ... and it offers Sun-Maid a way to rejuvenate and connect with the younger health minded consumers who will be their future. Look out Megan Fox ... without losing sight of their brand tradition, having "Lorraine" getting into shape and eating earth-friendly foods works well as a message. Better than those old school singing raisins that sold more toys than dried fruit.
Personally, I think most of the negative comments are just a secret disruptive plot by the military/industrial potato chip conglomerate. Looking forward to further adventures ... rumors of yoga, soccer, dancing and other healthy pursuits are bubbling. Hey, how did you think she kept that fine shape ... picking grapes? 

"I'm not a real user but I sell one online ..."

Unlike it's role in the Wall Street meltdown it helped orchestrate, once in a while the FTC does something intelligent ... and perhaps benefits us all! With the online world Tweeting like there's no tomorrow (a scenario many films like "2012" want you to believe), the FTC wants to rein in the blatant endorsement "free-for-some" that is clogging the Internet pipes.

Advertising is fee based promotion ... and subsidized or paid endorsements clearly fall into that category. The blurring of personal and professional lines around online social media has been based on novelty and curiousity. As the Internet emerges as a measurable communications channel with actualized new revenue forms it must take on more mature responsibilities.

The FTC has now set regulations that the online community better pay attention to. One of the greatest threats to the warm public embrace of "social networking" is fee based messages and endorsements. Just like in "real life" (and this is ours, don't forget) when someone I know and respect tells me about a product or service ... I listen and respond. When I sense an opinion is shaped by profit in any form ... all bets are off.

Experience teaches the difference between friends and "associates". My extended social network consists of many who are "friendly" but are not friends. I certainly would not regard advise from paid associates in the same manner as unpaid. iMediaConnection's paid Facebook "friends" and SponsoredTweets (which at least is exactly what it says) will quickly pull the plug on a belief that a lot of people are worth listening to. Filtering will follow.

For now I'll just be glad to see a more honest tone by many "influencers" and a transparancy to the sponsors of their messages.

(M)AdMen Shoot Endangered Species in the Foot!

Working with some ad agencies is like going hunting with Dick Cheney ... even side-by-side you can get shot! DDB Brazil, in trying to gain World Wildlife Federation account work, attempted to portray the scale of environmental damage from global warming in comparison to the attack on the New York City on 9/11. The result speaks for itself. It's not that the idea shouldn't come up at all... but wasn't anyone over 19 attending the meeting? Despite WWFs initial disclaimer of any prior knowledge and unauthorized use of brand, the concept got far enough to be submitted at the One Show (and win an award!). In my experience, nothing goes out for submission unless senior decisionmakers at both agency and client have signed off ... if not, heads roll. A joint apology has now been issued, but more than a little too late.

So, my eager young associates ... take heed. This is what Fluent Ideas is all about. Everything you think is cool, relevant and meaningful may have alternative meanings to other audiences. If you listen only to the voices in your head, you will hear one hand clapping. Open up creative debate ... and listen ... and then think again! If these guys had done so, someone without 9 lattes in their bloodstream (or worse) might have urged caution. Unabashed creative enthusiasm ... like a monkey with a gun ... can quickly do damage that cannot be repaired with words.

Healthcare 2.0: Wake up and Breathe

Excuse me, there's just been too much going on out there ... but that's not news.
If it's not global banks, its the auto industry or healthcare ... or just more inane posturing by Sarah Palin. (does anyone really take her seriously? ... I mean REALLY?). "We are where we are", a very wise man told me (My Dad, a long time ago ... and again just recently), "we'll deal with it a day at a time".

The financial system has a life of it's own ... hopefully we can let it get healthier. My media work in New York has taught me that news drives the market ... but not usually in the direction analysts predict. This is certainly true now. If analysts paid more attention to underlying causes (and traders actually listened) the market might exhibit more intelligence ... but "we are where we are". Companies that ignore the heartbeat of change will wither, those that feel the wind will fly.

Healthcare, on the other hand, is a controlled device of man's medical skill and financial cunning. The US healthcare system is clearly in need of overhaul ... costs are far too high and options far too few. Whether you think that a national health plan will help or hurt, information will prove the most valuable tool.

SO ... on that note, here is an interesting project on a key trend in medicine: self-service. Ronald Dixon, director of the Virtual Practice Project at Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital is introducing a medical kiosk, called Health Care 360. Blood pressure, diet, physical issues and even test data are entered and over time can act as an important diagnostic screening tool, allowing doctors to pay more attention to patients needing live attention. By turning patients from passive to active participants in their own health care, a truly holistic approach to medicine is enabled.

I worked on a project over a decade ago for GNC called "Alive Stores" with a similar intelligent "self-service" approach. While it faded out at the time due to costs, the concept was valid. With the drumbeats on Healthcare growing louder along the Potomac ... the industry would be well advised to pay attention (and perhaps some funding) to similar projects making smart use of such enabling technologies.