Clone wars.(editor's note)

For years now, digital artists have been trying to solve one of the most difficult challenges in computer graphics today: the creation and animation of realistic digital humans. Indeed, feature-film studios--even television studios-have done a good job at digitally re-creating actors for scenes that are too dangerous for the real actor. In these instances, the digital stunt double is placed at a distance from the camera, often within a dimly lit environment.

Nevertheless, there are some digital facilities that have placed CG humans in the foreground of their productions. After investing untold sums of money, Square attempted to tackle this technological hurdle, and in 2001 released Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, featuring the first CG cast of realistic human actors in a full-length film. While the CG characters were amazing for the time, they were not quite real enough to satisfy theatergoers--in spite of the property's built-in gamer audience accustomed to this type of imagery. As a result, the movie failed miserably at the box office, with losses estimated at more than $120 million. In 2004, cutting-edge performance capture helped bring the hyper-realistic characters of The Polar Express to virtual life. While some believed the unique look of the "actors" meshed well with those from the book on which the film was based, others stated that the characters looked "creepy." Despite its technological achievements, the film failed to win an Oscar, or even a nomination, for this work.

Some of the stumbling blocks to creating a realistic CG human model then are the same ones artists are wrangling with now--skin, hair, lips, tongue, and eyes. These tasks are unquestionably difficult; yet, most modelers will agree that with today's advanced tools, highly skilled artists can create a human model that looks fairly realistic. The problem comes when a person tries to animate the model, particularly the face; if the movement is ...