Atmospheric pressure is the force exerted on a surface as gravity pulls air down. It is usually measured by a barometer. Rest assured, that is the end of my weather discussion in this column.

In the film and television business, the term atmosphere is sometimes used, most notably in California, to describe actors now known as extras or background. In fact, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) has instructed productions to refer to that group as background actors, having deemed atmosphere and extras too insulting.

The reality is that in every film and television show, background plays a significant role. They are the theater audiences, restaurant patrons and plane passengers that are seen but never heard. Imagine how different classic movie scenes would be without background. The landing on Omaha Beach in “Saving Private Ryan” would be Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Ed Burns And 5 other actors taking on the German army by themselves. In “Bohemian Rhapsody”, Freddie Mercury and Queen would be playing to an empty Wembley Stadium at the Live Aid performance. 

The union representing actors, SAG-AFTRA, is trying to negotiate with the producers to not use Artificial Intelligence to replace background. Years ago, I heard that companies anticipated that there might someday be a need for computer generated background actors. They began morphing together pictures of these actors to create a library that someday would replace real background. At that time, the only issue they could not solve was making hair look natural and not cartoonish. Well apparently, they have solved the hair problem. If the producers get their way, a vast number of union background actors will be scalped.

Now that technology has enhanced the ability to have AI images replace live background, the process of photographing live background actors for the image libraries has intensified. Some companies pay background for half a day so they can be photographed in many poses and filed away. Other productions get their hired background to pose for cameras saying it was for later use. While we assume it would be for set dressing as a family photo or image on a phony ID badge, it may just be part of the image library for AI.

If the producers begin to use AI to replace most of the background used in their productions, other theatrical unions will suffer. Almost all productions employ a team of crew who are sponsible for the background. To begin with, the producers must acquire a space large enough to house the background. It is called “background holding” and must be supervised by production assistants. The wardrobe department assigns people to coordinate background clothing. The members of the prop department distribute items that are necessary to make the background actors fit the scene.

Producers will greatly reduce their budgets. Productions will not have to worry about hair, make-up, props, wardrobe, providing lunch for background while also eliminating the number of production assistants. Hundreds of thousands of background and crew members will lose their income, health insurance and many will not earn a pension.

The growth of AI will also destroy a business that is not involved with the activities on set. There are many casting agencies that are responsible for casting the background. If AI eliminates most of the background, many of their agents will be unemployed.

Filming of television and films generate a lot of money for the towns, cities and sites of their productions. They create an atmosphere and energy that make those locales happy to be part of the process. But, if the producers get their way with AI, the air will drain out of the atmosphere and thousands of people will lose their jobs. Also, the fun of spotting a younger Brad Pitt or Bruce Willis doing background when they first entered the business will disappear. Instead, you will see the AI morphed versions, Brad Willis or Bruce Pitt.

Hudson Cooper is a resident of Sullivan County, a writer, comedian and actor.