Digital Domain Media Group and CORE Media Group to Create Virtual Elvis Presley

[Elvis.com]

Digital production company Digital Domain Media Group (NYSE: DDMG) announced today that it has signed an exclusive agreement with CORE Media Group (formerly CKx) to jointly develop, produce and own a series of “virtual” Elvis Presley likenesses for a range of entertainment projects...

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[ThreeCornPatches]

like the quote on elvis in concert - CBS Special ''ahhh Im so excited i just can't wait''

[King Of The Whole World]

I like the one comment made about "I'm only an entertainer". I hope they remember those words Elvis said all the time. I hope they do not use Elvis for anything political or social.

[vivaelvis]

The company that is producing these new tours and special technological events was created by James Cameron, the creator behind Avatar. Also the company was used for special effects in Titanic, Transformers, Tron and other award winning motion pictures. This now explains why EPE and Core Media (CKX) decided to end both Viva Elvis and the Elvis In Concert tour with the original band. They have something much larger in store to present to the general public. Soden's comment was evident that the new technology will allow new fans to be introduced to Elvis and the life long fans to enjoy. The EIC Tour had reached its limit of doing that. Plus those guys are almost 80 something and that tour was wearing them down. 20 years ago, heck, even just 10 years ago, this couldn't be accomplished. The technology of today is mind blowing at just what all they can do, and cost efficient at that!

Maybe this will also mean that Elvis may soon appear on the silver screen in a science-fiction movie or action drama in the near future. That would be so cool!

[KPM]

The company that is producing these new tours and special technological events was created by James Cameron, the creator behind Avatar. Also the company was used for special effects in Titanic, Transformers, Tron and other award winning motion pictures. This now explains why EPE and Core Media (CKX) decided to end both Viva Elvis and the Elvis In Concert tour with the original band. They have something much larger in store to present to the general public. Soden's comment was evident that the new technology will allow new fans to be introduced to Elvis and the life long fans to enjoy. The EIC Tour had reached its limit of doing that. Plus those guys are almost 80 something and that tour was wearing them down. 20 years ago, heck, even just 10 years ago, this couldn't be accomplished. The technology of today is mind blowing at just what all they can do, and cost efficient at that!

Maybe this will also mean that Elvis may soon appear on the silver screen in a science-fiction movie or action drama in the near future. That would be so cool!

Actually most are late 60s early 70s-and age is irrelevant if the ability of the individual is still there. I do not think James Burtons riffs have lost anything with age-if anything they are better........BB King is still one of the great guitar players alive-and he is near or past 80.
Tutt had a heart attack a few years back and still plays great.....but all things end and eventually they will retire or decide to cutback.
As far as the main topic a "Virtual Elvis" the proof will be in the pudding-we will see how it looks when its finished.
Avatar did not impress me-it looked like a "created world and people" which is what it was and you could tell.
I felt the effects on Titanic were better of the ship, ocean, people walking on deck at long range.. etc....but closeup "virtual images still look created" IMO and it distracts from the film.
But even if they can accomplish the realism of facial features, expressions and movement convincingly-they still can not recreate the voice and that is as important as the image for a singer performer-I hate the dubbed impressions, and even someone like Ronnie McDowell is a pale second to the actual voice of Elvis.
Now you could punch out words or phases from actual movies, appearances and tv specials but I have heard that done-and it takes on a choppy unnatural sound quality-that is annoying.
So my reaction boils down to "the proof is in the pudding" not the announcement of the meal.

[vivaelvis]

Actually most are late 60s early 70s-and age is irrelevant if the ability of the individual is still there. I do not think James Burtons riffs have lost anything with age-if anything they are better........BB King is still one of the great guitar players alive-and he is near or past 80.
Tutt had a heart attack a few years back and still plays great.....but all things end and eventually they will retire or decide to cutback.
As far as the main topic a "Virtual Elvis" the proof will be in the pudding-we will see how it looks when its finished.
Avatar did not impress me-it looked like a "created world and people" which is what it was and you could tell.
I felt the effects on Titanic were better of the ship, ocean, people walking on deck at long range.. etc....but closeup "virtual images still look created" IMO and it distracts from the film.
But even if they can accomplish the realism of facial features, expressions and movement convincingly-they still can not recreate the voice and that is as important as the image for a singer performer-I hate the dubbed impressions, and even someone like Ronnie McDowell is a pale second to the actual voice of Elvis.
Now you could punch out words or phases from actual movies, appearances and tv specials but I have heard that done-and it takes on a choppy unnatural sound quality-that is annoying.
So my reaction boils down to "the proof is in the pudding" not the announcement of the meal.

To Elvis' fans who actually saw him live, then I can understand them enjoying Burton's aging licks. But to the younger fans they are watered down. Maybe not to your ears or someone of older ears, but to the sounds of modern day music, it's not the same. Ronnie's drumming is still good, but even he has had to slow it down a bit.

You have to remember, along with the rest who don't get this stuff, it isn't meant for the original fans as much as it is for the newer ones and those who never got to see him live. That was the whole purpose behind the Tupac performance. It allowed a new generation to see him live who weren't around 20 years ago.

[Diane]

To Elvis' fans who actually saw him live, then I can understand them enjoying Burton's aging licks. But to the younger fans they are watered down. Maybe not to your ears or someone of older ears, but to the sounds of modern day music.

That's because there is not much class in today's music.

[buttonhead]

That's because there is not much class in today's music.

So true Diane... btw how are you ?

I think the todays music talent is quite( excuse me ) ; shallow, what the kids watching on MTV or VH1, its all look and sounds the same .. . No Offense to any one, but yes I missed some of the great musician like Elvis, hopefully this project will be another 'comeback' for him even though hes been gone for 35 years.

[vivaelvis]

So true Diane... btw how are you ?

I think the todays music talent is quite( excuse me ) ; shallow, what the kids watching on MTV or VH1, its all look and sounds the same .. . No Offense to any one, but yes I missed some of the great musician like Elvis, hopefully this project will be another 'comeback' for him even though hes been gone for 35 years.

When was the last time you watched either MTV or VH1? Neither really show music videos anymore. If they do it's early in the morning when nobody's up yet. Most of the programming is teen-based reality shows like True Life, Real World and other programs. On VH1 it's all urban programming. You'd think it's BET2. Music videos are a thing of the past, like cds.

[rocknroll]

Today's music is souless.

[ThreeCornPatches]

agree, I hope they goin to recreate elvis performances from 69 till ofcoarse 77, With audio from those concerts (Not with a fake voice). That would be so cool. Then they finally can film a kind of 1969 performance by elvis. I cant wait to see the king back on stage

[ThreeCornPatches]

or recreate the on tour shows live!

[dennyelvis]

A thought on this .......... if they do recreate a truly believable Elvisogram, would they use the original concert backing, or do something on the ELVISTHECONCERT lines, his restored voice and an actual band playing live ? ...... could be a thrilling concept, for us who never saw him live ?

[buttonhead]

When was the last time you watched either MTV or VH1? Neither really show music videos anymore. If they do it's early in the morning when nobody's up yet. Most of the programming is teen-based reality shows like True Life, Real World and other programs. On VH1 it's all urban programming. You'd think it's BET2. Music videos are a thing of the past, like cds.

hahaha lol..i watched the early "jump Start' ...music countdown, it usually started around 4 AM.. i work at 7 am.. so sometimes i watched it while getting ready to work but really it doesnt as appealing as it used to

[josephinebeau]

Okay to the person who said that Burton's riffs are watered down, I will have to respectfully disagree. I was born after Elvis died and I grew up in the South listening to everything. I am a huge fan of Metallica, Aerosmith, Guns and Roses, and tons of other 80's and 90's rock bands that have hugh guitar sounds, but that is the beauty of Burton he is so **** smooth. Most young people don't know much about music because their parents leave the parenting to the media and the media is full of garbage ( the Kardashians have a TV show to illustrate my point). I love the idea of hologram Elvis and coming as close to possible to seeing him live, man I am jealous of you guys who saw him!

[KPM]

To Elvis' fans who actually saw him live, then I can understand them enjoying Burton's aging licks. But to the younger fans they are watered down. Maybe not to your ears or someone of older ears, but to the sounds of modern day music, it's not the same. Ronnie's drumming is still good, but even he has had to slow it down a bit.

You have to remember, along with the rest who don't get this stuff, it isn't meant for the original fans as much as it is for the newer ones and those who never got to see him live. That was the whole purpose behind the Tupac performance. It allowed a new generation to see him live who weren't around 20 years ago.

You see this is where you and I part ways-to you everything boils down to some type of age gap problem-"aging licks" that is "Your Biased Description" every thread along this line you start ends up :
Anything Older-bad, no worth, nothing to learn from it, no place in 2012
Anything New- Must be better, must be done, can't be topped, younger smarter.....
Perhaps it is not meant for original fans-that does not mean we do not know good ideas from bad, ideas which will show Elvis in the best way and ones which will not be true to who he was. If you do a "virtual Elvis" if he does not really look, move and sound like Elvis -you might as well prance out any Tribute artist and say "heres Elvis" If the virtual Elvis does realistically move, look and sound like Elvis.....I'm all for it...but not if it is not true to his charisma and talent. My goodness is that so hard to understand-you can not sell-something untrue to the origin-because they will not see the greatness in a substandard copy.
You have to remember-we mature fans are not going anywhere soon-I hate to disappoint you
I still am fairly healthy and at 57 I plan to live another 25-30 years....(of course realizing you plan life as it happens around you)

[Snake Eyes]

When I first saw the Tupac hologram I must admit I thought "bloody hell, that's unbelievable". I've watched it a few more times, and I don't really like it so much. The eyes are vacant, as you'd expect from computer trickery.

I just think this project is very ambitious and will be extremely difficult to pull off. Computers are capable of amazing feats, yet I hope they don't produce a turkey with this little scheme. However, I will still be very interested to see how this actually pans out.

[vivaelvis]

You see this is where you and I part ways-to you everything boils down to some type of age gap problem-"aging licks" that is "Your Biased Description" every thread along this line you start ends up :
Anything Older-bad, no worth, nothing to learn from it, no place in 2012
Anything New- Must be better, must be done, can't be topped, younger smarter.....
Perhaps it is not meant for original fans-that does not mean we do not know good ideas from bad, ideas which will show Elvis in the best way and ones which will not be true to who he was. If you do a "virtual Elvis" if he does not really look, move and sound like Elvis -you might as well prance out any Tribute artist and say "heres Elvis" If the virtual Elvis does realistically move, look and sound like Elvis.....I'm all for it...but not if it is not true to his charisma and talent. My goodness is that so hard to understand-you can not sell-something untrue to the origin-because they will not see the greatness in a substandard copy.
You have to remember-we mature fans are not going anywhere soon-I hate to disappoint you
I still am fairly healthy and at 57 I plan to live another 25-30 years....(of course realizing you plan life as it happens around you)

Do you honestly have to always criticize everything I post? I know you have sent me pms saying "it's nothing personal" but it's really looking that way whether it is or isn't. You find every little thing possibly wrong with my posts, but I never see you ever do the same with others who say some really bad stuff that is not accurate. But you never correct them.

And for the record, nobody is promised tomorrow. You could die tonight depsite the best health in the world. We all have a number assigned to us in the book of life. When that number (day) comes then that's it.

[vivaelvis]

When I first saw the Tupac hologram I must admit I thought "bloody hell, that's unbelievable". I've watched it a few more times, and I don't really like it so much. The eyes are vacant, as you'd expect from computer trickery.

I just think this project is very ambitious and will be extremely difficult to pull off. Computers are capable of amazing feats, yet I hope they don't produce a turkey with this little scheme. However, I will still be very interested to see how this actually pans out.

The Tupac "hologram" wasn't a real hologram. It wasn't even 3-D. It was done in 2-D using a imitator form behind a screen when then reflected a computerized image of Tupac. So whatever moves the human did the allusion did the same. Here's a video on how it was all done.



The "Virtual Elvis" hologram will be heavily upgraded from what they did with Tupac. That was just a rough draft experiment to see if it can be done and how the public would receive it. The response was overwhelming and that now allows them to go further in development of the technology to bring other dead legends back to life, sort of.

[Snake Eyes]

Thanks Viva, I saw this or something similar a while back. At first glance, it was impressive, but second and third not so much. Let's hope they can produce something utterly mind-blowing to shut me up