Gollum's Skin

A BBC story explains how visual effects artists used new software to
make Gollum's skin appear more realistic:

"The secret in making virtual skin seem real is all to do with light. Dr
Jensen found that light did not just bounce from surfaces such as marble
and skin. Instead light beams penetrate below the surface and scatter
at different points."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3683853.stm

Personally, I thought Gollum's skin wasn't quite perfect, but it was an
improvement of other films I've seen. And I loved his facial
expressions. They were better than many live actors.

Some day we're likely to have virtual John Waynes and Marilyn Monroes on
screen. What will high-paid actors do then?

--Mike Perry, Seattle
http;//www.InklingBooks.com/inklingblog/

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