Pixel Perfect

Work Title: Pixel Perfect
Medium: TV Movie
Episode Title:
Year: 2004
Writer(s): Alan Sacks
"Original" Writer: Yes Writer(s): Neal Shusterman
"Original" Writer: Yes Own work?: No
Summary:

Roscoe, a teenage boy, uses his father's technology to develop a holographic rock star for his best friend's band. Tension begins to arise between Roscoe and his best friend Samantha when Roscoe begins to fall in love with the hologram named Loretta.

  • Self-Written?: 1
  • Source Name:
  • Source URL:
Era/Year of Portrayal: present_day
Distinctive characteristics of the world in portrayal:

The world was L.A. in 2004 so present day technology was in existence and fashion was in existence. The only thing special was the holographic technology.

Technology

  • Name of portrayed presence-evoking technology: BETA is the software used to develop the hologram named Loretta.
  • Description of the technology: The software BETA designed the hologram Loretta. The technology uses echo location to measure the room and pulsing frequencies in order to hold Loretta's light pattern. Therefore, not projector is needed. Although the hologram can only exist inside it can be transported to other location through the use of a device called a hologram storage cell. This device is just a metal can. Through the use of BETA the hologram created can continually be modified and new programs can be upload to mold the hologram into whatever the user wants.Loretta was made to be a teenage singer/dancer and therefore there was a mass amount of interactivity that she was capable of. Loretta seemed human. The only thing hat gave away her being a hologram was that she couldn't touch and she really couldn't create anything original because everything she knew was download from the internet. Loretta had a superior nature because she knew she knew everything and that she was capable of doing almost anything. However, by the end of the movie she acknowledge that there were some amazing things about being human that she was not capable of such as learning from mistakes and simply being able to feel.
  • Nature of task or activity: Loretta was used for companionship and entertainment. The use engaged in social activities whenever Loretta was used.
  • Performance of the Technology: Loretta functioned extremely well and does what she is designed to do, which was to be a teenage singer and dancer that appeared human. There were a few times where she malfunctioned. At one point in the movie interference from a satellite caused her light pattern to break which exposed that she was a hologram. During another point in the movie the computer battery began to run low and Loretta began to look deformed. She had three pairs of lips. She also begins to gain her own personality and therefore runs away into the internet.
  • Description of creator(s): Roscoe's father was a middle aged white man employed by a technology corporation called Skygraph. He invented BETA. Roscoe was a 16 or 17 year old boy obsessed with the idea of perfection. He was never satisfied with who people were. He used his
  • Major goal(s) of creator(s): The goal of Roscoe's father was to keep his job. Roscoe's goal was to help his friends and to create the perfect girl.
  • Description of users of technology: Mostly teenagers were using the hologram Loretta because she was to be a teenage performer. They used her for social and entertainment purposes. Other people such of the record label also used her. These were middle aged business men.
  • Type(s) of presence experience in the portrayal: social_presence
  • Description of presence experience: The presence experience seemed very real. Loretta seemed to be human except when it came time to touch her or when it came time to go outside. The user actually experienced social interaction with her.
  • User awareness of technology during experience: Most of the time users were not aware that she was a hologram. For a while the band was pretending she was human when she would perform and the audience didn't know. One character actually said that once you start talking to her you forget that she is just a hologram.
  • Valence of experience: The experience with Loretta was very pleasant. People were excited about how real she seemed and how entertaining she was. The only character that had negative reactions to her was Samantha because she felt in competition with her perfection.
  • Specific responses: During the experience with Loretta users experienced physiological arousal and physical arousal. She was intellectually stimulating because she was intelligent and could download any information from the internet. She was also physically attractive which cause physical arousal.
Long-term consequences:

The long term consequences were that holograms were going to replace actual human entertainers because they could be more exploited and controlled by record labels. Holograms also caused more self-esteem and image issues in teens because they would be striving for perfection that is unattainable in order to compete with the holograms.

Other:

Coder name: Cambriae Bates
Coder email: cambriae.bates@temple.edu
Coder affiliation: Temple University