George Lucas would have a much better understanding of the task.<< ScottA, You're right, he does. And he'd be the first to disagree with you. About eight years ago I sat in Lucas' office and personally listened to him discuss the blistering pace of computer graphics. He spoke of how he watched image "morphing" technology basically get invented at ILM and in the short space of two years go from hi-end movies like "Terminator 2" to everybody's PC desktop. He'd be the first to predict (and already has several times) that very soon now, actors will be completely replaced by CGI. So he'd respectfully disagree with you about Spielberg's prediction. He'd think Spielberg is right (and so do I). >>My own best guess is that it will take anywhere between 30-50yrs. before hobbyists like ourselves will have the tools to make a Hollywood quality movie ourselves at home. Even that's being optimistic.<< Wolf359, All you have to do is look at the demos for the new Sony Playstation 2 (specifically the Alfred Molina-as-"Doc Oc" demo) to realize that your prediction is way, way off. Realistic CGI characters on game machines is just about here. Realistic CGI characters on home PCs is right around the corner by even the most conservative estimate. Heck, in 30 to 50 years we'll probably all be jacking directly into our cerebral cortexes for truly immersive 3D experiences, a la William Gibson's "Neuromancer!" >>Well the thing about CGI movies like Toy Story, Shrek, Finding Nemo and Shark Tales is that you can have characters and situations impossible with regular actors.<< I agree here with Argon18. Most CGI movies don't even need photorealism. Spielberg's simply said that making a movie would be possible on a laptop, not that it would need to look absolutely real. And, yes, you'll still need actors for voices. >>Spielberg is wrong. A young filmmaker who never leaves his room, and who has little useful experience interacting with live human beings, can't create a character with a personality even remotely realistic.<< All kinds of remote, hermetic, anti-social people have written unforgettable characters in books. Take Robert E. Howard (Conan the Barbarian), H.P. Lovecraft (the Chthulhu Mythos) or Margaret Mitchell (Gone With the Wind) just to name a few. These authors were notorious for never leaving the house and being very anti-social. In theory, a young filmaker who doesn't leave his room can tell a story just as well as they could -- especially since now a hermetic young mind has the internet and TV with which to view the world-at-large. -jjsemp