Gaudin
A Fixture
With regards to the scanning issue, I think it has its limitations. Yes it can scan a portrait and perfectly still human. But how do you scan a runner for example or a horse or a dog etc...?
And a gain I gree with Mike here, when you are presented with a scan of a human head, it looks a little staged, a bit like a passport photo, that moment in time element is missing for me! That what I mean when I say lifeless! Its the same difference between a great actor and a mediocre one. One is convincing the is wooden and staged!
Carl - you dont need to scan a runner - once you scanned a person you then assign a " bone structure" to a model and then you can move it whichever way you like, with posing software, rag doll apps, motion capture on life human etc ( think Gollum) that will make it realistic etc.
Same can be done with animals. There are already plently of algorithms that will do a running dog for you. If not - motion capture.
Same with head- one its scanned - every surface and muscle can be assigned and used, hense you can expressions and mimics and make video of talking head if you wanted. to be realistic, some one else will need to scan a texture of face and work with it so it applies to 3d model and then add effects and so on and so on.
Realistically all can not be done by 1 person - I am guessing, like in medicine, there are narrow field specialists that form teams - on uber professional level.
What you are right about - is how much skill, experience and talent has the individual artist got to have to be able to do that.