Tute Presentation

Stimulating Simulations & Simulacra

Reading;

Manovich, Lev (2001). Technology and Style in Computer-Animation in The Language of New Media, pp 185-211.

by Jason O'Dwyer (u4521783)

Technology & Style In Cinema

Andre Bazin was the first to acknowledge the idea of cinematic realism, which attempts to combine cinematic technology and style to create a total and complete representation of reality.Through advancements in film techniques (the introduction of depth of field, etc) the spectator was soon allowed to have a more intimate relationship with the image than was already possible in our own reality.

Basin draws the idea of realism from mythological, utopian thinking. For him, realism is found in the space between reality and a transcendental spectator. (Manovich, 187)

Technology & Style In Cinema

Jean-Louis Comolli focuses more on an ideological function of cinema. He described this function as objective duplication of the 'real' itself conceived as specular reflection. In other words, for cinema to maintain its realism on the viewer it would have to constantly update and maintain itself, which it does through the addition and substitution principles. It constantly advances the latest of its images (through technological developments such as sound, colour, etc) so that any images from the past now look outdated (unrealistic) in comparison to the new level of realism displayed.

Comolli sees realism as an effect produced between the image and the historical viewer and continuously sustained through the ideologically determined additions and substitutions of cinematic technologies and techniques. (Manovich, 187)

Technology & Style in Cinema

Bordwell & Staiger acknowledge that cinema is an industry influenced by the modern practices of efficiency, product differentiation and maintenance of a standard quality. They see realism as an engineering goal for the film industry and that is why the technology is produced to achieve an accepted view of realism for the viewer.

Bordwell & Staiger locate realism within the institutional discourses of film industries, implying that it is a rational and pragmatic tool in industrial competition. (Manovich 187)

Technology and Style in Computer Animation

The evolution of realism in animation followed Commoli's theory of addition and substitution in the codes of realism.The focus of animation achieved a greater ideal of photorealism by evolving from the use of depth (Example given the linear perspectives of Tron) to a focus on a shallower space with reality effects such as shade, range and colour. (evolves as technology is advanced)

Technology and Style in Computer Animation

Bordwell & Staiger (producer's pov)

For the production companies, the constant substitution of codes is necessary to stay competitive. Driven by software innovation.

Realism was rationally adopted as an engineering aim (258)

Technology and Style in Computer Animation

Realism is achieved through 2 stages

1) The simulation of the codes of traditional cinematography

2) The simulation of the perceptual properties of real life objects and environments

Technology and Style in Computer Animation

In computer graphics it is still easier to create the fantastic and extraordinary than to simulate ordinary human beings. (194)

Real or Hyperreal or??

The simulation of the human figure has serves as a yardstick for measuring the progress of the field (196)

Icons of Mimesis

In summary: The difference between cinematic and synthetic realism begin on the level of ontology. (196)

Animating smoke, wind, etc. To give a further sense of the 'real' in animations.

Matching the quality of live action with computer generated imagery.

Case Example

JURRASIC PARK

The integration of computer-generatedImages had to bedegraded; theirperfection hadto be diluted to matchthe imperfection offilm's graininess.

Too Perfect, Too Real??

Too Perfect Too Real??

The synthetic image is free of the limitations of both human and camera vision. It can have unlimited resolution and an unlimited level of detail. EVERYTHING is in focus (no depth of field).

Free of grain created by film stock and human perception.

The lines are too geometrically perfect

HYPERREAL

From Our POV, it is HYPERREAL.

And yet it is realistic?? The resulting synthetic image is a more than perfect human vision.

HYPERREAL

Synthetic computer-generated imagery is not an inferior representation of our reality, but a realistic representation of a different reality.

Jurassic Park Vs Terminator

The dinosaurs are blended with the human world to convince us of their realism

A cyborg with futuristic alloy, in perfect form, with no degrading.

The 3D Photorealistic Computer Animation Paradox

Its images are not inferior to those of traditional photography. They are perfectly real all too real. (204)

Hyperreal!

If Time The future of the hyperreal??

Play Eric Zimmerman (game designer) & David Kaplan

This short film imagines a not-too-distant future where video games have become indistinguishable from reality

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIZVCCJxIQ4

Reading

Manovich, Lev (2001). Technology and Style in Computer-Animation in The Language of New Media, pp 185-211.