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Developing The Visual Cinema Aesthetic

Todays cinema is one that anybody can join in on. Consumer technology has allowed anyone to pick up a camera and recreate scenes from their favorite movies.

This discussion will look into the use of Cinema, Film and the term Cinematic, and how each have been misinterpreted, adopted, or abused; from the Soviet AvantGarde of the 1920s, to todays film-making community, both in Hollywood, and the indie film makers.

To start, Id like to elaborate on the word Cinema. Its a word, much like creativity, that has lost meaning over time, or so I believe.

Pierre Rouve wrote in his paper titled Aesthetics of the Cinema;

we might find ourselves compelled to discuss those astounding Odeons and ABCs in the High Street whose only justification seems to be to testify that there can be such paradoxical creatures as blind architects. (1972 Aesthetics of the Cinema: 149)

I find this interesting, as todays film making society regards cinema as the production of a film, not just the theatre in which to show it. Perhaps its a misinterpretation that dates back as far as the Soviet Avant-Garde of the 1920s, or perhaps, much like technology, the term has learnt to evolve into not what was, but

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to what is. Film Making is highly regarded as it is what you make it, so perhaps the term has adopted this doctrine.

Similarly, again in Pierre Rouves paper, he states;

It is common knowledge what a film isor so we are told. Last Summer in Marienbad is a film. And so, presumably, is From Russia with Love. No two productions could be more differentand yet they share some underlying features (1972 Aesthetics of the Cinema: 149)

Literally speaking, Film, or Film Stock is just the piece of hardware in which a series of photographs are exposed on to. Its no surprise that the name film came about to describe Motion Pictures, however, todays Film-Making still adopts the term Film. Very few Film Makers shoot onto film, its mainly Digital, so why is the term Film been used?

Referring back to the above extract from Pierre Rouve, Film is the only common ground that Motion Pictures have. What links films together? It cant be the narrative, for each is unique. It cant be the processes as, for the most part, these are unique too. Is it fair for the Digital Age of Film Makers and Film Making to use the term film to define their art and creation if the key link isnt there? Its not out of the question to assume film makers who are using this term, are purely using it to provide the common ground between Films and their works.

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Writing for the Yahoo! Contributor Network, William Browning wrote;

the word "film" should be just about extinct in moviegoers' vocabulary. Just like consumers no longer "tape" but "record" television shows, the movie industry can just about write off the word "film." (2011 Why Movies Should No Longer Be Called Films: 1)

Realism A word that crops up often when the discussion of Cinematic is brought up. What defines realism in film? Is it the narrative? Is it the imagery? (If so, how can something appear to be real?). Or is it a fine balance between the two?

David Finchers Se7en is regarded in Bruce Isaacs The Cinematic Real: Aesthetics and Spectacle as;

a remarkable exercise in cinematic style, (it) is more readily appreciated as realistic neo-noir than hyper-stylised revisionist spectacle
(2007. The Cinematic Real: Aesthetics and Spectacle: 98)

If were taking the term Cinematic and defining it as the perception of realism, then were completely disregarding another hugely popular genre of Motion Pictures. Animation.

Tim Bullock UCY ID: 187444 UWE ID: 10036324

Eui-Jee Hah, Peter Schmutz, Alexandre N. Tuch, Doris Agotai, Martin Wiedmer, and Klaus Opwis collectively wrote Cinematographic Techniques in Architectural Animations and Their Effects on Viewers' Judgment. In which, it is said that;

Because designers of animations are not constrained by real-world conditions and do not share the rich history of film, they do not readily benefit from the body of cinematographic techniques that filmmakers can draw upon (2008. Cinematographic Techniques in Architectural Animations and Their Effects on Viewers: 1)

An argument against this, however, can be found from Lisa Schwarzbaum, who, writing in Entertainment Weekly, suggested that (talking about Walt Disneys 2004 The Incredibles):

the familys escapades in the field are indeed stupendous, an homage to the exploits of classic comic-book maters of the universe. But the true heroism in this spectacular movie as stars shine brightest in that suburban house, where Bob, with his midlife bulge and his thinking hair, pines nostalgically for the old days.
(2007. The Cinematic Real: Aesthetics and Spectacle: 98) Talking about the above extract in The Cinematic Real: Aesthetics and Spectacle, Bruce Isaacs describes how;

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The Incredibles is valued for what is might say about the real world, and by extension, real loved experiences and even a sense of the communal self
(2007. The Cinematic Real: Aesthetics and Spectacle: 97)

In my opinion, realism can range from visuals to narrative, and to audio. For example, Harry Potters narrative is in no way plausible, however the struggles and turmoil he encounters as a person, emotionally and physically are not, too dissimilar to those in the real world. An example of this could be his quest for love throughout his school years; something that every child goes through during education.

It would be easy to get caught into the feud of Animation is CGI, so for the purpose of this paper, I will discuss them as two separate things.

Visually speaking, it is hard to see how Animation can be Cinematic from a Realism point of view. Animation overdramatizes colours, shapes, depth of field, as well as pretty much any other aspect you can think of.

CGI, on the other hand, is something that can be easily regarded as visually cinematic. Although I will admit that CGI needs to be done right, for the cinematic effect.

I say this, as, for the most part; CGI is produced to look as realistic as possible. For

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example, and similarly Harry Potter, James Camerons Avatar. A hugely implausible scenario, yet its visuals are stunning, almost life-like.

Another example I would use would be Michael Bays Pearl Harbor. The film was shot on location at Pearl Harbor, and CGI was used to add all the original features that were either destroyed from the attack, or disappeared due decay over time. This CGI however, gave the audience a view into what Pearl Harbor looked like. Many assumed that the location was real.

Realism is an obsession, so Andre Bazin suggests. And, if you think, hes completely correct. Every day we crave for Realism.

An example of this can be found within Computer Games. Were subjected to ever improving graphics, which children are introduced at younger ages every year. It poses the question of whether Age Ratings for games are really worth it.

In a recent challenge (Ill call it a study for it has the same qualities) by BBCs Top

Gear, Jeremy Clarkson drove a car around a track, to set a time. He was subjected
to driving around the track in exactly the same car, but this time, he would be driving the car in a video game repeatedly for a set amount of time. His track record was then recorded, and he was asked to try and match or beat that time in real life. The question was asked as to if playing video games could progress someones skills. Although Clarkson didnt beat his time set on the game, he did dramatically improve from his original lap in the car.

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Is this an example of a computer game being so Cinematic, that it has a direct impact on the audiences life? If so, how far can realism go?

Bruce Isaacs writes;

a necessity to contort what is fundamentally artificial (in this case, the cinematic image) into the shape of what it is said to indelibly represent
(2007. The Cinematic Real: Aesthetics and Spectacle: 99)

Are we at the stage now where Motion Pictures, and the Cinematic Look, are more realistic than reality itself? Is artificial image more cinematic than life?

Its an odd oxymoron, but looking at it broken down may help.

Many people wish for the narrative of the Motion Pictures they see.

People react in a much more accepting manner of visuals from the comfort of a chair, than in reality.

Through writing this piece, Ive come to my own decision on how the Cinematic Aesthetic can be developed. I apologise if you read the title of this paper, and interpreted it as if I was going to talk about the Technical Processes. This was my

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initial intention, but through my research, I came to find the deeper problem, which I hope this has brought to light. I am in no way experienced enough to be able to give a definite answer to each question I have brought up. I have merely offered my opinion to each.

The Film Making community (Indie-Film Makers) is obsessed with visuals, and how to achieve the Cinematic Look (as can be read on DVXuser.com). But no one has ever spoken out as to why its how it is. Although it may appear as if Ive ripped into the non-Hollywood film making community, this isnt the case. I have a lot of respect for the Film Making community; there are many people who I thank for their contribution, and their guidance and support. I know for a fact that without their efforts, I wouldnt be writing this now. The lack of education on Cinematography could easily be blamed for the misinterpretation and the abusing of the term, however, I believe that the whole of Cinema has been misinterpreted and abused over the years, not just by filmmakers collectively, but by society itself.

Moreover, I believe that the education on Cinema and the Cinematic Aesthetic would dramatically improve the art that comes out from the Film Making community.

References

Tim Bullock UCY ID: 187444 UWE ID: 10036324

Browning, William. (2011). Why Movies Should No Longer Be Called Films. Available: http://movies.yahoo.com/news/why-movies-no-longer-called-films20110204-173800-006.html. Last accessed 2nd April 2012.

Ford, Perrone (2010). Being Cinematic. Available: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?220043-Being-Cinematic Last accessed 3rd April 2012

Hah, Eui-Jee, Schmutz, Tuch N., Alexandre, Agotai, Doris, Wiedmer, Martin, and Opwis, Klaus. (2008). Cinematographic Techniques in Architectural Animations and

Their Effects on Viewers' Judgment. Available:


http://www.ijdesign.org/ojs/index.php/IJDesign/article/view/479/219. Last accessed 2nd April 2012

Isaacs, Bruce (2007) The Cinematic Real: Aesthetics and Spectacle. Sydney

Studies in English (October, 2007): 96-124.

Rouve, Pierre (1972). Aesthetics of the Cinema. British Journal of Aesthetics 12 (2):148-157

Schwarzbaum, Lisa, The Incredibles Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2005

Tim Bullock UCY ID: 187444 UWE ID: 10036324

Bibliography

Schwan, Stephan, Heese W. Fruedrich and Garsoffky, Barbel. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media. Broadcast Education Association. 1998 --

Strausz, Laszlo. The Politics of Style in Miklos Jancsos The Red and the White and The Lords Lantern in Budapest. Film Quarterly. Number 62 (Spring 2009): pp. 4147. ProQuest Direct Complete -Discusses the differences between framing, and how framing effects mood and realism.

Turvey, Malcolm. Can the Camera See? Mimesis in Man with a Movie Camera. The MIT Press. Number 89 (Summer 1999): pp. 25-50. JSTOR -Discussion & education on Film & Film Production history, and asking the question of is the camera human?.

Cavendish, Philip. The Men with the Movie Cameras: The Theory and Practice of Camera Operation within the Soviet Avant-Garde of the 1920s . The Slavonic and Eastern European Review. Vol. 85, No. 4 (Oct., 2007): pp. 684-123. Modern

Tim Bullock UCY ID: 187444 UWE ID: 10036324

Humanities Research Association and University College London, School of Slavonic and East European Studies -Discussion and explanation into the Soviet Avant-Garde era, and the invention and disregard of camera techniques and production that are now used in every film worldwide.

Browning, William. (2011). Why Movies Should No Longer Ba Called Films. Available: http://movies.yahoo.com/news/why-movies-no-longer-called-films20110204-173800-006.html. Last accessed 2nd April 2012. -Discusses how Hollywood needs to throw away the term film, and how the Movie Making experience is loosing its magic.

Hah, Eui-Jee, Schmutz, Tuch N., Alexandre, Agotai, Doris, Wiedmer, Martin, and Opwis, Klaus. (2008). Cinematographic Techniques in Architectural Animations and

Their Effects on Viewers' Judgment. Available:


http://www.ijdesign.org/ojs/index.php/IJDesign/article/view/479/219. Last accessed 2nd April 2012 -Argues that Animators and designers do not use the Cinematic Qualities cameramen adhere to. And how this affects their work & respect.

Tim Bullock UCY ID: 187444 UWE ID: 10036324

Isaacs, Bruce (2007) The Cinematic Real: Aesthetics and Spectacle. Sydney

Studies in English (October, 2007): 96-124.


-Discusses the theories behind the Cinema Aesthetic, and how real they are.

Rouve, Pierre (1972). Aesthetics of the Cinema. British Journal of Aesthetics 12 (2):148-157 -Article on the misinterpretation of key terms and questions meaning.

Schwarzbaum, Lisa, The Incredibles Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2005 -Discusses the real life scenario s within the film.

Kant, Immanuel (1781, 1787, 1788 and 1790). The Critique of Pure Reason --

Ford, Perrone (2010). Being Cinematic. Available: http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?220043-Being-Cinematic -Tutorials on how to be Cinematic, and how framing, lighting, lensing etc. can change meaning.

Tim Bullock UCY ID: 187444 UWE ID: 10036324

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