The human brain, no matter how unobservant it may seem, can subconsciously notice even the slightest of inconsistencies and feel uneasy. This inherent capability can turn into a fatal flaw in terms of animation as a visual medium. Famed writer Lawrence Weschler anecdotally elaborates upon this hamartia, speaking of how a glass of milk once made viewers of an animated short film feel uncomfortable entirely due to its lack of a meniscus (the infinitesimal bend at the milk’s surface when viewed through a glass cup). Thus, animators are forced to “marvel both at the tiniest of details and at the human capacity (nay propensity!) for noticing those tiniest of details.” This effect is the most prominent when it comes to the concept of the Uncanny …show more content…
In fact, Tom Gunning, renowned film theoretician, argues that the synthetic man motion capture “destroys, as it replaces, ‘the image of the free and intact man.’” Gunning continues on to argue that creating virtual humans through motion capture, a simulacra, reduces them to an assembly of bits. According to Gunning, these bit combinations prove that man is neither free-willed nor ‘intact’ as he was when God created him. While the overall intricacies of this argument make for personal philosophical debates, the simple and basic summary of Gunning’s thesis is reducing man to computer code renders free will an intrinsic falsehood and thus—as man must be inherently free-willed—motion capture will never surmount the Uncanny Valley. Gunning claims that motion capture is merely a spectacle, that it is intentionally destructive and merely a “simulacrum of consciousness.” Continuing down Gunning’s argument, he argues “contemporary CGI and digital manipulation [blend] imperceptibly into familiar realities, spectacular special effects films practically visualize the fantastic.” He finishes his argument with a significant duality, claiming, that “at their best the new techniques of digital effects do more than simply reproduce the familiar human body; they offer not only fantastic variations on the human body…[but, in addition] its ability to endow matter with an inner life, a sense of soul.” In essence, Gunning argues that as animation can never truly recreate a human being it animates unfamiliar concepts additionally (such as matter or animals) to provide a spectacle to audiences. And, this mixture of the familiarity of a human figure and the unfamiliarity of this additional animation is what creates the Freudian Uncanny
People usually expect to see paintings and sculptures in Art Galleries. Imagine the surprise one finds when they are presented with a man stitching his face into a bizarre caricature, or connected to a machine which controls the artist’s body. These shocking pieces of performance art come under the broad umbrella that is Postmodernism. Emphasis on meaning and shock value has replaced traditional skills and aesthetic values evident in the earlier Modernist movements.
In society today, we are conditioned to believe certain sets of ideals. We use these ideals to interact and get along with the other people we surround ourselves with. These ideals are often the societal norms that form common ground amongst individuals. However, living life based off these basic and unchanging beliefs is not beneficial to humanity, nor does it make life any easier to live. In fact, holding on to the most accepted beliefs holds back society as a whole. Judith Halberstam, in her essay “Animating Revolt and Revolting Animation” challenges these societal norms through the analysis of animated movies and, in doing so, carves a path for a new way of thinking.
Eisenberg, Anne. “Animated or Real, Both Are Believable.” New York Times, August 27 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/28/business/technology-blurs-the-line-between-the-animated-and-the-real.html
Antirealism in film transcends and brainstorms the fantasies that never become reality. Even though antirealism is apprehensive with a smaller amount then actual stuff, our observation for an...
William Gibson’s Neuromancer is a science fiction novel that is seen by many as the preeminent work of the “cyberpunk” genre. Neuromancer, like the countless others of its kind to follow, addresses themes concerning identity and/or lack there of. The “cyberpunk” genre as argued by Bruce Sterling was born out of the 1980's and was due in part to the rapid decentralization of technology. With the influx of computers, the internet, and virtual reality into the everyday household came technological discoveries that affected the individual. Certain themes that are central to “cyberpunk” involve implanted circuitry, cosmetic surgery, and mind invasions such as brain computer interfaces and artificial intelligence. (Sterling 346) With these issues in mind one must wonder what affect they have on the self or one’s identity. Within Neuomancer, Gibson creates a future where identities can become obscure/ambiguous, due to the sophisticated technology available which may alter various facets of a person’s physical or mental identity.
In an article written by Julie Turnock about the aesthetics of cinematography, she writes about how special effects and CGI appeal to the concept of perceptual realism. Cinematographers not only need to make the film realistic; they must make the fantasy notion aesthetically pleasing to the viewer in order to make the film “real life”. In the 1981 version of The Clash of the Titans, the special effects were limited to green screen and claymation. This put more pressure on actors to “play their part” to enhance the special effects. By 2010, when the remake of this movie was released, special effects and CGI changed the scene to where actors can minimalize their dramatization of scenes because the effects the fantasy world are seen and felt by the viewer. They extend the realm of realism to the viewer in their chair. Special effects have changed the perception of realism.
The problem is to manipulate and shoot unstylized reality in such a way that the result has style.” (Jackson, 2000, p 86-87)
We see ourselves in everything. We assign identities and emotions where none exist. And we make the world over in our image,” (McCloud, 32-33). Anthropomorphism allows humans to identify with the familiar while learning about the new, and it is often synonymous with cartoons in media. While some individuals dismiss and misjudge cartoons as “crude, poorly-drawn, semiliterate, cheap, disposable kiddie fare,” they can be used to deliver insightful interpretations of social and historical issues.
Neill, Alex. “Empathy and (Film) Fiction.” Philosophy of film and motion pictures : an anthology. Ed. Noel Carrol and Jinhee Choi. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2006. 247-259. Print.
Neill, Alex. “Empathy and (Film) Fiction.” Philosophy of film and motion pictures : an anthology, eds. Noel Carrol and Jinhee Choi. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 2006. 247-259. Print.
... imagination is sometimes more excessive than the action on the screen. After the application of Williams’ “theory” to David Creonenberg’s film Shivers, it is apparent that the spectator’s personal perception of the action (or inaction) is more the cause of the bodily reaction that Williams is referring to, rather than the objective excess on the screen. Ultimately, various characteristics of Williams’ arguments are true, but as a film theory in general, “Film Bodies: Gender, Genre and Excess” needs further research and flexibility in order to be both relative to all “body” genre films, and applicable to all unique spectators.
The word “uncanny” has no singular, correct definition to it. It could mean a multitude of things and can be achieved through various techniques outlined by Sigmund Freud. In volume XVII of The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Freud gives many definitions of the word “uncanny” and writes the various mechanisms to achieve an uncanny effect. One such mechanism occurs when the imaginary becomes reality. This technique is showcased in the movie Inception made in 2010 and directed by Christopher Nolan. By blurring the lines between imagination and reality, Nolan is able to pique the viewer’s interests, which causes them to become more invested into the movie.
A conventional face represents an idealised self-portrait. In ‘Transfiguration’, Olivier de Sagazan builds an existential performance based on layers of clay that he paints onto his face and body to transform, disfigure and take apart his own figure from the physical world that constraints his emotions and passions. Jolting viewers out of ordinary patterns of thinking. Sagazan’s face test his viewers perceptions of the totemic face, the grotesque face, the face in performance, the violent face—all the while creating a dialogue between past, present, and what’s yet to come.
The demand for the manual animation technique known as “in-betweening,” where an artist draws hundreds of images to produce the idea of motion, takes countless hours and requires the dedication of an artist’s full time. With the aid of computers, images are generated at face paces and movement can be altered with the click of a mouse. Thus, those hired to do such jobs have the opportunity to better the product with far less time and frustration.
In the beginning of animation, animators created images using pen and paper. They were then arranged to give the illusion of movement and depth. This type of animation is called traditional or 2D animation. This style is a great option if the animator is working with characters and want the benefits of a hand drawn quality. However, with 2D animation the animator would need to start completely from a scratch piece of paper to change the camera angle for a scene. Also, truth is fewer and fewer animators can create drawings needed to make a beautiful 2D animation. Today, animators have turned more to 3D animation. 3D animations are created on a computer, with modeling programs to produce a much more realistic and complex animation experience. What helps in making a lifelike animation, is the simple fact that it can be viewed and lit from all angles. 3D animation also adds textures that can be placed into live scenes and elements. This style can work for any concept and offers flexible, customizable, and an overall fluid motion. A friend (a non-animator) of J.K. Riki was asked why he thought 3D compared to 2D was “more real”. He replied and said, “blurs the line between fantasy and reality” and “a child’s daydream – and all other ages – is theoretically 3D, so it’s like their fantasies come to life”. However, what an animator must know is to achieve beautiful movement within the animation, animators must apply the same principles that apply to 2D. Just because it 3D is done digitally, doesn’t mean it is done completely for the