Application Of Sound In Movies And Games Film Studies Essay

Application Of Sound In Movies And Games Film Studies Essay Approaches to Game Audio. Modern computer games are undeniably becoming more realistic and cinematic. As graphics become better quality and game consoles become more powerful, the distinctive line between films and computer games that was set in the 1970s now hardly exists. Graphics have a big part to play in films and modern computer games, but an even bigger part of films in my opinion is the music and the sound in the film general. The music helps create the tension, emphasise dramatic moments in the plot and giving films another dimension to what is shown on screen. These techniques in music and sound/sound effects in film have been taken and used into the production of the modern computer game. Although the music and sound in film and modern computer game may have the same cinematic practice, the way it is implemented in computer games is very different. This is because of the interactive nature of the gaming environment in the computer game. Throughout this assignment Im going to be looking at what kind of strategys game audio developers have created and adopted from film to produce effective audio in the music, dialogue and effects in computer games. We will firstly be looking into the techniques on how film music and sound is made, and the different strategies have been used to produce them. Then at the strategies and techniques on music for modern games, then discussing and evaluating the different and similar techniques and strategys that computer games have adopted. Sound in film Music and sound have always been a big part of film. Even before technology was advanced enough to play dialogue or music, silent films would normally accompanied by a pianist or even a whole orchestra. But why is sound so important to film? Composer Aaron Copland describes five purposes of film music which we will be going into detail about: Creating a convincing atmosphere of time and place; Underlining psychological refinements the unspoken thoughts of the character; Serving as a kind of neutral background filler; Building a sense of continuity; Underpinning the theatrical build-up of a scene, and rounding it off with a sense of finality. (Copland 1975: 154-5) Creating a convincing atmosphere of time and place Composers can achieve creating a time and place by capturing the musical colour, creating the feeling that the music would be created in that location or time. They can achieve this by using instrument of that era or location- Bagpipes would suggest the scene was in Scotland, while a String quartet could symbolise a Scene from the 1800. Although this is an effective way of locating the film musically in some respects, sometimes the composer or director of the film may not want to use authentic Chinese  music but just want to achieve a Chinese flavour or colour by using a pentatonic scale with Western instruments (Source 1) This can create a better effect overall, hinting towards where the scene is musically without using unwanted interments. Underlining psychological refinements the unspoken thoughts of the character In some instances, music can portray a psychological element much better than dialogue can. This type of film music seems more effective if the composer reads over the script at the creation stage, making suggestions on where he would like the music to be. Far too often, however, this possibility is passed over and music is not allowed to speak (B source 1). Music can also give the viewer a better understanding on what is going on within the head of a character, not specific detail, but an overview. Leonard Rosenman  thinks that The musical contribution to the film should be ideally to create a  supra-reality, a condition wherein the elements of literary naturalism are perceptually altered. In this way the audience can have the insight into different aspects of behaviour and motivation not possible under the aegis of naturalism. This show that music can give a film another dimension, bringing out emotions and insights into characters where film without sound cant. Serving as a kind of neutral background filler Through research many composers feel this is one of the hardest things to do within composing a piece of music. Roy A. Prendergast point out that creating background music for a composer calls for him to be at his most subordinated. At times one of the functions of film music is to do nothing more than be there This shows that sometimes music is just needed to blend in the background as though it would exist as sound rather than as constructed music. Building a sense of continuity What is meant by continuity in film is that music can hold a film together Music can tie together a visual medium that is, by its very nature, continually in danger of falling apart (B source 1).The editor of the film will probably be the most aware of this particular attribute of music in films. Music can also bring a film together as a whole using a unifying musical idea. Underpinning the theatrical build-up of a scene, and rounding it off with a sense of finality When used correctly, music can add a huge amount of intensity and intimacy to a scene, it can evoke a gut reaction unobtainable in any other way (B Source 1) But music isnt a miracle worker, a lot of good composers have been asked to create music for a weak scene, hoping that it will the scene stronger. But if the scene is weak it is near impossible to make it stronger, and sadly it is normally the composer who critics blame. Three forms of music The sound in Cinema takes on three different forms: Speech, Music or Noise. Speech The dialogue in films are spoken by the actors or narration heard as a voice over (Source 2). A major component in speech for films is an automated dialogue replacement. When recording on set there is normally back ground noise of traffic or planes flying overhead, this drowns the actors lines out. Because of this, the dialogue is recorded within a studio. Recording dialogue in this way makes it possible for actors to make their lines more dramatic then recording on location. An example of this is the screaming by the actor in Jurassic Park actually was recorded in the sound studios in New York and Los Angeles (source 2). In the studio an ADR expert would match the new recording with the film, making sure that they were properly in sync so that the audience isnt aware of it being recorded in a studio. Music Music is a very powerful component to a film, in many different ways. For example in musicals such as The Sound of Music (1965) the music trys to captivate the audience creating an emotional response when music and words are linked in a scene (B source 2). Music also helps explain and move the plot instrumentally. Themes are very commonly used for individual characters, for example Star wars when Darth Vader appears on screen his theme music is played. There are two different types of film music. Firstly there is Source music, which is the realistic part of the scene; Street Musicians, Rock band playing in the background etc. The second film type is Underscoring; Music motivated by dramatically consideration (B source 3). The composers are normally not needed until a rough cut of the film is made, or even later. Within films that have to be shot in time with music that does not exist yet a temporary music track may be played on set (B source 3). Many films without music feel very empty; this is why films are normally pretracked. The editor would cut scenes to stock or classical music so that the tempo and phrasing lend structure to the footage. Composers then have the task too music that is similar but different. In scoring, one of the first steps is deciding which scene will have music; this is called spotting. The composer will have to cue the start and end of the scene with a stop watch. The music editor will then create a time sheet or breakdown which will change the feet of the film into seconds, or even smaller time scale. He will then detail the action in a cue, making it easier for the composer to write any way he wants, The closes synchronisation of music to action is called Mickey-mousing' (B Source 3) There are two main types of cues in films. Long Cues which are length normally classical pieces of composition, an example of this is a scene from Gold finger where planes are dropping sleeping gas on to a military base, throughout this scene that lasts over two minutes, the same composition is played throughout. Short cues are normally just a few bars of music; this normally acts as punctuation. For example, in many horror films when someone is going to be stabbed with a knife, this is normal accompanied with a strings playing a high sustained chord, giving a sense of anticipation and making the audience uncomfortable. At the recording stage of the music, the conductor of the piece is alerted by a streamer, a three-foot scratch in the film at the end of which a punched hole producing a light on the screen that acts as the starting cue. For the additional short cue scenes, there are similar streamers that will alert the conductor. Throughout the recording, the conductor will normally have a set of headphones where he can listen to the dialogue or a click track. Noise This can be any other sound that can be heard within the movie for example footsteps or birds. Usually the quality recorded on set is poor, which means that special sound effect (SFX) have to be produced in a studio. To produce these sound effects, sound technicians called Foley artists will record different sound effect with items in a studio. For example to create a horse walking, the Foley artist can use two half of a coconut and tap them on the table or floor, or using a metal sheet to create the sound of thunder. Many of these sound effects can be bought digitally from companies that have noise libraries for a cheaper cost then to get Foley artists. But many producers for major motion pictures will employ people and spend more money on Foley artists to create custom sounds for the movie. Timing There are two different timings within films: Viewing Time and Story Time. Viewing time means the physical length of the film. This normally differs from Story time, which is the time that passes within the film itself. Films can normally cover a few years in the characters lives, but most films that we see only take around a couple hours to watch. Viewing time becomes an instrument of the plots manipulation of story time. (B Source 3) Matching a sound or dialogue within the films images is called synchronization. When dialogue or sound is synchronized properly, the audience will not normally be able to tell if everything has been over overdubbed, or sound effects have been added. Sound in games The process of producing game audio resembles in many ways the production of film audio. Game audio follows the same five purposes of film rules made by Aaron Copland, has similar recording techniques for live sound and Foley, and use many of the same software and recording equipment. A lot of game play, i.e. the battles or the big set pieces, essentially has to be scored in some form or fashion. So thats all similar to a film. (B source 4) Although these traits are very similar between game audio and film audio, there are very distinctive differences in the processes. Most of film audio is normally done on the post-production stage, which takes place after the film has been edited and the visuals have been locked (the final version set) (B source 4). A large amount of time is spent mixing and balancing the sounds at this stage, which is one of the most significant differences between film and games sound. Post- production within film doesnt generally exist within game audio. This is because the timings are variable, the music needs to adapt to the game play. The reason for this is because some game players may vary greatly in the length of time needed to complete a level, and often they can complete tasks in different ways. The way they have come across this hurdle is by creating adaptive audio or interactive audio to others. To find out how game audio makes this adaptive or interactive audio, we are going to look through the three production stages. The three stem can be found in the same file or separate files depending on the individual or companys choice. Pre Production The first step on pre production for game audio is the creation of an audio design document. An audio design document contains the details of the design and implementation of the games audio. At this early stage, the audio team dont have much information; they may only have storyboards and characters sketches on which they have to develop an audio design document. But with this information the can start at an early stage of the production, making sure that the audio plays a significant role in the game. The first thing is to determine what type of game it is, finding out the genre and theme for the audio. One technique of finding out the right genre is by creating a temp track. A temp track means placing pre-existing music where the final composition should be. This helps the composer have an idea on where to work from. The second step is how the sound will interact with the gameplay. Rules will normally be placed out by the games designer describing what role the sound design will have within the game. The next stage is to find out which parts of the game should have ambient sound and music. This is known as spotting, it involves defining cue point entrances, exits, play-ins/play-outs, and game state changes, as well as deciding if the games variables (such as players health, surface properties, and so on) will be used to change sound parameters(B source 4). To help the music fit into context with the game, a music cue list can be created. This helps break down the storyboard or script into segments and chapters, creating an individual map for the game, as well as for each individual level. At theses first stages the audio team will need to look for spots for environments, action, pace, tension/release, objects, characters/personalitys and so on. Another important step is spotting the game in terms of emotion; Within a games there is normally movement or a certain rhythm in terms of emotional peaks and valleys (B source 4). To help the sound designer which sounds may interfere with one and another and which sounds need emphasis, an emotion map can be created showing tension and release points. At this stage level descriptions are broken down into different sound types, for example ambient noises, weapons sounds, Foley etc. These sound types will be created within an asset list which can be used at a later stage too track recording in order to reproduce sounds at a later stage, if necessary Production At this stage the production of game sound is normally taken place in several different locations. Like production of film sound: sound libraries are used and normally these effects are layered and manipulated to create the right effect. Bigger companies may have a dedicated Foley studio where Foley artists are hired and are told to create original sound effects for the game. The same techniques in film are used in game audio for sound. One of the most useful techniques that are being used in game audio is the processing of digital signal processing (DSP) in real time. Being able to do this saves a lot of recording time for the sound developers. Before processing DSP in real time effects on certain sounds had to be re-recorded individually, for example; to get the effect of footsteps to change when walking from, say, a stone path into a cave, the effects would have to be pre recorded onto the footsteps file (B Source 4) But now only one sound sample of footsteps needs to be recorded, this is because the DSP filters can be set for location, making the audio responded physics graphic engines which can create more realistic sounding effects in real time while playing the game. The final part of the audio production process is the integration of the music, sound effects, and dialogue. The integration of audio into game decides how the audio will be triggered within the game. This also controls what part of the audio might change the games state or the games parameters. For example Music or ambience tracks may be triggered by location, by game state, by time-ins or time-outs, by players, or by various game events. For the composers music to work with the game, it must be able to integrate into it. Cutting the music into chunks, splits or loops may help in creating a much more dynamic score for the game. An hour or so of music can be stretched out to many hours by cutting it up and looping it. To make it easier to cut, normally the songs have to be quite rhythmic. In game music compositions, the composer will normally make sure that the music is played within the same key throughout. This is because it is easy for sections to be cut and looped without the audience realising. The music composers for Red Dead Redemption composed the music by creating many riffs and small composition lasting less than a minute each, all within the same key. After mastering each one individually, they then put it into the music engine of the game where segments of the musical material are constantly chosen at random an put together to form a piece of music. (B source 5) Music can not only be cut, but also elements of it can be changed in real time in the game engine, for example DSP effects, tempo and instrumentation. Software such as Wwise and FMOD are being used much more these days to create editing such as this. This is because the software lowers cost and production time, and makes it easier to integrate a more dynamic score within the game. Segments of the musical material are constantly chosen at random and put together to create a piece of music. Post Production stage At this stage of production the main task is the mixing of the audio. The mixer has to find anything within the mix which is unnatural, too much repetition or anything having an unnatural imbalance. Within current games, the different stems of audio are competing with each other because they are all in the same aural space. This gives a great risk of sounds being in the same sound range and masking each other out. This is also problematic within film, but because of the unpredictability on where different sounds are going to be heard in a game, makes the mixing an even more difficult task. A strategy mixers have used to tackle this obstacle is by prioritizing sounds real-time in games. Using FX and ducking the music when dialogue happens, is an effective way of making sure needed information is passed on to the player. Another effective technique is making certain frequencies in the music quieter; this makes room for the dialogue to be heard and the music still has a presence. Strategies adopted by game audio developers To make it easier to see the similarities and differences in film and game audio, they have been made into two different sections Similarities Film and game audio have very similar, if not exact recording techniques. They both have to overdub dialogue and ambience. Game audio however, is more reliant on over dubbing, this is because there is no original sound because they have to create the ambience and dialogue from scratch. They both follow similar rules in what they want from the audio, and how they want their audience too feel. The music is very similar, both film and game audio often have scores arranged by professional composers, have a dedicated team that that deal with all the audios needs. Differences Evaluate Conclusion Overall thoughts Examples, including discussion and evaluation, of strategies adopted by game audio developers; Conclusion; References.

Theme of Forgiveness in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Theme of Forgiveness in The Scarlet Letter "The public is despotic in its temper; it is capable of denying common justice when too strenuously demanded as a right; but quite as frequently it awards more than justice when the appeal is made, as despots love to have it made entirely to it's generosity." The Scarlet Letter (156) One of themes that Hawthorne conveys in The Scarlet Letter is that society is more willing to forgive people who ask for forgiveness with humility and generosity than those who demanded it as a right. This theme was conveys using Hester Prynne, a young women who committed adultery. This was considered to be one of the worst crime someone could commit in the Puritan society during the eighteen hundreds, where she resides in. As punishment, Hester was required to wear a scarlet letter "A" upon her garment in order for everyone to recognize her crime. Her society had condemn her, they believed that she "has brought shame upon all of us, and ought to die..."(59) Yet, as time went by, because of the way in which Hester carried herself wearing the scarlet letter, the symbol had taken a new meaning. Although, when the scarlet letter was first place on her bosom it was a symbol of Hester's crime, burden, seclusion, and shame. However, as a result of Hester's generosit y and humility the scarlet letter had come to symbolize Hester's strength, philanthropy, and gained her very high respectability in her society. "Let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart."(59). The scarlet letter was place upon Hester Prynne bosom as a punishment for the crime she committed; the letter A to signified adulteress. The letter A on her bosom was there as a reminder the townspeople, strangers and Hester herself of the crime she committed. Likewise, it was there to ensure that such a crime would not again befell upon their Puritan community. " "Drink, then," replied he, still with the same cold composure. "Dost thou know me so little, Hester Prynne? Are my purposes wont to be so shallow? Even if I imagine a scheme of vengeance, what could I do better for my object than to let thee live-than to give thee medicines against all harm and peril of life so that this burning Shame may still blaze upon thy bosom?

Feral Chrenild Essay

The acute post-traumatic period is characterized by an attempt by the child to reorganize, reevaluate and restore their pre-traumatic world. Many of the emotional, behavioral and cognitive signs and symptoms of the acute post-traumatic period are due to these efforts†. As bizarre as it may sound these are some of the issues that we are forced to be reckoned with. ? Background on feral children Although it is obvious that an abandoned child will not learn to speak properly, this was not always understood, what many feral children do learn is to mimic animal sounds, and the Sounds of their host family, those that have lived on their own in the wild learn to adept, recognize and imitate the sounds of many different animals. In the Opt omen Television production Feral Children, Oxana Malaya can be seen running around on all fours and barking like a dog. Oxana Malaya a Russian girl (born November 1983) was found as an 8-year-old feral child in Ukraine in 1991, having lived most of her life in the company of dogs. She picked Up a number of dog-like habits and found it difficult to master language. Oxana’s Alcoholic parents were unable to care for her. They lived in an impoverished area where There were wild dogs roaming the streets, she lived in a dog kennel from the age of three Behind her house where she was cared for by dogs and learned their behaviors and Mannerisms she growled, barked, and crouched like a wild dog, sniffed at her food Before she ate, and was found to have extremely acute senses of hearing, Smell and sight. In 2006 Oxana was institutionalized for mental illness where she help Looks after Cows. (sight) Feral children brought up by animals develop a particularly good sense of smell, hearing, and excellent sight especially at night. However, they are quite impervious to heat, cold, rain, and showed no perception of hot and, cold, feral children also carries a offensive odor that wouldn’t leave them despite washing, and weeks or months on a normal diet. Many physical changes that Feral children do undergo are brought about by walking on all fours, their muscles Develop differently they acquire calluses’ on their palms, knees, Ankles, and other leg joints because there are accustom to being bent most of the time. Feral children are Usually both strong, and very physically fit, they can run (on all fours), climb and jump With great rapidity, undoubtedly the lack of normal developmental stimuli has a devastating impact on the development of the human brain. Feral children would not be Classified as human bearing any of the traditional criteria, however, generally speaking, we now Accept as human someone who is clearly genetically human, regardless of their intelligence, Abilities or skills when it comes to the mind, feral children do not think about either them selves or others in the way most humans do, Through the work of Dr Bruce Perry, we know that Without the stimulation that takes place in a normal childhood, the brains of feral children are smaller and malformed, such is the impact of the lack of development. The deprivation associated with the isolation from human society that feral children experience During those critical formative years has a profound effect on every aspect of their development, And socialization, they don’t know how to socialize, and don’t want to socialize. Feral children do not like human company and would go at lengths to avoid it, rarely showing Signs of attachment, and would sit facing the corner, their face entirely expressionless. Feral children show no interest in other children their own age or in games they play, not even to recognize their own reflection. Children brought up by animals’ exhibit the social behavior of their adoptive families. They lap drinks, and learn animal sounds, and gestures like an animal would. Emotionally feral children are known not to laugh or cry although some do develop an attachment. Feral children are also known for sudden fits of anger biting, scratching others, and even themselves made worse by the fact that they were raised in the wild. It has long been thought that there is some sort of connection between autism and feral children, many accounts of feral children clearly describe patterns of behavior that we would now associate with autism. â€Å"Firstly, autism is a spectrum disorder, meaning there are varying degrees of Severity, Common traits include poor social interaction skills, a good rote memory, an Attention to detail, failure to understand abstract concepts, lack of empathy, lack of Creativity, severe sensory problems, and intolerance towards change and, that’s the Thing people notice the most. So here lies yet another hole in the autism / feral child Connection†. Autism and Feral Children, by Andrew Teo. Rehabilitation of feral Children The rehabilitation of feral children can take months or years depending on the severity Of their early childhood development and time spend on their own in the wild, the Rehabilitation purpose can include a verity of Stages such as language development, physical development and the need to understand human behavior. Researche have Shown some feral children choosing not to wear cloth and rather being naked not wanting to eat with proper utensils spoon or fork but rather with their mouth like animals. The Rehabilitation of feral children, the process is slow and time consuming but with the help Of dedicated doctors, therapy, love, and care there are a few cases of feral children Who have been rehabilitated and somewhat Functional in society weather it may be Working with animals like Genie or struggling with the everyday transition back into society. The integration of Feral Children back into society There are a few cases of feral children who have successfully been integrated Into society, once such case was recently aired on the Oprah Winfred show and Caught the attention of many fewer around the world, and showed how children Are been abused, abandon and severally mistreated by the hands of love one. †¢Danielle now 9 years old who was lock away from civilization and know nothing About human contact, could not speak, could not dress herself and was afraid of Human was discovered July 13, 2005. Danielle is now attending occupational and physical therapy, she also attend speech classes, and horseback riding. Thanks to her adapted family Danielle is know Successfully integrated and coping with society. †¢Another case is Oxana now 22, has made good progress; she has learned to talk which is unusual in cases of feral children. Oxana demonstrate the ability of a five year old. Today Oxana lives in the Baraboy Clinic in Odessa where she works with farm animals under the care of her doctors. Conclusion No matter how fascinating, scientifically interesting some of These stories may seem it isn’t much fun to be a feral child, wolf boy or wild girl We shouldn’t forget that all these children have been abandoned, neglected Even cruelly abused, some of the stories are quite harrowing which, is why it is Always important for parents, care givers to give the love and care desire for a Long healthy life style from an early age within a Childs life.

Are Visual Effects Dramatically Improving Film or Mistakenly Damaging Film - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 16 Words: 4836 Downloads: 7 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Cinematographic Art Essay Type Argumentative essay Level High school Did you like this example? Are Visual Effects Dramatically Improving Film or Mistakenly Damaging Film? Introduction From the very inception of film visual effects have been employed by numerous photographers and film makers to enhance, to realise and create new meaning. The very early days of film took great advantage of ‘visual magic to create illusions and trickery which have impressed countless audiences. Over a century ago when photography was emerging as an art form some unscrupulous commercial photographers would capture portrait shots using an ordinary exposure but then as soon as the subject was removed from the studio a collaborator would be positioned within the same setting, a quick exposure would be taken so as to leave a faint image trace on the film. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Are Visual Effects Dramatically Improving Film or Mistakenly Damaging Film" essay for you Create order The unsuspecting customer would then be handed a positive copy of their image with what appeared to be a ghostly figure in shot. A more subtle variation involved the customer being placed with numerous props around him or her, the props would be removed for the second exposure of the ghost character, so as they wouldnt appear too deliberately double exposed. The ghost character would usually be wearing black clothing as film does not ‘see black due to the chemical process in the emulsion of film which identifies light only, therefore only the ghost would appear in the second image. And herein began the industry of special effects. This ghost trick was the starting point for what is now known as the matte process where unrequired objects are removed from the exposure by masking them so they do not register on the film. One of the first uses of this process in a moving image sequence was witnessed in Alexander Kordas Things To Come (1936) in which the upper levels of a futuristic underground city have been double exposed above footage of live actors, matte masks prevented one image showing on the other image. This film provides one of the earliest examples of special effects being adopted to positively improve the aesthetics of a film. Of course since films early experiments with visual effects the industry has today developed into a very sophisticated, digitally driven and technically ultra-advanced visual medium. Computers have taken special effects to an entirely new level and as computers continue to update and improve their spec so too will the film industry develop around these advances; quite simply computers and digital technology have enabled films to be produced which otherwise would not have been. However despite the often profound visual success of special effects in certain cases some people argue that film is now placing an over reliance on special effects, they argue that visual effects in some films are counter productive as they come acr oss as ineffective and some times unnecessary. Some also question the performance of the actors if all they are doing in a film is running in front of a green screen shouting at an imagined ‘alien clutching an imagined prop. Others raise concerns regarding the films quality and the processes of putting a film together where much of it is CGI constituted. So is it really the case that films being produced now would be better received by audiences if they did not make so much use of visual effects? Or is it that some studios and directors simply cant adjust effectively to modern day film making? And who is to blame for this? Man or machine? As visual effects artist Piers Bizony points out: One of the greatest misconceptions about modern movies is that visual effects are generated by computers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Human inventiveness is the most important ingredient and it always will be. Computers offer amazing new possibilities, but the underlying challe nges of movie illusions are the same today as they were nearly a century ago when the industry was young . Chapter 1: The Profound Benefits of Using Visual Effects in Film Digital effects have significantly impacted on mainstream films, indeed digital technology is now synonymous with exceptional visual effects. Michael Baileys sci-fi film Armageddon (1999) provides a good example of a director engaging with digital visual effects which achieves an impressive and hugely successful end product. The disaster film depicts the efforts to prevent Earth being destroyed by a huge meteorite on a collision course with it. Teams of ‘heroes are sent into orbit in an attempt to blow the meteorite up and save the world. The film is saturated with digital effects some of which are the result of a very complex process. These computer generated sequences include the entire orbit scenes, the meteorite shots and the films climax. The evolutionary process by which the visual effects product is accomplished can be an awe inspiring process in itself; take for example the asteroid in Armageddon which began life as a small sketch on a napkin, the image was then refin ed and digitized, then colour was added to it in Photoshop. After this a physical model of the asteroid was constructed out of foam. Numerous shots were then taken and fed back into a computer so that other effects could be added such as gasses and rocks. A second and larger model was then built and using an intricate technological process wired the model so that a computer could read every single three-dimensional detail of it. The final product we see in the film is an image which is the result of multiple digital imagery layers with many of the films scenes comprising of between fifty and a hundred layers. It is an astounding feat of modern visual trickery. If the film had been made several years before hand it would have had to employ the more conventional optical printing cinematographic process. However this would have left green lines visible on the subjects and depreciated the overall aesthetic qualities of the film, today computers can remove these lines thereby rendering t he composite process invisible to the viewer. Contemporary modern visual effects engender a film culture based on a production process that in actual fact is less ‘physical. As academics and authors Peter Lehman and William Luhr observe: As a movie like Armageddon makes clear, much of what we now see in Hollywood films never existed in front of the camera and this has had a profound effect upon how we think about movies. The quality of the visual effects necessarily impacts on the believability of the film for the viewer and most Hollywood films strive to hide any signs of the film making methods used with the aim of providing the spectator with a ‘real experience. Some label this style of Hollywood film making a ‘the invisible style and digital visual effects in many instances now makes this film making approach even more attainable, and more easier to produce as costs are cut. Films like Cecil B. De Milles The Ten Commandments (1956) used to be a rare event in Hollywood because of the costs involved in creating the special visual effects, but now thanks to modern visual effects financial barriers have been removed and we now see Hollywood increasing their output of more visually daring films. Michael Baileys follow-up to Armageddon was the hugely successful blockbuster Pearl Harbour (2002) which again repeated the success of his previous film as regards the use of visual effects and went on to generate worldwide box office sales of just under  £300,000,000. When Ridley Scotts historical action drama Gladiator (2000) was released there was wide media coverage focusing on many of the visual effects the film had employed . In the film many of the scenes occur in the Roman coliseum and we are treated to plenty of shots of an entire coliseum where hoards of spectators occupy it observing the macabre event taking place below. However the spectacle was in actual fact constructed from multiple digital layers and is another example of vis ual effects making an invaluable contribution to the film industry. It is only through digital technology that we can enjoy with such visual fluidity the epic structure of the coliseum, the gladiators engaging in their fierce battle and the jeering spectators all in one shot. James Cameron is a Canadian director with numerous titles to his name and is well known for his use of cutting edge visual effects technology. His first blockbuster foray into the visual effects arena was with his groundbreaking sci-fi The Terminator (1984) in which we witness a director pushing the boundaries of special effects capabilities. The film epitomises a trend of the time in which Hollywood was experimenting with new means of visual effects through the production of films which fused the genres of science fiction and horror including Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), Robocop (1987) and Predator (1987), a breed of films which author Mark Jancovich describes as films which: Contain strong female leads; an interest in the family; concerns about scientific-technical rationality and the military; killing machines which lack conscious motivation; and forms of body/horror . Within Camerons Terminator film we can glean an overpowering sense of directorial creativity which, for all of the films impressive and successful visual effects, is still somehow constrained not by the mind of the director but by the technology available to him. The film was low budget costing around  £4m to make but due to its huge popularity generated  £30m in box office sales in America alone. The Terminator bred a franchise and to date four films have been made although only the first two were under Camerons direction. In Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991) Cameron teams up with George Lucass Industrial Light and Magic visual effects house and three other special effects houses. Cameron builds on his rendered water tentacle he created for The Abyss (1989); he was encouraged by some of the concepts used for The Abyss and in Terminator 2 created a Terminator constructed of liquid metal – the T–1000. On screen we witness T-1000, a polymorphic assassin, shape-shifting into anyone it touches. To achieve many of the films visual effects Cameron fused two elements of computer generated graphics with a film composite to create blue prints which were heavily used with astounding success. Between Cameron and the four visual effects houses the film boasts three hundred optical and mechanical shots incorporating state of the art computer produced imagery as well as more conventional optical trickeries and process photography. Each of the four effects companies provided the film with their own unique contributions. For example visual effects company ‘Video Image produced the twelve TerrorVision shots from the Arnold Schwarzenegger T-800 characters infra-red point of view. This was achieved by scanning into a computer live footage and manipulating the colour scheme t hen overlaying it with flashing graphics. ‘Fantasy Film II effects company had the task of producing the opening ‘future war sequence by improving it with intricate optical enhancements, they also created optical lighting and lasers for the shots of the arrival of the Terminator. It was ‘4Ward Production which created the nuclear blast scenes in which Los Angeles is devastated by a nuclear bomb. The sequence was partly electronically created by using a big layered painting of the city which included a blast dome and by using the Apple Mac programme Electric Image very effectively simulated the destruction of buildings to capture the blasts destructive effects. However it was Industrial Light and Magic and Stan Winston Studios working in collaboration who were presented with the challenge of making the T-1000 which would turn out to be a combination of mechanical prosthetics, moving puppets and complex processes of computer generated digital imagery. Camerons Tit anic (1997) was until very recently the worlds most successful box office film. The film made great use of visual effects as well as employing some more traditional special effects processes. Cameron constructed an entire Titanic replica which was able to be flooded and broken apart for the sinking sequences. Most of the visual effects were supplied by Camerons own company Digital Domain which made use of both CG and miniature models to recreate the journey and eventual fate of the ship. Digital Domain also generated hundreds of digital passengers, digital water and numerous digital matte paintings and also created particle effects which simulated smoke. Other visual effects work on the film was carried out by VIFX who composited icy breaths onto some of the characters to ensure maximum authenticity for outside scenes. A number of other collaborators include POP Film who created some very clever digital face replacements and complex matte paintings. And CIS Hollywood made blue sky s ubstitutes and bluescreen composites. The whole collaboration ensured the final product did what it was supposed to do. The films visual effects are an overwhelming credit to a Hollywood narrative film which, in true Hollywood style, hopes to ensure its audiences beliefs are suspended so the journey is as real as it can get, there can be no doubt that the visual effects in this film was a key ingredient in helping the audience achieve that belief suspension. On the 29th August 2009 the Daily Mail ran an article with the title ‘How James Camerons 3D Film Could Change Cinema Forever. The story previewed James Camerons latest sci-fi adventure film Avatar (2009) and the articles author claimed: A movie revolution will take place at the end of the year potentially offering as big a leap in our viewing experience as the change from black-and-white television to colour. The remark was perhaps a little over zealous but nonetheless captured the sentiment of the huge visual su ccess celebrated by the release of Avatar. The film had been a concept in Camerons mind since the mid 1990s but due to the deficit in technological capabilities the film remained unmade. In actual fact Cameron didnt completely wait for the technology to catch up he made technology catch up by creating specialist cameras and equipment required to make the 3D film a reality. The imagery in Avatar constitutes 60% CGI and most of the CG character animation sequences are filmed using live actors with groundbreaking new motion-capture processes. The other 40% of the film comprises of live action imagery and relies on more conventional special effects. In bringing Camerons CG characters to life he has essentially created a whole new method for filming motion capture; he makes his actors wear special body suits with a standard definition camera attached to a head ring which will repeatedly take photographs of their faces. Then the data is sent to another camera which creates a real-time ima ge of the ‘live actor in costume. Of the processes used to create his visual effects in Avatar Cameron stated: Its this amazing ability to quickly conjure scenes and images and great fantasy scapes that is very visual†¦When you are doing performance capture, creatively its very daunting. Its very hard to imagine what it will look like. But if you can see it, if you can have a virtual image of what is it going to be like, then you are there . Avatar adopts further new motion capture processes with its Facial Performance Replacement (FPR) technique which allowed Cameron to reshape the facial movements of the actors. So where dialogue is altered after principal photography on a scene it is still capable of being perfectly integrated into the final scene thereby avoiding actors having to re-shoot another take with their body suits and head rigs on again. Its as though Cameron is constantly merging the boundaries of CGI and live action imagery but appears to have created the desired result although at cost. Whilst the film was in production James Cameron said in an interview on Canadian television that: Were in CG hell. Were trying to create a world from scratch. Its like trench warfare. Were working with computer-generated characters that are photo-realistic. Thats tough. We set the bar high. Were just now getting confidence that its going to work . Its the type of remark that embodies the drive behind an artists creative intelligence and reveals his determination as well as frustration of a project which ultimately will be successful, James Cameron must be sitting comfortably with the knowledge that he broke his own previous record. Avatar is now the biggest box office success in cinema history. Chapter 2: When Do Visual Effects Damage Film? It is incontrovertible that visual effects have augmented many film experiences and that todays modern technological advances have created a film industry capable of exceeding audiences expectations. However despite the immense success of these visual effects there is a growing feeling among many people and film makers alike that digital effects are eroding the quality of some films. CGI used to be a hugely expensive process so much so that George Lucass Star Wars (1977) only contained a ninety second CGI sequence which took three months to complete. However almost twenty years later and the cost of CGI has significantly reduced which enables Pixar Animated Studios to profitably produce an entirely computer generated film – Toy Story (1995). Just another six years later and Sony manages to remove the difference between cartoon and ‘real life with its production of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001). Today CGI is an integral ingredient for many filmmakers who empl oy its use for most of Hollywoods big action sequences. Despite the affordability of CGI it still remains an expensive process and is very time consuming and this is precisely why it is often contracted out of Hollywood to specialist visual effects companies. As we have seen above Avatar had at least four different visual effects companies work on it, and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) had eleven outside companies produce the visual effects. Herein lies one of the key areas of concern regarding the use of visual effects in contemporary film making. So that this type of digital outsourcing can be facilitated the film is essentially divided into two separate productions: firstly the studio or location based live action scenes and secondly the CGI element which is made on computers. During the live action filming the actor will quite often be working on whats called a ‘limbo set in which there will be few physicalities to the scene, instead the actor will be require d to simulate particular actions and even mouth certain words of dialogue, all the omissions will then be filled in at a later stage on computer when engaging the CGI stage of the production. It will paint bold background imagery, place elaborate costumes on characters, implant certain objects into the actors hands and create sounds and dialogue befitting of the scenario. When the live footage has to be completed and even the editing of the live film the divide between the live and the CGI work becomes more distinct and problematic as quite often directors havent seen any of the CGI imagery at that stage. One classic example of this situation was during the filming of Jonathan Mostows Terminator 3. The film began shooting in July 2002 and Warner Brothers required the film to be submitted within twelve months for its release. However the sub-contracted CGI element of the production would take eight months for the subcontractors to complete, and so due to the time restriction this mea nt that Mostow had no choice other than to provide storyboards to the CGI teams so they could begin work and so were not working from the live footage which Mostow had yet to film. The split nature of this method of film making is epitomised, almost bizarrely, in the film itself in the face of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The right side of his face has ordinary make-up on it, the left side is green this is because the digital animation supervisor San Rafael directed the CGI which would become Schwarzeneggers right side of his face, whereas Mostow directed the left side of his face in Los Angeles. Once the CGI had been completed there was simply no time to facilitate a re-do. Mostow stated at the time: For a filmmaker that is the worst thing you can imagine. In the regular rhythm of making movies you shoot, you edit, you hone the editing, and then you add the finishing touches. Computer graphics turns the normal procedures of filmmaking upside down . This method of filmmaking was als o witnessed in the production processes of Avatar which outsourced the digital effects work to a number of different companies. One of those companies was London based Framestore and some of the work they had to carry out vividly illustrates the production issues of films which employ heavy use of CGI, Jonathan Fawkner of Framestore said: So what we got from the production was literally an actor in a green background, and we were required to put everything else, including set material props and people . Hollywood studios often believe that digital effects are worth their price, even if it is just to enjoy the profit margin from the spin off sales of merchandise of toys and computer games. However if CGI can not sustain audience interest because it lacks other fundamental film elements such as narrative then no groundbreaking computer generated graphics will compensate for an audience dissatisfied with the story of a film. This was illuminated when Sony had to learn a bitter le sson after it released the sci-fi digital effects imbued Stealth (2005) which performed abysmally at the box office. DreamWorks also had a bloody nose in the same year with the release of The Island (2005) which again generated disappointing box office sales. As journalist and author Edward Epstein states: If this new economy of illusion allows the CGI side of a production to overwhelm the directors ability to tell a coherent story in his live-action side, digital effects may prove to be the ruination of movies . Another aspect of film erosion some argue is occurring when film requires the use of stunts to increase the action to higher levels of intensity. When American actor, writer, producer and director Douglas Fairbanks in the 1924 film version of the fantasy Thief of Baghdad impressively jumps from one huge pot to another with all the anticipation captured beautifully in the film he does so himself, with two unseen trampolines used to support the actor as he performs the stunt. The action sequence is thoroughly effective because it is real. Martial arts actor and director Jackie Chan brings to us films which are highly charged with plenty of karate sequences, this is for many part of the appeal of his films. The fighting scenes always use trained martial arts experts to bring the audience closer to the fighting action so they dont just see and hear it they feel it. However CGI threatens this authenticity by injecting scenes of action which are physically impossible for the human being. The reality is that sadly with the continuing development of CGI there will be less impressive live stunts in film to enjoy. Another argument which criticises digital visual effects concerns the relationship with the aesthetics and the deeper meaning of what the aesthetics are depicting. If we look at a much older film such as the The Thief of Baghdad (1940) we observe a film which makes very effective use of visual effects for its time. It is obvious watching the film that the visual effects are easily identified as visual augmentations but in those aesthetics they actually capture a large degree of reality. Clearly the audience knows that horses and carpets are not capable of flying by themselves yet in the film that is precisely what we see and a visual treat it is despite its lack of visual sophistication. If those scenes were filmed today they would be produced through CGI processes which would load the scenes with fast paced shots of the horses imagined responses if it could fly which would be generated with intricate detail and seamless visual flow, we would see overview shots of the landscapes beneath and we might even see an eagle or two because the whole sequence would be so busy that the audience just doesnt have time to appreciate the whole point of the scene that someone is flying through the air on a horse or carpet! And this is the problem when visual effects take over the scene it reduces the significance of what it portrays. Digital visual effects also seem to engender a type of laziness amongst some film makers. However in the film X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008) attention was focused away from digital support in favour of more traditional effects, the audience is aware that theyre not always seeing real bodies or real severed body parts but the effects were impressive and no CGI was used, the film makers instead employed model making efforts to realise the visual characteristics of the film. US scriptwriter and film critic Roger Ebert says: I have nothing against digital technology. It tricks the eye just as matte paintings and miniatures did. What Im concerned about is that filmmakers take it for granted. When youre not dealing with something physical, like a matte, youre tempted to go for broke, and then your ‘real life movie feels like a cartoon. The best effects are those that are entirely story-driven and character-driven. In many peoples view CGI is simply becoming overused. Steve Becks horror Ghost Ship (2002) received strong censure from critics and spectators for its digitally constructed scenes and lack of attention to narrative. The unreal look which comes with CGI can often destroy credibility for the audience. Special effects co-ordinator Randy Cabral believes that CGI has a damaging effect on some films, he says: I go to the movies often and Im taken out of the moment completely when you see something and its so unreal, so unbelievable and it just screams CGI that it completely ruins the film for me. Conclusion Looking at the top ten most successful films of all time, commercially speaking, every single one of them has employed CGI to a significant extent . From Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone (2001) to The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (2003) through to Toy Story 3 (2010) and of course Avatar (2009) between them these films have thrilled worldwide audiences and rewarded them with a visual feast. There can be no denying the merits of digital effects and the overwhelming contribution it has made to cinema. The success in sales figures both at the box office and in DVD and Blu-ray profits matches the success of what CGI has achieved on screen. The advantages to the film industry are plenty as is evident from above, but what some directors and film makers some times overlook are the negative aspects of this technology. CGI can not replace a good story or substitute an intelligent script with meaningful dialogue and whilst it can indeed create stunning three dimensional charac ters it can not produce the depth of character which audiences can relate to if the character has no characteristics or depth of expression. It seems that some directors and the Hollywood system have not learnt these lessons fully yet. The recent sci-fi film Skyline (2010) relied heavily on digital effects, some which were quite clearly weak in parts, and lacked depth of narrative. The film attempted to ride on the back of recent successes in the genre like War of the Worlds (2005), Cloverfield (2007) and District 9 (2009) but failed to match their achievements. Skyline unfortunately is a modern example which demonstrates that Hollywood continues to ignore fundamental film constituents in favour of computer generated sequences to realise a film, perhaps after the box office failure of Skyline Hollywood may begin to effectively address this issue. Even directors like Tim Burton who have strong views on digital effects and resisted using them extensively for his remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) still dont appreciate the damage CGI can do, as the film still featured many scenes that were not enhanced by the visual effects but were in fact weakened by them. Having considered many of the advantages and disadvantages of the use of visual effects within the film industry there are clearly two opposing perspectives. Some advocate the continuing and indeed increasing use of CGI as a key method for the production of major film projects and to realise the creativity of the human mind whilst others prefer a more moderate approach to the use of digital effects. James Cameron when being interviewed by Charlie Rose said: I threw everything I had at making it a great piece of entertainment and that was the 3-D, the CGI and creating the world and every trick I knew to get people to come to a theatre, and then every trick I knew as a filmmaker to engage them in terms of the story and the actors and so on . It is probably fair to suggest the most efficaci ous means of producing films should incorporate a balance, and ensure the right calculation between using digital technologies to realise the film and the other essential ingredients which makes the film successful. If the film industry chooses to ignore the genuine complaints of digital effects use then it may well find itself producing more films which do not connect with audiences, and thus runs the risk of damage not only their profits but their credibility also.