This week’s lecture took us on a journey through time from the perspective of the cinema-goer. From evolutionary beginnings in the primordial soup that was Paris, France, in 1895, to the current burgeoning era of online film distribution, cinema trends have moved with the tide of world-changing technological convergence and globalisation.
It’s hard to believe that fifteen years have passed since the debut of computer-generated animation on the big screens of the world. I would argue that the visual aesthetic achieved by the creators of Toy Story (Lasseter, 1995) is still comparable with that of more recent computer-generated animated films. Recent feature-length offerings such as hyper-realistic Final Fantasy: the Spirits Within (Sakaguchi & Sakakibara, 2001), and James Cameron’s live action/animated film Avatar (2009) have met with mixed reviews despite the technological milestones they represent.
An interesting consideration is the ways in which this symbiotic relationship works in reverse. James Cameron’s latest cinematic brain-child was reportedly put on the back-burner for as long as fifteen years - around the same time that Toy Story was released! Heavily reliant on what will fleetingly be called ‘cutting edge’ technology, Avatar blends live-action sequences with CGI backdrops, 3D technology and ‘performance capture’. Michael Bodey of The Australian newspaper reports that final product must be seen to be believed, adding that the narrative “…barely matters given the wonder of the worlds the filmmakers have created” (2009).
While many viewers flock to the cinema to enjoy the sensory experience and be a part of the historical ‘event’ such releases signify, others are turning in droves to the internet for an alternative experience that is more focused on culturally significant stories than on technical brilliance. Not since televisions first appeared in viewers’ homes has an innovation had such a powerful impact on the cinematic experience and on film media in general.
Reference List
Bodey, M. (2009). Avatar needs to be seen to be believed [Electronic version]. Retrieved August 24,
2010, from http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/avatar-needs-to-be-seen-to-be-believed/story-
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