The Real, The Realistic and The Ridiculous

Realism and reality are two words that get tossed around a lot in the world of visual effects and gaming, and over the years we have seen how our perception of ‘realism’ has been refined and rethought yet reality has remained the same – or has it?

Alike our natural habit to narrate the world around us, we also have an obsessive fixation on replicating reality in art.  This is typically a Western obsession and in some ways hinders the film and gaming industry. With this notion of “what looks real?” people limit themselves to the confines of realism and focus on visuals rather than creativity. This is seen in the difference between media culture of the West and East. Japan’s wealth of creative and imaginative films and games prove the confinement of realism to be a liability. Nintendo’s Wii has been strongly criticized for its lack of westernised ‘next gen graphics’ however it has proven thoroughly enjoying and brought us many entertaining and imaginative games that stagger the ‘realistic-looking’ ones. Nikolai Chemishevsky wrote that “the first purpose of art is to reproduce reality”, I don’t believe this to be true. Some of the most ancient forms of artwork date back to Neanderthal cave paintings of stylized impressions of reality. Impressionist art is some of the most stunning – in my opinion. The ability to reproduce reality without the liabilities of ‘realism’ through stylized impressions that give the sense of reality is a notable achievement. The works of acclaimed director and animator Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are truly free from confinement in terms of creativity without the boundaries of replicating reality. They have produced many of the most stunning pieces of animated film in existence and when watching them you can’t help but notice the difference between them and Hollywood blockbusters.

A similar feat was reached with the creation Cooper and Schoedsack’s 1933 ‘King Kong’. At the time people were fascinated and terrified with the film and (funnily enough) its realism. Looking back now it’s no more than a comical joke delving deep down into the uncanny valley and it was made truly redundant with the release of Peter Jackson’s 2006 remake. I can say on this day that in the 2006 version King Kong himself looks ‘real’. But what has changed in those 73 years? Has reality really changed? Or is it our exposure to visual effects, its improvements and advancements that leave us saying “that doesn’t look real”? It’s clear now that with 1933’s ‘King Kong’ and the introduction of special effects in cinema was a spellbinding sight to behold for people of the time compared to modern society’s interpretation of realism is a question of “have the visuals advanced”?

I admit I was blown away with James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’, but how long before the next advancement in visual effects hits the screen can I say it looks ‘real’? 

The Importance of Narrative

As I’ve stated before in my blogs, good narrative is a crucial component to the success of films and games. But what is it about narrative that keeps the audience enthralled in a good film or game? Narrative as described by the oxford English dictionary is the ‘telling of some true or fictitious event or connected sequence of events’, the story is what the narrative is and the plot is the way in which the narrative is told. Narratives are everything, and we as humans make them everything – we are constantly turning things into narratives; even in our sleep we create narratives through dreams - it’s human nature.

It’s no wonder to us then that narratives can become repetitive and boring, which keeps us on the constant look out for fresh new concepts and ideas. The gaming industry has seen a large increase in sandbox games and rpgs where the player can influence and manipulate the plot to their liking. By doing this it meets the new demands of gamers for fresh interactive narratives. Bioware’s ‘Mass Effect’ is a good example of an rpg that involves the player in the direction the narrative takes. Its interactive dialogue system adds an unrestricted feel to the plot.

Todorov’s analysis of narrative breaks the plot down into five events. The ‘equilibrium’ is the first; it is a state of normality before the ‘disruption’ which is the next event. The disruption can come under many things, from the offer for a weekend away a Mr Hammond’s ‘Jurassic Park’ or the arrival of notorious Captain Jack Sparrow to Port Royale. Following the disruption is the ‘recognition’ – in the case of Disney’s ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl’ the recognition is that pirates of the Black Pearl had abducted Miss Swan. Then comes the ‘repair’ – to rescue Elizabeth. Finalizing in the recovery of the Black Pearl to Jack and Elizabeth to Will the Equilibrium is then again found. This cycle of events can be found many films and games, which makes the radical nonlinear narrative structure in Christopher Nolan’s ‘Momento’ a breeze of fresh air. The editing in this film is a work of art, the backwards trail of events leaves you thinking back to what has just happened; the same as the protagonist Leonard Shelby whom suffers from amnesia.

 

However Todorov’s narrative structure is successful for its concluded endings and rhythmic plot. Open endings like Nolan’s ‘Inception’ cliff hanger left the audience gripping their seats. Fresh – yes, but many people leave the film begging for a proper conclusion. Perhaps this is why narrative is so important? Perhaps as human beings with our natural lust for narrative we adapt the ending to ‘Inception’ for our also natural desire for conclusion in narrative? I don’t know the answer, but thoroughly enjoyed discussing it and hope to see many new forms of narrative structure found in games and films of the future and include radical ones in my own short films and animations on the course.

Intertextuality in Film

Julia Kristeva defined intertextuality as the ‘transposition of one sign systems into another’; this can be images, dialogue, characters, sounds, colours and even actors. We see these links all the time in media as they are used to add depth or humour to a scene.

When intertextuality is used in films to create a stereotypical villain for example; they will borrow features from past well-known characters to skip the process of developing the character. This type of character is known as a caricature in literature. By exaggerating and demoting the character and its flaws you are able to highlight the assets of the protagonist/hero. Although this is an effective way to present a villain in a film, it is difficult to give the character depth – which undoubtedly can spice up the overall narrative. An example of a caricature that has no depth is Lord Farquaad in Dreamworks ‘Shrek’. His character has no depth at all, he’s a ruthless dictator with multiple flaws, such as his height, malevolence and pride. With his introduction in the interrogation scene the audience is immediately told that he is the villain through several clever uses of intertextuality. The camera follows his feet while he walks, and the camera is angled upwards to his face showing power it also makes the viewer uneasy (of course all of that is gone once we see his height). This camera angle has been used to present villains many times before in cinema history – even some as well known as Darth Vader. There is an organ playing to accompany his introduction which is a clear connection to Dracula. These links are read by the audience and quickly they can make judgements on characters such as Farquaad. Although he has no depth to his character, he is merely a villain and plays no part to the main plot apart from highlighting the good features in Shrek. This is what makes his character successful, and a great use of intertextuality.

A technique alike to caricatures is the repeated use of an actor to play very similar characters in different films. One obvious example are Arnold Schwarzenegger; the face of testosterone. He has played multiple roles in action films, all of very similar features. Another actor is Samuel L Jackson; the mouthy hot-head that has taken many parts in films that require his celebrated calibre of language. When directors use famous actors like these it allows them to skip the development of character in their narrative, because of intertextuality audiences are reminded of parts in previous films they have played and therefore draw upon that to make judgements on characters.

Intertextuality is a tool for multiple purposes. I always enjoy finding links between films and games, and discovering just how directors use it to present things in their work. 

Semiotics in Film and Media

Semiotics is the study of subliminal signs that our minds read interlinking objects and meanings. They are all around us; in films, games, comics, animations and even advertising. All visual forms of media and imaging are crammed with subliminal signals that we read and interpret.

The denotation of a sign is the most basic level of understanding – what denotes it literally. The connotation is what it suggests on a more subtle culturally determined reading – what it connotes. And the myth is the ‘world view’ it contains or implies – the ideology.

A common example of a reading that interpreted by our minds during some popular films denotes the rebirth of a hero – or the resurrection. Usually the protagonist will be reborn and bring balance to the world. The resurrection of Christ is commonly used in films and novels for dramatic effect and narrative significance. The film ‘The Matrix’ shows the rebirth of the protagonist Neo after being shot down in the first film of the trilogy is resurrected. Neo is known as ‘the one’ who brings balance to the Matrix through destroying Agent Smith and ending the war between the machines and the humans. This is also seen in Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ where the ‘true king’ Simba returns anew and reformed to his father’s land after a sort of removal from society. His return is seen as a resurrection; bringing balance again to the land. Without knowing it we read these signs of a hero alike Jesus Christ and subliminally see the significance in the narrative. Even in one of the most famous films of all time, the ‘Star Wars’  Trilogy we see the protagonist Anakin Skywalker bring balance to the galaxy. He’s also known as ‘the one’ alike Neo the Matrix.

All the time we read these signs and it adds great depth to a narrative, possibly without the authors even realising the connections they are creating.

Redundant vs Entropic

Narrative to me is what makes or breaks a film, game or animation. Sure the visuals can blow you away; but unless the viewer can fully believe in the entropic elements of the narrative - then they cannot enter full immersion of a scene.

Being able to immerse yourself in the gritty boots of Mr John Marston in Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption, or the journey to the mystical alien planet of Pandora in James Cameron’s Avatar is where my passion lies in animation. That is where the topic of entropy and redundancy comes into play, as the balance must be perfect in order to achieve full believability with enough entropic realism and redundant thrill. Animation has the plasmatic ability to defy all boundaries and tell stories on other planets or when dinosaurs walked the earth. The word animate derives from the Latin word animare meaning to breathe life. As animators, Godlike we create and manipulate our own little worlds for the joy of narrative.

Pixar is well known for perfecting the balance of entropy and redundancy; using everyday elements and throwing some foreign ones together for great cinematic thrill. The example of Toy Story; a young boy whose vivid imagination builds a close friendship with his toys is recognized by all audiences. But Pixar ‘ironically’ animated the toys; breathing life into them, stirring up the narrative completely and keeping the audience engaged and immersed in the tale of toys. Again with Monster’s Inc. the redundant fear of the monsters in the closet, but the story behind the closet completes the balance.

This ability to manipulate everyday scenarios is what makes animation, and I am looking forward to breathing life into my own narratives and discovering the recipe for immersion.