Week 1: Introduction to the Module. Topic: The Age of the Image and the Trend of the Lens
Can we spot any current trends of vfx ?
- Anime using CGI- Failure Frames
- Rise Of Short-Form Videos
- Real Time Rendering
- De-aging (Captain Marvel)
- Surrealism (horror) (dreams)
- Deep fakes
the impact of Edgerton’s work in Visual Effects
Examples
The Matrix
sherlock homes
Deadpool
X- Men
Divergent
Homework
Week 1- What is meant by Dr James Fox’s phrase ‘The Age of the Image’?
James Fox, the presenter of A New Reality, Age of the Image, explores the significant influence of digital technology on the production, perception, and interpretation of images. In this BBC4 broadcast, the impact of digital pictures on public perception and our collective sense of reality is examined in hitherto unheard-of ways. The episode explores the shift from analogue to digital, emphasizing how new visual technologies have changed not just media and art but also how we connect and see the world.
Fox notes that “the line between the real and the virtual has all but disappeared” in his reflection on the changing authenticity of pictures. He looks at the evolution of methods like computer-generated imagery (CGI), artificial intelligence (AI), and deepfakes, which have made it easy to edit photos and produce visuals that may be mistaken for real ones. Fox contends that because these technologies can “deceive as much as they can enlighten,” they present difficult moral dilemmas for society.
The show emphasizes how digital pictures frequently influence people’s thoughts and attitudes in ways that conventional media used to, but with an “illusion of reality” that traditional photography and painting never had. Regarding social media, Fox talks about how pictures are edited and warped to show perfected depictions of reality, making viewers doubt their veracity. He says, “We trust what we see, but that trust is increasingly misplaced in the digital age.”
Fox concludes that “seeing is no longer believing” in the digital age, raising concerns about using pictures in this context. In our visually driven society, this episode makes viewers consider how pictures may educate, deceive, and define individual identities and communal narratives.
Referencing:
BBC iPlayer (2020) Age of the Image. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000fzmc/age-of-the-image (Accessed: 15 November 2024)
Week 2: The Photographic Truth Claim: Can we believe what we see?
Images becoming more like reality?
Interstellar: The Ice Planet & Water Planet Scenes Were Filmed In Iceland
Week 2
Homework
The Photographic Truth claim: What is it and does it matter?
In photography, the “truth-claim” is the notion that images always capture reality as they appear to the camera. This idea is based on photography’s unique indexicality, which Gunning defines as the direct, tangible relationship between the subject of the photograph and the final image.
Photographs are viewed as unfiltered depictions of “truth,” direct perceptions of the real world, in contrast to paintings or sketches, which depend on the artist’s interpretation. Like a footprint is an indicator of a person’s existence, the image is essentially viewed as a physical trace or “index” of its subject.
Indexicality is essential to the truth-claim because it suggests that the image is a direct link to reality rather than merely a representation. For instance, a trace that matches the actual topic is produced when light reflects off a genuine item and is recorded by a camera.
Gunning’s research raises the question of whether this special connection provides photos with the “appearance” of reality or if it makes them intrinsically truthful.
Gunning addresses how the truth-claim is complicated by techniques such as staging, manipulation, and particularly VFX, which can undermine the indexical nature of a photograph.
He suggests that even if an image seems truthful, the truth-claim can be “faked” when photographs are digitally manipulated. This manipulation undermines the photograph’s role as an index by adding, altering, or even fabricating elements that did not exist in the original scene.
Referencing:
Gunning, T. (2017) PLENARY SESSION II. Digital Aestethics. What’s the Point of an Index? or, Faking Photographs. Nordicom Review, Vol.25 (Issue 1-2), pp. 39-49. https://doi.org/10.1515/nor-2017-0268
Week 3
Digital faked images (Examples)
Turtle Mountain
Unique Black Lion
Frozen Venice
Week 3- Find two composite VFX shots, from a movie or TV show that is not obvious
Combining several visual components from various sources to produce the appearance of a single image or sequence is known as compositing. These basic visual effects method ensures uniformity in lighting, shadows, and perspective while combining real-world film, computer-generated imagery (CGI), matte paintings, and other components. Rotoscoping, digital matte painting, green screen keying, and incorporating 3D models into live-action or computer-generated imagery are important techniques.
The Bear Attack Scene in The Revenant (2015) film featured are live-action Leonardo DiCaprio images, a motion-captured CGI bear, and a realistic woodland scene with CGI dust and falling leaves.
The Optics: Close-up, handheld pictures that emphasis movements and responses with a changing depth of focus build suspense.
Believability: Consistent lighting, believable physics-based bear motion, and smooth CGI integration all contribute to realism.
Rule of Thirds: Throughout the scene, DiCaprio dynamically directs attention by frequently being off-center.
Features include digital bear and blood effects, realistic foliage and costumes (if feasible), and additional motion blur and focus shifts.
Breaking Bad: Gus Firing’s Explosion Reveal (2008–2013)
Elements: Live-action video and CGI-enhanced face injuries combined with a realistic explosion.
Lighting is constant between the explosion and the aftermath as the medium shot shifts to a close-up.
Believability: Subtle CGI and a balanced shock value prevent the uncanny valley.
Rule of Thirds: Gus’s placement in the left third heightens the tension and directs attention to his wounds.
Compositional layers for depth, CGI injuries, and realistic flames and debris are among the elements.
To preserve plausibility and improve narrative, these sequences expertly combine real-world and computer-generated elements while following cinematic rules like composition and optics.
Referencing:
Heckmann, C. (2023) Vfx compositing techniques explained, StudioBinder. Available at: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-compositing-definition/ (Accessed: 15 November 2024).
Fame Focus (2021) Deep Dive into the VFX Behind “The Revenant” / Before & After CGI Breakdown. 6 April 2021. Available at: https://youtu.be/zFh5KXEm_9U?si=lWF9rITpWwGBs4zG&t=209 (Accessed: 15 November 2024).
Week 4: Photorealism
Homework: Write a definition of Photorealism & find some examples of lens effects (dof, lens distortion, vignetting, lens flare, etc.)
Photorealism is an artistic trend and visual style in which artists seek to produce images that are as realistic as possible, closely resembling the clarity and precision of high-resolution photographs. Photorealism began as a painting technique in the late 1960s and has now grown to encompass digital and computer-generated imagery (CGI), intending to achieve a degree of visual authenticity that reflects real-world textures, light behaviors, and defects. Photorealism in CGI and cinema frequently entails precisely reproducing aspects such as reflections, refractions, surface details, and other visual qualities associated with genuine camera lenses to produce convincing realism.
Various lens effects are utilised in modern films to improve the lifelike quality of the cinematography and computer-generated imagery, frequently imitating certain camera behaviours:
-Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) Depth of Field (DoF).
By mimicking how cameras capture images with constrained focal lengths underwater, depth of field is used in the underwater scenes to guide viewers’ attention through complex, crowded surroundings, adding to realism.
-Dune (2021) Lens Distortion
To highlight the vastness of the desert and its harsh surroundings, photographs of enormous landscapes occasionally use slight lens distortion, which replicates the distortion of wide lenses.
-Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) and Star Trek (2009)- Lens Flare
Lens flares, which are frequently created digitally to give scenes a futuristic appearance, are a common technique used by director J.J. Abrams in these movies. Though occasionally dramatic, the lens flares provide a style that evokes the feeling of cutting-edge technology and the presence of strong lighting.
-The Matrix Resurrections: Chromatic Aberration (2021)
In several sequences, particularly those where the nature of reality is questioned, the movie employs chromatic aberration to illustrate digital errors and heighten the surreal mood.
Filmmakers can use photorealism as a link between artistic creativity and immersive visual narrative by meticulously replicating certain lens effects, which can enhance realism or elicit emotional reactions.
Reference:
The Art Story (2015) Photorealism movement overview. Available at: https://www.theartstory.org/movement/photorealism/ (Accessed: 15 November 2024).
Week 5- Comparing Motion Capture to Key Frame Animation
In animation and computer-generated imagery (CGI), key-framing and motion capture (mocap) are two popular methods for producing realistic and dynamic motions. Each has its own methods and uses.
Key-framing is a classic animation technique in which keyframes—important moments in an object’s or character’s motion—are manually defined by animators. The program interpolates interim frames between these places to provide seamless transitions. Animators may create stylized or exaggerated movements that go beyond natural human motion thanks to this approach, which gives them total creative flexibility. Key-framing, for instance, works well for developing fanciful or non-human figures that need creative interpretation and flexibility. But because every action needs to be carefully produced frame by frame, this process takes a lot of time and skill.
In contrast, motion capture uses sensors to record actors’ actions in the actual environment and converts them into digital character animations. It provides unmatched realism by capturing minute details like facial emotions and full-body movements. Mocap is frequently utilized to create realistic characters, particularly in video games like The Last of Us and motion pictures like Avatar. Although mocap speeds up the creation of realistic animations, post-processing may be necessary to prevent the “uncanny valley,” where figures appear frightening rather than credible. For abstract or non-human movements, mocap is less successful and frequently need additional key-framing changes.
Both methods are integral to modern animation workflows. While key-framing emphasizes artistic freedom and stylization, mocap prioritizes realism and efficiency. The choice depends on the project’s creative and technical demands, with both techniques often used in tandem for optimal results.
Referencing:
Animost (n.d.) “Animation vs Motion Capture: A Detailed Comparison.” Available at: https://animost.com
Week 6: Reality Capture (LIDAR) and VFX
Reality capture
Homework
Week 6- A Case Study Post on Reality Capture (Photogrammetry)
Reality Capture was used in the production of the 2017 movie Ghost in the Shell to improve the futuristic world’s visual authenticity. The technology played a key role in creating lifelike 3D scans of settings, sets, and props, which streamlined the production process and contributed to the movie’s recognizable cyberpunk look.
The Digital Air Inc team’s goal was to provide realistic, immersive images that faithfully captured the source manga and anime while modifying them for live action. They produced incredibly detailed 3D models quickly by using Reality Capture for photogrammetry. In order to create a smooth fusion of virtual and physical assets, this involved scanning actual sites and combining them with digitally created pieces.
Reality Capture’s speed and precision were crucial for large-scale scanning of intricate urban environments and complex props. For instance, it enabled capturing dense point clouds and creating high-resolution textures. This minimized manual modelling time and improved texture fidelity, ensuring that digital objects matched the film’s aesthetic requirements.
The program maintained outstanding quality while drastically cutting manufacturing time and expenses. Its adaptability enabled artists to test innovative concepts more quickly, iterate more quickly, and concentrate on narrative rather than technical difficulties. In the end, RealityCapture helped create the film’s incredibly rich and visually appealing setting, which received praise for its immersive design.
The filmmakers used RealityCapture to show how state-of-the-art photogrammetry can revolutionized visual narrative in contemporary filmmaking, making it an essential tool for big-budget movies.
Referencing:
CapturingReality (no date) Realitycapture in ghost in the shell. Available at: https://www.capturingreality.com/RealityCapture-In-Ghost-In-The-Shell (Accessed: 15 November 2024).
Week 7: Reality Capture (Photogrammetry) and VFX
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Option 1
- What is do you think is meant by the concepts of ‘Photographic Indexicality’ and the ‘Photographic truth claim’? How does this theory relate to visual effects composites or fake photographs?
- How does visual effects software’s use, change or mimic the attributes of the photograph?
- Photorealism is important to visual effects, but what is it exactly? Using examples, can you define it?
Option 2
Option 3
- Focus on one type of effect (Spectacular, Invisible, or Seamless) and explore its techniques, impact on storytelling, and contribution to audience experience.
- Compare two or more types of effects to discuss their similarities, differences, and how they align or diverge in their use and purpose.
- In either approach, engage with theories of photorealism and consider how these effects contribute to immersion, narrative development, and visual storytelling. You may wish to examine the role of compositing, photographic manipulation, or the integration of 3D elements with live action.