Blog Archives

A.I. Artificial Intelligence: The Existential Angst of Robots

3/31/2015

Haley Joel Osment plays the role of David, a robot whose sole purpose is to love unconditionally.

Written by John Snyder

David (Haley Joel Osment) is a robot in A.I. Artificial Intelligence (Spielberg, 2001) that has been specially programmed to “unconditionally love.” He has been given to a couple whose son is in a coma. At first Monica, the mother (Frances O’Connor), wants nothing to do with him; he cannot replace their son. Though he has a lot to learn about human life, she begins to like him, and accepts him into their family. Then Martin, their son (Jake Thomas), comes out of the coma, and has to adapt to having a robot “brother.” Of course, he doesn’t treat David like a brother, but like a toy. Martin puts him up to dangerous things, like jealous elder brothers are wont to do, telling him what he must do to make his mother love him more. David is programmed for the sole purpose of loving his parents, and he is learning more and more to live for their love, so he does the things that Martin instigates and that gets him into a lot of trouble. Eventually, Monica takes him out to the forest (which was actually an act of love, because otherwise he was going to be destroyed) and leaves him to his own devices. He perceives that the reason he was abandoned was because he wasn’t a real boy. So he sets out on a quest to become a real boy, and return to the love of his mother.

This quest is what made him into a real boy, according to his creator Professor Hobby (William Hurt), when David meets him in “the ends of the earth.” But this affirmation that David had achieved “the greatest single human gift” of chasing our dreams wasn’t enough. David may have been naïve to think that the blue fairy could turn him into a real boy, but he was self-aware enough to know that the professor was only giving him a happy lie. He truly desired his mother’s love, and it is arguably that rejection of the false and the total dedication to seeking true satisfaction which makes him “real.”

The quest to be a “real boy” is the quest to become fully alive. To love, and be loved is what makes us fully alive, according to this movie. In that definition, although it is raw and heartrending, David becomes real in the end. The themes of truth and love are contrasted with hedonistic-death-escapism and cynicism throughout this movie—David representing the former, the robot-lynching flesh-fairs and legalized brothel of Rouge City representing the latter. The robot David achieves reality through his undying and unwavering love for his mother. Can the same be said of the humans who, seeking adrenaline and sexual highs, use and abuse robots and one another?

A.I. Artificial Intelligence explores what it would take for a robot to become a “real-live” human, and also muses whether or not many humans are completely real themselves. It is cinematically beautiful, masterfully acted, and also contributes to a canon of stories that use the subject of artificial intelligence to sound the depths of human desires and existence.

2 Comments

The Elegance of Real Time as an Unconventional Film Aesthetic

3/30/2015

0 Comments

Written by Anthony Watkins

Think about the last film you watched. What was the plot time of the film or how many days, months, or years did the film cover? Chances are it covered at least several days or weeks. Now think of a film you have watched that covers exactly the amount of time as the duration of the film. It is perfectly normal if you are having difficulty, as this aesthetic, known as “real time” is a highly unconventional technique used in films.

In fact, there have been only a handful of movies in film history that are completely shot in real time. One of these is the French film Cléo from 5 to 7 (Varda, 1962), which gives a look into two hours in the life of a young singer as she awaits the results of a medical test that will reveal if she has cancer. The French New Wave, which arose in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, utilized real time at least to some extent in several of its films.

Agnes Varda's French New Wave film, Cléo from 5 to 7, strictly adheres to real time for its narrative.

Richard Linklater, of whom I wrote about last week as an advocate for Independent films, utilized real time in his “Before” trilogy. All three films in the trilogy, Before Sunrise (1995), Before Sunset (2004), and Before Midnight (2013) employ real time to great extents, and Before Sunset is shot in complete real time. Overall, Linklater’s trilogy pays homage to the French New Wave by using other characteristics of the movement, such as long tracking shots and extensive dialogues. More similarities and insight into his trilogy can be found in a video essay published on Cinemablography: https://vimeo.com/94668639.

Director Richard Linklater uses many long tracking shots of the two main characters Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy), homaging the technique used in the French New Wave.

Some other films that have used real time include Rope (Hitchcock, 1948), Timecode (Figgis, 2000), and Phone Booth (Schumacher, 2002). Over the years, even some TV shows have implemented real time in certain episodes, such the hit comedies Friends (David Crane, 1994-2004) with “The One Where No One’s Ready” and Seinfeld (George Shapiro, 1989-1998) with “The Chinese Restaurant.” The TV series 24 as a whole relied on real time as each episode in a season represented an hour in the life of the main character, Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer.

The two hit '90s comedies Seinfeld and Friends both implemented real time in an episode.

So what is special about real time and what effect (if any) does it have on audiences? Since there is no jump in time, real time helps to immerse audiences into experiencing the film as if they were walking alongside the characters themselves. The aesthetic is analogous to sitting in an auditorium watching a play. Time in the real world and the diegetic (film) world line up perfectly and thus create a distinct view and feeling for viewers that cannot be compared with film’s conventional approach to time. Things seem to slow down (sometimes to a fault) as viewers are placed with the characters. Although real time can seem to “drag on” for some viewers, I nevertheless believe it to be a refreshing aesthetic from the conventional management of time and enjoy experiencing it whenever I have the opportunity.

0 Comments

Leonard Nimoy 1931-2015: A Death of A Friend

3/25/2015

1 Comment

By Scott Orris

How do I begin writing about the impact that Leonard Nimoy has had on my life? In reflecting on his death, I thought I would share my own personal journey "into fandom" of someone who I unfortunately never had the opportunity to meet, but still call a friend. Since I first watched Star Trek as a kid my life was changed forever. I started watching Star Trek in the early 90s, and immediately took to the Original Series as well as The Next Generation which was currently on the air. I was amazed by idea of what Star Trek's creator Gene Roddenberry called “a wagon train to the stars” space exploration combined with action, and relevant social commentary, but it was a certain Vulcan science officer who captured my imagination. I have collected almost everything I could about Spock. I even bought rubber Vulcan ears which I have to this day which I wore pretending to be him as a kid. This led to buying the models of the ships, action figures, communicators, phasers and many other different kinds of Star Trek collectibles all of which I treasure.

My most valuable Star Trek collectible, the original Mego Enterprise Bridge Playset from 1974 in its original box.

This is the inside of the playset, complete with the original figures, including Spock.

My Spock ears which I ordered from Starpost Magazine around 1991-1992.

Screen worn Spock Ears at the Smithsonian

But the highlights of my experiences with Star Trek were fully realized in 1991-1992. In 1991 Star Trek celebrated its 25th Anniversary and the series was received with renewed popularity. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Meyer, 1991) also came out that year, which was the final movie with the original cast. I saw the film in the theatre with my father, and it was one of the earliest film-going experiences I actually remember. In honor of the anniversary the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum had an actual Star Trek exhibit. The exhibit included the actual Enterprise Model itself, along with many of the other models of ships used for the show and movies, such as props, uniforms, costumes, including the actual Captain’s chair which Captain Kirk sat in on the bridge of the Enterprise. One of the best highlights for me was seeing a pair of Spock’s actual pointed ears which were used during the filming of the show.

This is actual Enterprise model used in filming the Original Series on display at the Smithsonian Star Trek Exhibit.

This is myself sitting in Captain Kirk's actual command chair at the Smithsonian Exhibit.

Born in Boston Massachusetts on March 26th, 1931, Nimoy was the son of Ukrainian Jewish immigrants, who originally did not approve of his career choice. Leonard took to acting after seeing Charles Laughton’s performance as the Hunchback in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Dieterle, 1939) as a kid (Nimoy 18). In Nimoy’s words, "I carried Quasimodo’s haunting image with me from the theater that day; the seed that would become Spock was planted" (Nimoy 18). His big break came in 1952, in Kid Monk Baroni (Shuster, 1952) playing the title character who was a boxer disfigured at birth for being a forceps baby (Nimoy 20). This required the use of heavy make-up and appliances, where he was cast as an outsider who used physical toughness to hide his emotions, which similar to the Hunchback, possessed a heart which yearned for human compassion (Nimoy 21). Nimoy proved to be a dependable and versatile performer in a number of guest star appearances in television such as The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and Night Gallery, Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and Mission Impossible. In fact, for his role on Mission Impossible he played "Paris the Great" who was a master of disguise meaning Leonard got to play anyone from South American dictators to blind men (Nimoy 132).

Leonard Nimoy as "Paris the Great" on Mission Impossible.

But ultimately his defining role was Spock. The character’s impact on Nimoy is well documented beginning with years of distancing himself from the role which was noted in his first book I’m Not Spock. He would later change his mind however, writing a second book appropriately titled I Am Spock which Nimoy realized the positive impact the character had on his life and others. I think it was the fact that Spock was half Vulcan, and half human which helped emphasize the contrast of Spock’s logical and stoic nature with his unwavering loyalty and human dedication to his friends and fellow shipmates.

Spock, giving his famous "Live Long and Prosper" sign in the episode "Amok Time."

Leonard shares a laugh with his good friend and co-star William Shatner.

I think this is essentially why Spock has connected with audiences for so long. Even in the latest J.J. Abrams Star Trek films, Leonard Nimoy in his role as Spock Prime, demonstrates the mature wisdom which gives him almost a human quality.

Spock and Kirk care for the dying Dr. McCoy in "The Empath"

Leonard Nimoy as Spock Prime in Star Trek Into Darkness.

In my favorite Original Series episode “The Empath” Spock is willing to give up his life for Kirk and McCoy. But by far Spock’s greatest display of self sacrifice was in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (Bennett, 1982) when he sacrificed himself to save the ship from the detonation of the Genesis device. Spock’s logical quote from the film, “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few or the one,” is an example of how Spock used logic to noble ends. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (Bennett, 1982) is my favorite of the movie series and I believe its theme of life and death, is best illustrated as Spock’s dead body is shot onto Genesis, which was a newly created planet. From directing Star Trek III (1984) and IV (1986), and Three Men and a Baby (1987) to fine art photographer, and poet, Leonard Nimoy was a man of many talents who will greatly be missed. In saying goodbye to Mr. Nimoy I will leave you with his final tweet, “A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP” (2. 11:36. 22). Goodbye Mr. Nimoy, and Live Long and Prosper!

Works Cited:

"Kid Monk Baroni." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.

Nimoy, Leonard. (TheRealNimoy). "A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP"
22 February 2015, 11:36p.m. Tweet.

Nimoy, Leonard. I Am Spock. New York: Hyperion, 1995. Print.

"Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.

"Star Trek III: The Search for Spock." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.

"Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.

"Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country." IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 25 Mar. 2015.

1 Comment

Chroma Keying: A Special Effects Staple

3/24/2015

0 Comments

Written by Mark Trinkle

The words Chroma Key Compositing may not sound familiar, but the concept is one that has been around in the film industry for more than half a century. It is more commonly known as using a green screen, and it's almost impossible to have seen digital media in this day and age and not to have come across something involving Chroma Key technology in one form or another.
Big budget movies have used something similar to the modern day Chroma Keying since Lawrence Butler created a traveling matte process

(the analog equivalent of digital Chroma Keying) involving a blue screen to create the visual effect of a genie escaping from a bottle in The Thief of Bagdad (Korda, 1940) (Bialik, Kristen. "Keyed Out, Colored In: Chroma Chromatic Dreams."). But now in the age where so much technology is in the hands of everyday people, anyone can use Chroma Key technology whether it be professional studios, professional 'Youtubers' or the even more amateur Chroma keying Green Screen Apps that exist on Itunes or Google Play.
     If you have no experience with Chroma Keying or green screen, you might ask, "Why green?" Well the answer is, it doesn't have to be. For the purposes of Chroma Keying there are green screens, blue screens, and even some orange screens. The way that Chroma Keying works is by focusing on a certain color in the image and replacing every part with that hue with another image that you want to superimpose, whether it be a pre-filmed background or a digital weather map. Therefore it is important that the background color contrasts with human skin color so that your subject doesn't fade or become part of the background (Risson, Kylie. “What is Chroma Key?”). It is also important for the subject to not wear anything with the same color of the screen you are using, otherwise they run the risk of being like Brick in Anchorman 2 (McKay, 2013) wondering where their legs are (“The Chroma Key Effect."). There are some situations where the costume needs to be a certain color and so green is not always ideal. The first Spider-man (Raimi, 2002) film is the a perfect example of this because both Spiderman's blue costume and the Green Goblin's green costume had to be those colors and as a result the action scenes had to be split up with each character filmed in front of the opposite color screen to avoid ruining the shot. But for the most part green is the color of choice because digital cameras capture more details in green with less light. ("5 Elements of a Great Chroma Key.")
     So you have the right kind of screen, what else do you need? The most important thing to keep in mind in order to set up a good shot for Chroma Keying is lighting. The key is having the screen evenly lit (which is sometimes hard to tell with the untrained eye) while also having the subject far enough away from the background that they don't cast shadows. If the subject and background are well-lit there are a lot of various softwares that can do Chroma Keying ranging from iMovie to Adobe AfterEffects, with the amount of control and specificity ranging based of course on the quality of the software. ("The Chroma Key Effect.")
     Despite being a one-of-a-kind process that is a staple in modern Special Effects for Hollywood and beyond, Chroma Key technology has made its way to the masses and can now be used by anyone and everyone which opens up endless possibilities for both film and media.

Risson, Kylie. "What Is Chroma Key?" Lumeo. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Feb. 2015. "
The Chroma Key Effect." Creating a Title Paint-On Effect With RED. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
Bialik, Kristen. "Keyed Out, Colored In: Chroma Chromatic Dreams." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
"5 Elements of a Great Chroma Key." FilmmakerIQcom. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

0 Comments

The Value of Independence: Richard Linklater as a premier of the Indie Film

3/23/2015

0 Comments

Written by Anthony Watkins

One of the beauties of Hollywood today is that, due to past successes in the industry, films can be produced that carry a budget of tens of millions (sometimes hundreds of millions) of dollars. This allows for top actors to be cast, expensive film equipment and locations to be utilized, and (in some cases) the finest special effects available today to be implemented into the film. These big budget features are in no way a negative thing for the industry or audiences, but they can have the ability to deeply overshadow lower-budget, independent films. These films, typically not even given a wide release, cannot compete on the grand scale of these Hollywood blockbusters. You will not see as many trailers for them or TV spots and, chances are you won’t see many other forms of advertisement or marketing for them. As a result, many people are not as quick to purchase a ticket to see these films in theaters. A large benefit of independent films is that the director is given much more artistic freedom than in large productions (this was the basis for the New Hollywood that emerged in the 1960’s). As a result, they may be on par (or better) with the big budget films in terms of artistic quality, but because they do not get some of the marketing benefits of the larger films, audiences sometimes overlook them. This is a tragedy, as some of the finest films produced in years past have been independently produced.

One of the most successful of these independent filmmakers is Richard Linklater. Born on July 30, 1960 in Houston, Texas and raised by his mother, Linklater’s original passion was baseball. Awarded a scholarship for his ability, Linklater attended Sam Houston State University. However, due to a medical issue involving an irregular heartbeat, he eventually gave it up and dropped out of college altogether. After working a few years at an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico, Linklater moved to Austin, Texas, co-founded the Austin Film Society and began working on short films (Biography).

It was not long before Linklater produced his first feature-length film with It’s Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books (1987), astoundingly writing and directing it with no education in filmmaking. His next feature, Slacker (1991---on a budget of only $23,000) officially put him on the map as a director. The film, as with the vast majority of his early work, deals with the Generation X individuals that came of age in the late 80’s and early 90’s. These were often educated, but apathetic and rebellious youth who weren’t as quick to make career decisions and tended to choose not to follow in their parents’ footsteps. They were thus eventually given the term “slacker.” Linklater successfully captured the soul and spirit of this generation with critically acclaimed works including the before mentioned Slacker, as well as Dazed and Confused (1993), Before Sunrise (1995), and SubUrbia (1996). These films, which at times borrowed aesthetics from the French New Wave, became the foundation of the Independent Film Renaissance that emerged in the 1990’s, with Linklater among the first and most successful directors of the period.

Slacker (1991), an Indie film produced for only $23,000, was Linklater's first success as an emerging filmmaker. The film catapulted the Independent Film Renaissance of the 1990's and accurately depicted members of Generation X.

After the turn of the century, Linklater continued to produce critically successful independent films, including two follow-ups to Before Sunrise including Before Sunset (2004) and Before Midnight (2013). Most recently, he released a feature twelve years in the making with Boyhood (2014). A semi-autobiographical work, and once again focused on youth and growing up, the film garnered widespread critical acclaim for its innovative filmmaking style and for its pertinence to audiences. Though nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, the film only received one award for Best Supporting Actress with Patricia Archette’s performance as the main character Mason’s (Ellar Coltrane) mother.

Boyhood (2014), a semi-autobiographical portrait of Linklater's life, was shot over the course of twelve years and focuses on the coming-of-age journey of a boy named Mason (Ellar Coltrane).

Independent filmmaking is something that tends to be overlooked by audiences. Boyhood was one of the few independently produced films in many years that received widespread attention and acclaim. These films, although possessing microscopic budgets compared to Hollywood blockbusters, deserve just as much attention and viewing as the larger features. As many young aspiring filmmakers are taught in universities, you don’t need to be rich or have a large budget in order to make a great film, and many independent directors (including Linklater) have proved that and continue to prove it.

WORKS CITED
“Richard Linklater.” Biography. 2015. 26 Feb. 2015. <http://www.biography.com/people/richard-linklater>.

0 Comments

Selma - A Powerful Look Into The Struggles of MLK

3/23/2015

0 Comments

Written by David Wingert

It’s said that a person’s character is defined through their trials. The book of James celebrates trials “because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:3). I’m sure Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had that verse playing like a broken record in his head while he prepared for the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1965. This is exactly where Selma (DuVernay, 2015) chronicles the life of Dr. King, because like many biopics, Selma doesn’t meticulously cover the span of a subject's life but rather hones in on the most important moments of that life. This is where the nose hits the grindstone—this is where a person’s character is defined, and this is where the story of Martin Luther King Junior is justly portrayed in Selma.

Selma recognizes who it’s audience is: everyone. The film understands the importance of Dr. King’s struggle for civil rights and doesn’t limit it to any target audience. The story is condensed to its fundamental roots in a way that makes it applicable for any age group to understand without insulting its audience’s intelligence or manipulating history. This also isn’t to say that the film holds back on the darker, more violent moments of this time in history either. The film is peppered with moments of death and destruction that shock not with gore or brutality, but with timing and subtlety. Right when we’re lured into the safety of Dr. King’s inspiring speeches and warm hospitality, we’re abruptly reminded of the atrocities happening around him.

Selma's success is turning out to be a breakaway achievement for most of its cast and crew. This marks the first feature film for Ava DuVernay, whose only experience before this has been with miscellaneous crews and a few televisions episodes she’s directed. That’s not to mention Paul Webb’s screenplay that is virtually the only script to date that he has under his belt. The cast consists of mostly no-names as well, with only the occasional familiar face playing either a government official (Tom Wilkinson as Nixon and Dylan Baker as J. Edgar Hoover) or a protestor that might stick out of the crowd such as Short Term 12’s (Cretton, 2013) Keith Stanfield who delivers a brief but powerful presence that left the audience speechless. Having an unfamiliar cast was a smart move (whether intentional or not) that doesn’t use star power to distract the audience from the powerful story at play. Oprah Winfrey continues her acting career as Annie Lee Cooper, a role that’s convinced me she isn’t in it to gain attention from the public eye. If anything her character’s actions prove detrimental to the goals of Dr. King in the movie. She appears quietly and then seems to disappear just as subtly into the backdrop of the film’s cast and sets. Of course let’s not forget the man himself, Martin Luther King Junior, played by David Oyelowo. You may remember him from Interstellar (Nolan, 2014) as the school principle who Matthew McConaughey asks what his waist size is. This is to say he isn’t usually the top billed cast member. It’s a daunting task to fill the shoes here, and he pulls it off with subtlety and power, revealing the unspoken doubt, hurt and hesitation behind the face of one of the most motivational figures of all time.

0 Comments

Chappie: An Inquiry into the Definition of "Living"

3/12/2015

0 Comments

Written by Anthony Watkins

When you say someone (or something) is “alive” or “living”, what exactly do you mean? Do you mean they are breathing and conscious? Does something necessarily have to be breathing to be considered “alive?" Can a human creation, like a machine, ever be considered “living?" They may not breathe, but they are certainly conscious, just as humans or animals.

This philosophical issue is explored in detail with director Neil Blomkamp’s latest science-fiction film, Chappie. Set in a not-to-distant future in the city of Johannesburg in West Africa, we discover that, due to high crime rates, the law is now enforced by robotic police machines known as “scouts.” Possessing superior firepower, strength, and agility to humans, these intimidating robots turn out to be very effective in lowering and destabilizing criminal activities. When their creator, Deon Wilson (Dev Patel) creates and installs prototype artificial intelligence software into one of these police units—software that allows the robot to possess a human brain filled with emotional and psychological components, the delicate established order becomes upset, and soon the weapon manufacturer responsible for the police droids comes after Deon and his creation—“Chappie."

As mentioned in the introduction, the film investigates what it means to be human and what it means to be “alive.” When Chappie, played brilliantly through motion capture by District 9 (2009) star Sharlto Copley, is first activated, he behaves like a toddler, curiously touching and exploring everything around him. He does not automatically come equipped with adult human intelligence—he has to mentally grow just as a human child grows. For this reason, you will no doubt sympathize and grow attached to this quirky, humorous, and unique being. You end up seeing and identifying him as a human being rather than as an impassive machine. Chappie has emotions—he gets scared and traumatized at times, and the audience feels pain along with him anytime he is mistreated or abused. He realizes that he is different from humans on the outside but the same on the inside. As a result, he tries valiantly to fit in and become one of us—something each of us can identify with as we grew up trying to fit in and become “cool” amongst our friends and peers. We become convinced that Chappie is not just “powered on,” he is living--something that separates him from the other robots and links him with humans. Blomkamp successfully delivers some very touching, emotional and distressing scenes. He certainly is not the first person to investigate the human condition in artificial intelligence, but nevertheless he provides some new elements that make for a thought provoking discussion after the credits roll.

Blomkamp skillfully uses Chappie's ears as a technique to help him communicate his emotions.

Chappie is a film that forces us to ask ourselves, “What does it mean to be ‘alive?’ and “What does it mean to be human?” I will admit the film is not up to par with Blomkamp’s critically acclaimed directional debut District 9 (2009) and the film has some shortcomings in the writing department, but nevertheless Chappie is an emotional thrill ride with one of the most lovable science-fiction characters (that sadly heavily overshadows the human characters) since “ET” in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (Spielberg, 1982). I recommend seeing this film at least once while it is in theaters.

0 Comments

The Imitation Game: Using Computer Science to Explore the Human Condition

3/11/2015

2 Comments

Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing

Written by John Snyder

“Can a machine think?”

That is what Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch) is asked by the detective (Rory Kinnear) questioning him in The Imitation Game (Tyldum, 2014). An interesting question, it has nothing to do with the charge of homosexual acts for which he has been arrested, but has everything to do with his research and work in the field of mathematics and computer science. Turing is considered a father of the field of computer science, particularly in the area of artificial intelligence, and while his contributions to AI are not the focus of the film, the answer to this posed question—at least as he gives it in the movie—certainly is.

Turing answers the detective with an observation: that different humans think differently (in terms of likes, dislikes, beliefs, etc.), so then, machines can think, just differently than humans. This idea is used as a metaphor to understand and explore the human condition. One could very quickly interpret this as a message about homosexual relationships, but if you look deeper there’s really more to it than that. Although Turing’s homosexuality plays a role in the social tensions and eventually results in his arrest, it is not the driving theme of this movie—which is ultimately focused on the nature of interpersonal conflict itself.

The Imitation Game is not a very accurate portrayal of the real Alan Turing, particularly in how it depicts Turing having an autism-spectrum-esque social handicap that is at the source of nearly all conflicts with his coworkers and classmates. But the movie uses this imagining of his genius for a purpose. In a flashback to Turing’s school days, his friend Christopher (Jack Bannon) explains to him cryptography. Turing reflects that cryptography is akin to talking to other people. “When people talk to each other, they never say what they mean. They say something else and you’re expected to know just what they mean.” Every interaction between human beings is like decrypting a secret message. And when those messages get decrypted poorly (in other words, as we think differently) conflicts happen. Turing is absolutely brilliant, but in this movie his mind works in a way that is very different than his classmates and colleagues, and misunderstandings and bullying ensue.

The depiction of Alan Turing in this movie is that of someone so very different from most other minds with which he came in contact, and it is a story of both his and their struggle to coexist and cooperate. Using the metaphor of the question “can a machine think?” to structure its theme, when the credits of The Imitation Game roll we are forced to face that question as it applies in our own lives. “Is this person—who drives me crazy, who does not understand simple things I am trying to say to them and who is constantly antagonizing me—is this person at all intelligent? Can this person think? Is he or she, in fact, a human-being whose life is valuable?” And I would hope that we could sit down to hear their stories, before the relationship or the person’s life comes to an end, and answer that with an affirmative.

2 Comments

Oscar Nominated Special Effects

3/3/2015

0 Comments

Written by Mark Trinkle

Each film that was nominated for the Academy award for Best Special Effects this year is very unique and posed its own set of problems. However, they all seemed to share a common theme in that they followed the footsteps of last years winner Gravity (Cuaron, 2013) and pushed the boundaries by way of developing and advancing new technologies to make the unreal-real. Regardless of the winner, all of the nominees represented the impressive work done in the field of special effects this past year.

This year the Academy gave the award to Interstellar (Nolan, 2014) whose effects stood out from all of the other nominated films with incredibly fantastic worlds, as being the most 'realistic'... or at the very least the most scientific. Christopher Nolan worked with Kip Thorne, a prominent theoretical physicist, to best portray both black holes and the unique pattern of light that forms around them. In addition to that the visual-effects department created the entirely fictional, but scientifically inspired visualization of the “Time Tessaract”, which is a strange lattice structure including footage of one room shown over time connected by the visual equivalent to timelines. (Morgan)

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (Anthony and Joe Russo, 2014), whose Special Effects were done by effects studio Industrial Light and Magic, gave its animators the difficult task of making a superhero film gritty and realistic to fit the very specific spy/drama tone of the film. It boasts impressive digital effects accomplishments including a digitally remade Theodore Roosevelt Bridge and three digital S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarriers all of which crash land in and around the Potomac river in excitingly destructive, intricately designed sequences (Morgan, David. "Oscars 2015: Take Our Best Visual Effects Poll.";Truitt, Brian. "Oscar's Visual-effects Nominees Make Their Own Reality.").

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (Reeves, 2014), whose animation was done at Weta Studios, stepped it up a level from its predecessor Rise of the Planet of the Apes (Wyatt, 2011) to meet the stories needs. Since there were so many sentient apes living in a community in the wilderness they created new software that allowed their fur to interact better with the messy world around it. During filmmaking on location in Vancouver, the studio further developed the technology by making all the normal motion capture equipment both wireless and weather proof (Morgan; Truitt).

Motion Capture used in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (Reeves, 2014).

Guardians of the Galaxy (Gunn, 2014), this years second Marvel film nominated for this category, but one of distinctly different tone and feel needed much more diverse effects. Director James Gunn wanted to make sure that even though the two least human characters “Rocket Raccoon” and “Groot” were animated and not filmed with motion capture that they not be 'too animated' to fit into the world of Marvel (Truitt).

Yet another product from the minds of Marvel, X-Men: Days of Future Past (Singer, 2014) rounds out the list with its star-studded cast and time-hopping story. The three aspects of the film that involved the most special effects work were Quicksilver's powers of speed, Magneto's lifting of a stadium (which was constructed completely digitally) and Mystique's shapeshifting powers. In one action sequence the same stunt had to be redone about three dozen different ways some with Jennifer Lawrence and some with the man she had been disguised as just to make sure they got enough coverage so the animators could composite the images together into one smooth shape-shifting butt-kicking motion. (Truitt; Morgan)

Hopefully this article gave a taste of all the work that went into this years' nominees that may have gone overlooked. Special effects technology has come so far and become so prevalent in the industry that it is easy to take for granted the complexities and difficulties, but fortunately these and many other filmmakers don't let that stop them from pushing boundaries to create visually stunning images for their films.

Works Cited
Morgan, David. "Oscars 2015: Take Our Best Visual Effects Poll." CBSNews. N.p., n.d. Web.
Truitt, Brian. "Oscar's Visual-effects Nominees Make Their Own Reality."USA Today. Gannett, 28 Jan. 2015. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

0 Comments