Case Studies...

So one of the tasks for this week was to come up with some sort of framework for evaluating Case Studies consistently (and perhaps determine the success of VFX in films).

Although I think success is too vague a word there.  Simply the achievement of implementation of visual effects alone isn't any criterion for determining success; it requires the specific context of the impact of the effects on the narrative for the studies to have any significance as a piece of research.

With that in mind I'll need to determine if VFX can be categorized into meaningful categories.

So because in the meeting I forgot every film I've watched since the age of 5, the three initial films I have chosen to look at are:

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

In this film the story largely takes place in the mind of Jim Carrey's character.  The world is digitally altered in front of the audiences eyes as his mental state shifts around him.  This is an example of VFX driving story directly.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

I have chosen this film due to the excellent production value.  The entire production design, from costume to set design, from cast to camera, is a seamless exploration of nostalgia.  The effects in this film are an example of VFX enhancing the narrative.  This could be a good example of VFX as an aspect of mise en scene.

The Hobbit

The Lord of the Rings franchise has been responsible for many technical achievements in cinema so it seemed appropriate to take a look at the latest installments, The Hobbit.  These are films that are almost built on the prospect of VFX; the effects are at the heart of the deliverance of the fantastic in a believable way.

Films like The Hobbit may seem like they make use of VFX in the same way as Eternal Sunshine... and The Grand Budapest Hotel, but I think it's important to try and identify the subtle differences: here, we do indeed see the VFX both complementing and driving the story, but these are worlds (the diegetic) built on effects, like avatar, so these additional features are at once a side effect complementing the story and a deliberate tool the director can use to drive the story.

In this type of film you also see effects directly relating to character, a type of effect not usually implemented in films based on reality.  Again, these can be internal to the character or external. 

Already it seems like these are examples of an approach to narrative and require different consideration be given to VFX creatively.

I hope this makes some sort of sense, ultimately.

I shall watch at least one of these films this week to try and tease out suitable critera for a framework.

Before I say the word criteria again  I'll just say that perhaps it might be worthwhile reading a bit about storytelling in cinema to see if anything emerges...