Digital Visual Effects in Cinema: The Seduction of Reality

by Stephen Prince

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Avatar. Inception. Jurassic Park. Lord of the Rings. Ratatouille. Not only are these some of the highest-grossing films of all time, they are also prime examples of how digital visual effects have transformed Hollywood filmmaking. Some critics, however, fear that this digital revolution marks a radical break with cinematic tradition, heralding the death of serious realistic movies in favor of computer-generated pure spectacle.

Digital Visual Effects in Cinema counters this alarmist reading, by showing how digital effects–driven films should be understood as a continuation of the narrative and stylistic traditions that have defined American cinema for decades. Stephen Prince argues for an understanding of digital technologies as an expanded toolbox, available to enhance both realist films and cinematic fantasies. He offers a detailed exploration of each of these tools, from lighting technologies to image capture to stereoscopic 3D. Integrating aesthetic, historical, and theoretical analyses of digital visual effects, Digital Visual Effects in Cinema is an essential guide for understanding movie-making today.

  • ISBN10 0813551862
  • ISBN13 9780813551869
  • Publish Date 1 January 2012 (first published 1 January 2011)
  • Publish Status Active
  • Out of Print 10 August 2023
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint Rutgers University Press
  • Format Paperback
  • Pages 272
  • Language English