Steven Shaviro makes an interesting argument in regards to post cinema – that film production is just the beginning of post-production. Whilst this seems like a common-sense step-by-step process of filmmaking, he suggests that film today has an increased use and reliance of post cinematic techniques, such as CGI, photorealistic morphing and hyper-realism. The concept of digital cinema is not new, with the first use of CGI famously being in the 1980s with films such as Star Wars and Tron, but this rapid development of computerised imagery and subversion of reality blurs audience’s perpetual reality. I think it is interesting to understand how these techniques are used in creating an inherently ‘good’ cinematic experience, as the debate surrounding post-cinema makes me question to what extent are new digital techniques adding to film, or rather distracting from it? 

Take for example Avatar: The way of Water (2022), a film made almost completely with after effects and post-production. With an estimated budget of $350–460 million the second film of the series was valued at one of the most expensive ever to be made and also incredibly popular, party for its incredible use of computerised fantasy world building, expanding viewers perceptions of Pandora and its nature. I would argue for post-cinema here, as the technology used defines the film in ways simply unimaginable and unbuildable in preproduction. My opinion differs from Brown, who suggests that narrative is being diminished and scarified for the imaginary. James Cameron’s narrative is distinguished and crucial to the film and its experience. Whilst it is understandable why critics are less favourable towards complete digital effects and overt modifications of reality as we perceive it, cinema is moving towards a new mode of storytelling. 

In contrast, I do agree that budget and availability of post-cinematic techniques does not equal quality or enjoyment. Whilst there have been recent successes from cinema such as Avatar and the Dune Franchise, it is fair to include an opposing reflection. Marvel studios is arguably the biggest film series in the world, full of bold and fantastical characters but have experienced recent criticism for their reliance on CGI and green screen techniques whilst sacrificing their plot and character development in the process. Joshua McCoy, a fan of Marvel argues it “has made the usage of that tool a bit too predictable to be exciting anymore”, given the overuse of CGI in a majority of its scenes. Whilst this is a fan’s comment, it can be taken back to Brown’s argument that the relationship between reality and cinema is dwindling to a point where it looses its value on screen.  

To conclude, I do not suggest that post-cinema is intrinsically harmful, but it can be used in a way to add to film and a film’s reality rather than taking something away and replacing it with modern technological affects.  

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Steven Shaviro, ‘Post-Continuity: An introduction’, Post-Cinema: Theorising 21st Century Film, 51-64 

Brown, William, ‘Digital Cinema’s Conquest of Space’ SuperCinema: Film-Philosophy for the Digital Age (Oxford: Berghahn, 2013). 

McCoy, Joshua, ‘Marvel’s CGI Isn’t Bad, It’s Just Getting Old’. (2023) (link unable to be embedded)