Lev Manovich’s reading on the shift from analogue to digital cinema offers a critical framework that helps examine the interplay between traditional cinematic techniques and emerging technologies in storytelling. Manovich (2002) highlights how digital technologies have transformed the work of cinema from a hybrid medium to one that involves the elements of standard film-making practices with new possibilities, such as through fake realities generated through digital effects to immersive storytelling and editing-innovative techniques. This CGI and 3D graphics are evident in Jurassic Park (1993), where digital CGI brings dinosaurs to life. Building lifelike creatures digitally provides an innovative way of storytelling and creates a hyperrealism narrative.

Jurassic Park (1993)

Aleksandr Sokurov’s Russian Ark is a significant example of the potential of digital technologies in filmmaking. The entire film was shot in one continuous 96-minute take using digital cameras, an operation that would have been impossible with the analogue film due to reel limitations. The Hermitage Museum was seamlessly explored by transporting viewers into an exciting and dynamic narrative. This visual representation aligned with Manovich’s (2002) argument of focusing on spatialising or spatial navigation in camera shots.

A scene from the film, Russian Ark

On the other hand, the opening scene of Blade Runner (1982) highlights the use of analogue special effects to show a dystopian vision of Los Angeles. In the film, the creativity of the digital camera is reflected in the representation of models, and in-camera effects. The digital aesthetics used in the film show hyperrealism and fantastic art. Computer animation can be considered a form of new media, as Manovich (2002) suggests, as the boundaries between realistic and constructed visuals become blurred. Overall, the interplay between analogue and digital cinema shows a broader perceptive of the nature of storytelling in modern era. Films like Jurassic Park and Russian Ark show the potential of digital tools by pushing the boundaries of cinema.

Blade Runner, representing hyperrealism and dystopia

Reference

Manovich, L. (2002) The language of new media. Massachussets: MIT Press.

By Xindi Zhao

33734821