Filmscape: socially integrating film production within the Johannesburg city context
Date
2015-05-12
Authors
Jardine, Brandon
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Abstract
Cinema has been considered the primary art form of the 20th Century. However, due the falling
number of cinema goers the art form is under threat of losing its significance in modern day society.
The decline in cinema goers has led to the decreased profitability of the independent film industry.
This has led to the reduction of the complex narrative in films and an increased focus on special
effects. As a result films, and the way in which they are perceived, are losing their artistic integrity as
an art form.
Through the formation of a cinematic architecture a more spatialized experience can be projected
upon the audience. This creates a space of pure experience and hedonistic escape for the cinema
goer. It can then be said that through architecture, the reinvention of the cinema typology and an
increased approachability within the independent film industry, an experience can be created that
could not be replicated in one’s home.
The rise of the home theatre and internet based media has come to justify the need for the cinema
to act as a social space. The non‐exclusivity that was once a strong driver of the 1930’s ‘Golden Age’
of cinema has become increasingly fictional in the present day context. The decline in cinema goers
stems far beyond cinema and lies in the relevance of film to the common man. This thesis aims to
break down the barriers that surround the film and cinematic universe and allow it to flood the
surrounding city context embedding itself in the local culture.
The physical design should programmatically encompass elements of pre‐production and postproduction
with Johannesburg acting as the physical film set for production. The average man
should have the ability to enter this building, gain the skills and knowledge to develop a film, rent
the relevant equipment, edit the film and use the building as a platform to showcase work and earn
an income. This ultimately transforms the building and its urban framework into a cultural
knowledge database where depictions of local culture and time can be archived for future
generations. Flexible professional workspace and the timesharing of highly specialised equipment
allows for the rapid expansion and contraction common to the highly volatile industry. Park Station
as a site choice acts as a cultural interchange. This provides vast interconnectivity that is needed to
host large scale events such as the Jozi Film Festival and the South African Film and Television
Awards (SAFTAs).
A study of the history of cinema and its impact throughout has inspired and informed this work. The
temporal progression of cinematic style has resulted in the loss of both luxury and ‘The Spectacle’ of
cinema. This being said, this progression has improved the availability, variety and increased the
immersion of the audience within the film. Cinema architecture, through a more inclusive approach,
can be reinvented to once again act as the primary platform of display for the independent film
industry. Film will thus start to form an integral part of the surrounding streetscape and pedestrians’
daily lives.
The building design will cater for the escapist and the socially integrated; the in‐between and the
excluded.
Description
M. Arch Thesis