3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item An assessment of motion capture in animated film through an analysis of aesthetics(2016) Edwards, Christie-Lee HelenThis study aims to determine whether motion-captured animation is better suited for hyper-realistic or caricatured film aesthetics and whether it creates or breaks the aesthetics engagement for the viewer. This will be done by analysing how each aesthetic maintains or breaks 'suspension of disbelief' in viewers towards character engagement and identification. This paper specifically aims to report on a study of body motion capture, via attaching trackers only on the body and not on the face and fingers. Films used to critically analyse these ideas will be The Advantures of Tintin: The secret of the Unicorn (year) directed by Steven Spielberg to illustrate motion capture, which pertains to caricatured animated feature film aesthetics with caricatured designs. in comparison Beowulf (year) directed by Robert Zemeckis will be studied to demonstrate motion capture with hyper-realistic aesthetics. Motion capture has often been critiqued negatively for its depiction of human characters and their movement as having a disturbing appearance; which is mostly criticised as effects of the Uncanny valley- a phenomenon first introduced by Professor Masahiro Mori. There are currently 13 major motion capture animation feature films, such as Final Fantasy: Spirits within, final fantasy: Advent children, the polar express, Last order final fantasy VII, monster house, happy feet, Beowulf, A Christmas Carol, The Adventures of Tintin: The secret of the Unicorn, Mars needs moms, Happy feet 2, kochadaiiyaan, Space Captain Haddock. With the amount of motion capture being used in current animation features, especially with a local South Africa studio such as The Flying Circus using it as a means of saving costs on animation production, there needs to be an understanding of where motion capture is best suited depending on the aesthetic design of the film. This becomes especially imperative to animated films, because it has its own codes of depicting 'realism' that are separate to that of live action films that are discussed in details in the paper. To conclude, this study will aid in determining which aesthetic style provides better engagement through a critique of aesthetics the films chose to pursue and which keeps viewers succumbed to 'suspension of disbelief'. This will aid in determining whether motion capture is an appropriate method to creating animated movement for a particular aesthetic.Item Pausing dramatic tension within contemporary action cinema: the relationship between time slicing/slow motion and suspenseful situations in action feature films through praxis lead research(2016) Goncalves, Raymond Carlos McClureTime slicing is a film-based visual effect that refers to an enhanced simulation of time at variable speeds by creating the illusion of frozen or slowly progressing motion in time; it is most commonly digitally manipulated. This report will research and analyse how it can be utilized to amplify dramatic tension, or suspenseful situations in contemporary action films through theories, technology and various filming techniques. The theoretical methodology in this report is a historical account of the technology and process in the evolution of time manipulation within photography and film leading up to time slicing. Some Film theory is included in this report in a more conceptual manner as to why time slicing or slow motion is used in suspenseful situations, particularly in the action film genre. The report also demonstrates how the high standards of time slicing in feature films can be similarly achieved on a budget which will be demonstrated through a practical component that will compare a real time versus a time sliced scenario. While it would be preferable to use a full 360-degree array of cameras, the technology involved in time slicing has not yet reached a point where it is economically accessible to a student film maker and most local industries, which is why the focus of the research paper analyses a shorter array of cameras that is just enough to capture a time slice effect. The results will then be assessed based on dramatic tension/suspense to see if they equate to the theories of montage and mise en scène discussed in the research report. As a case study, the report will then compare a scene from The Matrix to that of a scene produced as part of the practical component in order to draw conclusions on quality and the possibilities of a lower budget set-up.