Synopses & Reviews
By developing the concept of the andquot;digital effects emblem,andquot; Kristen Whissel contributes a new analytic rubric to cinema studies. An andquot;effects emblemandquot; is a spectacular, computer-generated visual effect that gives stunning expression to a filmand#39;s key themes. Although they elicit feelings of astonishment and wonder, effects emblems do not interrupt narrative, but are continuous with story and characterization and highlight the narrative stakes of a film. Focusing on spectacular digital visual effects in live-action films made between 1989 and 2011, Whissel identifies and examines four effects emblems: the illusion of gravity-defying vertical movement, massive digital multitudes or andquot;swarms,andquot; photorealistic digital creatures, and morphing andquot;plasmaticandquot; figures. Across films such as
Avatar,
The Matrix, the
Lord of the Rings trilogy,
Jurassic Park,
Titanic, and
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, these effects emblems heighten the narrative drama by contrasting power with powerlessness, life with death, freedom with constraint, and the individual with the collective.
and#160;
Review
andquot;Spectacular Digital Effects is a signal contribution to studies of the impact of digital technologies on narrative cinema. It is a wonderful book, one that taught me new ways of thinking about some very familiar objects.andquot;
Review
andquot;In this impressive, original book, Kristen Whissel engages with notions of filmsand#39; spectacular digital effects in ways that go well beyond existing critical templates. She makes a much needed contribution by demonstrating that spectacular digital effects enhance films not only through the thrill of spectacle itself but also by emphasizing core themes and bringing out key moments in the narratives. Whisseland#39;s concept of and#39;digital effects emblemsand#39; is an impressive theoretical construction with a great deal of heuristic value, and her writing is as impressive as her analysis.andquot;
Review
andldquo;The narrative is engaging, and Whisseland#39;s analysis of the effects emblem makes a valuable contribution to the scholarly literature of the field. . . . Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.andrdquo;
Synopsis
andlt;Spectacular Digital Effectsandlt;/Iandgt; examines contemporary films, including andlt;Iandgt;Avatarandlt;/Iandgt;, andlt;Iandgt;The Matrixandlt;/Iandgt;, and andlt;Iandgt;The Lord of the Ringsandlt;/Iandgt; movies, revealing the films astonishing computer-generated visual effects as central to their narratives.
About the Author
Kristen Whissel is Professor of Film and Media at the University of California, Berkeley. She is the author of Picturing American Modernity: Traffic, Technology, and the Silent Cinema, also published by Duke University Press.