Week 22: Reflection on Practice - Abstract

So today was the deadline for the final abstract and biography submission. Working on this really helped me to hone in on my question and I feel a lot more confident about the direction of my research.

My abstract is as follows:

Module DJ52028:  Reflection on Practice                                                         
Assignment 3:  Abstracts                                                                            
Animation & Visualisation:  Reflection on Practice Mock Conference:      

Call for Papers                                                                                                  

 

Visual Effects and Perceptual Realism: Making fiction believable

Visual effects and compositing can certainly be considered as imperative storytelling tools in TV and film (Jones, 2008). This hugely relies on the ability to draw the audience into the story in a similar way that acting, animation and performance do. The audience can allow themselves to accept the components of the story, no matter how implausible, through perceptual realism that is created by specific visual elements (Prince, 2012).

In order to gain a clear perspective on how this is best achieved an understanding of how visuals are interpreted through the eye to the mind is fundamental (Sylwan, 2010). Although such information is beginning to be shared throughout the industry of visual effects, this information appears to be limited and lacking in depth.

This paper is concerned with how an audience’s perception of realism toward story and character can be affected by the use of visual effects in film. It will look into any psychological factors that affect perceptual realism. This knowledge can then be transferred through visual effects in film to enhance the believability of the character and story. It will be tested throughout a practice-lead project studying the believable integration of a CG character in a live-action environment.

These findings will display the connection between what is observed and understood by the audience and how visual effects and compositing can influence this. It is vital that the artists recognise how their work can affect how the visuals are interpreted by the audience in order to push the progress of these irreplaceable storytelling techniques.

REFERENCES

Jones, B. (2008) Digital Storytelling – The narrative Power of Visual Effects [Catalogue of seminar from the Norwegian Film Institute, 7-8th April 2008] Norway: Digital Storytelling.

Prince, S. (2012) Digital Visual Effects in Cinema: The Seduction of Reality. USA: Rutgers University Press, pp 32-33.

Sylwan, S. (2010). New Lenses to View Reality: Art, Science and Visual Effects [Online Video]. Available from: http://youtu.be/bjWFk5_VuVg [Accessed 06.02.13].

BIOGRAPHY

Stephanie Flynn is currently a student at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design. In the year 2013 she graduated with an honours degree in animation and is now studying an MSc in animation and visualisation, specifically focussing on visual effects and compositing. Originally Stephanie comes from a predominantly 2D background working within the areas of compositing, 2D animation and effects. This year she is going to transfer her skills into 3D. Specialising in compositing, her main aim is to further her knowledge in this field and also to broaden this interest into visual-effects. Stephanie’s passions lie within story-telling and how subtle details involved in compositing and visual-effects can enhance story. She is currently focussing on the processes involved in the integration of a stylised CG character and a live-action environment and is exploring this through the study of visual effects and perceptual realism in film.



I finally changed my title to something a little more snappy and easier to understand. The abstract forced me to realise the issue that my research is aiming to improve and how I aim to do this. This has definitely prepared me for the next steps of my investigation, and given me the direction that I lacked at the beginning of the semester.