Why Movies Just Don't Feel "Real" Anymore

Summary

This video delves into the concept of 'perceptual realism' in filmmaking, highlighting how movies feel immersive and 'real' through sensory engagement. The speaker contrasts modern films' over-reliance on digital effects and shallow cinematography with older films' use of deep focus, natural textures, and real-world environments to evoke a visceral experience. The discussion also touches on haptic visuality—how film can engage the body’s sense of touch and emotions, providing a more intimate connection to the audience. The video advocates for a more intentional, immersive approach to filmmaking that taps into both the physical and abstract aspects of human experience.

Takeaways

• 😀 Immersion in film isn't solely about technical elements like CGI, but about creating a sense of realness and vividness that makes the audience feel like they're stepping into the world of the film.
• 😀 Perceptual realism in film is about how movies trigger the same sensory mechanisms that we use to navigate and understand our own reality, making fictional worlds feel 'real' even if they're not.
• 😀 Deep focus and long shot compositions enhance perceptual realism by allowing viewers to visually map out three-dimensional space, making the environment feel tangible and immersive.
• 😀 The comparison between The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit highlights how certain films are better at creating an immersive, 'real' world due to the use of natural landscapes and detailed environments.
• 😀 Modern movies often lack the immersive qualities of older films due to excessive reliance on CGI, shallow depth of field, and lack of meaningful interaction with the environment.
• 😀 While CGI has the potential to create highly immersive and 'real' environments (e.g., Avatar: The Way of Water), the success of these effects depends on how well they engage with the viewer's senses and the environment.
• 😀 Filmmakers should focus on creating dynamic, immersive experiences by considering all aspects of filmmaking, such as lighting, camera techniques, set design, and sound, to transport the viewer into the film's world.
• 😀 Indexicality in film, which refers to the direct, material connection between the image and the real world, plays a key role in making films feel more 'real' and grounded, particularly in traditional film photography.
• 😀 Haptic visuality, a concept introduced by Laura Marks, is crucial for creating a deeper sense of immersion in films by engaging the audience's sense of touch through the visual experience.
• 😀 Ultimately, great films feel immersive because of a combination of perceptual realism, haptic visuality, and the careful construction of sensory dynamics across shots and scenes, which together evoke deeper emotional and physical connections with the audience.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video, and why is CGI not the primary concern?

The main focus of the video is on the deeper level of immersion and perceptual realism in films. CGI is not the primary concern because the video emphasizes how certain filmmaking techniques can create a vivid, real-world feeling through the use of lighting, framing, and spatial depth, rather than relying on digital effects alone.

What is the concept of 'perceptual realism' in cinema?

Perceptual realism refers to the idea that a film feels real when its images structurally correspond to how we perceive the real world, through cues like light, texture, color, movement, and sound. Despite being fictional, these images create a sensation of authenticity by engaging the viewer’s own understanding of reality.

How do deep focus and long shot compositions contribute to a film's immersion?

Deep focus and long shot compositions allow much of the frame to remain in focus, inviting the audience to scan the environment for details. This simulates how we navigate and perceive the real world, fostering a sense of three-dimensionality and immersion in the film's setting.

Why does the video compare modern films like 'Jurassic World' with older films in terms of immersion?

The comparison highlights how modern films often fail to engage viewers with a true sense of place and realism. Older films are praised for their immersive qualities, which are achieved through techniques like deep focus and the use of tangible, real-world environments, while modern films often rely on digital effects that can feel less grounded.

What role do real locations play in creating a more immersive cinematic experience?

Real locations, especially exterior environments, contribute to the authenticity of a film by providing tangible, recognizable settings that ground the viewer in the story. When combined with physical elements like practical effects, real locations help evoke a sense of connection to the world of the film.

What makes 'Avatar: The Way of Water' more immersive despite being digitally created?

Despite being a fully computer-generated world, 'Avatar: The Way of Water' is immersive because of the way it integrates subjects into their surroundings. The detailed environment and the use of rich, focused images encourage the audience to engage with the world visually and sensorially, enhancing its perceptual realism.

How does 'Quantumania' fail to create perceptual realism?

'Quantumania' fails to create perceptual realism because its shots often lack depth, with blurry backgrounds and a focus on medium and close-up shots that isolate subjects from their environments. This creates a two-dimensional feel, preventing the audience from engaging with the world of the story in a more immersive way.

What is indexicality, and how does it relate to realism in cinema?

Indexicality refers to the direct, physical connection between a filmed image and the subject it represents. In traditional film, this was achieved through light hitting the film’s photosensitive surface. While digital cinematography lacks this material connection, the video suggests that the feeling of physicality in the final image is what truly matters for creating a sense of realism.

What is 'haptic visuality' and how does it enhance immersion in films?

Haptic visuality is the concept that cinema engages not just the eyes, but the body as a whole, evoking a tactile response from the viewer. This kind of sensory engagement allows the audience to feel the textures and material presence of the world within the film, enhancing the overall immersion and making the experience feel more real and visceral.

Why is 'haptic visuality' important for making films feel more real?

Haptic visuality is important because it taps into the human sense of touch, one of our most powerful and primal senses. By creating an experience where the viewer feels as though they can physically interact with the film's world, it generates a deeper emotional connection and a heightened sense of realism.