It really is Realism...

Realism can be defined as having a close resemblance to what is real. Fidelity of representation, rendering the precise details of the real thing or scene.

As technology progresses more and more in film and televison, artists and film makers have been pushing the boundarys of visual entertainment. Nowadays it is almost impossible to tell that something that has been compueter generated in cinema graphics and special effects. I feel this creates a very real and engaging experience for the audience, because the graphics are so realistic i feel it is easier to totally immerse yourself in what you are seeing.

In film nowadays there are things that we know are not real in our world but because of the technology in film we can create almost anything we want , we can make the audience believe (almost) that what they are seeing could also be present off screen in theyre world - real life. The advances in technology in film have have created a whole new level of escapism.


In big budget blockbusters like Avatar we are transported to another planet where we see an array of animal and plant life we know does not exist but it looks real , allowing us to relax and enjoy the experience. What i am saying is if graphics are done badly these days , it is laughable, that is assuming the creator was trying to c achieve a sense of realism and fidelity to real life. It is a different case , however , if the filmaker has made a concious decision to stay away from reality as a artistic angle , as long as this is made obvious the audience can relax and accept that what they are seeing is not trying to be real.

As a hopefull concept artist and creature designer in film I look to reality for inspiration constantly. The best way I have ever heard concept art being described is , "taking reality and twisting it". It is the process of looking to reality for inspiration that excites me. Artists often look to nature for references. In avatar James Cameron had a whole team of artists concepting for years before he made the film. He wanted his artists to study the natural world in order for them to create a completely convincing real world. They looked at the ecosystems of the ocean for inspiration. the idigenous plantlife and fauna in avatar is absolutely awesome  looking , the reason for this is Camerons understanding and study of reality.


So in a sense there is realism is everything , because everything is based on something real.


Realism can be defined in many ways , I have explored the way that I feel affects me the most.