Digital Tools Used In Gojira And Godzilla Film Studies Essay

Digital Tools Used In Gojira And Godzilla Film Studies Essay Humans have been around for thousands of years. Today, many movies have been created based on stories and legends of influential people and life-changing events that were recorded in history. Inspiration for the 1954 film Gojira came about as a result of World War Two during the twentieth century. The devastation brought on Japan by the two nuclear bombs had inevitably raised a wide spread awareness about nuclear weapons and its radioactive destruction (Ragone 2007). Both, Gojiras and Godzillas creation were linked to the nuclear bomb. With reference to the 1998 film Godzilla, it can be seen that the creation of the terrible lizard was linked to French nuclear weapons testing in the French Polynesia. Similarly in the Japanese context, Gojira was shown to be linked not only to the atomic bombs, but the hydrogen ones as well. With the devastation of the two atomic bombs still fresh in the Japanese minds, further H-bomb tests were carried out near Japan and eventually, the radiation fallout directly impacted on the Japanese fishing industry, causing a sharp decline. With all these tragic events occurring within a short span of time, Gojira was concocted out as an incarnation of the war itself (Ragone 2007 pg. 35) as the producers wanted a real-world scenario that reflected the Japanese concerns that time. In order to effectively protray the nature of destruction caused in the films Gojira and Godzilla, visual effects became increasingly important as it was necessary to provide an acceptable level of realism for audiences who will be watching the film. Therefore, this led to the development and creation of different visual effect techniques. Then with the advancements in technology, some older techniques were modified and re-developed accordingly. In this investigation, it will bring to light the common, yet contrasting comparisons of filmmaking between the analogue and digital eras. 2| Scene Selection | I will be comparing two parallel special effects sequences in both Gojira and Godzilla. A breakdown of this complex scene will be accompanied with a description of its technical aspects in laymans terms. The scenes involve the two animals going on a rampage through a major city at night causing massive damages. It also includes military forces trying to eliminate the creature. These two scenes were specifically chosen as I will like to highlight the core visual effects elements that can be found throughout the films. 3| The Character| It was called Gojira, but was later known as Godzilla for the American audiences. (Godzilla, King of the Monsters 1998) In the 1954 Gojira, visual effects director Eiji Tsuburaya pioneered a technique called Suit-mation. The main reason for the introduction of Suit-mation was because of the need to complete the job within a short timespan (Ragone 2007). If stop-motion technique was used, it would have taken them seven years to complete the film. The suit was constructed mainly from hand-stirred latex and then refined subsequently. Even after refinements, the suit could only be worn for several minutes due to the unbearable heat and almost non-existent ventilation within. Due to its flexibility limitations and tremendous weight, the first suit was scrapped as the actor inside could not even move. In certain scenes where only the legs of Gojira were filmed, the suit was cut into two and attached to suspenders, allowing the actor to be more comfortable while filming (Godzilla, Designing Godzilla featurette 2005). Figure |Man in halved Gojira suit Development on analogue visual effect techniques can be seen clearly in the 1998 Godzilla, when Tsuburayas technique of Suitmation was used. Trained professional puppeteers were hired for shots that needed more physical realism with the miniatures that they were interacting with. Eventually, the Godzilla suit would be replaced with a CG Godzilla. Animatronics, a technique similar to the Suitmation technique, was introduced. In this case, instead of Human actors in the creatures costumes, machines were used to replace them. This method allowed many close-up interaction shots which enabled a high level of realism (Aberly 1998). The suit was not entirely presented as a guy-in-a-suit. Primitive visual effects were added to give Gojira a scarier feel. In the shot where Gojira was tearing up Tokyo and boasting its bright flashing hind fins, hundreds of cells were hand drawn frame by frame (Ryfle 1998). In several shots where Gojira was using its atomic breath, the creature was actually a hand puppet (Godzilla 2005). With much use for puppetry and animatronics, computer generated graphics still triumphed as the best tool for visual effects in the digital era. In addition, with the developments of computer animation software and techniques, realism took to a new height. Puppeteers whom took the role of Gojira would soon be replaced with computer animators sitting behind the desk. While the actor in the Gojira suit was acting for the scene, he would be filmed using a high speed camera at around 240 frames-per-second. The film would then be projected at 24 frames-per-second giving the feel of weight and size (Faller 2010). Using modern day tools to make Godzilla (1998) move, instead of shooting a guy-in-a-suit at a high frame rate, Centropolis FX had Godzilla key-frame animated in the computer. Due to the difficulty of animating such a huge creature, the team of animators grew from twelve to sixty (Martin 1998). Subsequently, After many failed attempts of animating a proper walk cycle, the team managed to get the same feel of the high speed camera shots by animating Godzillas movement at a slower speed (Martin 1998). From using chicken wires and glued latex for the construction of the 1954 Gojira (Designing Godzilla featurette 2005), polygons and NURBS took over in the digital era. The Gojira suit was made by wrapping thin wires and bamboo with chicken wire. Cushions and fabric were also added for the actors comfort. Hand stirred latex was later applied onto the suit as skin (Designing Godzilla featurette 2005). Even though CGI was of an advanced technology, there were still setbacks. Modelers had to split up their work of digitizing the entire creature by manually using a stylus to draw out every single mesh into the computer. Furthermore, the software was not perfect and had its limitations. A Special Projects team was sent from Soft Image to trouble-shoot problems encountered by the CGI crew (Aberly 1998). Ideally, Gojira was thought to have suffered burns and scars from the H-bomb test. The textures and the suit of Gojira were hand crafted by two people. Tireless hours were spent modeling the skin bumps by using latex and then gluing it onto the skin (Godzilla, Designing Godzilla featurette 2005). However in the modern day Godzilla, there was the technology of displacement mapping whereby the 3D geometry of Godzilla would be displaced using a texture map that contained details of the skin. With the model rendered out in different passes (Martin 1998), the process was more effective and also gave compositors more freedom in manipulating the image to create a realistic Godzilla. 4| The Set | As the two Godzillas enter the city and begin their trail of destruction, the set they were on had to look real. Although both movies used miniatures for filming, this special effects technique was inevitably developed and refined extensively due to technological advancements. 4.1| Miniatures | Miniatures for Gojira (1954) were made for use as a city scape. Tsuburaya had the miniatures built mostly in the 1/25 scale, with the exception of the Diet building which was a 1/33 scale (Ragone 2007). With reference to the scale of the Gojira suit with the miniature set scale, it created an illusion of Gojiras large size. Buildings were made in a forced perspective method where buildings closer to the camera were built bigger and those at the horizon smaller. The sets were actually built on wooden platforms to allow cameramen to do low angle shots, making the buildings look even bigger (Ryfle 1998). Thin plaster and wood were used for the buildings framework. Elaborate planning of the citys construction included custom made streets that would create footprints when being stepped on. Plaster was poured over sawdust to create that effect (Ryfle 1998). Digital techniques such as CG effects animation helped the 1998 Godzilla in creating street cracks. With the help of Thomas Hollier, a senior technical director, street impact technology was created. This allowed a pipeline for a more effective way for animating pavements that would crack under Godzillas weight (Martin 1998). Miniatures were also widely used in the making of Godzilla (1998). Huge 1/24 size models were built to accommodate Godzillas path of destruction. Huge 1/10 models were also built for close-up shots. The buildings were much more detailed with some featuring plumbing and even desks. There were several miniature buildings that were reused from The Hudsucker Proxy and The Fifth Element. With this, a great amount of production time was saved as redesigning of the rest of the set was no longer required. Although both Godzilla movies incorporated miniatures, Godzilla (1998) added extensive digital compositing over its miniatures to give it more realism (Martin 1998). Techniques adopted for destroying the miniature buildings were much more sophisticated in the newer film. In the 1954 version, kerosene soaked rags were used to set the miniatures ablaze (Ragone 2007). For those that were to be destroyed by Gojiras fiery breath, explosives were set behind the buildings. Several buildings even had gasoline sprayed on them to make them burn more easily. For buildings that were supposed to be destroyed by physical contact, small cracks were made in those miniatures so that it would crumble in a more believable fashion when Gojira crushed it. It was a daunting task for the actor inside as he had to get it right on the first take as there was not enough budget and time for a rebuild (Ryfle 1998). In 1998, there were more types of pyrotechniques available and one such example would be the military type. Different methods were developed to be used on the different types of destruction. As Godzilla races through the city with its tail in free motion causing damages to buildings, cable pulls were attached to sandbags in the buildings interiors. When they were pulled, a trail of damage would occur as if Godzillas tail had swept through them. Mechanical rigs were also used to blast through a building with the CG Godzilla to be composited in later. The Chrysler Building in the scene which was destroyed by a misfire from the attack helicopters were very complex mechanical rigs. Right after the top floors exploded, it was orchestrated to shift and descend towards the camera (Aberly 1998). On the whole, miniature destruction could be choreographed with more control. Miniature vehicles were also used on the set for both films. The military elements used in the Gojira scene were tanks. Extensive pyrotechnical effects were used for the firing of the tank weapons. When the tank shells hit Gojira, blasts were created by wire rigged charges (Ryfle 1998). Comparing this to a similar scene in the 1998 movie, instead of tanks, CG Apache attack helicopters were used. Tracer fire, blasts including debris and smoke from the damage were all entirely computer generated. In addition of the rain and lighting effects which included the volumetric searchlights, RenderMan shaders were developed solely for the wet look of the helicopter. However, at the shot when Godzilla decides to lash out at the attacking military helicopters, a miniature was used. With creative ingenuity, a 1/8 scale model was made loaded with pyrotechnics and detonated (Martin 1998). 4.2| Atmosphere | To create the perfect terrorising atmosphere, Gojira (1954) was shot using a low-key lighting effect (Biodrowski 2007). This is because Low key lighting would create a darker toned picture with contrasting bright contours which is more suitable for dramatic shots. The grainy cinematography would also feed an extra punch to the eerie effect throughout the film (Ryfle et al. 2007). With the advancements in technology, analogue methods would be often replaced by colour grading and compositing. In Godzilla (1998), instead of using a low-key effect to give the dramatic shots, the environment was given a CG rain touch up. This was a complicated scene where many effects animations were applied. Not only was computer generated imagery used, acquisition footage was also being recorded for the environments. From rain to shattering windows, these footages would later be composited at different scales to tie up the scene together with the CG Godzilla (Martin 1998). Lighting was a key element in creating the perfect environment. Real lights from orange and bluish street lamps had to be reflected onto the CG Godzilla. Due to location shots where real lights were aimed at buildings when Godzilla was supposed to be in the foreground, artists had to rotoscope out the real lights and animate the CG ones. More complications had arisen when Godzilla rampaged and took out the real street lamps. Firstly, lights from the real lamps had to be rotoscoped out. A CG lamp would then be created and animated to flip or be destroyed (Martin 1998). Although this entire sequence would seem small compared to the main character, it made the scene look believable. Another small detail to add on is the stationary cars from the live action footage that underwent rotoscoping when Godzilla stomped past them. Compositing artists had to create rotoscope mattes for the vehicles and animate their bounce by hand. The add-on of the camera shake at post-production level also helped with the realism (Martin 1998). 5| The Conclusion| In my chosen scenes which depict the destructions from the streets of Tokyo to Manhattan, both Gojira and Godzilla held similar iconic symbolisms and metaphors. In the 1950s when Gojira was made, there were many underlying reasons for its creation. The focal point was the atomic bombs. Since Japan had directly experienced the impact of the bombs, it would have held a deep significance for them. To a certain extent, it was believed that without the two atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Gojira would not have surfaced. Gojiras rampage through Tokyo would serve as a reminder of the recent devastating nuclear attack on Japan to the survivors of the atomic bombs as well as to the rest of the Japanese. Gojira also created awareness on new nuclear weapon testing and how our interference with Mother Nature might one day prove apocalyptic and leave a trail of death and devastation. Today, in the modern world context where technological advances are ever improving and as well as relative peace, Godzilla (1998) still carries the same essence as it did 44 years ago. With the threat of existing nuclear weapons and even deforestation which leads to Global Warming, metaphorically, Godzilla still serves as a reminder and warning of an impending disaster if we do not change our ways. Iconically, Godzilla would be referred to as a present doomsday movie. From comparing the different special effects techniques that were used in 1954 to those used in 1998, one could see how the technology leap into the digital era made a big difference in improving film quality and the workflow efficiency of special effects artists. Even though gone were the days where analogue techniques such as filming in front of glass mattes were regarded as the modern methods of special effects, several analogue techniques are still considered relevant with the present world. The integration of both analogue and digital effects proved to be a success in creating a hyper-real Godzilla. With the age of computers and constant development on digital techniques and tools, no one knows what the future might hold for us as special effects artists. However, like all foundations of buildings, the journey of learning the history and methodology of analogue techniques should be deemed as equally important for future developments. 6| Bilbliography| BOOKS Aberly, R., 1998. The making of godzilla. London: Titan books. Kalat, D., 1997. A critical history and filmography of tohos godzilla series. 2nd ed. USA: Mcfarland and company, inc. Ragone, A., 2007. Eiji tsuburaya: masters of monsters. San Francisco: Chronicle books. Ryfle, S., 1998. Japans favourite mon-star: the unauthorised biography of the big g. Canada: ECW press. JOURNALS Martin, K., 1998. The sound and the fury. Cinefex, 74(3), 84-107. WEBSITES Faller, G., 2010. Tsuburaya, eiji. Available from: http://www.filmreference.com/Writers-and-Production-Artists-Ta-Vi/Tsuburaya-Eiji.html [Accessed 9 October 2010] Biodrowski, S., 2007. Gojira(1954)/Godzilla, king of the monsters(1954)-Film and DVD review. Available from: http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2007/11/godzilla-1954-film-dvd-review/ [Accessed 25th October 2010] Ryfle, S. and Goldstein, B., 2007. Godzilla 50th Anniversary Pressbook. Available from: http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2007/12/06/godzilla-50th-anniversary-pressbook/ [Accessed 1st October 2010] DVD Godziszewski, E., Ryfle, S. and Aiken, S., 2005. Godzilla. DVD. UK: British Film Institute. Godziszewski, E., 2005. Godzilla-Designing Godzilla featurette. DVD. UK: British Film Institute. VIDEO Godzilla, King of the Monsters, 1998. Video. UK: BBC Video.

From Baseball to Gymnastics :: Personal Narrative Sports Athletics Essays

From Baseball to Gymnastics Have you ever played baseball before? Is it just another sport to you? Well I have, and in the beginning it was just a sport to me. I remember as a young boy playing ball in the fields with only a few friends. Pretty much all we needed to play the game was a pitcher, a batter, and a fielder. The other players were mainly my brother Keith and a few neighbors around the block. Of course I was the youngest and the smallest, but this didn’t seem to bother them. We also played many other sports but baseball was my field of expertise. One summer, when I was eight years old, my mother came to me and asked how I felt about playing organized ball. At first I was unsure because I was used to my way of only three or more players, but not nine, on each team. Well the small amount of players we had was beginning to decrease. This was because the older guys were getting jobs and more importantly girlfriends. There wasn’t much else to do, so I decided to go for it, and joi n the league. This is what I wanted and I was going to be a pro someday. A few days later I went to register with my mom. She was so cool, because she did all the talking for me. I just hid behind her rear and listened, only peeking around timidly to see what I was up against. I wasn’t used to that many kids and was not about to talk to anyone, even though they were kids like me. I was shy that day but soon after began to open up. That was it, sign up was complete, and practice was just around the corner. My team the Toronto Blue Jays, had two weeks before our first game. During this time we had a chance to meet the coach and all the members of the team. We also had the opportunity of making fun of ourselves as we fumbled the ball around in a disorganized manner. Once again I had my doubts, but before long I gained friendships and a greater interest for organized Little League. I started off in the league as a Mustang, which was classified by age group.

Effects of Television on Children Essay

Introduction The television is a powerful force in our lives as it is inevitably present in almost 100% of human homes and in its offer of a light, relaxing entertainment is irresistible to many. Children as an audience are especially vulnerable to its harmful effects. With considerably less experience with various facets of life, children are more prone to take what television offers them for granted. This unquestioned absorption of ideas and morals often makes children passive recipients of â€Å"television ideology†, so to say, which often undermines their ability to act on their own and develop their own views of the world. They do not need to probe very deep since the answers to many things lie ready-made on the surface, given in television programs. Thus, television has some harmful effects on the youth, which in the first place depress independent judgement and activity. I agree with Gatto that modern children â€Å"have almost no curiosity, and what little they do have is transitory† (p.474). This can be overdrawn to some extent, however, it is certain that television depresses curiosity in children. This passivity stems from several reasons, among others, from the inherent passivity of the viewing process, brain-washing techniques abundant in TV programs, and effect of TV viewing on reduction in human interaction. Passivity Is Inherent in the Process Passivity is a characteristic trait of the television viewing process, something that stems from the very nature of this activity and shapes certain moral and mental qualities in viewers. Consider the very process of watching a telly as opposed to reading a book. Someone engaged in the viewing activity merely sits there flipping through the channels, inevitably reduced to the position of a passive chooser of a program to watch. Surely, there are choices, but my impression is that most TV programs are very much alike, and this lack of individuality prevents meaningful choice. One can surely dig in the TV program trying to do some research and identify the broadcasts that are really worth watching, but, frankly, how many people do it on a regular basis? After clicking through three or four programs a human mind inevitably gets tires and is relaxed to watch whatever program seems more suitable to tastes – a movie, a comedy show, or a news broadcast, often regardless of the quality. Now compare to the process of choosing a book or a video to watch. A person purchasing a book goes to either an online or bricks-and-mortar store to look up some items and make the final decision depending on the quality of the reading offered.   It takes time, effort, and commitment of some financial resources, even if these are small as compared to other expenses. Anyway, money and effort that go toward choosing a book are a strong incentive to make a meaningful choice, to question oneself: What will I gain from reading this stuff? Do I buy this one simply to while away the time? And this one to expand my knowledge about a certain subject? The same is true for video rentals: a person usually picks a movie since one has heard something about it, a neighbour recommends it, or the plot abstract seems gripping. TV, on the contrary, encourages passivity of choice and prevents active decisions on the part of the viewer. It is true to say that activity on the whole is a sign of superior intelligence, whereas passivity is typical of weak minds. In this sense, television as a medium perpetuates the weakness of viewers’ minds, turning them into passive on-lookers instead of active participants. I can refer to my personal observation of a four-year-old niece, Maggie, watching a TV program. She is too young to know how to switch channels and thus watches whatever the adults turn on for her. In fact, she is aware of how to switch, but she often forgets about it or is lazy to come up to the telly to change the program. The adults need to check constantly if they have not left something inappropriate for her to watch. Television as a Medium for Brain-Washing Modern children, as stated before, too often are left with television as the only medium to provide them with guidance for everyday situations. This is dangerous because here they are more likely to become victims to brainwashing techniques that in themselves encourage passivity. Surely brain-washing can take place in other media as well such as newspapers, magazines, Internet, and the like. However, here its impact is likely to be limited by the active choice of the reader – once again, people tend to go to sites they like and buy newspapers they prefer over others. Books require even more conscious choice, and thus are less likely to become instruments of brain-washing. Television that is often on, providing a background for habitual home activities, can let the message sink in without the individual even noticing it. Besides, images that unite words with movement and color are likely to have increased emotional influence, especially upon young children. Thus, sticking in front of the TV for hours leaves children exposed to norms and values TV staff wants to plant in them. This will take away the capability to make independent judgements, moral and intellectual independence that forms the basis for any freedom. A puppet cannot be free since there is often an invisible force that pulls the cords, much in the way TV advertising and programs make us believe their messages, presenting them in an alluring way. For example, I can already see how Maggie, my niece, already begins to show traces of consumerism she is about to accept as she grows older. She watches bright ads, then trying to talk her parents into buying a certain product. She even goes as far as try to influence their choice of a car to purchase. She once desperately wanted them to buy a Nissan because the commercial is so good. What is important to me is not that she becomes taken with a certain brand, but that she has already picked up the notion that things are very important and worth a lot of attention. This makes her more likely to spend time and effort in her adult life to gain more money and possibility to buy the desired thing. Intellectual passivity stemming from brain-washing will prevent her from questioning the assumptions she learned in her childhood. 3. Television Decreases Amount of Child-to-Child Interactions Television on the whole can also be called an interaction, but a very peculiar one. It evolves between the viewer and the production staff, in most general terms. The role of the viewer is limited, and although he or she may be intensely thinking about what is shown on the screen, the activity is relaxing because it does not call for an immediate response. On the contrary, human interaction demands from participants constant involvement and often calls for immediate action. In this sense, it is highly useful for kids as it helps them to develop their intellectual abilities, at least that part of their abilities that remains neglected by teachers and other educators – interpersonal skills. Talking and playing with other kids and adults, children learn a lot about human nature, but most importantly they learn how to deal with various personality types, what personality types there are, and develop strategies that will shape their interactions for the rest of their lives. Even the school environment, with its accumulation of children, is much more developing that passive sitting in a room with the telly on. A boy who faces the threat of a fight with older and stronger guys has to invent immediately what to do in order not to be beaten. Conflicts in particular stimulate a child’s intellectual development as they teach one to act on the spot. Gatto states that children on average watch TV fifty-five hours a week out of 168 total. This time can surely have been used for play with other children or communication with adult relatives. Recently I paid attention to the fact that today one can see very few children moving around, running along the streets. They seem to be stuck inside their homes, and it seems that the easiest pursuits for them there are either TV or computer. This means that most probably they feel isolated from other children, except for family members such as brothers and sisters. Siblings, however, cannot provide an adequate basis for development of communication skills in kids as family communication is surely different from ‘external’ interactions. Thus, in missing human communication, children can miss a chance to develop a part of their brains responsible for interpersonal skills. Human communication is perhaps the most challenging sphere of our activity that boggles representatives of such professions as managers, teachers and priests with years of experience. Thus, missing a chance to develop this sphere through lack of communication, children risk underdeveloping their overall cognitive abilities. Conclusion Television can clearly contribute to the development of intellectual curiosity in children if it is used wisely and in reasonable doses. Contemporary families often allow their children to overload themselves with the information stream from TV, which, as observations suggest, leads to intellectual passivity. Passivity stems from the very nature of the viewing process that depressed active choice involving the use of reason for decision-making. Heavy viewing leaves children’s minds open to brainwashing that can supply them with ready-made answers instead of stimulating the ability to seek for answers on their own. At the same time, replacement of direct interactions with TV watching deprives modern children of a chance to polish their communication skills, developing their cognitive abilities through interactions with others. Gatto, J.T. Why Schools Don’t Educate.

History of the Hula Hoop - Trivia and More

The hula hoop is an ancient invention; no modern company and no single inventor can claim that they invented the first hula hoop. In fact, the Ancient Greeks often used hooping as a form of exercise. Older hoops have been made from metal, bamboo, wood, grasses, and even vines. However, modern companies re-invented their own versions of the hula hoop using unusual materials, for example; plastic hula hoops with added bits of glitter and noisemakers, and hoops that are collapsible. Origins of the Name Hula Hoop Around 1300, hooping came to Great Britain, homemade versions of the toy became very popular. In the early 1800s, British sailors first witnessed hula dancing in the Hawaiian Islands. Hula dancing and hooping look somewhat similar and the name hula hoop came together. Wham-O Trademarks and Patents the Hula Hoop Richard Knerr and Arthur Spud Melin founded the Wham-O company, which helped popularize another ancient toy, the frisbee. Knerr and Melin started the Wham-O company from their Los Angeles garage in 1948. The men were marketing a slingshot originally invented for training pet falcons and hawks (it slung meat at the birds). This slingshot was named Wham-O because of the sound it made when it hit the target. Wham-O also became the companys name. Wham-O has become the most successful manufacturer of hula hoops in modern times. They trademarked the name Hula Hoop ® and started manufacturing the toy out of the new plastic Marlex in 1958. On May 13, 1959, Arthur Melin applied for a patent for his version of the hula hoop. He received U.S. Patent Number 3,079,728 on March 5, 1963, for a Hoop Toy. Twenty million Wham-O hula hoops sold for $1.98 in the first six months. Hula Hoop Trivia Japan once banned the hula hoop because the rotating hip action seems indecent.On June 4, 2005, Australian Kareena Oates set a Guinness world record for hula hooping — with 100 hoops for three full revolutions.101 hoops were spun by Alesya Goulevich of Belarus on June 11, 2006105 hoops were spun by Jin Linlin of China on October 28, 2007.The world record for the largest Hula Hoop (by circumference) spun was set by American Ashrita Furman at 51.5 feet on June 1, 2007.