Digital Imaging in Popular Cinema

This book explores how film analysis can take account of the presence of digital images in cinema. Digital images are now ubiquitous elements within the cinematic frame but, as we analyse films or film moments, it can often be difficult to be sure how - and how much - to talk about digital elements. This accessible book demystifies the relationship of digital imaging to processes of watching and reading films, and gives scholars and students the tools to engage with digital imaging in cinema with ease. A wide-ranging series of case studies demonstrates how digital elements can be discussed and analysed in different scenarios, and a language is developed to describe digital elements accurately. Not just for digital effects enthusiasts, this book is essential for anyone interested in how to approach film critically: it is a toolbox for contemporary film analysis. Key features: this is the first book exploring how the presence of digital imaging in film affects the production of meaning; locates contemporary digital effects practice in relation to historical traditions of filmmaking and special effects practice; proposes a fresh, flexible approach to the close textual analysis of film that can take account of the digital; and, uses case studies from the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "Avatar" to "Alice in Wonderland" and "King Kong" to demonstrate this approach in action.