Current Thesis Statement
Technology (e.g visual effects) has the ability , perhaps even the moral imperative, to breathe new life into the decreasingly relevant printed word. Ironically, the passage of time will see print media survive beyond the inevitable obsolescence of technology, thus confirming the ubiquitous human inclination towards the theory of eternal return.
Thesis Statement Iterations
Technology, specifically visual effects has the ability, some might argue the cultural and artistic moral imperative to breathe new life into the waning relevance of the printed word, ironically the passage of time will see print media survive beyond the inevitable obsolescence of technology, confirming the ubiquitous human inclination towards the theory of eternal return.
Visual effects has the ability, some might argue the cultural and artistic responsibility to breathe new life into the diminishing relevance of the printed word, ironically the passage of time will see print media survive beyond the inevitable obsolescence of technology, confirming the omnipresent human inclination towards the theory of eternal return.
Visual effects has the ability, some might argue the cultural and artistic entitlement to breathe new life into the waning relevance of the printed word, paradoxically the passage of time will see print media survive beyond the inevitable obsolescence of technology, manifestly confirming the all-pervading human inclination towards the theory of eternal return.
Print is dead and technology can revive it by adding a sophisticated visual effects heavy film to the equation in order to bridge our past and future together, ironically as time progresses technology will fail and the printed word will outlive the thing that gave it new life; if eternal return is to be believed then a paradigm shift will transpire, with printed publications flourishing in rebirth as technology perishes in its inevitable obsolescence.
Print is dead but can be revived by merging it with a sophisticated visual effects driven film, ultimately bridging the past and future together, but if eternal return is to be believed then a paradigm shift is inevitable and physical media will flourish in its rebirth as technology perishes in its inescapable rapid obsolescence.
Throughout ancient culture and into modern day society, it has always been human nature to embrace cycles and these cycles can be seen in life as well as in our media, with print dying and fading fast as technology blossoms and flourishes in the digital age; but if eternal return/recurrence is to be believed then a paradigm shift will cause physical media to be reborn into a new life as technology perishes under its own rapid, inevitable obsolescence.
Concept
The piece is delivered to the viewer in a box which houses a rear projection set-up, to showcase the film, and a physical artist's book which contains pop-up elements. The visual effects driven feature is a looping narrative which plays on the screen as the viewer interacts with the book; each component working together to convey the overarching theme of eternal return. If print is our past and technology is our future, then the visual effects technique of rear projection popularized in the 1930's is the bridge between the two. At the time of this piece's creation the film will be cutting edge yet co-existing with the fading, archaic physical media. Ironically as time passes the technological aspect of the piece will fail and perish and the printed book will live on, outliving the thing that gave it new life and purpose. The book will stand alone, with the film lost to time in the wake of technological advancement. This radical shift eludes to eternal recurrence, with the cycle of media coming full circle: print is flourishing in life as technology lay cold and lifeless in its obsolescence.
Philosophy
My thesis heavily focuses on the idea of eternal return or eternal recurrence and the cycles of life and time. Eternal return essentially argues that time is a flat circle, everything we've ever done or will do, we're going to do over and over and over again; you are reborn, but into the same life that you've always been born into. If time is infinite and there are finite events then time is bound to repeat in a never ending cycle. Basically anything that has ever happened will happen and continue to happen over and over again in an everlasting loop. This idea has always been present, with eternal return showing up in Mayan, Aztec, and even Egyptian cultures. Friedrich Nietzsche, a German philosopher, discussed this theory as well, coining the term eternal recurrence.
Using visual effects to convey this film while simultaneously pairing it with out dated print or book making offers its own layer of interesting commentary to the idea of eternal return. The current techniques and practices being used to create modern day visual effects are robust, requiring high-tech programs and computers in order to execute effects such as particle systems. It is widely believed that print is 'dead' and this remark is often used in contemporary society. Arguments that technology's advancement has 'killed' physical media are frequently made, and in many ways it is true; without technology print would still reign as the superior form of communication. According to the eternal recurrence, if everything is in a cycle then it would stand true that media is in its own cycle as well. This can be seen in various forms from fashion trends constantly looping back around, to music pulling from past scores and decades. Communication right now heavily relies on technology and less so on traditional print, but as the digital world continues to evolve eternal returns says that eventually it will revert back to a primitive state with analog forms like books usurping technology as the dominant form of media.
Quick Visual Pitch
In Egyptian culture the scarab beetle is the symbol of eternal return or rebirth; burying the dead with scarab amulets to help guide them in their next plane of existence. I want the film to be a looping narrative so that the viewer can interact with the piece at any point in time and at their own pace, giving each viewer their own unique experience. For the film I thought it might be interesting to follow the beetle pushing a ball through a cycle of life, as the world around him grows and withers and flourishes and dies. Allowing for the video to constantly loop with beetle on his eternal walk through metempsychosis.
Outline for Paper
