The Implications of Digital Systems for
Cinema Theory
Malcolm Le Grice
This paper was prepared for initial presentation in Vienna in october 1990 and modified for presentation in Zagreb in May 1991.
THE PRESENTATION
In both cases it was presented in relationship to three computer generated works by myself which were:
"Arbitrary Logic" (originally titled "Osnabrück') completed in 1988.
This work is an interactive, sound and image performance piece in the tradition of the 'light-organ which may be considered to have its origins as far hack as the 16th Century through experiments made by Giuseppe Archimboldi (see Scheugl and Schmidt `Eine Subgeschichte des Films' Edition Suhrkamp 1974).
"Digital Still Life" completed and recorded to video in 1989.
This work explores the sequencing and digital re-treatment of a series of 'frame-grabbed' video images. The sequence controlling programme uses the same 'mathematical' structures to determine the musical form and structure. The origins of this work draw on concepts of visual representation determined by artists like Seurat, Cezanne and the Fauvist work of Matisse.
"Heads I Win - Tales You Lose', which is available in both an installation computer form or as recorded to video in 1989.
This piece is based on the computerised fragmentation and recombination of a series of drawings done by myself over a period of five years. It explores arrange of permutative cycles in the selection and recombination of images. The sound mixes music generated by the programme with keyboard 'hand' performance.
THE PAPER
Introduction
The theoretical presentation is not intended as a demonstration of an argument. There are no conclusions. The objective is to clarify the problematics which emerge as a result of the application of digital technologies applied to the field of temporal 'representation' (Cinema). The changes in assumptions about the relationship between - represented and representation, structure, model and authorship which result from this application are fundamental and far reaching. This paper is no mow than a scan over those problematics together with a presentation of some of the creative possibilities which my own work has (arbitrarily) explored.
Disclaimers
No special relevance is claimed for the starting point of these sketchy speculations. No attempt is being made to formulate a 'general' theory - the approach is piece-meal and fragmentary. I am only interested in theory as it helps to guide or stimulate practice.
Presentation of my own work in this context is intended to be indicative rather than exemplary. Assertion
All machines are embodiments of intellect. All use of machines has some of the characteristics of a 'dialogue' with that embodied intellect. This (historical/social) dialogue takes place in the space between the technical limits, the habits of application and the exploration of potentialities. This condition of dialogue is most evident in the developing digital image/sequence technologies.
Theoretical Context
Though various writings (as well as through reflexive aspects of certain films), I have made a contribution to the development of a theoretical frame-work which has come to be known as 'Meterialist Film or "Structural Materialist Film". In this work, I consider Peter Gidal to have been the leading and most consistent theorist. My own contribution has been more erratic, less focused and more pluralistic. Key features in the theoretical position which I have held may be summarised as follows:
· Attention to the condition of the spectator as an 'active' rather than 'passive' factor in the realisation of a work.
- Attempted counteraction of cathartic identification through problemetisation of illusion, metaphor and narrative.
· The attempt to stress the material conditions of production and viewing of works both as a strategy in the counteraction of identificatory narrative and as a creative basis practice.
The speculations made here are a continuation of the Materialist Film project and the methodology of the argument begins from a relatively unspectacular definition of the materials, processes and technologies of cinema (cinema rather than film).
Cinematic Technologies
I offer a categorisation of three distinct and loosely developmental stages of technology facilitiating the construction of kinetic recording, and presentation or representation.
1. Photochemical/mechanical.
The application of photographic technology and 19th century mechanics, characterised by the rapid sequential recording of a stream of whole images - Film.
2. Analogue Electronic.
The application of continuous magnetic recording technology involving a rotating scan and cathode ray tube presentation - Video.
3. Digital Electronic.
The application of computer based, micro-processor and random access technology - Partially developed and currently evident in a range of hybrid (digital/analogue/mechanical) forms.
Comparisons
In drawing comparisons between Film, Video and Digital technologies the following issues become significant;
- The use of non-precious (iron) rather than precious (silver) materials in the storage medium; · The reduction or elimination of rotational (wheel) technology reducing moving parts in favour of electronic signal transfer and solid state storage;
· The use of low voltage current. Low energy - high information;
- Higher order of recoverable abstraction of image data;
Non-linear access (Random Access Memory). Sequentiality is replaced by non-linear code addressing.
On at least two major counts, the relationship between the digital image/sequence technology and the other two is potentially hierarchical rather than simply different:
It represents a more 'efficient' system allowing greater capacity for flexibility in storage and retrieval;
The Digital Electronic can 'contain' the conditions of the other two but not be contained by them - it is a more general system.
Cinematic Practice Based on Digital Systems
The following range of capacities are either opened up or enhanced by the use of digital systems in cinematic practice:
- Highly abstracted (point based) 'analysis' of the two- dimensional image field;
Highly flexible image manipulation/transformation through a wide range of definable digital
strategies (or digitally simulated analogue strategies);
Capacity for fundamental image synthesis based on three-dimensional (or multi-dimensional)
analysis of space relationships, surface and material properties, movement and constructional (re-constructional) algorithms;
· Flexible (programmable) control of image stream sequencing based on image or sequence 'banks';
Interactive capacity. Speed of operation and user oriented design of digital systems allows interaction with 'raw' data within a range of combinational parameters.
These capacities bring with them a range of new or modified problematics for cinematic practice and theory-
Through greatly enhanced capacity for two-dimensional image manipulation, the relationship between the pro-filmic 'origination' of the image and its condition as presentation or representation requires further theorisation;
The developing capacity for fundamental three-dimensional image and motion synthesis challenges many basic psycho- ideological assumptions concerning the 'veracity' of the cinematic image, its metonymic and simulatory conditions;
The flexibility of image sequencing and the low-cost of alternative explorations undercut the 'exclusivity', 'singularity' of structure produced by the author/maker. This in turn undermines many of the assumptions concerning the basis of trace of author/authority through the system of conclusive (significant) decision in cinematic structure;
- As a consequence of sequence flexibility through 'programmable' machines, critical analysis of the locus of signification in systematic, permutative cinematic structure requires further consideration;
The capacity for sophisticated interactive systems demands further-analysis of the potential relationship between 'artist'/author and spectator/audience, more in favour of a maker/user terminology.
Psycho-Philosophical Considerations
The shift in problematics requires further consideration of fundamental ideological, philosophical and
psychological issues underlying cinematic practice and theory.
In particular:
· The debate, concerning the ideological implications of the basic cinematographic apparatus, initiated by Jean-Louis Baudry ("Le Dispositif" Communications no.23 1975) needs to be applied to the digital apparatus and extended to encompass the concept of the 'intelligent' machine in the field of cinematography;
We need to consider the implications which arise from the combination of two major psycho-technical enterprises -
one, the fascination for the substitution of image for reality - what we might call Virtual Reality and the Pygmalion complex, two, the fetishisation of measurement and quantification.