Virtual Camera and Cinematic Reality

Even though freedom of camera movement is now possible, in both animation and cinema, the productions are still following the same cinematic grammar that was set long before the possibilities of a free roaming camera. What we have seen in this research is that the cinematic language is not up for any revolutionary change just merely as a result of new technology or camera invention.

It seems that the cinematic narrative grammar and the cinematographic conventions have set the standard for what is “reality” on film. So when working with digitally constructed space recorded by a virtual camera, the directors are compensating by making the manufactured image look like it was filmed with an analogue camera. By applying all the conventions, limitations, properties and artifacts of the analogue camera to the virtual camera, it records more “believable” images (Desowitz, 2). Whenever the directors take advantage of the limitlessness of virtual camera movements and properties, they do so showing something “magical” or something out of this world, but quickly return to “cinema reality” when they want to show something earthly, like human emotion or conversation between people.

So even though the virtual camera is available to speak with new narrative grammars, it has to adopt its language from the cinema to be understood and read correctly, as the narrative camera of traditional cinema adopted its language from the theater.