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This electronic thesis or dissertation has been downloaded from Explore Bristol Research, http://research-information.bristol.ac.uk Author: Niu, Muqun Title: Digital visual effects in contemporary Hollywood cinema aesthetics, networks and transnational practice General rights Access to the thesis is subject to the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International Public License. A copy of this may be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode This license sets out your rights and the restrictions that apply to your access to the thesis so it is important you read this before proceeding. Take down policy Some pages of this thesis may have been removed for copyright restrictions prior to having it been deposited in Explore Bristol Research. However, if you have discovered material within the thesis that you consider to be unlawful e.g. breaches of copyright (either yours or that of a third party) or any other law, including but not limited to those relating to patent, trademark, confidentiality, data protection, obscenity, defamation, libel, then please contact [email protected] and include the following information in your message: •Your contact details •Bibliographic details for the item, including a URL •An outline nature of the complaint Your claim will be investigated and, where appropriate, the item in question will be removed from public view as soon as possible. This electronic thesis or dissertation has been downloaded from Explore Bristol Research, http://research-information.bristol.ac.uk Author: Niu, Muqun Title: DIGITAL VISUAL EFFECTS IN CONTEMPORARY HOLLYWOOD CINEMA AESTHETICS, NETWORKS AND TRANSNATIONAL PRACTICE General rights Access to the thesis is subject to the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International Public License. A copy of this may be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode This license sets out your rights and the restrictions that apply to your access to the thesis so it is important you read this before proceeding. Take down policy Some pages of this thesis may have been removed for copyright restrictions prior to having it been deposited in Explore Bristol Research. However, if you have discovered material within the thesis that you consider to be unlawful e.g. breaches of copyright (either yours or that of a third party) or any other law, including but not limited to those relating to patent, trademark, confidentiality, data protection, obscenity, defamation, libel, then please contact [email protected] and include the following information in your message: •Your contact details •Bibliographic details for the item, including a URL •An outline nature of the complaint Your claim will be investigated and, where appropriate, the item in question will be removed from public view as soon as possible. DIGITAL VISUAL EFFECTS IN CONTEMPORARY HOLLYWOOD CINEMA AESTHETICS, NETWORKS AND TRANSNATIONAL PRACTICE Muqun Niu A dissertation submitted to the University of Bristol in accordance with the requirements for award of the degree of PhD in the Faculty of Arts, School of Arts. May 2020 72,907 words Abstract This research aims to provide new knowledge about the aesthetics of digital visual effects in contemporary Hollywood cinema in the context of national, transnational and global compositing practices. Combining contextual research, fieldwork and film analysis, this research reveals that the aesthetics of digital visual effects in Hollywood film is the manifestation of complex factors such as technological innovation, time and invisible labour, global business model of Hollywood film industry, and the conditions of creative autonomy of digital visual effects artists. Furthermore it examines the causes and effects of the involvement of multiple globally located digital visual effects companies in single Hollywood films. Research into this area is underpinned by comparing digital visual effects in films from Hollywood and China, as well as systematic studies of the Hollywood digital visual effects company Pixomondo and the Chinese film industry. It reveals that the transnational digital visual effects practice is informed by several factors, which include: the fixed bidding process in the Hollywood digital visual effects industry, tax subsidies offered by governments such as the UK, the lower labour costs in countries such as India; as well as emerging markets in world cinema. This thesis also argues that transnational digital visual effects practice leads to the adoption of Hollywood aesthetics of digital visual effects to world popular cinema. i Acknowledgements Firstly I would like to thank my supervisor Dr Angela Piccini for her continuous and tremendous support during my research. She encouraged me to approach my research with an open mind and inspired me to find my own voice. She gave me confidence and trusted me when I experienced difficulties. I am also grateful for the advice and encouragement from my other advisor Dr Charlotte Crofts. My thanks also go to the other members of the research community at Film and Television Department in University of Bristol and the peer support from other post-graduate research students in the Arts and Social Science Graduate School. I would like to thank the Alumni Association of the University of Bristol for funding my trip to China to attend SIGGRAPH Asia Conference in 2014, where I got the chance to discuss my research with many industry experts. I also would like to express my gratitude to all the participants in my research for their time and willingness to share ideas. Last but by no means least, I would like to thank my family and friends. Thanks to my parents for financing my research and their love; my husband Andrew Franks for being so understanding and supportive; and Dr Martin Crossley Evans for his encouragement. ii Author’s Declaration I declare that the work in this dissertation was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the University's Regulations and Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes and that it has not been submitted for any other academic award. Except where indicated by specific reference in the text, the work is the candidate's own work. Work done in collaboration with, or with the assistance of, others, is indicated as such. Any views expressed in the dissertation are those of the author. SIGNED: ........ ........ DATE: ....21-05-2020........... iii Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background ................................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1.1 Photorealism ......................................................................................................................................................... 2 1.1.2 Reality .................................................................................................................................................................. 3 1.1.3 Remediation .......................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.1.4 Believability.......................................................................................................................................................... 4 1.2 Literature Review ......................................................................................................................................................... 10 1.2.1 Film Theory Revisited ........................................................................................................................................ 13 1.2.2 Reality and Realism ............................................................................................................................................ 16 1.2.3 Formal Remediation ........................................................................................................................................... 20 1.2.4 Time and Space .................................................................................................................................................. 21 1.2.5 Aesthetics ........................................................................................................................................................... 21 1.2.6 Practices: Human and Technological Connections ............................................................................................. 23 1.2.7 Approaches to and Theories of Practice.............................................................................................................. 26 1.2.8 Practice Networks ............................................................................................................................................... 32 1.3 Research Methods......................................................................................................................................................... 34 1.4 Analysis of Associated Text..................................................................................................................................... 35 1.5 Survey .....................................................................................................................................................................