'' Mission to Earth ''

A)What is new or different about this example of digital cinema when compared with a) traditional ways of telling a story b) and constructing a film?

a) '' Mission to Earth '' is an interesting digital cinema I saw. There are some differences between this digital cinema and traditional film in regard to the ways of telling a story and construction of the film.

First of all, '' Mission to Earth '' only shows the keywords to illustrate the main content. Sometimes, it has voice over to tell the audiences what the messages are. It differs from the traditional film. It is because it don't have a certain and structural plot which includes beginning, development, ending and so on. Maybe it just takes daily activities to be one video clip or fragment. For the whole production, it may have only one music to be used, not likely to the traditional film which play a music as a complement of sentiment in some particular moment. There are different versions of the same representation at the same time. It is the most interesting thing I think.

Also, '' Mission to Earth '' have no obvious designated characters and supporting role either. All the scenes are not pre-organised . It invloves different location and no fixed place is recommended. Certainly, the interaction between the holder of the camera and the "interviewee" can show what reality is. And then audiences can imagine the content and goal of that video clip freely. For the traditional film, it does a well preparation before making a film. It leads people to take part in an unrealistic world whether or not it has voice over in the film. The characters would convey all the messages and content through their dialogue. Time, place and theme are always specified and in oder. Even it don't allow people to have a great imagination.

b) As we know, '' Mission to Earth '' is mainly constructed by 2D geometric animation and many video clips. There are many squares in different size within one big frame. Actually, there are two or three video fragment to be used in one frame and different versions of the same representation would be shown at the same time as the features of visual narrative. So, audiences can have a great enjoyment because it gives much more information when they watch. In addition, music is one element in the aspect of using sounds. The traditional film would not use one music in the whole process.

Apart from that, '' Mission to Earth '' have no particular director indeed. It is because organization of content, for example, the format or composition, are determined by the software finally. You just need to have one camera to make a video and then you can use these videos to construct a digital cinema bu using related software. For the traditional film, it would have the director's own style as the whole process is monitored by him or her. That means the director would make the temporal and spatial organization by his or her preferences. Most importantly, it needs time and resources to do a well preparation.

B) What other art (film, digital art, painting etc) does this film remind you of?

This film reminds me of Piet Mondrian’s painting. It is because its composition is represented by rectangular or geometric forms, the visual representation of the motion graphics are constructed by some circles squares, etc. Additionally, it have some video clips. If images are similar to other images that would arrange them closely. All these elements make the whole composition to be more abstract and concrete.
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Concepts: Form

Moreover, the movie or video clips emerge from different position in the whole frame. It makes a sense of parallel movement. The simple composition and style can give a space for our own imagination. Also, the lines and colour is on one flat surface, no matter how you change it. The frame seems to be combined by a fragment of paintings and images. So, it is so modern and attractive. These all are so similar to the features of Piet Mondrian’s paintings, example is as follows.




Piet Mondrian, Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow, 1930
(reference by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mondrian_Composition_II_in_Red,_Blue,_and_Yellow.jpg )

C) Wrap up- central question for Manovich –what can this new medium do?

This new medium is created by "soft cinema".

As the above mentioned, the software can put 2D animation, motion graphics and some video clips together to construct a film.

This new medium can show much more information as it contains different datas at the same time. Also, it can let us compare all the video clips and images in regard to the visual representation. Sometimes, two video clips might use the same scenes with different version or camera movement that is an unqiue style of this new medium. It is a new and creative medium we can enjoy.

I think this new medium can be one propaganda to spread the anti-war messages such as '' Mission to Earth ''. The video clips show the real suitation of people' daily life activities, so it can help them to express their feelings and what the unfairness they face to the society, their goverment. Then, this new medium can have a function of arousing the awareness of the public.

During the making digital cinema process, although the software decide the sequence of video or the position of 2D animation, the maker can design the whole compostion and the number of frames as well. Even the maker can choose some similar video clips to play together in terms of colour and content.