THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE
Part A: Background
The mutual relationship between cinema and architecture is one of the unprofessed secrets in history. The endless mutual conscience and the awareness of space has long been one of the great medium relationships since the beginning of the 20th century. Both mediums have a special mutual working relationship, which can be dissected from each end of their respective spectrums. Architecture, defined itself foremost in acting as the visual and physical background of a film narrative — but what certainly is often overlooked is how architecture defined itself as one of cinema’s effort to produce an end-product of an imagination, providing eclecticism in rejuvenating human’s sense of space. Architecture carries itself to a role in cinema, characterizing itself in reinterpreting massive civilizations, enriching the existing culture, providing home of families, and the most important of all, framing the human condition.
THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE
Part A: Prelude References
Architecture, in cinema history has helped storytelling broaden its horizon. In portraying the mental connection between fiction and reality through visual cues and spaces. Through storytelling architecture has portrayed the most vastly different worlds to the most realistic and confined spaces of our most private perimeters. These achievements in architecture and cinema can be sufficient to explain the most passionate expressions of reality. While, in such literal cases, architecture and architects may hold itself true as their own in the story of a film, being the subject of a narrative, presenting the quirks and perks of an architect, or the field of study being portrayed as it is, but these exceptions do not occur that much often. As every single narrative mostly took place in a three-dimensional space, the relevancy both fields is impeccable. It constitutes the reality without depleting function and imagination. Architecture has always been a part of film history, the subject being the science and philosophy of spaces. Therefore, every narrative in film should reflect the dimension it resides, the architectural space.
THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE
Part B: Purpose of Study
This study has a merit of showing new perspectives toward the two different fields of which in short may show disconnection and indifference in a brief glance from the way these two fields are produced and consumed. While cinema, as a form of entertainment and arts, and architecture prompts as a form of sciences that anchors human civilization, both occupying the vacant tangible aspects of our lives that cannot be strayed further from human condition. Further expanding the mind and the way we look at both cinema and architecture, as something too close to separate from each other. As both mediums have influenced each other throughout its progression until now. Thereafter, finding new methods to maximizing both potentials in their own respective ways, in matters of telling stories and designing from a brief.
THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE
Part C: Issue
Exploration of continuity relationship between film and architecture should be studied more explicitly, for a long time the known knowledge of the relation is just the tip of what promises to be more than meets the eye. The two subjects can be studied to broaden the perspective and knowledge, accumulating possibilities, then consciously use both studies in their own respective terms, or through cross-studies. Therefore the study is pulling questions to address the issues:
1. Why is the continuity between cinema and architecture is so closely related, how far the relation between the two subjects can influence one or the other? 2. What are the examples of the continuity? This question will be adressed through the object of study in science-fiction films. 3. How can the relation between the two subjects can develop, what are the possibilities of potentials both could fulfill?
THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE
Part D: Medium of Study
1. This study will conduct itself through analysis of the moving pictures, with firstly enriching itself in theories regarding the continuity of architecture and cinema. 2. By selecting films to study that has a strong presence of architecture, the study will prove exemplary in terms of approaching both subject with similar manners. 3. Dissecting parts of film in architecture with existing theories. 4. Collecting strong points in the continuity of cinema and architecture, using the existing theoretical hypothesis through the films of study. 5. Conveying a conclusion that ties both subjects in unison through their continuity respectively.
THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE
Part E: Theoretical Exposition
Architecture and cinema both have a great deal of relation its use of space and how it is consumed and produced. Similarly conceived through space and perfected through its creation of sequences. According to the Oxford Dictionary, sequence is a set of events, actions, which have a particular order. From that jumping-off point we conclude that both cinema and architecture deals with sequences in different fashion, different but similar. From the consumer point of view, sequences are addressed by its users (in architecture) and audiences (in cinema), whereas in production, the architect and the director. From the point of view of cinema, since the genesis there has been numerous theories of what constitutes a sequence. Sequences in cinema are a set of events and actions immortalized through the lens of camera, which can have a particular order or not. The sequences arranged in an order that compliments the narrative (screenplay) action with preferred focus and style, primarily to translate the narration and to create mood and impressions. These arranged shots/scenes are called sequences, and the arranged sequences form a film.
THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE
In 1910s, Lev Kuleshov conducted an experiment on film editing called The Kuleshov Effect. The effect is one of the most important filmmaking theory in history. Through the Kuleshov effect, we learn that in editing which is a process of creating a sequence can evoke different understanding and impression within a montage. The montage demonstrated is a mental phenomenon by which viewers/audience can extract more meaning from the interaction from two sequential/frame shots rather than a single one.
The theory is best described by Alfred Hitchcock. He described the method as pure cinema through the assembly of images. He also demonstrated the method on his own terms using a close-up shot of an old man juxtaposed with both a little child and an openly dressed woman respectively, then cuts to the close-up of the old man smiling. These two juxtapositions of the close-up of the old man with the respective subject evokes a different impression of the man by the audience.
THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE
One of the other methods of editing which can emphasize the importance of editing in crafting cinema is the method of creating an
artificial
landscape
or
creative
geography.
The
editing
method
is
also
founded
by
Lev Kuleshov, in order to create a sense of place continuity within the sequence. Meaning, the film sequence can create a sense of place even though it is shot in a different place. Thus, creating an imaginary space-reality within the film, a continuous, uninterrupted space. With these editing techniques, filmmakers are able manipulate the architecture of the film, thus crossing the boundary of the tangible space in the set of a film.
In 1981, Bernard Tschumi published a set of theoretical drawings developed between 1976 and 1981. The Swiss architect argued that the disjunction or the inconsistencies of architectural space and their use, objects and events, being and meaning is no accident. Proving bits that the designed space, be it urban space or a private space is utilized to define the action of occupying space within a sequence.
THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE
The transcripts offer a way to read architecture differently, whereas space, movement, and events are independent aspects, yet founded on the same mutual relation with one another. Providing new take on the conventional components of architecture. According to the Tschumi, there are three classifications on what constitute the transcripts
1. Events are incidents, occurrences; a particular item in a program. Events can encompass particular uses, singular functions or isolated activities. They include moments of passion, acts of love, or the instant of death. Events have an independent existence of their own. They rarely purely the consequence of their surroundings. Events have their own logic, their own momentum. In film we see this as scenes, they can have a singular meaning of existence that bears no conjunction to other precedents or future scenes. 2. Then there are spaces. Architectural spaces can have an autonomy and logic of their own sometimes according to the logic of function or culture; Distortions, ruptures, compressions, fragmentations, and juxtapositions are inherent in the manipulation of form. 3. Movement is the action or the process of moving. Also, a particular act or manner of moving. In a film narrative; progress or incidents, development of a plot or motif; the quality of having plenty of incident. In architecture, such action constituted by entering a building, a present body in space, rushing and violating the balance of established rules in the architectural space.
THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE
The transcripts are not the accumulation of random events; they display a certain organization. One of its primary trait is sequence; that consists of frames portraying space, movement/action, and event under the structure of its very own set of laws. In architecture there are three sequences that has a connection to one another. The first relation is called the transformational sequence; which can be described as a tool or procedure; an internal relation. The second relation is the spatial sequence, throughout history, constantly the precedents of the typology are already defined; the variation of it is infinite. The third one is the sequence that bears the utilitarian and social characteristic, the programmatic sequence.
THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE
Part E: Culmination & The Hierarchy
These interrelations of sequences from the spectrum of architecture and cinema respectively, can portray the essential language of what made both field have a continuity between one another. From the theories that interlinked both fields, the variables are much clearer, creating a hierarchy of continuity of what makes architecture and cinema has so much in common.
THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE
From this diagram the study proposes some of the core relation of cinema and architecture through their respective sequential theories. We can dissect more other components through the theories
THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE
THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE
This diagram is constructed through the collection of sequential theories, which ties the most of cinema and architecture. The diagram formed a pyramid like structure, therefore signifying the intensity of the variables in designing the respective fields. This pyramid does not constitute the steps of process, the diagram elaborates on how we read the terrain of both fields in a similar manner through theories. The sequential relation of both is defined in different terms and ways in the respective field.
1. The first level, or the basis of the pyramid is based off the narrative structure of a film, or in architecture a design brief, a proposal of client, a commission to design a building. What are the function of the building? Who are the people the building is trying to accommodate? What is the story? What type of characters the stories are telling? These are the basic questions of what, why, when, who, and how. These are considered to be the standard of the abstract point of the craft, the context. How the sequences are shot, usually to compliment the prevalent narrative of both subjects. 2. The second level is the setting, architecture formed as background in cinema, and consideration in topical aspects in designing architecture. Much of cinema, like architecture is designed by and for humans, therefore the topical aspects must regard those macro aspects of human life. They serve as the background of the worlds of which cinema resides in and where architecture is designed. Typically, there are sub-variables apart of the composition on the setting level. These aspects regard the matter of political; economical; socio-cultural; technological; environmental. The aspects that make up the variables can be found in both field in this segment of the pyramid, they dictate and influence to enrich the narrative or adjusting the design towards its tangible context.
THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE
3. The third level concerns the motif of the producer of the field, be it the director of a film or the architect of a building project. This part carries the aspect of decision making from a production stand point of view. What makes the craft have motif have to be looked at from both perspective, so the audience or use came in play. The aspect of motif is when the craft is presented, how the director stayed true to the narrative and setting. Same goes in architecture, through plans and drawings, these auteurs determine what truly belongs onto the screen and the site. While, the audience and user, determines how the material is consumed.
The second and third aspects of the pyramid is controlled by time, time defines whether or not these are relevant on time of its production, and time also constraints how the product is consumed.
4. The fourth level of the pyramid began entering the realm of sequential similarities and continuity between architecture and cinema. Tying the two narratives of sequential theories, the sequence is comprised of two levels. In films. There are space and editing, actual space regarding where the sequence takes place and how it is presented through sub-variables of what makes space. In architecture, we see space as the physical embodiment of design of which is birthed upon thousand work hours of consideration and construction. The spaces of the architecture project are perceived through the user’s movement, the being in space, existing within the designed space.
THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE
These theories are accumulated through observation, literature studies, and visual studies. They will help us create a blueprint to view and deconstruct the film of study in future analysis.
THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE
THE ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BETWEEN CINEMA AND ARCHITECTURE