Gottfried Helnwein | ARTIST | Bibliography | IMMERSION, STYLIZATION, NATURALIZATION, AND THE ERASMATRON: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN GAMEPLAY AND NARRATIVE TOWARDS THE PROMISE OF INTERACTIVE STORYTELLING

This thesis is dedicated to Leonard Sansone and Needham Vernon Smith for their
inspiration.

page 36:

C) Gottfried Helnwein's uncanny rendering of "Mickey," whose referent is Disney's two-dimensial cartoon.
36
Helnwein's “Mickey,” another work whose simulated three-dimensionality is uncanny in
comparison to Disney's two-dimensional referent (Figure 5-C). Amazingly enough, all
three films were produced by Pixar's Renderman engine, and the movies stand as
testimonies as to the strength and robustness of what Renderman is capable of
accomplishing. Certainly I do not mean to discount the importance of what Final
Fantasy: TSW represents in terms of computer-generated filmmaking; however, when the
franchise exploded on the PlayStation console with Final Fantasy VII (1997) and VIII
(1999), it was the highly stylized Cloud, Aeris, and Co. that provoked renewed audience
interest in the franchise on the PlayStation, not just a general fascination with the
spectacle of realistic-looking CGI.

A B C
Figure 5. Games whose detailed renderings share a closer similarity with their referent
allow for a more believable and less-jarring game experience. A) Cloud in a
FFVII CGI film clip versus his in-game representation, B) Dr. Aki Ross in
Final Fantasy: TSW, C) Gottfried Helnwein's uncanny rendering of
“Mickey,” whose referent is Disney’s two-dimensional cartoon.
Final Fantasy VII's jaw-dropping, stylized CGI cut-scenes in the game succeeded
because of the strong resemblance they shared with their in-game representations (Figure
5-A)—a referent that Final Fantasy: TSW does not possess, with its only basis for
comparison being other films casting live human actors. In casting popular actors with
distinct voices, like Steve Buscemi's character Neil Fleming, this unsettling effect only

Michael Sansone was born in Conley, GA, and attended a number of schools before
moving to Gainesville, FL, in the seventh grade. His passion for games started at a
young age, when he was first introduced to the Atari by his parents. In the years
following, he graduated up to more complex forms of game narratives, such as the early
Sierra and LucasArts adventure games of the late-1980s and the mid-1990s. Michael
attended Eastside High School’s International Baccalaureate program in Gainesville for
two years, and then completed his high school education at Charlotte High School in
Punta Gorda, FL, after relocating.
Upon his graduation, Michael returned to the University of Florida to begin his
bachelor’s degree in English, which he completed in 2002, specializing in Film and
(New) Media Studies and graduating cum laude. He returned to the University of Florida
for his Master’s degree in English, where he has taught classes in Technical Writing and
noir as it operates throughout a host of media forms. Michael has worked with and
analyzed a number of media throughout his education, including photography, classical
and avant-garde film, television, graphic novels, animation, videogames, and children’s
literature. He still somehow manages to find the time to play the newest in personal
computing games, and he launched an internationally-renowned and successful online
gaming team, The Jedi Knights Templar, in 2002. He also has developed an extensive
knowledge of matters concerning the dangers of globalism, hallmarks of the police state,
and secret societies.

Univesity of Florida
2004
sansone_m-1pdf
98 pages


		2004 UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA Michael Sansone IMMERSION, STYLIZATION, NATURALIZATION, AND THE ERASMATRON: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN GAMEPLAY AND NARRATIVE TOWARDS THE PROMISE OF INTERACTIVE STORYTELLING A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS


		Helnwein page 36: C) Gottfried Helnwein's uncanny rendering of "Mickey," whose referent is Disney's two-dimensial cartoon. 36 Helnwein's “Mickey,” another work whose simulated three-dimensionality is uncanny in comparison to Disney's two-dimensional referent (Figure 5-C). Amazingly enough, all three films were produced by Pixar's Renderman engine, and the movies stand as testimonies as to the strength and robustness of what Renderman is capable of accomplishing. Certainly I do not mean to discount the importance of what Final Fantasy: TSW represents in terms of computer-generated filmmaking; however, when the franchise exploded on the PlayStation console with Final Fantasy VII (1997) and VIII (1999), it was the highly stylized Cloud, Aeris, and Co. that provoked renewed audience interest in the franchise on the PlayStation, not just a general fascination with the spectacle of realistic-looking CGI. A B C Figure 5. Games whose detailed renderings share a closer similarity with their referent allow for a more believable and less-jarring game experience. A) Cloud in a FFVII CGI film clip versus his in-game representation, B) Dr. Aki Ross in Final Fantasy: TSW, C) Gottfried Helnwein's uncanny rendering of “Mickey,” whose referent is Disney’s two-dimensional cartoon. Final Fantasy VII's jaw-dropping, stylized CGI cut-scenes in the game succeeded because of the strong resemblance they shared with their in-game representations (Figure 5-A)—a referent that Final Fantasy: TSW does not possess, with its only basis for comparison being other films casting live human actors. In casting popular actors with distinct voices, like Steve Buscemi's character Neil Fleming, this unsettling effect only


		BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Michael Sansone was born in Conley, GA, and attended a number of schools before moving to Gainesville, FL, in the seventh grade. His passion for games started at a young age, when he was first introduced to the Atari by his parents. In the years following, he graduated up to more complex forms of game narratives, such as the early Sierra and LucasArts adventure games of the late-1980s and the mid-1990s. Michael attended Eastside High School’s International Baccalaureate program in Gainesville for two years, and then completed his high school education at Charlotte High School in Punta Gorda, FL, after relocating. Upon his graduation, Michael returned to the University of Florida to begin his bachelor’s degree in English, which he completed in 2002, specializing in Film and (New) Media Studies and graduating cum laude. He returned to the University of Florida for his Master’s degree in English, where he has taught classes in Technical Writing and noir as it operates throughout a host of media forms. Michael has worked with and analyzed a number of media throughout his education, including photography, classical and avant-garde film, television, graphic novels, animation, videogames, and children’s literature. He still somehow manages to find the time to play the newest in personal computing games, and he launched an internationally-renowned and successful online gaming team, The Jedi Knights Templar, in 2002. He also has developed an extensive knowledge of matters concerning the dangers of globalism, hallmarks of the police state, and secret societies.