This thesis is dedicated to Leonard Sansone and Needham Vernon Smith for theirinspiration.
page 36:C) Gottfried Helnwein's uncanny rendering of "Mickey," whose referent is Disney's two-dimensial cartoon.36Helnwein's “Mickey,” another work whose simulated three-dimensionality is uncanny incomparison to Disney's two-dimensional referent (Figure 5-C). Amazingly enough, allthree films were produced by Pixar's Renderman engine, and the movies stand astestimonies as to the strength and robustness of what Renderman is capable ofaccomplishing. Certainly I do not mean to discount the importance of what FinalFantasy: TSW represents in terms of computer-generated filmmaking; however, when thefranchise 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 audienceinterest in the franchise on the PlayStation, not just a general fascination with thespectacle of realistic-looking CGI.A B CFigure 5. Games whose detailed renderings share a closer similarity with their referentallow for a more believable and less-jarring game experience. A) Cloud in aFFVII CGI film clip versus his in-game representation, B) Dr. Aki Ross inFinal 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 succeededbecause of the strong resemblance they shared with their in-game representations (Figure5-A)—a referent that Final Fantasy: TSW does not possess, with its only basis forcomparison being other films casting live human actors. In casting popular actors withdistinct 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 beforemoving to Gainesville, FL, in the seventh grade. His passion for games started at ayoung age, when he was first introduced to the Atari by his parents. In the yearsfollowing, he graduated up to more complex forms of game narratives, such as the earlySierra and LucasArts adventure games of the late-1980s and the mid-1990s. Michaelattended Eastside High School’s International Baccalaureate program in Gainesville fortwo years, and then completed his high school education at Charlotte High School inPunta Gorda, FL, after relocating.Upon his graduation, Michael returned to the University of Florida to begin hisbachelor’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 Floridafor his Master’s degree in English, where he has taught classes in Technical Writing andnoir as it operates throughout a host of media forms. Michael has worked with andanalyzed a number of media throughout his education, including photography, classicaland avant-garde film, television, graphic novels, animation, videogames, and children’sliterature. He still somehow manages to find the time to play the newest in personalcomputing games, and he launched an internationally-renowned and successful onlinegaming team, The Jedi Knights Templar, in 2002. He also has developed an extensiveknowledge of matters concerning the dangers of globalism, hallmarks of the police state,and secret societies.
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