- published: 30 Mar 2013
- views: 61264
Fantasy films are films with fantastic themes, usually involving magic, supernatural events, make-believe creatures, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered to be distinct from science fiction film and horror film, although the genres do overlap. Fantasy films often have an element of magic, myth, wonder, escapism, and the extraordinary.
In fantasy films, the hero often undergoes some kind of mystical experience and must ask for assistance from powerful, superhuman forces. Ancient Greek mythological figures or Arabian Nights-type narratives are the typical storylines. Flying carpets, magic swords and spells, dragons, and ancient religious relics or objects are common elements. Bizarre and imaginary, invented lands include sci-fi worlds, fairy tale settings or other whimsical locales are common settings.
Usually, the main characters in fantasies are princes or princesses. Some fantasy-type films might also include quasi-religious or supernatural characters such as angels, lesser gods, fairies or in the case of live action/animation hybrids cartoon characters. Or they include gnomes, dwarves and elves. Strange phenomena and incredible characters (like monstrous characters that are divine or evil spirits or magicians and sorcerers) are put into fantasy films, and often overlap with supernatural films.
The development of film special effects up to the dawn of the computer age. Linwood Dunn, a Hollywood special effects master from the glory days of Hollywood, and Robert Abel, a member of the next generation, each discuss the making of film illusions. Illustrated with film clips. Dunn grew up when the challenge was creating an ape for "King Kong", or making the Eiffel Tower crash down. He shows how the "optical printer" can combine separately recorded images on one strand of film, putting a leopard in a room or a stormy ocean behind a boat. He explains how Welles brought the audience straight through the skylight of the night club in "Citizen Kane", bridging the interior and exterior shots in a flash of lightning. Abel explains how he looks for illusions that don't exist at all in real life, and describes his work as being in the "post 2001" special effects era. His crew has perfected equipment that involves computer driven cameras and printers. One of his demonstrations is of a "7-Up" commercial that starts with one girl and ends with dozens - all printed from the same model.
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