Scott Wilson, Unitec Institute of Technology, New Zealand | It is, perhaps, a little, hyperbolic to refer to George Lucas as ‘the greatest artist of our time’, responsible for closing ‘the gap between art and technology more successfully’ (Paglia, 2012) than any other; yet it is impossible to avoid the impact Lucas’ films have had…
Jacqueline Furby, Southampton Solent University | Terry Gilliam studied physics at Occidental College (later transferring to politics), and his appreciation of the absurd poetics of science is evident in his handling of scientific subjects such as time and time-travel. His films also reveal his fascination with the workings of the human mind, perhaps none more…
Lindsay Hallam, University of East London | The genre of science fiction brings us worlds of wonders and new possibilities, the discovery of new realms, meetings with new beings and organisms. Science fiction also presents us with new ideas, a setting for philosophical contemplation about what the ‘human’ is, and how we as a…
Alex Funke, ASC, Academy Award-winning visual-effects cinematographer | I’ve been shooting movies for almost fifty years, and shooting miniatures for over 30 years. I thought it would be worthwhile to take stock of what we’ve learned, and the principles we’ve followed. Incidentally, that’s not the “editorial we.” One of the most potent things about shooting…
Carl Abbott, School of Urban Studies and Planning, Portland State University, USA | Nothing says trouble like a city smashed to smithereens on screen. Meteors and earthquakes, tsunamis and glaciers, earthly monsters and alien invaders – moviegoers might think that the only thing science fiction does with cities is demolish them with big budget special…