More Than Meets the Eye : Special Effects and the Fantastic Transmedia Franchise / Bob Rehak.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Rehak, Bob, Author.

Series:

Postmillennial pop.

Postmillennial Pop ; 19

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Mass media.

Blockbusters (Motion pictures).

Motion pictures--Production and direction--United States.

Motion pictures.

Cinematography--Special effects.

Cinematography.

Physical Description:

1 online resource : illustrations (black and white).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : New York University Press, [2018]

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

A rare look at the role of special effects in creating fictional worlds and transmedia franchises From comic book universes crowded with soaring superheroes and shattering skyscrapers to cosmic empires set in far-off galaxies, today’s fantasy blockbusters depend on visual effects. Bringing science fiction from the studio to your screen, through film, television, or video games, these special effects power our entertainment industry. More Than Meets the Eye delves into the world of fantastic media franchises to trace the ways in which special effects over the last 50 years have become central not just to transmedia storytelling but to worldbuilding, performance, and genre in contemporary blockbuster entertainment. More Than Meets the Eye maps the ways in which special effects build consistent story worlds and transform genres while traveling from one media platform to the next. Examining high-profile franchises in which special effects have played a constitutive role such as Star Trek, Star Wars, The Matrix, and The Lord of the Rings, as well as more contemporary franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter, Bob Rehak analyzes the ways in which production practices developed alongside the cultural work of industry professionals. By studying social and cultural factors such as fan interaction, this book provides a context for understanding just how much multiplatform storytelling has come to define these megahit franchises. More Than Meets the Eye explores the larger history of how physical and optical effects in postwar Hollywood laid the foundation for modern transmedia franchises and argues that special effects are not simply an adjunct to blockbuster filmmaking, but central agents of an entire mode of production.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Introduction

1. That Which Survives

2. Used Universes and Immaculate Realities

3. Chains of Evidence

4. Microgenres in Migration

Conclusion

Acknowledgments

Notes

Bibliography

Index

About the Author

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index

Includes bibliographical references and index.

This eBook is made available Open Access under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 08. Jun 2020)

ISBN:

9781479897070

1479897078

9781479866823

1479866822

OCLC:

1037879377