Dudley Andrew's theory of digital aesthetic and film discovery

¶ … digital age has influenced everything from the way in which knowledge is created and disseminated to the various ways in which it has been consumed. The same is true in the entertainment industry. Digital media have allowed filmmakers and producers to broadcast their works to millions across the world in the blink of an eye. Special effects that would have taken months to construct before computers now take no more than a day or even an hour or two. This has caused an environment in which the material produced in fiction films have become limited only by their imaginations. The way in which theories are constructed around filmmaking in this environment is discussed by Dudley Andrew in his article "A Film Aesthetic To Discover."

The article begins by considering what the author refers to as the "digital aesthetic" and how it influences the purpose of cinema as discovering significance rather than constructing meaning. This is then the central purpose of the essay; determining the influence of the digital media on the development of film theory since the existence of film itself. The author considers whether, and to what extent, the new media and new ways of creating media has influenced the theory and the way in which theory has developed. As such, Andrew asserts that cinema has been "upended," with a focus on new media and digital processes being the overarching focus points of discussion at conferences on film.

This, of course, is natural in an environment where the digital media has not only provided a vast array of tools for today's filmmaker, but also a new set of conceptions for the consumer. Audiences today, for example, assume that filmmakers have the power to completely structure the audio-visual experience. The special effect has become the overriding factor in the experience, with many film consumers considering this element the main determinant of a film's success or lack thereof.

The author suggests, however, that it is not so simple. While many consider the ability of filmmakers to fascinate and entertain by means of special effects, there is also a deeper process at work. Films use special effects combined with narrative to enter a discovery process. Hence, films can be constructed in such a way to lead its audiences to a discovery process, particularly in the case of fiction. On the other side of this argument, however, the author points out that many feel that the world has already been "fully discovered," which somewhat detracts from the discovery process in film. This, however, is mitigated by a filmmaker's ability to use the digital process for providing a new type of discovery process to the audience. The audience is allowed to make discoveries about a story of fiction, for example, by means of the filmmaker's digital presentation.

The author points out, for example, that, regardless of the time period in which it occurs or the technology supporting it, filmmaking occurs in three stages: recording, composing, and viewing. These phases are associated with specific pieces of technology, including the camera, editing instruments, and the broadcasting instrument. What has changed over the decades is the specific instruments involved at each stage. The digital world has allowed the perfection of each of the three functions by using digital rather than analog technology.