PART 4: Cybernetic Cinema and Computer Films

Gene Youngblood begins this chapter with a very interesting quote by Marshall McLuhan that goes like this-- "The computer is the LSD of the business world. It absolutely guarantees the
elimination of all the business it is now being brought to serve."

This quote in itself seems to capture a lot of what this last decade has sought to pursue. The rise of technology is reducing the need for manual labor. However, this phenomenon is not just taking place in the worlds of business and science, but it is beginning to flourish in the worlds of art and music-- rather, it is conjoining the two together. In chapter 4, Youngblood uses a term called the technosphere-- referring to the symbiosis between man and machine. Youngblood describes technology not as a replacement of man but as protection-- a fail-safe. To some extent, I do agree with this statement but I cannot argue the fact that increasing technology has been a steady source of unemployment over the last few decades. I dare not say it is a bad thing, however. We are simply undergoing a change in times. As Youngblood describes it, we are learning to live all over again in this new day and age.

As seen in the picture above, Youngblood seeks to compare computer processing to human neural processing. Using this analogy, logic and intelligence are the brain's software. Thus, later on he goes to say that computer software will become more important than hardware in the future as "super-computers" are currently being developed. Speaking of which, this reminds me of the semi-recent Jeopardy match with Ken Jennings (legenday Jeopardy winner) and IBM's supercomputer, "Watson." Here is a link to the video in case you all haven't seen it:

It is almost scary to think how smart computers can get and where technology will take us possibly 10-20 years from now. It's like every year something new and almost revolutionary is being released. I remember the whole iPod craze back in the early 2000s and now we've got a new craze-- big iPods called iPads that do everything. What's gonna happen next? Gene Youngblood's vision of the future is the Aesthetic Machine-- "Aesthetic application of technology is the only means of achieving new consciousness to match our environment." This is certainly true as in today's modern culture, aesthetics and appearances have become something of a fad. We have to have the smallest MP3 players, the thinnest TVs, the simplest-looking laptop. Youngblood points out that creativity will be shared between Man and machine. He points to the links between computer art and Conceptualism, and the growing theoretical basis of art.

Later on in the chapter, he delves into Cybernetic Cinema and gives early accounts of attempts using computers to draw and make films. Back then, creating real-time images was not possible, but it seems like it has become possible in this new age. Thus, we are seeing the emergence of a new art form with the combination of art, music, and technology, and it all seems to be headed in a positive direction. Whether it becomes mainstream or not is the real question.
At the end of this chapter, Youngblood highlights key film-makers using computers such as John Whitney, James Whitney, Michael Whitney, John Stehura, Stan VanDerBeek and Peter Kamnitzer. In response to all this change, I welcome it. From my experience with Signs of Life and taking projection design, I find this growing field fascinating, new, and refreshing. The potential of this field could be breath-taking and needless to say, entertaining. The expanded cinema is coming and it could be coming to a theater near you!