atoms, but also of bits, a binary source that facilitates the alteration,
combination, elimination and construction of new (un)realities of an abstract
nature. To be deceived is not a particularly atypical feeling in western
societies: our reality has been extended to the ‘unlimited’ hyperspace, and
although this change implies certain problems and potential dangers we can
be positive and not necessarily afraid of the creation of new dimensions.
The appearance of digital imagery (and sound, of course, though this is
not a concern of this thesis) has unequivocally affected the medium of
cinema, facilitating the manipulation of the image, and even the possibility
of creating an image with no source in reality. Today, the simulation of
reality in films has acquired new levels of credibility: we have achieved a
technological status in which it is possible not only to represent with
unparalleled accuracy reality, but also to ‘create’ it. These days, special
effects are chiefly at the service of recreating reality; and these artificial
simulacrums of reality produce, simultaneously, a fascination and confusion
in spectators. The audience have to decide what they believe and what they
do not. The answer to the question ‘is that thing I am watching real?’ is not
only ‘on the screens’, but also lies within each spectator.
More than ever before, the future evolution of cinema is dependant on
the development of technology. New technological and digital imagery is
continually being discovered and investigated, and the concept of interactive
and personalized films, in which every spectator will have their individual
film ‘built’ as to his requirements, is no longer science fiction. Therefore, if
we wish to explore the future of cinema we should look to the videogames
industries and the possibility of accessing virtual/alternative worlds where
responsibilities are reduced to a minimum, boredom is eliminated and
satisfaction maximized. In other words, cinema will provide the highest
experience of ‘personalized otherness’ during a time of leisure which defines
our society. Indeed, our entertainment frequently consists of being someone
else or being ourselves in different contexts and conditions. This is a clear
sign that we are discontented with what we have around us.
In a parallel phenomenon, digital technologies have opened up the co-
production of cinema to the audience. The accessibility of the medium,
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