Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery (CGI) harnesses the power of computer graphics to produce or enhance visuals across various media including art, print, simulators, video games, and particularly in films, television, and commercials. These created visuals can be either static, such as pictures, or dynamic, like animations. While commonly known for 3D graphics used to craft characters, settings, and effects, CGI also encompasses 2D graphics. The specialized application of CGI in creating motion is known as computer animation or CGI animation.
Tracing the roots of CGI reveals its groundbreaking use in the film "Vertigo" for its opening credits, marking the first time CGI was used in a feature film. But it was "Westworld" in 1973 that first married CGI with live-action storytelling. CGI was also instrumental in defining other early films such as "Star Wars: Episode IV", "Tron", "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan", and "Young Sherlock Holmes", among others. Its influence further extended to "Toy Story", the first fully computer-animated feature film, in 1995. Even the music industry felt CGI's impact when Dire Straits used it in their "Money for Nothing" music video, helping to catapult the technology into the mainstream.
Before CGI's widespread presence in the entertainment world, it had practical use in flight simulators for aviation and military training. These simulators, requiring accurate visual replication to simulate aircraft behavior, laid the groundwork for today's 3D computer graphics. One of the earliest CGI systems, the Link Digital Image Generator by the Singer Company, played a crucial role in this developmental phase.
Anime, a form of hand-drawn and computer-generated animation, has its roots in Japan. To an English-speaking audience, "anime" commonly signifies animations that are produced in Japan, whereas in Japan itself, the term encompasses all animations, no matter their origin. Anime often includes themes and art styles that are akin to Japanese animation, and this influence extends to video games as well.
Tracing its history back to 1917, the anime industry has developed a distinctive art style, with a notable evolution taking place in the 1960s thanks to cartoonist Osamu Tezuka. This unique style became increasingly popular, cultivating a significant audience in Japan. Anime is accessible through various platforms including cinema, television, the internet, and on home media. Many anime works are adaptations from Japanese comics (manga), novels, or video games, and the genre serves a wide array of audience interests, both broad and niche.
What sets anime apart is its particular approach to production, which evolves with new technology while incorporating imaginative artistry. Unlike Western animation, anime emphasizes intricately detailed settings over fluid motion, often utilizing cinematic techniques like panning, zooming, and unique camera angles. Art styles vary greatly, with character designs ranging widely although a recurring trait is the presence of expressive, oversized eyes.
The anime industry is formidable, consisting of over 430 production companies, including giants such as Studio Ghibli and Toei Animation. Since the 1980s, anime has found considerable international success, expanding its reach and influence globally.
Intersectionality emerges as a multifaceted approach to analyze the complex interplay of various social and political identities that influence individual and collective experiences of discrimination and privilege. Diverse attributes like gender, race, class, sexuality, and many others intersect to shape unique challenges and advantages for people. Historically, feminism's earlier movements often highlighted the issues faced by white, middle-class, cisgender women, potentially overlooking the distinct experiences of women from minority groups, impoverished backgrounds, and immigrants.
Coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, intersectionality draws attention to the interconnected nature of social categorizations and their cumulative impact on those marginalized in society. Rather than examining discrimination as resulting from separate strands of bias such as sexism or racism, intersectionality presents them as intricately woven together, creating a more complex form of oppression. This holistic viewpoint is also echoed in the notion of triple oppression, which highlights the specific challenges faced by poor, immigrant women of color.
However, intersectionality has faced its share of criticism, with detractors arguing that it sometimes simplistically categorizes people based on certain demographic markers and has been leveraged ideologically against other feminist narratives. Critics point out that the framework's ambiguity and lack of concrete goals can make it difficult to apply effectively. Additionally, since it is rooted in standpoint theory, which emphasizes the importance of individual perspectives and experiences, some suggest that it can lead to an over-reliance on subjective interpretation. Despite these critiques, intersectionality remains a key tool for activists and academics in advocating for social equality and recognizing the nuanced realities of diverse communities.