What Is The Distinction Between Simulation And Reality?
The world is dominated by technology; it has integrated itself into every aspect of our lives. This digital technology is referred to as 'simulations' by the French philosopher Baudrillard, and in turn, these simulations within every day life have come to be known as 'Hyperrealism'. This is the inability of consciousness to distinguish between the reality of a simulation and reality itself. This is particularly relevant in advanced post modern societies. It is seen as a condition in which the real and fiction are seamlessly blended together so there is no clear distinction between where one ends and the other begins. Baudrillard stated in his book 'Simulacra and Simulations' that simulations within history, media, advertising, etc have no reference
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to the original. The representation of the real has replaced the real, and in turn there is no reality within this world. And with no reality, there is no imaginary either; concluding that everything has become hyperreal and the who world itself has become a simulation. This is the focal theme of the film 'The Matrix'. A subgenre of science fiction within a future setting is 'Cyberpunk'. It is typically set within a post-industrial dystopia where in there is a conflict among artificial intelligences, and mega-corporations. The plot is usually set within words that are of artificial creation within a virtual medium, and can be accessed by characters by plugging into a form of advanced technology.
'Classic cyberpunk characters were marginalized, alienated loners who lived on the edge of society in generally dystopic futures where daily life was impacted by rapid technological change, an ubiquitous datasphere of computerized information, and invasive modification of the human body.' - Laurence Person It is accepted that there is both a virtual world and a real world, although there is no consensus over which is real.
Simulations are presented as real and the real are simulated. Hyperrealists and Cyberpunks both explore the issues of human experience and how humans get confounded by the two, mistaking the hyperreal for real. The Matrix in itself is another form of reality, with the mind perceiving the actions performed within the Matrix as real. John Berger stated in Ways of Seeing 'The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled. Each evening we see the sun set. We know that the earth is turning away from it. Yet the knowledge, the explanation, never quite fits the sight.' He is saying that we only ever see within the context of our own lives. If you die within the matrix, you die in the real world; despite the characters recognition that they exist within a simulation, they cannot defy the minds perception of injury or death. Pierson stated that “One of the most powerful discourses on computer-generated imaging technologies centres on the possibility that this technology might one day produce images that are so realistic it is impossible to distinguish them from the objects in the real world.” This applies well within the world of the Matrix, as even though when they enter they are conscious of the simulation, the might itself cannot distinguish. Early within the film, the Protagonist Neo learns about manipulation within the Matrix using a spoon. "Do not try and bend the spoon, that's impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth...there is no spoon. Then you will see it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself." The object, the spoon, does not exist. Therefore it cannot be changed, Neo must change himself. Metaphorically, it's all within his head. It's mentioned within the film by the character Morpheus that physical limitations do not apply within the Matrix. “Do you think my being stronger or faster has anything to do with
my muscles in this place?” He is explaining here, that he simply has the ability to break the rules of the simulation; “What you must learn is that these rules [like gravity] are no different than the rules of a computer system. Some of them can be bent. Others can be broken.” The Wachoeskis explain, “Once you start dealing with a digital reality you can really push the boundaries of what might be humanly possible. So if characters in ‘The Matrix’ can have information instantaneously downloaded into their heads, they should, for example, be able to be as good a Kung Fu master as Jackie Chan.” The film analyses the issues behind both a computer generated virtual world as well the hyperreal world, using the character Morpheus as a form of Hyperreal theorist. Through his explanations to Neo, he takes the audience through the illusions and representations they encounter in real life. “Do you want to know what it is? The Matrix is everywhere. It’s all around us, even here in this room. You can see it out your window or on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, or go to church or pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.” He is saying that surrounding us in the world is a simulated reality, that the AI that created the Matrix did it for some purpose. The notion that we have become far too dependent on machines within our every day life is a major plot line to the film. As Michele Pierson said “It is significant that in the 1990's, computer-generated imaging technologies have entered many people's homes.” The film has been interpreted as a cinematic portrayal of Baudrillard's notion of post-modern simulation as a controlling force, keeping the masses enslaved. The film explores our relationship with technology, as well as using the future as a setting for many contemporary issues to be played out. It allows us to explore the anxieties held about the increasing dependency we have on artificial intelligence and the enroachment of machines on the human race. This symbiotic relationship is rendered physical in the Matrix as the humans take on elements of the machines, while the machines attempt to recreate a human world and must fight one another both within the Matrix and the real world where the machines dominate. All the characters are fully versed and reliant on technology, using it to their advantage, further binding the fate of each to the other. Within the Matrix, the human form relies upon the sophisticated machines for biological survival, while the mind is consumed by life in a virtual reality; alternatively, the artificial intelligence must depend upon the human body as a source of energy. The contrast between the simulation and the real world is seen again within the aesthetic itself. In the real world the characters are in distressed clothing, whilst the simulated world constructs a cleaner appearance, “imagery construct of ones self.” This is in itself shows the imitation of the real world, everything is stylised to what the AI believe to be real to the human race, as the polluted bleak reality indicated the deconstruction of the human race and the breakdown of control due to the technology that the humans created for their own practicalities overtaking them, all indicating post-modern thought. Changed in lighting are also evident between the simulation and reality. The lighting within the mise-en-scène is tinted blue, illustrating the harsh realities of the world with dark shadows and lower lighting. The lighting within the Matrix is tinted with a green tinge which is a representation of the computer system, a video game finish is reminiscent due to the clean lighting. The green colour is suggestive of the fact that, unlike the real world, what is shown within the Matrix is being filtered through something else. There is a stylistic film Noir look of lighting during the fight sequence; slanting across the wall is harsh shadows which give the feel of structure, and are accompanied by parallel lines across the floor. The entire scene is reminiscent of a fight sequence for Hong Kong. Fast paced in editing, a rhythm is created that holds the attention of the audience, creating a seamless and fluid action scene, that brings a video computer action sequence to mind. “Science fiction demands eye-catching special effects to meet its narrative requirements for never-before-seen imagery”. Special effects function simultaneously as as an element of the narrative and as a distinct form of technological spectacle. This spectacle was created using super slow motion, which was heavily relied upon for the stylization of the action scenes. Dynamic camera movement had to be used around slow-motion events, approaching 12,00 frames per second, in order to create what became known as “bullet-time photography.” This is a visual effect used to detach the time and space of the camera or viewer from that of the visible subject.
“As for artistic inspiration for bullet time, I would credit Otomo Katsuhiro, who co-wrote and directed Akira, which definitely blew me away, along with director Michel Gondry. His music videos experimented with a different type of technique called view-morphing and it was just part of the beginning of uncovering the creative approaches toward using still cameras for special effects. Our technique was significantly different because we built it to move around objects that were themselves in motion, and we were also able to create slow-motion events that 'virtual cameras' could move around – rather than the static action in Gondry's music videos with limited camera moves.” -John Gaeta It is used within the Matrix to highlight the almost super-human abilities that have been realised by the characters; a visual analogy of the privileged moments of consciousness within the Matrix. When bullets are shot at the protagonist, time appears to freeze and the character evades the path of the bullets, leaving he audience to stare in awe. This relates well to what Pierson said about how the “presentation of key computer-generated images produces a distinct break in the action” and how that form of filming allows the scene to be “suspended long enough to direct their attention to the display of the digital artefact.” During a fight scene, the camera rotates nearly 360 degrees around her while she is fighting. It flows around her to give us the viewers the sense that she is superiorly faster than her enemies. Towards the end of the 90s, computer generated effects had grown and integrated itself into most films, so special effects had to be pushed further in order to wow. What made The Matrix special, was that it took advantage of its theme surrounding the computer world, and utilized this in order to push these special effects further. Through the use of our advancing technology, the Wachowski siblings were able to explore the intricate concept of cyberpunk and hyperrealism. It captures the potential problems we would face in such a hyperreal world and uses such technology, to show us the complicated situation we could be involved with by using such sophisticated machinery. When released back in 1999, the intricate scientific plot of the film could only have been viewed as pure Science Fiction. Looking back at The Matrix now, and how far our technology has advanced, it would not appear absurd to see these concepts as almost realistic. Many these days are slaves to the technology we created; electronic gadgets; virtual reality experiences such as video games, online chat rooms and social media technologies; the fast growing artificial intelligences we have created are the cause of many social anxieties with respect to the loss of traditional moral and cultural values. The film forces us to contemplate what it truly means to be human, and the consequences we face of replacing our human attributes with that of a 'superior' intelligence which compete with our own state of consciousness.
to the original. The representation of the real has replaced the real, and in turn there is no reality within this world. And with no reality, there is no imaginary either; concluding that everything has become hyperreal and the who world itself has become a simulation. This is the focal theme of the film 'The Matrix'. A subgenre of science fiction within a future setting is 'Cyberpunk'. It is typically set within a post-industrial dystopia where in there is a conflict among artificial intelligences, and mega-corporations. The plot is usually set within words that are of artificial creation within a virtual medium, and can be accessed by characters by plugging into a form of advanced technology.
'Classic cyberpunk characters were marginalized, alienated loners who lived on the edge of society in generally dystopic futures where daily life was impacted by rapid technological change, an ubiquitous datasphere of computerized information, and invasive modification of the human body.' - Laurence Person It is accepted that there is both a virtual world and a real world, although there is no consensus over which is real.
Simulations are presented as real and the real are simulated. Hyperrealists and Cyberpunks both explore the issues of human experience and how humans get confounded by the two, mistaking the hyperreal for real. The Matrix in itself is another form of reality, with the mind perceiving the actions performed within the Matrix as real. John Berger stated in Ways of Seeing 'The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled. Each evening we see the sun set. We know that the earth is turning away from it. Yet the knowledge, the explanation, never quite fits the sight.' He is saying that we only ever see within the context of our own lives. If you die within the matrix, you die in the real world; despite the characters recognition that they exist within a simulation, they cannot defy the minds perception of injury or death. Pierson stated that “One of the most powerful discourses on computer-generated imaging technologies centres on the possibility that this technology might one day produce images that are so realistic it is impossible to distinguish them from the objects in the real world.” This applies well within the world of the Matrix, as even though when they enter they are conscious of the simulation, the might itself cannot distinguish. Early within the film, the Protagonist Neo learns about manipulation within the Matrix using a spoon. "Do not try and bend the spoon, that's impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth...there is no spoon. Then you will see it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself." The object, the spoon, does not exist. Therefore it cannot be changed, Neo must change himself. Metaphorically, it's all within his head. It's mentioned within the film by the character Morpheus that physical limitations do not apply within the Matrix. “Do you think my being stronger or faster has anything to do with
my muscles in this place?” He is explaining here, that he simply has the ability to break the rules of the simulation; “What you must learn is that these rules [like gravity] are no different than the rules of a computer system. Some of them can be bent. Others can be broken.” The Wachoeskis explain, “Once you start dealing with a digital reality you can really push the boundaries of what might be humanly possible. So if characters in ‘The Matrix’ can have information instantaneously downloaded into their heads, they should, for example, be able to be as good a Kung Fu master as Jackie Chan.” The film analyses the issues behind both a computer generated virtual world as well the hyperreal world, using the character Morpheus as a form of Hyperreal theorist. Through his explanations to Neo, he takes the audience through the illusions and representations they encounter in real life. “Do you want to know what it is? The Matrix is everywhere. It’s all around us, even here in this room. You can see it out your window or on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, or go to church or pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.” He is saying that surrounding us in the world is a simulated reality, that the AI that created the Matrix did it for some purpose. The notion that we have become far too dependent on machines within our every day life is a major plot line to the film. As Michele Pierson said “It is significant that in the 1990's, computer-generated imaging technologies have entered many people's homes.” The film has been interpreted as a cinematic portrayal of Baudrillard's notion of post-modern simulation as a controlling force, keeping the masses enslaved. The film explores our relationship with technology, as well as using the future as a setting for many contemporary issues to be played out. It allows us to explore the anxieties held about the increasing dependency we have on artificial intelligence and the enroachment of machines on the human race. This symbiotic relationship is rendered physical in the Matrix as the humans take on elements of the machines, while the machines attempt to recreate a human world and must fight one another both within the Matrix and the real world where the machines dominate. All the characters are fully versed and reliant on technology, using it to their advantage, further binding the fate of each to the other. Within the Matrix, the human form relies upon the sophisticated machines for biological survival, while the mind is consumed by life in a virtual reality; alternatively, the artificial intelligence must depend upon the human body as a source of energy. The contrast between the simulation and the real world is seen again within the aesthetic itself. In the real world the characters are in distressed clothing, whilst the simulated world constructs a cleaner appearance, “imagery construct of ones self.” This is in itself shows the imitation of the real world, everything is stylised to what the AI believe to be real to the human race, as the polluted bleak reality indicated the deconstruction of the human race and the breakdown of control due to the technology that the humans created for their own practicalities overtaking them, all indicating post-modern thought. Changed in lighting are also evident between the simulation and reality. The lighting within the mise-en-scène is tinted blue, illustrating the harsh realities of the world with dark shadows and lower lighting. The lighting within the Matrix is tinted with a green tinge which is a representation of the computer system, a video game finish is reminiscent due to the clean lighting. The green colour is suggestive of the fact that, unlike the real world, what is shown within the Matrix is being filtered through something else. There is a stylistic film Noir look of lighting during the fight sequence; slanting across the wall is harsh shadows which give the feel of structure, and are accompanied by parallel lines across the floor. The entire scene is reminiscent of a fight sequence for Hong Kong. Fast paced in editing, a rhythm is created that holds the attention of the audience, creating a seamless and fluid action scene, that brings a video computer action sequence to mind. “Science fiction demands eye-catching special effects to meet its narrative requirements for never-before-seen imagery”. Special effects function simultaneously as as an element of the narrative and as a distinct form of technological spectacle. This spectacle was created using super slow motion, which was heavily relied upon for the stylization of the action scenes. Dynamic camera movement had to be used around slow-motion events, approaching 12,00 frames per second, in order to create what became known as “bullet-time photography.” This is a visual effect used to detach the time and space of the camera or viewer from that of the visible subject.
“As for artistic inspiration for bullet time, I would credit Otomo Katsuhiro, who co-wrote and directed Akira, which definitely blew me away, along with director Michel Gondry. His music videos experimented with a different type of technique called view-morphing and it was just part of the beginning of uncovering the creative approaches toward using still cameras for special effects. Our technique was significantly different because we built it to move around objects that were themselves in motion, and we were also able to create slow-motion events that 'virtual cameras' could move around – rather than the static action in Gondry's music videos with limited camera moves.” -John Gaeta It is used within the Matrix to highlight the almost super-human abilities that have been realised by the characters; a visual analogy of the privileged moments of consciousness within the Matrix. When bullets are shot at the protagonist, time appears to freeze and the character evades the path of the bullets, leaving he audience to stare in awe. This relates well to what Pierson said about how the “presentation of key computer-generated images produces a distinct break in the action” and how that form of filming allows the scene to be “suspended long enough to direct their attention to the display of the digital artefact.” During a fight scene, the camera rotates nearly 360 degrees around her while she is fighting. It flows around her to give us the viewers the sense that she is superiorly faster than her enemies. Towards the end of the 90s, computer generated effects had grown and integrated itself into most films, so special effects had to be pushed further in order to wow. What made The Matrix special, was that it took advantage of its theme surrounding the computer world, and utilized this in order to push these special effects further. Through the use of our advancing technology, the Wachowski siblings were able to explore the intricate concept of cyberpunk and hyperrealism. It captures the potential problems we would face in such a hyperreal world and uses such technology, to show us the complicated situation we could be involved with by using such sophisticated machinery. When released back in 1999, the intricate scientific plot of the film could only have been viewed as pure Science Fiction. Looking back at The Matrix now, and how far our technology has advanced, it would not appear absurd to see these concepts as almost realistic. Many these days are slaves to the technology we created; electronic gadgets; virtual reality experiences such as video games, online chat rooms and social media technologies; the fast growing artificial intelligences we have created are the cause of many social anxieties with respect to the loss of traditional moral and cultural values. The film forces us to contemplate what it truly means to be human, and the consequences we face of replacing our human attributes with that of a 'superior' intelligence which compete with our own state of consciousness.