Computer Graphics Special

This breathtaking program is so visually commanding that one doesn't begin to consider the deeper questions surrounding the use of computer graphics until it's over. From the opening imagery of dinosaurs roaming the technological range, the viewer is dazzled by footage of vases that change color and shape right before their eyes, a drop of water that convincingly splashes into a pool (both the drop and the pool are computer-generated), and CAD (computer-aided-design) humanoid figures--which are becoming more and more indistinguishable from real humans. Although the film raises the specter of technological abuse, its primary purpose is to allow artists, computer programmers, and business animators to demonstrate their amazing wares--and to explain, in non-technical terms, how certain effects are achieved (the breakdown of how the opening to Steven Spielberg's TV series Amazing Stories was created is mesmerizing). There are also some intriguing examples of how photographs can be cropped and retouched using the computer. (An example of this which isn't mentioned is the February 1982 cover of National Geographic--in which a pyramid was shifted by computer; but again, the film's purpose is to celebrate, not question the uses of, the new technology). Thought-provoking, fast-paced, timely, and visually eye-boggling, Computer Graphics Special is recommended for larger public and school libraries. (Available from: Landmark Films, 3450 Slade Run Dr., Falls Church, VA 22042.)