Photorealism and mise-en-scene

When striving for photorealism, I think a lot of the concepts of the conventional method of applying elements of the mise-en-scene for film still apply, unlike for CG feature films.

What is photorealism? It's replicating real life, and in real life we experience different moods. The elements found within scenes in film are modelled after real life -- that's where the concepts come from.

The great thing is that the programs used to create photo realistic environments allow for much more flexibility. For example, I can position a camera any where I want, like some where up high. In real life, I'd have to worry about dropping the camera, about whether or not its weight can be supported, the risk of dropping, and many other obstructions.

That being said, the trade-off is that I must have a meticulous approach to creating it. Look at this image:

Every single asset in this image has been planned to detail. It is a reconstruction of how we'd expect a bathroom to exist in a perfect world. However, that's just it -- it's perfect. Meaning there are no imperfections. It is the imperfections that make things interesting. There are no scratches visible on any of the surfaces. They are all glossy and ideal.

I would like to tell a story with my photorealism. I want to incorporate the theory behind mise-en-scene as well. This will mean that I ought to consider imperfections. There is no story in the above image. It's just a bathroom.

Scratches and perhaps some grime would suggest that someone has been there, or someone lives there. That they have a history with the bathroom, and that events have transpired there in the past. Like the scene from Madagascar previously, I appreciate the work and difficulty and time that goes into something like this, but it is not appealing from a film point of view.

Look at the video in this link:

http://vimeo.com/7809605

It is a piece called "The Third & The Seventh". It is the best example of photorealism and cinematography that I have seen. There is camera movement, a degree of animation which isn't character animation, sound, and fantastic models and shaders. The animation suits to style of photorealism (like the movement of the pen at the beginning, which is my favourite part). Woody would have no place in a piece like that, and any 3d modelled characters would look equally out of place.

I can not heed to the author's example, though. I would like some character animation to be in present in my work. The trouble will be getting the character to look like he fits in. I am sure that when work begins on the project, I will have a clearer vision of whether or not this is the route to go down. But, of course, if it isn't, I will have no problem scrapping character animation for animation more akin to what is demonstrated in The Third & The Seventh.