TODAY

1) Re-cap of yesterdays philosophical underpinnings 2) Aesthetics 3) Something about architecture 4) Observations and notes around how the aesthetic of Gattaca was constructed. Today will complete yesterdays work by reinforcing our considerations about why Niccol made the design choices he made and these choices influence our reading of the film.

FUTURISM
A reminder about this because having a knowledge of this philosophy and style can give you something relatively unique to drop into an essay. The futurist philosophy was around the hybridisation of man and machine. It saw the coming together of man and machine as a natural evolution. It believed whole heartedly in mans defeat of nature through technology. It had no sympathy for the past and looked solely to a future where the technological man was the superior man.

FUTURISM
A lot of this stuff specifically deals with the idea of combining man and machine, which may not seem immediately Gattaca-esque. However, I think the philosophy remains the same. The machineman has a lot in common with the genetic constructions in Gattaca. They are an advanced version of humanity, they are built and they are a consequence of mans techological advancement. I think the notion of genetically engineering humans to make humanity better is a very Futurist concept.

AESTHETICS
Another useful piece of vocabulary. When I say, what is the aesthetic of Gattaca? What do I mean by aesthetic?

AESTHETICS
We could call us style - but it is a little more than that. It is the look, shape, feel, design of a particular style. So, there are many different aesthetics. Example: an industrial aesthetic might be all about stainless steel, hard lines, open spaces, large scale objects, cold/hard/strong materials. The aesthetic is the over-arching style of any piece of art. Books have aesthetics, paintings have aesthetic, movies have aesthetics. Were interested in what the aesthetic of this film is, and how that aesthetic is produced.

ARCHITECTURE
Big part of the aesthetic of this film. EVERYTHING was shot in real world locations on this film. On investigating the choices made by the director, the architectural choices just add yet another layer to the 50s/Modernist feel of the film. Examples...

Cal Poly Poloma (California Polytechnic at Poloma): A piece of Futurist architecture

This is where Jerome lives in the film

Marin County Civic Centre A modernist masterpiece by Frank Lloyd Wright

This is Gattaca

KJC Solar Farm - California Worlds largest solar farm

The Salk Institute

SALK INSTITUTE

About the Salk Institute: Ultimately, the Salk Institutes meaning transcends function and physical place as a reflection of Western Civilizations pursuit of truth through science instead of God. The location itself embodies the values and attitudes of the world of Gattaca.

TASK
The idea now is to gather some specific information from the film about the techniques it uses in order to develop this aesthetic. The question we want to be able to answer is: how does the film go about establishing its aesthetic and to what purpose? Ive either already spread or am about to spread a range of shots from the film around the room. Your job is to wander where you like and make some choices about the shots you want to work with. I want you to work with as many shots as you can. You will need to: 1) Sketch the shot - nothing fancy just get the basics, use labels to help. 2) Identify the elements of the shot that connect to the 50s, Futurism or Modernism in general. Be specific, if its a piece of costume, say exactly what piece of costume it is and say what it connects to. 3) Write down anything else interesting about the shot. An example...

What I also notice here is the size of the architecture. It completely overshadows the characters. This makes them seem really insignificant. Which suits the film - the individual has become insignificant in the greater context of the world.

Clearly modernist architecture - clean, cold lines, no ornament, nothing decorative, simplified forms - just basic geometic shapes.

TASK
The idea now is to gather some specific information from the film about the techniques it uses in order to develop this aesthetic. The question we want to be able to answer is: how does the film go about establishing its aesthetic and to what purpose? Ive either already spread or am about to spread a range of shots from the film around the room. Your job is to wander where you like and make some choices about the shots you want to work with. I want you to work with as many shots as you can. You will need to: 1) Sketch the shot - nothing fancy just get the basics, use labels to help. 2) Identify the elements of the shot that connect to the 50s, Futurism or Modernism in general. Be specific, if its a piece of costume, say exactly what piece of costume it is and say what it connects to. 3) Write down anything else interesting about the shot.