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Back in the dim mists of pre-history, also known as the early 1980s, I was out of college and living and working in Northern Virginia. I was also reading a lot of comic books. My four comics a month habit, which had begun my senior year of high school when they were a quarter each, had exploded to the point where I was spending probably $50 a month. Part of that was inflation--comics had long gone up considerably from a quarter each, but I was also simply buying a lot of comics.
One of the comics I was reading was Daredevil. One storyline involved Daredevil being painted as a bad guy; there was actual video footage of him committing crimes he'd had nothing to do with. It turned out that the supervillain behind this scheme, a fanatical devotee of cinema (among other things) had developed the technology to create convincing footage of anyone doing anything out of thin air. He'd framed Daredevil with it. Fortunately, Daredevil was able to broadcast his confession* and prove his innocence before defeating the bad guy and saving the day.
I never forgot that idea. It fascinated me. I eventually came to think of it, and refer to it, as "The Home Zapruder Film Kit." The day would come, I was certain, when anyone would be able to create footage from, as an example, the Zapruder film of JFK's assassination which would "prove" whatever theory they wanted. Killer on the grassy knoll? Sure. A time-traveling JFK shot himself (thanks, Red Dwarf)? No problem. Tiger got him? (Kids in the Hall) If you like.
Well, it's 2008 and we're living in the future. The twenty-first century, no less! And the Home Zapruder Film Kit is a reality.
Oh, it's not a kit per se. But the technology exists. Millions of people have computers in their homes now that have the computational power to do computer graphics that once were only available to major film studios. And they have the software to make use of it. And so it is that we get re-cut trailers turning Jaws into a love story, or a romantic comedy into a horror film. Scores of amateur films filled with lightsaber battles as convincing as anything George Lucas produced. And Hitler singing the theme song from The Jeffersons. Or "Numa Numa." Or "I Saw Her Standing There."
Admittedly the Hitler video clips are mostly a matter of judicious editing and not actual CGI efforts. But even that is possible mostly because the software exists to download and edit old film footage using ordinary desktop computers.
We're living in the future. And the future is a weird and wonderful place.
*Yes, Daredevil got him monologuing--which, as every fan of The Incredibles knows, is every villain's achilles heel.
One of the comics I was reading was Daredevil. One storyline involved Daredevil being painted as a bad guy; there was actual video footage of him committing crimes he'd had nothing to do with. It turned out that the supervillain behind this scheme, a fanatical devotee of cinema (among other things) had developed the technology to create convincing footage of anyone doing anything out of thin air. He'd framed Daredevil with it. Fortunately, Daredevil was able to broadcast his confession* and prove his innocence before defeating the bad guy and saving the day.
I never forgot that idea. It fascinated me. I eventually came to think of it, and refer to it, as "The Home Zapruder Film Kit." The day would come, I was certain, when anyone would be able to create footage from, as an example, the Zapruder film of JFK's assassination which would "prove" whatever theory they wanted. Killer on the grassy knoll? Sure. A time-traveling JFK shot himself (thanks, Red Dwarf)? No problem. Tiger got him? (Kids in the Hall) If you like.
Well, it's 2008 and we're living in the future. The twenty-first century, no less! And the Home Zapruder Film Kit is a reality.
Oh, it's not a kit per se. But the technology exists. Millions of people have computers in their homes now that have the computational power to do computer graphics that once were only available to major film studios. And they have the software to make use of it. And so it is that we get re-cut trailers turning Jaws into a love story, or a romantic comedy into a horror film. Scores of amateur films filled with lightsaber battles as convincing as anything George Lucas produced. And Hitler singing the theme song from The Jeffersons. Or "Numa Numa." Or "I Saw Her Standing There."
Admittedly the Hitler video clips are mostly a matter of judicious editing and not actual CGI efforts. But even that is possible mostly because the software exists to download and edit old film footage using ordinary desktop computers.
We're living in the future. And the future is a weird and wonderful place.
*Yes, Daredevil got him monologuing--which, as every fan of The Incredibles knows, is every villain's achilles heel.
