The home is one of our most enduring human paradoxes and is brought to light tellingly in science-fiction (SF) writing and film. However, while similarities and crossovers between architecture and SF have proliferated throughout the past century, the home is often overshadowed by the spectacle of 'otherness'. The study of the familiar (home) within the alien (SF) creates a unique cultural lens through which to reflect on our current architectural condition. SF has always been linked with alienation; however, the conditions of such alienation, and hence notions of home, have evidently changed. There is often a perceived comprehension of the familiar that atrophies the inquisitive and interpretive processes commonly activated when confronting the unfamiliar. Thus, by utilizing the estranging qualities of SF to look at a concept inherently linked to its perceived opposite - the home - a unique critical analysis with particular relevance for contemporary architecture is made possible.

Sound is half the picture, and since the 1960s, film sound not only has rivaled the innovative imagery of contemporary Hollywood cinema, but in some ways has surpassed it in status and privilege because of the emergence of sound design. This in-depth study by William Whittington considers the evolution of sound design not only through cultural and technological developments during the last four decades, but also through the attitudes and expectations of filmgoers. Fans of recent blockbuster films, in particular science fiction films, have come to expect a more advanced and refined degree of film sound use, which has changed the way they experience and understand spectacle and storytelling in contemporary cinema. The book covers recent science fiction cinema in rich and compelling detail, providing a new sounding of familiar films, while offering insights into the constructed nature of cinematic sound design. This is accomplished by examining the formal elements and historical context of sound production in movies to better appreciate how a film sound track is conceived and presented.Whittington focuses on seminal science fiction films that have made specific advances in film sound, including 2001: A Space Odyssey, THX 1138, Star Wars, Alien, Blade Runner (original version and director's cut), Terminator 2: Judgment Day and The Matrix trilogy and games—milestones of the entertainment industry's technological and aesthetic advancements with sound. Setting itself apart from other works, the book illustrates through accessible detail and compelling examples how swiftly such advancements in film sound aesthetics and technology have influenced recent science fiction cinema, and examines how these changes correlate to the history, theory, and practice of contemporary Hollywood filmmaking.

Science Fiction Film develops a historical and cultural approach to the genre that moves beyond close readings of iconography and formal conventions. It explores how this increasingly influential genre has been constructed from disparate elements into a hybrid genre. Science Fiction Film goes beyond a textual exploration of these films to place them within a larger network of influences that includes studio politics and promotional discourses. The book also challenges the perceived limits of the genre - it includes a wide range of films, from canonical SF, such as Le voyage dans la lune, Star Wars and Blade Runner, to films that stretch and reshape the definition of the genre. This expansion of generic focus offers an innovative approach for students and fans of science fiction alike.

In Architecture in Cinema, more than 40 architects, writers, thinkers, and academicians examine the magnificent works of cinema that contribute to the art of architecture and bring them to the attention of the architectural community. The contributors have compiled essays on fifty masterpieces of classic and contemporary cinema, including films such as The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Ben Hurr, The Lord of The Rings trilogy, Nomadland and more. The book aims to stimulate the imagination of readers and offer approaches to understanding fantasy, sociological concepts, ecological problems, and political ideas. The contributors also focus on the elements of creativity, such as utopian or dystopian themes, aesthetics and artistry. Architecture in Cinema is an informative reference for anyone interested in how architecture is featured in the cinematic medium. Scholars of architecture, urban planning, fine arts, humanities, social sciences, and various design disciplines, will also find the book refreshing.

This groundbreaking book uses observations made by Marshall McLuhan to analyze the aesthetics of science fiction films, treating them as visual metaphors or probes into the new reality dominated by electronic media: - it considers the relations between the senses and sensuality in Blade Runner, the visually-tactile character of the film, and the status of replicants as humanity’s new clothes; - it analyzes the mixture of Eastern and Western aesthetics in Star Wars, analyzing Darth Vader as a combination of the literate and the tribal mindset; - it discusses the failure of visual society presented in the Terminator and Alien franchises, the rekindling of horror vacui, tribalism, and the desire to obliterate the past as a result of the simultaneity of the acoustic space; - finally, the book discusses the Matrix trilogy and Avatar as being deeply related in terms of the growing importance of tactility, easternization, tribalization, as well as connectivity and the implosion of human civilization.

This three volume set LNCS 12779, 12780, and 12781 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Design, User Experience, and Usability, DUXU 2021, held as part of the 23rd International Conference, HCI International 2021, which took place in July 2021. Due to COVID-19 pandemic the conference was held virtually. The total of 1276 papers and 241 posters included in the 39 HCII 2021 proceedings volumes was carefully reviewed and selected from 5222 submissions. The papers of DUXU 2021, Part I, are organized in topical sections named: UX Design Methods and Techniques; Methods and Techniques for UX Research; Visual Languages and Information Visualization; Design Education and Practice.

As suggested in the title, Slicing Spaces: Performance of Architecture in Cinema, this project slices through the multifaceted layers of film space. The text investigates how architecture performs as an altruist, proving that environed space is not merely a backdrop in film scenes, but an active performing character. The performance of architecture varies depending on what the filmmakers wish the viewer to feel, whether it is fear, compassion or joy. Considerations take an interdisciplinary approach, not solely observing film and architecture but also studying the likes of urbanism, politics, philosophy, history, psychology, art and design. The substantial spectrum of opinions from contributing authors allows the reader to absorb the diverse relationships of architecture in cinema, inviting the reader to form their own opinions on the topic and inspiring a new way of thinking. Slicing Spaces explores the interconnected relationship between architecture and film via distinct approaches to spaces of the city, confinement, actuality, the psyche and the imagination. Diverse views on cinematic architecture are probed, such as the psychological ramifications of film architecture, the portrayals of the city as a character and the potentials of exploring fantastic places in film. Overall, the book focuses on the authoritative contribution of architecture to the realm of filmmaking. It uncovers a path to look at lived spaces of architectural design from an alternative perspective, be it interiors, buildings or cities. Utilising the architectural ingenuity of drawings and graphics, the collection takes the reader on a visual journey as well as one through narratives.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Intelligent Technologies for Interactive Entertainment, INTETAIN 2021. Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the conference was held virtually. This year's conference put an emphasis on the future of technologies for interactive entertainment. The 25 full papers presented at the conference and thus included in this book were selected from 50 submissions, and present novel and innovative work in areas including art, science, design and engineering regarding computer-based systems or devices that provide intelligent human interaction, learning, or entertainment experiences. The papers are grouped in 2 sessions of thematic issues on emerging applications and augmented reality.