Film gives us the rare opportunity to completely question all that has come to be accepted in terms of the language of architecture as well as architectural and historic convention. Vitruvius claimed architecture was composed of the triple essence: strength, utility, and aesthetic effect. Sir Henry Wotton (1568-1639) quaintly changed this to, 'commodity, firmness and delight.' It would be safe to say that the majority of architecture that has been created to date has attempted to follow this dictate.

Throughout the history of film, we have seen a change in the ways in which architecture is used, portrayed and represented in film: from the scale models of the 1920s, through to actual sets, rendered backdrops, and now to complete green screen filming. This term we will view films with a focus on the creation of the set, and the varying impacts of these sets in the end result of the film.

More specifically we will be looking to define Masahiro Mori's notion of "The Uncanny Valley" as it relates to the creation of the architecture and setting for films. Mori's theory specifically focussed on feelings arising from the almost human representations in robots and androids. We will look at film sets through the same eyes. How does this theory relate to the use of scale models, painted sets, backdrops, computer generated architecture, greenscreening and combined methods, when they are used to represent "real space" in film?

The Architectural Uncanny was explored in the mid 1990s as a series of essays that focused on the Post Modern in architecture. Post Modernism, in its way of reflecting on the images of the past, sometimes in a very theatrical way, can be seen as a parallel of sorts with the creation of sets for film - that may use the past, present or create a future, in somewhat a similar theatrical fashion. Much Post Modern Architecture left the viewer with an odd feeling experience - one that was not based in "reality". Different means of portraying film sets, can create the same phenomenon.

Both of the above theoretical positions reference the explorations of the Uncanny by Sigmund Freud in the late 1800s. His references were specifically directed at the emptiness of urban space that left the user feeling uncomfortable. This referenced earlier contrasts that were studied from the idea of "the homely" - or comfort as expressed by the idea of "home", versus what had appeared in horror as the "unhomely".

back to arch and film 2007

As part of the course, students made films that incorporated the notion of the uncanny into the presentation. The links below take you to their uploads on YouTube.

"Goodnight Seattle!"
Evelyn Lo and Ben Wong