By Lubna Abdel-Aziz Imagination! Man's Imagination! Has it no boundaries? No measure? No periphery? The answer is, none. This amazing ability of man's thoughts, to look far beyond reality, only grows from day to day. No longer confined to the pages of 'pulps', comic books, magazines or even hefty novels-- imagination is immense, infinite. It lives and breathes, wide and wonderful, in vivid, vibrant colour on the magical, silver screen. If 'Star Wars,', Star Trek, Hobbits and Middle Earth, and Lord of the Rings were not dazzling enough, you should see what the new year has in store for you. You shall not cease to marvel at the technological achievements triggered by man's boundless imagination. No longer is there a movie, simple or otherwise, that can now be told, without computer assisted imagery. Since the making of Titanic (1998). The most successful film in cinema history, director James Cameron has concentrated on one project. He has now done it again, by re-inventing the way movies are made with a mind-boggling, heart-gripping stunning adventure called AVATAR. Success comes naturally to Cameron, but what is noteworthy is that, unlike others, he does not repeat or imitate his successes, such as Terminator, Aliens or Titanic. Cameron is always exploring fresh fields,breaking new ground, reacing out for new horizons. That is defined as progress On receiving his 11th Oscar for Titanic, Cameron proclaimed himself 'king of the world'.Since then, the self- proclaimed king wandered far-off into a world of dreams and fantasies, until he reached the planet "Pandora", bluer than the bluest sky. His new film's stereoscopic 3D and CGI, is considered by the industry, as such a technological breakthrough, comparable to the " birth of sound and colour film".Already a mega-success, AVATAR has amassed $745 million, and shows no sign of slowing down. This action-packed love story, blending fact with fiction, dreqms with reality, beyond anything achieved in film before.. The shocking result is more detailed, more tangible, more authentic than any reality or phantasmagorical fantasy. Such is man's ability to make his dreams real. He has done that since pre-historic times. Ancient mythology is replete with the amazing imaging of man's fantasies, without computer assistance. Modern technology is trying to reach the heights of our mythological legacies. Film technology has had a formidable influence on " how we view reality, stretching beyond limits the extent of our imagination". We have become one with our machines. "Human society and human consciousness are evolving before our very eyes, in an unprecedented historic way" Computer Graphic Imaging (CGI) was first used by graphic designer William Setter, for Boeing aircraft hardware. Simulation for Space exploration further refined the science. Animated films took advantage of the new techniques to lighten the load of graphic designers. The rapid advances accelerated during the 1900's, as in TOY STORY (1995), which exploited the ability to create and manipulate entire characters, through the awesome computer power. Such characters became real to viewers. Can you imagine any branch of business, communication, education, or any aspect of everyday life without a computer? Yet, this electronic device is not as young as you think. The origins were laid in the 1600s when French mathematician Blaise Pascal developed the mechanical calculating machine, which added, and subtracted by means of rotating toothed wheels. Since then many have contributed to its advancement. English mathematician Charles Babbage developed the idea of a mechanical digital computer, during the 1830s. The first semi-electronic digital computing device was constructed in 1939 by John Atanasoff, and from thereon, the sky was no limit to its rise. Every progress in history is attributed to imagination. The ancient Egyptians studied the stars named the constellations, developed a calendar, a system of mathematics, geometry, surgery, astrology, and the embalming of the dead. The Chinese followed, then the Greeks, Romans and the rest of Europe took it from there. Science-fiction was born long before. The 1600s brought the rebirth of both science and science-fiction. Often called 'the father of modern science', Francis Bacon wrote "the New Atlantis" in 1627. German astronomer Johannes Kepler described a fantastic trip to the moon in " Sominium", in 1654. Science-fiction produced its first literary masterpiece, "Gulliver's Travels", by Jonathan Swift in 1720. Voltaire's "Microméges" (1752), received visitors from other planets. By the 1800s, science-fiction had reached its most characteristic form, in the works of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. With the arrival of the 20th century science-fiction had surpassed science, by leaps and bounds, predicting the technological marvels of the atomic and space ages. Magazines called "pulps" continued to develop science- fiction. In fact, the term "science-fiction" was first. Used by Hugo Gernsbach who founded the first pulp--"Amazing Stories". In 1926. Science-fiction's popularity grew with the development of nuclear energy and space exploration. It was a revelation to discover how closely related were the two sciences. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Without imagination there would not be science fiction. Without science --fiction would there be science, The Computer age helped science catch up and perhaps surpass science-fiction. It does it regularly on the silver screen. Science, science-fiction, computer imaging, fantasy, are they not all inter-related? Man is constantly creating illusions. What mkes things real or unreal? Is this not an illusory existence? Love, Hate, Power, Religion, Justice, Freedom, Beauty, Time, Space? where does reality begin or illusion end? The marvels on the silver screen defy all expectations, all knowledge, but not all imagination. The film world scoffed James Cameron when he proclaimed himself "king of the world" 12 years ago, following the unprecedented success of Titanic. Should Avatar continue to triumph, Cameron is the first director to make more than one film that breaks the billion dollar mark. Perhaps then it will be Hollywood folk who will find it fit to proclaim him king. The human race is governed by imagination -- Napoleon (1769-1821)
