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I’d like to explore an aesthetic that has gained popularity recently due to several great influential pieces of media. Cyberpunk consists of a futuristic set of motifs that balance between aspirational and pessimistic. It uses its mix of clean object design and impoverished scenery to tell a compelling set of stories about capitalism through the lens of science fiction.
IMP Awards / 1982 Movie Poster Gallery
An adaptation of the Phillip K. Dick novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Ridley Scott’s 1982 film Blade Runner introduced the cyberpunk aesthetic and themes to a larger population. Its notable contributions to the aesthetic are scenes of dense and sprawling cityscape, persistently unpleasant weather, neon color palettes, and cluttered interior spaces. The combination of these visual motifs portray a feeling of hopelessness
Ghost in the Shell (1995 movie)
Originally written as a manga series by Masamune Shirow, the Ghost in the Shell franchise repeatedly poses unique questions about individuality, humankind’s relationship with technology, and
In my second favorite scene of the 1995 film, the movie pauses the character-based storytelling to show a set of clips that portray a future that is subtlety more technologically advanced than our own, but with themes of isolation and poverty. The architecture is inspired by visually similar spaces in Tokyo and Hong Kong [Anime Architecture: How GHOST IN THE SHELL was Built].
Visual and jarring human augmentation combined with unfamiliar human interfaces are a sizable part of Ghost in the Shell’s contribution to the cyberpunk aesthetic.
Stand Alone Complex S01E07 'Idolater' 20:32
Stand Alone Complex S01E14 'YES' 10:00
The following screenshots are from the original 1995 film.
The aesthetic elements are speculative augmentation technology, militaristic utility, densely functional spaces, and a overall vibe of complex new societal questions.