True Art Is Realistic

• Main
• All Subpages
• Create New

Ah, fiction. Isn't it a beautiful thing, with all the creatures, forms of magic, various scenarios of fantastical warfare, and technological advancements. Sadly, according to some groups of people, this is not what the true quality is. It's mainly about how well it recreates the real world, it's real people dealing with real issues and what life throws at them. As for things, like violence, this is downplayed intentionally to show how gruesome it really is. This is done to Deconstruct the fantastical elements with Real Life consequences, like . That way more cynical audiences can enjoy it themselves as well; the flipside is playing it straight within science-fiction and fantasy stories can be viewed as Narm in comparison. To advert some really unfortunate stereotypes that associated with them, numerous fantastical works have tried to go down this path, though with very mixed results. Also, things, like Necessary Weasel and Acceptable Break From Reality won't cut it.

Related to the Sci Fi Ghetto. Mostly ends up merging with True Art Is Angsty, due to how a more realistic perspective gives the angst that comes with it. Can be compared with Comedy Ghetto, were True Art's won't inspire joy and laughter. This is the hardness end of Mohs Scale of Sci Fi Hardness.

Examples of True Art Is Realistic include:

Anime and Manga

Real Robot is considered usually more mature and artistic than it's super robot anime counterparts.

Film

• Dogme 95, follows a method, that insists on these self-impose rules:
  • The film-making has to be done on location. Props and sets must not be brought in. If a prop that's important for the story and plot, the location has to be chosen where that particular prop can be found.
  • Sound must not be produced, aside from the images or vice versa. Music mustn't be used, unless it occurs in the scene being filmed, i.e., dietetic.
  • Handheld cameras only. Any movement or immobility attainable in the hand is permitted. The film mustn't take take place where the camera is standing; filming must go where the action goes.
  • Film has to be in color. Special lightning is not acceptable (If a scene has too little light for exposure, it has to be cut or have a single lamp attached to the camera).
  • Optical work and filters are not allowed.
  • The film's action must not be superficial (murders, weapons, etc. should not occur).
  • Temporal and geographical alienation are forbidden (Though it's to say that the film takes place here and now).
  • Genre movies are discourage.
  • The formatting of the film has to be Academy 35 mm.
  • Lastly, the director must not be credited.
• Social Realist films aim to be as realistic as possible, therefore they are seen as more artistic because of of this. They usually use handheld cameras and natural lighting.
• Ken Loach has a lot of techniques up his sleeve to keep his films as realistic as possible, like keeping them improvised, not telling acts what they're going to be surprised by, getting inexperienced actors with lives similar to their characters.

Live-Action Television

• In the crime genre, if one wants to be critical acclaim, it helps to show over-worked, under-resourced cops cutting corners and fighting their own bureaucracy as much as the criminals, who themselves not totally unsympathetic and clearly products of the ghettos they operate in (which you also show in great detail). Basically, it helps to make The Wire. By contrast, if you choose to adapt Agatha Christie or make a latter day homage, like Midsomer Murders, it'll mostly be treated as camp fun at best.

Myths and Legends

• In Greek Mythology, Pygmalion gave this trope as the reason he had for not marrying to Aphrodite, and he refused to marry until he had made the most realistic depiction of the most beautiful woman in the world. Her, to be exact. The end of the myth takes the trope even farther, As Aphrodite brings the statue made in her image to life for Pygmalion to marry because his masterpiece had become so real to him he wanted to be with for the rest of his life, so his "art" truly became 'realistic' in the literal sense because Aphrodite was pleased with his request.

Video Games

• The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker's fan backlash was due to this trope, same for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword's graphics.
• This trope also contends with those that insists that photo realism is the only way/true direction to go for video game graphics.

Western Animation

• One of the key factors during the Animation Age Ghetto. It is stereotyped that animated works are mostly considered as "little kid fantasies," kinda. Of course, animated works that do have realism are relatively ignored by this particular crowd.

Web Comics

• Better Days, the "realistic" artist is rewarded by having her pictures sell at a decent price, whereas the snobby True Art Is Incomprehensible artists' pieces went unsold.

Real Life

• Realism is this trope itself. Naturalism is this trope Up to Eleven, though not always. Modern art averts this more or less, same with certain arts with its highly formalized cultural specific styles, an example Ancient Egyptian art (Or what has been preserved for us).