This title provides a blue print for approaching digital imaging in contemporary film. Digital images are now ubiquitous elements within the cinematic frame but, as we analyse films or film moments, it can often be difficult to be sure how - and how much - to talk about digital elements. This accessible book demystifies the relationship of digital imaging to processes of watching and reading films, and gives scholars and students the tools to engage with digital imaging in cinema with ease. A wide-ranging series of case studies demonstrates how digital elements can be discussed and analysed in different scenarios, and a language is developed to describe digital elements accurately. Not just for digital effects enthusiasts, this book is essential for anyone interested in how to approach film critically: it is a toolbox for contemporary film analysis. It is the first book exploring how the presence of digital imaging in film affects the production of meaning. It locates contemporary digital effects practice in relation to historical traditions of filmmaking and special effects practice. It proposes a fresh, flexible approach to the close textual analysis of film that can take account of the digital. It uses case studies from the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Avatar to Alice in Wonderland and King Kong to demonstrate this approach in action.