Filmmakers furthered the illusion by purposely compositing CGI into poorly lit scenes and behind elements like smoke and rain. Now with the stunning clarity of 2K and 4K (and even more so with HFR), we’re starting to see the cracks in the pavement. But when the delivery format was celluloid and SD, it masked the imperfections of CGI and made everything look more realistic. The move to HD and 4K make CGI less convincing.ĬGI is far from perfect. CGI is getting worse because it’s trying to impress us rather than fool us. We’re in a state of denial where we keep telling ourselves ‘But it’s really good CGI! Look at how good that CGI is! Wow, I can’t imagine how many hours were spent rendering that! Every frame is so dense.’ If we have to discuss CGI, then the CGI didn’t do its job. It should be so real and grounded that it pulls us into the story instead of distracting us. Whenever we see good CGI, we shouldn’t realize it’s good CGI. CGI has put us in a state of denial.ĬGI’s purpose should be to make a stunt or effect look more real. “An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction…unless the script says otherwise.” 3. Isaac Newton must be rolling over in his grave. Hollywood is trying to rewrite the laws of motion…. Only none of that will matter as long as filmmakers continue to apply physics with a spongy fist…sometimes having that “sky’s the limit” freedom means knowing when to keep it grounded. There might be a time when CGI finally traverses the uncanny valley and becomes indistinguishable from the real world. Scenes from movies like Matrix Reloaded or Catwoman showcase stunts that are impossible to perform with an actual human. Movies have abandoned the concept of physics and with it goes the audience’s perceptions of reality.Ĭ took a look at some of the pitfalls of modern CGI. What made the top of their list? A complete disregard for gravity, friction and intertia: Now, over 20 years later, Hollywood has lost the concept of realistic movement with CGI. One of the main reasons CGI outshined techniques like stop-motion was movement. The physics are off.Īfter the success of movies like Terminator 2 and Jurassic Park, it became apparent that CGI was the best way to create realistic effects. The CGI reinforced the idea that the dinos weren’t just static robots, and the robots reinforced the idea that they were really in the scene with the actors. What you got were wide CGI shots offset with closeup live action animatronics. They couldn’t design the animatronics to walk around for the wide shots, so they used CGI to solve this problem. Jurassic Park is a great example of complimentary CGI. Even Steven Spielberg had this mindset until he introduced Shia Leboeuf going full-on Tarzan with CGI monkeys in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. The CG Supervisor for that movie had this to say: “Viewers will hardly notice the 45 minutes of CGI in the film.” Really? Because of this, is was used as a last resort. CGI has transitioned from a complimentary dish to the main course.ĬGI had major limitations when first introduced. Is CGI getting worse? Or are audiences harder to please? Let’s take a closer look at the state of VFX industry in the following post. Sure, you have amazing anomalies like Gravity or Interstellar, but on a whole, CGI quality is trending downward. It seems like “good” CGI, or at least audiences perceptions of good CGI, is in decline over the past few years. Despite its age, you won’t find a better creature effect to this day.How much CGI is too much CGI? Let’s take a look at ten issues I have with modern CGI. Made in 1981, this movie utilized 30 technicians, 6 months of prep and a full week of shooting just for this scene.įrom pulling hair through rubber, to stretching out prosthetic limbs, every moment it made my hand, not CGI. One of the greatest achievements in practical effects movie history is the transformation scene in An American Werewolf in London. From the innocent and family friendly E.T., to the horrifying xenomorph in Aliens, creature effects come from the imaginations of masterminds. They are used to make otherworldly monsters and creatures that can terrify or amaze. Creature effects are often made from things such as latex, foam, or other easily malleable materials. These effects in horror are nearly as old as cinema itself, with classics such as Frankenstein and Dracula. One of the most popular forms of practical effects are creature effects. Let's look more specifically at the areas where Practical Effects: Creatures Creature and gore effects In the battle of practical effects vs CGI, sometimes the real thing just can’t be beat. They can be any special effect made by hand, be they makeup, sets or even explosions. Practical effects in movies are a magical thing.
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