I don’t get why people fetishize practical effects and the absence of CGI. The issue is always when VFX is shoddy and obvious, but there are tons of invisible CGI in modern movies, and it’s often banal stuff like blood or cars in the background.
CGI is its own form of artistry and creating great CGI is absolutely a craft.
Practical effects age better. Compare The TRex in Jurassic Park vs any of the effects George Lucas added to Star Wars. Even with 5 more years of computer advancement the TRex looks great today and the special editions look like bantha dung.
Jurassic Park’s T-Rex also used CGI. This video explains a little.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4UuQxjFpfU
Good CGI is wonderful as are good practical effects. A great team working together from the start so results look believable is key.
Bad CGI often comes from not preparing scenes ahead of time to include it.
I don’t get why people fetishize practical effects and the absence of CGI. The issue is always when VFX is shoddy and obvious, but there are tons of invisible CGI in modern movies, and it’s often banal stuff like blood or cars in the background.
CGI is its own form of artistry and creating great CGI is absolutely a craft.
Because bad practical effects still tend to look better than bad CGI. At the very least, you can laugh at the funny costumes.
Practical effects age better. Compare The TRex in Jurassic Park vs any of the effects George Lucas added to Star Wars. Even with 5 more years of computer advancement the TRex looks great today and the special editions look like bantha dung.
The CGI that removed cars in the background will still have removed cars in the background and you wouldn’t have noticed.
That’s true. I was speaking more to additive CGI.
Removal is additive.
They have to add stuff to where the cars are. If they only removed the car there would be a blank spot where the car was.
You won’t believe how much is invisibly added digitally in seemingly simple movies these days.
Jurassic Park’s T-Rex also used CGI. This video explains a little. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4UuQxjFpfU Good CGI is wonderful as are good practical effects. A great team working together from the start so results look believable is key. Bad CGI often comes from not preparing scenes ahead of time to include it.
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Ageing badly fascinates me because the effect itself doesn’t change, our perception of it does.
My memories of Morrowwind are of an amazing landcape; but if I fire it up I’m looking at a bunch of dingy polygons.
Indeed compare the original Star Wars 3 films compared to episodes 1, 2, 3.
The practical effects are much more seamless
Counterpoint:
The Thing (1982) vs The Thing (2011)
Go on
In general I agree with your point, but CGI blood is almost never invisible and generally looks like shit. Almost as bad as CGI fire.
When it comes to invisible VFX I always think of this video. Fincher is a practical guy but who uses VFX in way most people don’t even realise
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Di4Byf1EzRE
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