If you've been reading this blog since I began it in January 2017, then you know that one of my bachelor's is in motion picture. When I first started at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, initially, my majors were professional/technical writing and mass communication with an emphasis on journalism. However, after going through a few classes, I fell in love with video. Thus, I switched to motion pictures. I love movies. That should be obvious since I write a lot about movies and shows I've watched. A lot of this blog is movie/TV show reviews. Trust me, sometimes we'll be watching a movie, and I'll say, "Oh, I like how that was shot." I do the same with shows as well. I still have the dream of one day producing, directing, or writing my own movie or TV show. Maybe one day that will happen, for now I will continue to do reviews on movies and TV shows.
Today, we are going to talk about the elephant in the room: CGI. Otherwise known as computer-generated imagery. The cons and pros of it.
Don't get me wrong; CGI has come far in the past decade. It is seriously impressive how far it's come. Just look at the live-action The Little Mermaid or Avatar: The Way of Water. Both those movies are absolutely remarkable. No, breathtaking. Both those movies were beautiful.
That all being said, as someone with a film degree and a lover of movies/TV shows, sometimes I miss when there wasn't CGI. I miss when it was about finding that one great shot and using the environment and the actors to really sell what you were trying to tell.
Sometimes, I feel like directors and the like use CGI as a crutch. As long as the CGI is perfect, it doesn't matter if the movie itself is shit. They focus on making sure the CGI is how they imagine the movie to be, yet forget to write a movie that people actually want to see. I want to watch a movie that has a good storyline, unforgettable characters, and some depth. The CGI is cool, don't get me wrong. It's incredibly impressive. I know that there is a lot of work put into it. There are hours put into editing. I've done video editing before, and it took me like six hours to edit one five-minute video. That's without any sort of special digital effects. I can't imagine how long it takes to edit movies like The Little Mermaid, Avatar: The Way of Water or any superhero flick.
However, that's not what I am here for. CGI can often take away from what is otherwise a good story as well. Especially if it is bad CGI. There is nothing like bad CGI to ruin a movie because you're distracted by the shitty CGI.
Below are two lists from two sites I frequent: ScreenRant and Comic Book Resources. Seriously, I'd love to write for either one of them.
25 Movies With the Worst CGI, Ranked
10 Terrible CGI Moments That Ruined Their Movies
Now, shows are different than movies. Shows don't usually have money or time to spend on a lot of CGI. They need to crank out an entire season quickly for viewers, right? So, when it comes to shows, they more than likely have the least amount of CGI. More or less. Some shows may have more because they have a bigger budget. Obviously, there are no real dragons, so Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon have CGI.
Also I will say that the CGI in TV Shows can be bad. That's putting it lightly.
I'm sure you all remember Xena: Warrior Princess, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Charmed. The first few seasons of those shows, yeah, not the best CGI. Even Supernatural, which has the best first season of any show, IMO, has some shaky CGI in the first season.
One of my favorite shows is AMC's The Walking Dead. What I like about The Walking Dead is that they do everything they can to not use CGI. They use a lot of practical effects and incredible makeup. Seriously. They are known for having some really gross walkers, and it's all makeup. Now, don't get me wrong. When it comes to hordes, which can be hundreds of walkers, they copy that and use CGI. There are only so many extras that you can get all at once. I get that. However, when it comes to blowing shit up or setting shit on fire, they actually do that. In a safe way, of course. (Hopefully.)
There's this scene where Daryl Dixon sets a lake on fire. Yeah, that was real. They really did that. It was fantastic. I believe the few times they've blown up buildings, they've actually blown them up and not CGI-ed it.
Speaking of blowing up buildings.
You know the scene in The Dark Knight where Joker blows up the hospital? Yeah, it was real. Heath Ledger really did blow up that hospital. Christopher worked hard on all three of his Batman movies to do real stunts. Even the helicopter scene in The Dark Knight Rises was real and not CGI. Can you imagine how much work had to put in to do something like that?
The denotator not working also was improvised. Still one of my favorite scenes.
Back on track.
CGI.
An example of a good use of CGI is Stranger Things, another one of my favorite shows. Vecna, the evil dude in season four, is terrifying. He's a great example of practical effects plus CGI. Jamie Campbell Bower is fully make-uped, and it is incredible. Seriously, so fucking incredible. Check out the behind-the-scenes below. I'm so impressed.
The marriage between the makeup and prosthetics and then combining it with CGI to enhance. It is perfection.
Also, can I just say, how the hell did he use the bathroom in that? Did he get hot? I have so many questions. As someone who enjoyed watching the Syfy show Face-Off, where special effects makeup artists competed, I am so impressed with what they did with Vecna. Even without CGI, he's utterly terrifying. Can you imagine walking around the set during a break and just seeing him?
I appreciated the blend of practical effects with makeup, prosthetics, and CGI. I think that's how it should go. You shouldn't rely on CGI. instead, it should enhance the practical effects. That being said, there is one genre that really can't go without CGI.
Superheroes.
Stunt people can only do so much. Superheroes are that, super. You've got characters who use magic, hammers, fly, and have super strength and all that junk. Sure, you can use practical effects, but not for everything.
That being said, I think that sometimes CGI makes you lose the magic of the movie. Not only that, it takes away the incredible work that's put into production. No longer are their incredible sets built like for The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and others. No longer is it necessary to shoot on-site. Why film in London when you can use a green screen to make London? Why build a set to look like a magical school when you can create it with CGI?
CGI is brilliant, don't get me wrong. But I don't want it to completely take over the movie industry. Where everything is done with a green screen. How do we find the balance?
Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
-K
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