Special effects are what make a good movie. They make what's impossible come true, they take gore to a different level. Now personally, I think that the special effects of new are a bit much. The heavy duty computer animation is one thing. Think of a time back when all the fancy pants CGI wasn't around. Which would you prefer?
takineko
3931 Posts
18 years, 8 months ago
I like a good balance of the two, it is way over done these days, I'll agree.
flamepanther
948 Posts
18 years, 8 months ago
I'm with Taki on this one. Use CGI when there's no other way to get the scene you want, but don't use it when it's not needed. Or a better rule to go by: use whatever works best.
i like both as well, but sometimes you can tell its CG, so i sometimes hate it and some movies with the oldskool effects are still pretty cool...
Soltydog
340 Posts
18 years, 8 months ago
With all the new fangled effects they got, karo syrup and red food coloring still makes the best blood. Seriously, you don't need CGI effects to make a good film. A lot of times they are put in there just for a WOW factor and don't do anything for the overall story. Most of my favorite films don't have CGI.
For the record. The greatest TV personality in the world...Max Headroom wasn't CGI. If Max don't need it, no one needs it.
For the record. The greatest TV personality in the world...Max Headroom wasn't CGI. If Max don't need it, no one needs it.
I think I posted this on another thread, but . . . I'm of the belief that CGI is at its best when you don't even know it's there. That applies to most special effects, really-- any movie that makes you say "How'd they do that?" is a movie with good special effects-- but it applies to CGI the most as movie makers really overuse it these days.
Same as everyone else- it's good sparingly, yadda yadda.
I saw part of SW episode II and that's when Lucas starting to really lay the CGI on thick. I think he still used some puppetry for episode I. Oh man, some scenes were just terrible. Eye-hurting.
But I was surprised to learn how much CGI was in Titanic (more than you'd think)... And it was good... overhead shots of people on the ship were completely computer animated. I couldn't tell. At least not at the time.
I saw part of SW episode II and that's when Lucas starting to really lay the CGI on thick. I think he still used some puppetry for episode I. Oh man, some scenes were just terrible. Eye-hurting.
But I was surprised to learn how much CGI was in Titanic (more than you'd think)... And it was good... overhead shots of people on the ship were completely computer animated. I couldn't tell. At least not at the time.
System
79987 Posts
18 years, 8 months ago
Sunriser
Same as everyone else- it's good sparingly, yadda yadda.
I saw part of SW episode II and that's when Lucas starting to really lay the CGI on thick. I think he still used some puppetry for episode I. Oh man, some scenes were just terrible. Eye-hurting.
But I was surprised to learn how much CGI was in Titanic (more than you'd think)... And it was good... overhead shots of people on the ship were completely computer animated. I couldn't tell. At least not at the time.
Episode II was the worst of all the SW movies IMO, However the best effect of them all was Frank Oz's puppertry in The Empire Strikes Back, Everytime I see that movie I never ONCE think that's just a puppet.
flamepanther
948 Posts
18 years, 8 months ago
Reaper
Everytime I see that movie I never ONCE think that's just a puppet.
System
79987 Posts
18 years, 8 months ago
flamepanther
I do. I guess I'm jaded.ReaperEverytime I see that movie I never ONCE think that's just a puppet.
Well, Its funny because it IS really noticcable when he's a puppet in Episode I and Return of The Jedi but I never notice it in Empire.
rocktheoldskool
623 Posts
18 years, 8 months ago
Pirates of the carribean DMC had some amazing cgi in it...i agree in not overuse it..and only to use it when it is necessary..some scenes in blade II looked absolutely re-dic...but in POTC DMC davey jones and his crew...looked incredible to me
In the old SW movies and the first two trilogies of Star Trek, I really thought the ships were flying through space. The newer SW movies have good CGI during the flight scenes, but every other CGI scene looks fake. And CGI should NEVER be used in horror movies where it could easily be done with puppets, animatronics, prosthetics, etc... !
"I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I'm not." -Kurt Cobain
I ran into some recent films that used old special effects.
THE LOSE SKELETON OF CADAVRA (2001)
MONSTER OF PHANTOM LAKE (2006)
CALL OF THE CTHULU (2005)
THE HAW RIDGE DEVIL (2006)
FROGGG (2004)
STOMP SHOUT SCREAM (2005)
FRANKENSTEIN AND THE CREATURE FROM BLOOD COVE
The films were made in recent years but they used old special effects that were used in the 50's and 60's (e.g. stop-motion, puppets and rubber costumes).
Trey Parker and Matt Stone annouced they are going to make a film called GIANT MONSTERS ATTACK JAPAN which is due out in 2007. It will use special effects used in the Godzilla-type movies.
THE LOSE SKELETON OF CADAVRA (2001)
MONSTER OF PHANTOM LAKE (2006)
CALL OF THE CTHULU (2005)
THE HAW RIDGE DEVIL (2006)
FROGGG (2004)
STOMP SHOUT SCREAM (2005)
FRANKENSTEIN AND THE CREATURE FROM BLOOD COVE
The films were made in recent years but they used old special effects that were used in the 50's and 60's (e.g. stop-motion, puppets and rubber costumes).
Trey Parker and Matt Stone annouced they are going to make a film called GIANT MONSTERS ATTACK JAPAN which is due out in 2007. It will use special effects used in the Godzilla-type movies.
flamepanther
948 Posts
18 years, 8 months ago
Stop-motion effects are one case where I think CGI is nearly always a better alternative.
takineko
3931 Posts
18 years, 8 months ago
I used to want to be a stop motion film maker so badly. I used to build armatures. They sucked of course, but it was fun..
System
79987 Posts
18 years, 8 months ago
mr3urious
In the old SW movies and the first two trilogies of Star Trek, I really thought the ships were flying through space. The newer SW movies have good CGI during the flight scenes, but every other CGI scene looks fake. And CGI should NEVER be used in horror movies where it could easily be done with uppets, animatronics, prosthetics, etc... !
EXACTLY!
System
79987 Posts
18 years, 8 months ago
CGI is great for some things but, it looks too much like a video game the way some of these special effects done. its not cool and it dosnt look real. keep it real and balenced with models and props.
the wizard of oz was flawless with its huge sets and life sized props and backdrops , imagine how bad they would EFF it up with CGI effects blown way over the top.......the damn movie would look like a cartoon/video game kinda like what they did to starwars and willy wonka. However, they did a great job with the king kong remake. king kong and jurassic park are two good examples of how it should be done.
the wizard of oz was flawless with its huge sets and life sized props and backdrops , imagine how bad they would EFF it up with CGI effects blown way over the top.......the damn movie would look like a cartoon/video game kinda like what they did to starwars and willy wonka. However, they did a great job with the king kong remake. king kong and jurassic park are two good examples of how it should be done.
flamepanther
Stop-motion effects are one case where I think CGI is nearly always a better alternative.
Unless it's done in a comedic fashion, like Matt Stone and Trey Parker's film Giant Monsters Attack Japan (2007)!
"I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I'm not." -Kurt Cobain
CGI may have revolutionized the movie industry when it comes to big blockbuster films in which CGI is absolutely necessary. But on another note, it has made many movie makers lazy by adding CG fx in every scene where it could easily look 3x better done using traditional methods, movies that depend completely on CGI and in my personal opinion are garbage (LOTR, Harry Potter), and last but definately not least it destroyed traditional animation. Instead of seeing beautiful hand-drawn films from Disney now, we see computer-animated farting animals.
