So what does everybody think of CGI?

[Doc]

Just wonder does anybody else think CGI is ruining films these days? For me I think personally its alright to use it..... well, at least in small amounts.

[SRP76]

Unless it's a movie set in outer space, I see no need for CGI.

[Mike70]

CGI has its uses. like srp said, space/sci-fi films being one of the main ones but i think it is over used. i am legend is an example. actors in good makeup would've been better.

there are also times it is used a crutch in an effort to hide mediocrity - like in the phantom menace.

[SRP76]

Even for "creatures" like in Legend I could almost see it.

But it gets used for the stupidest things. They used CGI smoke for Hopper's cigar in Land in the scene where he sends Riley out. I'm thinking, "why? How hard is it to just light a cigar?!".

A basic rule of thumb: if you can create the effect at home on a $2 budget and a book of matches, you do NOT need to use CGI.

Just my opinion, of course.

[DeadJonas190]

CGI in moderation is fine with me, it gets annoying to me when they use CGI instead of a person with make up or what not. CGI was more effective during the days of VHS simply becuase the grainyness of a VHS tape, it added to the CGI. Now with the sharpness of DVD and Hi Def formats, CGI stands out like a hot pink shirt at a metal show.

[ProfessorChaos]

i think cgi has become a crutch for filmmakers to fall back upon. i realize that some scenes (the galactic space battle at the beginning of revenge of the sith, the ghouls getting their faces popped by the reversing truck in dawn04, the effects for king kong, etc), but when a studio/director relies too much upon visual eye-candy to make their film "interesting", i begin to think that we'd be better off without it....or at least not as much as we're used to these days.

[Terran]

I say avoid it at all costs.....only use it when you can think of no other way to capture the desired effect....and even then hide it with clever tricks of the camera...it just tends to look so lame....I think so much of what we see today in the future will appear as ridiculously fake as super imposed claymation like old school King Kong or CLash of the Titans........

[Legion2213]

Over use of CGI is a bad move. CGI itself is great and has created really nice effects...(Dennis Hoppers cigar not withstanding, that's just too much).

As others have said, space battles involving thousands of spaceships can't really be done without CGI, and I though that "Naboo" in the SW prequals looked awesome. Also a big Battlestar Galactica fan, love the space battles in that as well.

[Danny]

its become a crutch, sometimes its used to good effect, like transformers, a real van flipping over on hydralics adn a cg robot only becuase theres no other way to do it, then youve got star wars 1 to 3....... wich seemed to be the same dozen people in front of a blue screen for 3 movies.:rolleyes:

[bassman]

As long as it's used for small touch ups, then it's okay. A good example is Batman Begins.

[SymphonicX]

As long as it doesn't drive the story then I don't have a problem, its when CGI becomes the sole actor in a movie that it annoys me...

[Mike70]

its when CGI becomes the sole actor in a movie that it annoys me...


like in the recent star wars movies, where it seems there are more cgi shots than shots involving actual humans or where the shots involving real actors are all shot on blue/green screens then filled in.

[bassman]

Here's a couple of examples of what I think is great use of CGI in Batman Begins:

http://www.dneg.com/projects/batman_begins_16.html

http://www.rsp.com.au/flash/portfolio/players/batmanPlayer.swf

[SymphonicX]

like in the recent star wars movies, where it seems there are more cgi shots than shots involving actual humans or where the shots involving real actors are all shot on blue/green screens then filled in.

A great example of overdone CGI....all filmed on chromakey, so annoying, nothing looks real, nothing has depth of field...pathetic.

[Skippy911sc]

The only time CGI should be used is when you don't notice it.

I am legend had horrible CGI for the creatures...except when it was dark and they were all standing together sleeping. Even the deer looked bad...however I doubt luring deer into New York was much of an option.

I saw the trailer for I am Omega and the creatures looked great...look at Omega Man ...pure cheese but still some coolness to it.

[Mike70]

one that really sticks out at me now is how much better the non-cgi werewolves in american werewolf in london (still a special effects masterpiece that holds up 26 years later), the howliing and dog soldiers were compared to any of the movies that have used cgi to do werewolves.

[mista_mo]

The opening battle over corusant (spelling not withstanding) was friggin spectacular. It was a perfect way to introduce a movie (but we all know how that turned out amirite??) but you come to the realization....

Without CGI the new star wars films are pretty much not there.
The only really good actor in the film was Obi-Wan.

[ProfessorChaos]

one that really sticks out at me now is how much better the non-cgi werewolves in american werewolf in london (still a special effects masterpiece that holds up 26 years later), the howliing and dog soldiers were compared to any of the movies that have used cgi to do werewolves.

yeah, all the werewolf movies i've seen, particularly those of late (*cough*underworld!*cough*), and not a single one of them compares to an american werewolf in london. what a great movie...

*marks down on "list of dvd's to buy"*

[SoCalLoco]

I prefer old school latex and corn syrup, but I understand why CGI is taking over. Shooting schedules are insanely tight anymore, and CGI can be inserted after the fact, so it's a practical issue more than anything.

[SymphonicX]

the original underworld had hardly any CGI in it, the monsters were all prosthetic....

[MaximusIncredulous]

It stinks. Too much Looney Toons type visuals with CGI. Bring back the crafters and artists that had to figure things out on the fly and engineer things instead of geeks sitting behind a computer screen with a mouse.

[Mike70]

It stinks. Too much Looney Toons type visuals with CGI. Bring back the crafters and artists that had to figure things out on the fly and engineer things instead of geeks sitting behind a computer screen with a mouse.

yeah boi!

people like rick baker, tom savini, john vulich, et al. are true artists working a craft.

[Terran]

yeah boi!

people like rick baker, tom savini, john vulich, et al. are true artists working a craft.

You missed an awsome one Rob Bottin

[Mike70]

You missed an awsome one Rob Bottin

damn it that is who i was forgetting. as i hit post i had it in the back of my head "fool you're leaving someone out."

yeah his work is flat awesome.

[Terran]

damn it that is who i was forgetting. as i hit post i had it in the back of my head "fool you're leaving someone out."

yeah his work is flat awesome.

I actually didnt realize he had done so much great stuff till I searched him.....Its like hes invisible.....

[Doc]

As long as it doesn't drive the story then I don't have a problem, its when CGI becomes the sole actor in a movie that it annoys me...
Examples please. :)

[slickwilly13]

CGI looks great if it is done right. If not then it looks like crap. For example, Jumanji. I prefer old school effects from the 80's. I do not want cgi gore, but old school Savini and others like that.

[Neil]

Here's a couple of examples of what I think is great use of CGI in Batman Begins:

http://www.dneg.com/projects/batman_begins_16.html

http://www.rsp.com.au/flash/portfolio/players/batmanPlayer.swf

WOW!

I alwasys recall the CGI in Forest Gump being very impressive... ie: You just didn't notice it!

[SymphonicX]

Examples please. :)

as previously pointed out, The star wars prequels....plus, Van Helsing is a pretty good example....

What I meant what, when CGI drives the story to the point where the story can't function without it or that all the effort has gone into the CGI and none into the story....transformers for instance...example of where CGI has worked to a movie's advantage is something like King Kong....

[MaximusIncredulous]

WOW!

I alwasys recall the CGI in Forest Gump being very impressive... ie: You just didn't notice it!

The Napalm scene looked pretty flaky to my eyes. It just screamed "CGI"!!!