Computer-Generated Imagery In Film Essay

Has Computer-generated Imagery Ruined Cinema? The year was 1992. A small team of animators were soon to present to the world an innovation that would forever change the realm of cinema. Until this point, special effects artists were mostly limited to methods of stop-motion animation and practical effects to create fantastical displays within a film. That was until ground-breaking director Stephen Spielberg, who is most famous for his work in classic films such as E.T. and Jaws, made a single decision that would influence film-making to this day. It was the decision to utilize computer graphics in the iconic production, Jurassic Park. Filmmakers had used computer graphics previously but for CGI to break through, technology needed to be advanced
This brings forth the question, “ Has computer-generated imagery in cinema gone too far?” In recent years CGI has become synonymous with the Hollywood blockbuster look. While many traditionalists will frown on the overt use of VFX, the extent of its presence remains unknown to most. The reason for this is that the computer graphics that are most effective are integrated so seamlessly within a production that they are overlooked. In this context, the animator and visual effects artist truly fulfills their purpose: selling the imagined as real. Typically, the most apparent CGI tends to be the least effective in its objective. This could be caused by various factors such as hard deadlines or short budgets. Typically, the artist or computer can not be singled out as a sole culprit. A good example is The Scorpion King, which is notorious for containing some of the worst special effects in the history of film-making. The explanation for this is that the film was released prematurely, under the pressure of the producers. The result encompassed computer graphics that were not fully rendered. In an instance such as this, neither the artist or computer can be to