Movies made over the past 25 years show computer-generated imagery, or CGI, in all its glory. Technology changes fast, and filmmakers depend more on computers and software to craft jaw-dropping stories through visual effects. CGI stands out as the most popular kind of visual effect, letting creators build characters, animations, or even whole worlds with just computer programs. People who love movies and storytelling get hooked by these cool tricks. Dive in, and see how computer magic brings imagination to life like never before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Early forms of CGI have been around since the late 1950s, but the technology really started coming into its own in the late 1970s, perhaps most notably with \u201cStar Wars\u201d in 1977. <\/em>Audiences were blown away by the special effects, and the film\u2019s stratospheric success offered a glimpse of what the technology would become in the following decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today CGI is mainstream, and every one of the 10 highest-grossing movies of all time<\/a> use it extensively. CGI has transformed filmmaking, transporting audiences to the edges of their imaginations and beyond with jaw-dropping visuals. However, it\u2019s not without its detractors, who feel too much computer animation gets in the way of telling a story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this post, we\u2019ll trace the history and evolution of CGI, its impact on modern filmmaking, and show examples of CGI work – both good and bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n CGI is the process by which a piece of visual media is created or altered using computer graphics. It\u2019s a subcategory of visual effects (VFX)<\/a>, which is a broader term for any type of special effects added to a film during post-production<\/a>. CGI has come to be used in everything from blockbuster movies and TV series to video games and even commercials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply put, CGI lets filmmakers make the impossible possible. It can be something relatively simple, like creating the effect that a live actor is flying. Or, it can be more complex, like an animated 3D character and the fully computer-rendered world they inhabit. CGI can be hyper-realistic, meant to trick the eye into believing something on the screen is really happening. Or, it can create something outrageous or fantastical completely from scratch, trusting the audience to suspend disbelief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though the word \u201ccomputer\u201d is in the name, CGI actually predates modern computers by several decades. Starting in the 1950s, an influential film from each of the following decades would push the envelope on what CGI was capable of. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The first live-action film to utilize CGI in any form was the 1958 psychological thriller \u201cVertigo,\u201d directed by Alfred Hitchcock, but only in the opening credits<\/a>. The film\u2019s title sequence features a series of colorful, computer-rendered 2D swirls in the background, creating a disorienting effect. In 1968, Stanley Kubrick-directed \u201c2001: A Space Odyssey\u201d <\/em>made use of CGI to display animated wireframe vector graphics<\/a> on the computer screens of the ship during the movie itself. This marked another first for the nascent technology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The dystopian sci-fi\/western \u201cWestworld\u201d from 1973 was the first movie to mix CGI and live action. The film created a \u201cpixel\u201d effect to show the audience the point of view of its android gunslingers<\/a> using digitally processed images. The movie was written and directed by Michael Crichton, author of \u201cJurassic Park,\u201d <\/em>which itself raised the bar on CGI two decades later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then in 1977, George Lucas and his groundbreaking sci-fi epic \u201cStar Wars\u201d would change the trajectory of filmmaking and special effects up to today. Most of the film\u2019s stunning visuals were achieved through practical effects<\/a>; matte painting backdrops, intricate hand-made miniature models of ships, and computer-controlled motion photography.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many top critics of the day were unimpressed with the story of Star Wars, but singled out Lucas\u2019 attention to detail in creating VFX magic. Time magazine wrote in its somewhat backhanded review that the film was \u201ca remarkable confection: a subliminal history of the movies, wrapped in a riveting tale of suspense and adventure, ornamented with some of the most ingenious special effects ever contrived for film.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Achieving Lucas\u2019 vision for Star Wars required special effects techniques that hadn\u2019t been invented yet. In order to bring his ideas to life, he founded Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), a division of his production company Lucasfilm. ILM would go on to be at the vanguard of CGI for decades to come. After the blockbuster success of Star Wars, Lucas focused more of his and ILM\u2019s efforts on computer graphics. In the years that followed, ILM created special effects for more than 300 films, according to Wired<\/a>, including the Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Jurassic Park franchises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the dawn of the third millennium, the world was introduced to a hapless Gungan named Jar Jar Binks, and CGI would never be the same. Jar Jar was one of the main characters in 1999\u2019s \u201cStar Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace,\u201d the long-anticipated prequel to the original Star Wars movies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Portrayed by actor Ahmed Best using advanced motion capture technology pioneered by Lucas and ILM, Jar Jar was the first main character in a movie to be entirely computer generated. But in 1999, the technology wasn\u2019t quite there yet to achieve Lucas\u2019 lofty SFX aspirations. Jar Jar represented a generational leap forward for CGI, but the execution made it difficult for audiences to connect with him. Pioneering status aside, he\u2019s considered one of the most divisive characters in Star Wars history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Love it or hate it, CGI has had a significant and lasting impact on filmmaking. It has become a key tool for directors, both for creating unique characters and richer, more engaging experiences for audiences. As its matured, CGI has shaken off most of its Jar Jar Binks awkward phase. Gollum from \u201cLord of the Rings,\u201d Caesar from \u201cPlanet of the Apes,\u201d and Thanos from the \u201cAvengers\u201d series are all widely beloved, 100% CGI characters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But movie fans are often divided on whether the proliferation of CGI has been a net-positive for the industry. Some believe it\u2019s overused, or that it\u2019s become a crutch to manipulate audiences with eye-pleasing visuals while telling flimsy, uninspired stories. Others feel CGI has ushered in the most exciting era for the movies since the advent of the blockbuster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Both camps have valid reasoning behind their feelings, so it\u2019s hard to say who\u2019s right or wrong. Technological advances, just like movies themselves, tend to provoke strong opinions on both sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Based on box office numbers alone it\u2019s obvious that CGI has legions of devoted fans who think it\u2019s been a positive thing for movies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cinematic-caliber computer effects are expensive to create, so CGI is often used for giving audiences a visually thrilling spectacle of some kind. But it\u2019s also seen (or not seen) through subtle enhancements, like de-aging Robert De Niro in 2019\u2019s decades-spanning mob epic \u201cThe Irishman.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat is CGI?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
First usage of CGI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How Star Wars set new standards for CGI and filmmaking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The first CGI character<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
CGI’s impact on filmmaking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why is CGI good for movies?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n