aug 13, 1976 - First use of 3D CGI

Description:

This was the date that 'Future World' was released, the first time 3D CGI was used in a film, which featured a computer-generated hand and face created by Utah graduate students Edwin Catmull and Fred Parke.

However, Photo realistic CGI didn't win over the movie industry until 1989 when 'Abyss' won best motion picture.

By the 2000s CGI had developed so much, that stunt doubles could be edited and whole crowds of people could be made.

Huge successes using CGI was created such as 'Toy Story' , 'Jurassic park' and the highest grossing film 'Avatar.'

CGI changed the film industry as we knew it, suddenly we could blend reality and fantasy seamlessly. CGI has the ability to reverse time, make entire movies with actors who have been dead for years. The possibilities seem crazy and so futuristic in its power to create.

CGI changed animation when 'Toy Story' was released in 1996, now almost all animation movies, out today, use CGI. CGI is great for huge franchises such as Disney, as big stunning looking animations could be made in half the time and for significantly less money and effort.

CGI is still a relatively new invention and its power and effect on the industry is still just as impact full. CGI has changed how the industry works altogether, from the actors to how the movie is shot.

CGI gives the industry a lot more control and safety over their effects, crazy stunts can be made digitally without the risk of injury or not getting the right shot. So much is now done using CGI, technology is advancing around this topic, we can't even notice at times what's animated or not.

CGI and it's impact on the industry was an important step in film technology and has given us the power to create so much more than we could have imagined. Whole new worlds and entire universes can be made just by clicks of a button. However, this huge leap in how film looks and works is still hotly debated, whether it is the direction film should be taking, whether we are relying too much on CGI rather than focusing more on the staple core of film in the first place, the story, is up to debate. It's an interesting point in filmmaking history and whether you think it was a positive change for film or negative, you can't argue how hugely it's impacted the film industry and the world today.

Added to timeline:

Date:

Images:

YouTube: