mar 25, 1976 - CGI - COMPUTER GENERATED IMAGE
Description:
The first use of CGI was in Westworld (1976) and
the first use of 3D wire frame CGI imagery was used in the sequel - Futureworld (1976); this is computer generated image as we know it today.
STAR WARS: George Lucas' FX company 'Industrial Light and Magic' (ILM) was a turning point in CGI technology within A New Hope (1977).
An un-textured, un-shaded 3D wire frame view of their target was used to create a realistic image.
Today, it can be argued that CGI is overused, in the sense that it takes away from the dialogue and plot of the movie.
In my opinion, CGI should be used as an aid to film, rather than used as a backbone. Many films today, such as Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) use CGI in a way that subtly enhances practical effects, and acts as an aid. However, I feel as though some films rely so heavily on CGI that the dialogue and plot gets lost within it all.
An example of a scene within a film where I think that CGI was unnecessarily used is Tron: Legacy (2010), in which one of the character's faces has been manipulated using CGI to appear younger. However, his face looks plastic, flat and completely distracting.
Additionally, I believe that with the rise of CGI and the fact that some filmmakers rely so heavily on it, many jobs within the film industry - such as stunt artists - will decline, as their natural and practical skill set is being replaced by CGI, instead.
Don't even get me started on the Transformers franchise!
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THE HISTORY OF FILM
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