Is CGI always necessary?

Our discussion today about what kind of animation makes us suspend our disbelief made me really think about certain films' overuse of CGI. I think a lot of the times filmmakers are so fascinated by the effects that they'll animate something just because they can. I personally think that there's something much more pleasing about an indexical image. While CGI and motion capture are very impressive and really cool to watch, I often question whether their use is necessary. I've thought this a lot in some of the newer Star Wars films, as well as the prequels. Did Snoke really need to be brought to life using motion capture? I think that the character would've been equally as effective if Andy Serkis were to be made up to look like the CGI character we see. While the realism that CGI captures is incredible, it often leaves me thinking that it's simply a result of being "animation crazy".

Comments

  1. UnknownDecember 6, 2018 at 1:32 PM

    I agree with you! I always think practical effects, even if they don't always look real, are definately more fascinating than CGI effects. Arigog (the giant spider) in the second Harry Potter movie used to horrify me as a kid because he was made out of practical effects. He was REAL. I could tell he wasn't CGI, and could actually make physical contact with Harry which made him all the more impactful.

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  2. UnknownDecember 6, 2018 at 6:16 PM

    I agree that practical is also better but I also think CGI should not be looked down at. CGI used right can be just as impressive and impactful as practical effect. Especially when they are a blend between the two, like in Mad Max Fury Road. That film has an incredible amount of CGI but it also has great practical explosion and real cars. The CGI here is only used to enhance and not to create something out of thin air. When used right, CGI can be just as important as a practical effect.

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