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Visual Effects
Visual effects (VFX) are computer-generated imagery that enhances and manipulates footage to create immersive realistic scenes in films. The three main types of VFX are: Computer-generated Imagery (CGI), Compositing, and Motion Capture (Mocap). -
Alfred Clark created the first motion picture special effect
The first special effects shot was seen in the film: The execution of Mary, Queen of Scots. “Special Effects - New World Encyclopedia.” Newworldencyclopedia.org, 2023, www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Special_effects. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024. -
Discovery of Cinema
A pioneer of film, Georges Méliès, discovered dimension of cinema that was used to film fictional narratives and invented VFX. “Georges Melies | Biography, Films, & Facts | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2024, www.britannica.com/biography/Georges-Melies. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024. Shkurny, Alex. “Stages of Development of Special Effects in Cinema. - Filmustage Blog.” Filmustage, Filmustage, 15 Feb. 2022, filmustage.com/blog/the-evolution-of-special-effects-in-cinema/. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024. -
The 1st Computer Graphics Class
John Whitney Became the 1st person to teach computer graphics at University of California (UC) in 1972. “John Whitney Sr. – ISEA Symposium Archives.” Siggraph.org, 2023, isea-archives.siggraph.org/person/john-whitney-sr/#:~:text=Whitney%20was%20born%20in%20Pasadena,tone%20composition%20under%20Ren%C3%A9%20Leibowitz. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024. -
Industrial Light & Magic Founded (ILM)
Industrial Light & Magic Founded (ILM) was founded by George Lucas. This company created what was viewed as the most member able visual effects in time. Films:
* Jurassic Park
* Star Trek
* Harry Potter
* Hook “Industrial Light & Magic, Visual Effects | Lucasfilm Ltd.” Lucasfilm, May 2023, www.lucasfilm.com/what-we-do/visual-effects/#:~:text=Founded%20in%201975%20by%20George,always%20specialized%20in%20the%20unprecedented. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024. -
CGI's 1st Morphing Effects
Before CGI, morphing effects were created using FX makeup. In the 1980s, the first morphing effects using CGI were captured in the movies Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Indiana Jones (1982), and many others. Kseniia. “The History of VFX: How the Morphing Effect Evolved.” REBELWAY 2.0, 10 May 2022, www.rebelway.net/history-of-vfx-morphing/. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024. -
John Whitney invented the Whitney-Reed RDTD (Radius-Differential Theta Differential))
The Whitney-Reed RDTD works as an audio-visual composition program. This program was previously evolved from the late 1960s IBM research period with the help of Jerry Reed, a programmer. “The Whitney Archive: A Fulfillment of a Dream.” Awn.com, 2024, www.awn.com/mag/issue2.5/2.5pages/2.5whitneyarchive.html. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024. -
Golden Era of CGI
The 1990s became known as the golden era of CGI. In this time, the potential of CGI became maximized with the available technology. Some of the films in this era set new benchmarks for CGI including: Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991), Jurassic Park (1993), Toy Story (1995), and The Matrix (1999). “Filmmaking 101: What Is CGI in Movies and Animation? | Boords.” Boords.com, 30 Nov. 2023, boords.com/blog/filmmaking-101-what-is-cgi-in-movies-and-animation. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024. -
CGI Fantasy to Life
In 1993, Jurassic Park became the first movie to bring dinosaurs to life using CGI. Previously, a majority of films used other techniques including stop motion to animate fantasy creatures. “Visual Effects Integrate Actual Footage and Computer-Generated Imagery, Known as CGI.” Vanas.ca, 2014, www.vanas.ca/en/blog/10-movies-that-changed-the-visual-effects-industry-forever. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024. -
The Era of Green Screening
The 2000s were the era where green screening became a popular VFX technique. Hollow Man (2000), was commonly called a breakthrough of CGI from it's advanced use of both CGI and mocap by Sony ImageWorks artists. In the movie, when Sebastian Caine becomes the victim of his own creation, the character's body starts to disappear in layers. Kseniia. “The History of VFX: How the Morphing Effect Evolved.” REBELWAY 2.0, 10 May 2022, www.rebelway.net/history-of-vfx-morphing/. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024. -
More Exposer to VFX
One of the mainstream companies, Disney, decided to switch from 2D animation to 3D animation. Their first fully animated film was Chicken Little. This changed how future movies and shows were created and popularized. Bruce, Hannah. “The Death of Disney’s 2D Animation.” Viper Times, 2023, vipertimes.com/6362/features/the-death-of-disneys-2d-animation/#:~:text=Disney’s%20classic%202D%20animated%20movies,in%202005%20with%20Chicken%20Little. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024. -
Gravity
The VFX industry changed after the movie 'Gravity' released. The film took over four years to record and was able to portray the story about two astronauts being stuck in space. 80% of the film was VFX and 20% was SFX. For VFX students, Gravity became a example for learning the techniques. “Visual Effects Integrate Actual Footage and Computer-Generated Imagery, Known as CGI.” Vanas.ca, 2014, www.vanas.ca/en/blog/10-movies-that-changed-the-visual-effects-industry-forever. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024. -
Introducing Several New Film Techniques and Technologies
In creation of Avatar, new film tech got introduced: a virtual camera system, IMAX 3D, and full CG mocap. Since, the tech have became popular. In the second movie, Weta Workshop created new underwater mocap systems. Both have set new standards in films. “A Behind-The-Scenes Look at Avatar Visual Effects.” Tourboxtech.com, 2023, www.tourboxtech.com/en/news/visual-effects-in-avatar.html#:~:text=Avatar%20introduced%20several%20new%20film,on%20the%20world%20of%20cinema. Accessed 14 Mar. 2024.