this post was submitted on 21 Mar 2024
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The "No CGI" dynamic around films is odd and reveals, IMO, that mainstream anti-tech sentiment in capitalism only flies as a consumer's affectation. (hachyderm.io)
submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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The "No CGI" dynamic around films is odd and reveals, IMO, that mainstream anti-tech sentiment in capitalism only flies as a consumer's affectation.

I didn't know about this apart from the usual under-appreciation and under-paying of VFX staff.

But then the "No CGI is just invisible CGI" series (https://www.youtube.com/@TheMovieRabbitHole/videos) and this clip about the Barbie behind the scenes *hiding the bluescreen by filling it in* (https://youtu.be/fPNpFqXraKE?si=yYu569bY8d41DZ2f&t=509) ... reveals a profession is being smothered.

@moviesandtv

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago

It's just not true to state that the industry uses CGI to avoid paying people who learned and honed the craft.

The actual, pivotal, moment for this choice was done solely because CGI looked better. This was during Jurassic Park:

https://beforesandafters.com/2020/03/15/the-oral-history-of-the-dinosaur-input-device-or-how-to-survive-the-near-death-of-stop-motion/

It also really depends on the film's Director's creative control and budget.

My favorite film of all time is Everything Everywhere All At Once and it was almost exclusively practical effects. This was both a stylistic choice and a budget-conscious one. CGI is not always the cheaper route:

https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-visual-effects-1234716610/

Most low budget movies use practical effects over CGI, because at lower budgets it is way more accessible. But all you need to do is watch any low budget horror movie to see how bad practical effects can rip you out of the story just as much as bad CGI in higher budget films.

So I would say that good CGI costs a lot of money but both looks better, and can do more, than practical effects. But films that craft around practical effects are absolutely valuable and bad CGI pulls people out of the storytelling just like bad practical effects would.