CGI Is Like A Referee: When It Does A Good Job You Don’t Notice It

The gold standard for bad CGI.
The gold standard for bad CGI.

We’ve all seen bad CGI effects on the big and small screen.  Sometimes they are so bad they can completely take you out of the moment and ruin a movie or tv show with potential.  I know one of my biggest beefs with CGI has been the rendering of people, particularly in action sequences.

I’m not alone I’m sure in being able to spot CGI a mile away in many cases.  It just seems… off, no matter how good they do it.  And I can mostly let it go, but when entire fight sequences (Blade II(?), Matrix Reloaded) or Quiddatch matches (one of the Harry Potters) are obviously entirely CGI, they bother me.  Granted, they get better each year as technology and proficiency improve.

But what you may not realize is the vast amount of CGI that is in almost every shot of your favorite movie that isn’t a man in an iron suit, an animal brought back to life after being extinct 65 million years or a car that can transform into a robot.  After the break, check out this awesome video from RocketJump Film School.  I think you’ll be amazed at all CGI is used for.

One thought on “CGI Is Like A Referee: When It Does A Good Job You Don’t Notice It”

  1. wow…thank you for posting this. I knew there was a lot of CGI, but this was enlightening…… And, as you said, good CGI you just don’t see.

    Liked by 1 person

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