Computer Generated Imagery (CGI)

John BacicITMG-100-05Technology Research Assignment

Basic Information

The process of creating images through a computer such as landscapes, objects, and characters

Why Interesting?

Allows for film makers to go above and beyond what is physically possible and explore their imaginations

Ability to control the world of the movie in whatever way your mind allows

http://www.matteworld.com/film/2011/captain_america.html

Process

4 Basic Steps: Modeling Animation Rendering Compositing

http://www.matteworld.com/film/2009/terminator_salvation.html

Progression

Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”

Tron (1982) Jurassic Park (1993) Toy Story (1995) The Matrix (1999) The Lord of the Rings

(2001) Avatar (2009)

The Birds

Hitchcock won the first ever award for Best Visual Effects in a Movie

Tron (1982)

Computers generated static images, but could not automatically put them into motion. The technology did not yet exist for a shot to contain both live actors and computer animation.

Jurassic Park (1993)

It was the first film to integrate convincingly real computer generated characters into a fully live-action movie

Toy Story (1995)

As the first fully CGI-based full-length film in history, everything in the movie was created purely from a computer and marked a huge milestone in the world of CGI improvements

The Matrix (1999)Still cameras surrounded an object and then would activate sequentially. Then, single frames from each camera are arranged and displayed to show an orbiting viewpoint of an action frozen in time or as hyper-slow motion.

The Lord of the Rings (2001)

MASSIVE produced armies of digital orcs, elves, and humans to appear on the screen as if real people, capable of thinking and acting on their own. Motion Capture for

Gollum

Avatar2009

Created a whole new world filled with fantasy creatures and floating mountains, a planet with its own life and personality

Company Examples

References "20 Greatest CGI Movie Moments." Creative Bloq. N.p., n.d. Web.

13 Nov. 2012. <http://www.creativebloq.com/3d-tips/cgi-movie-moments-1234014>.

"How Computer Animation Works." HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/computer-animation2.htm>.

"ASK! Options." CCMR. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/ask/index.html?quid=642>.

"Industrial Light & Magic." Industrial Light & Magic. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://www.ilm.com/>.

"Matte World Digital Film Credits." Matte World Digital Film Credits. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://www.matteworld.com/ film.html>.

"Inside Weta - Projects." Projects. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2012. <http://www.wetanz.com/projects/>.