I'm a little bored with all the special effects in movies these days. Unless it's something I haven't seen before, like a baby carriage blown up, I don't really need it. Today, it's all about CGI. I think it's cool that we can make movies solely on a computer, no camera needed, but it drives me crazy when they only use it to short cut (ahem, George Lucas, cough cough). George Lucas, you say? I have this theory as to why people like the first set of Star Wars movies from the 70's better than the second set of the 90's and 00's. Yoda. He used to be a muppet. A very hands-on, real, and I could touch him, muppet. NOW, he's a look towards the green screen, invisible, pretend he's sitting next to you, develop a complex, CGI cartoonish shorty. People just like the muppets, sorry Georgie. Look how much hard work went into that first set of movies, I'm not saying people don't like the newer movies, they do (I love Natalie Portman), but it's just not the same.
Another example, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Why did they use CGI to duplicate the Oompa Loompas? Is it too much trouble to get more actors? The scenery didn't match the actors (with lighting and such) and the Oompa Loompas only matched themselves. Let's get more technical people! In film school they teach you not to make your characters look like 3D pop-up stickers.
I think that's why I love classic movies so much. It's innocent and amazing what kinds of sets and costumes and creatures they had to build (yeah, that's right build, no CGI here), and it was based off of great dialogue. I really am a sucker for great dialogue. Nowadays, script comes second, and effects first. Did anyone see that movie when Fred Astaire tap-danced up the wall, onto the ceiling, and back down again? That wasn't a camera trick, it was the set that was turning around.
Alright, enough of that. I need food.
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1 comment:
Actually, the Yoda puppet was used in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. CGI Yoda was created for Attack of the Clones (especially for the Yoda/Dooku fight).
Although CGI was used to duplicated the Oompa Loompas, they actually used a combination of CGI, animatronic, and real trained squirrels for the nut cracking scene.
Oh, and since Astaire wasn't really dancing up the walls, I would consider that a camera trick. It wasn't just the walls rotating, but the camera was rotating along with it.
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