April 28, 2014

CGI & The Concern Of Over-Saturation

By Rebecca Mills


CGI is, in my view, one of the most important components to consider in the way of contemporary film-making. After all, it is able to bring life to special features that might not have that degree of life otherwise. There are so many ways in which it can be used, whether it is the creation of characters that cannot be seen in reality or bringing life to landscapes that are able to prove aesthetically pleasing. With that said, is it possible that CGI can be argued to be one of the most overused features in film?

CGI is definitely being used to tremendous extents, some examples of its application being better than others. To say the least, CGI is vital, not only in movies but television shows and other forms of visual media as well. For example, I am sure that just about everyone was captivated by the sight of Iron Man saving civilians by coming down from the sky in his third movie. It wasn't a time where we questioned the realism of CGI but rather enjoyed what we were seeing in front of us.

I liken CGI to almost like whipped cream atop an ice cream sundae, which makes sense. Whipped cream, while a special addition to the dessert itself, should not exactly be the focus of the dessert in question. When there is too much proverbial whipped cream as far as movies are concerned, that's when problems may arise. CGI has had many instances where it comes across as looking phony when it was not going for that effect. It wanted to immerse you but, for some reason or another, failed to do so.

CGI can be utilized quite poorly, which is shocking when considering just how long CGI in general has been around. The first "Twilight" movie comes to mind, as I was not exactly a fan of all of its visuals. While the paler hues were aesthetically interesting, the CGI werewolves within the movie definitely came across as fake-looking. Yes, werewolves are not real but movies should be able to incorporate special effects so that you can suspend your disbelief and convince yourself that what you are seeing is real.

If "Twilight" wanted to be self-aware, I would have understood this but this was not the case. This is an example of CGI not being utilized to its fullest, or even halfway, which is a crime when considering that there are films which are able to use it amazingly. There are many CGI-related effects that can come across as fake, regardless of how good a particular film or television show is. Hopefully, in time, more film creators and studios will be able to incorporate CGI to where it no longer appears overly synthetic.




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