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Computer Animation and Special Effects. Nick Plaisted CSC: Introduction to Computing. Overview. Some Basics about Computer Animation and Special Effects The history of computer animation and special effects in film. The Basics.
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Computer Animation and Special Effects Nick Plaisted CSC: Introduction to Computing
Overview • Some Basics about Computer Animation and Special Effects • The history of computer animation and special effects in film
The Basics • Computer animation = The art of creating moving images via the use of computers • When computer animation is referred to in film it is known as CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) • To create the illusion of movement, an image is displayed on the screen then quickly replaced by a new image that is similar to the previous image, but shifted slightly • Computer animation is a digital successor to the art of stop motion animation of 3D models and frame-by-frame animation of 2D illustrations • Objects (models) are built on the computer monitor (modeled) and 3D figures are rigged with a virtual skeleton • Then the limbs, eyes, mouth, clothes, etc. of the figure are moved by the animator on key frames • The differences in appearance between key frames are automatically calculated by the computer in a process known as tweening or morphing • Finally, the animation is rendered and is added to the film and is known as special effects
The firsts… • Futureworld (1976) • Looker (1981) • Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn (1982) • Tron (1982) • Blade Runner (1982) • The Last Starfighter (1984)
The Young Sherlock Homes (1985) • The first real CGI character • Created by Pixar • It was a Knight that was composed of elements from a stained glass window
The Abyss (1989) • The Abyss won the Academy Award for Visual Effects in 1989 • The most notable special effect in the movie is the seawater tentacle creature dubbed “the pseudopod”
Total Recall (1990) • The scene with CGI skeletons running through it
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) • CGI took a central role in Terminator 2: Judgment Day in which the T-1000 Terminator villain impressed audiences with liquid metal and morphing effects • The villain was integrated into action sequences throughout the film • It also won an Oscar for its special effects
Beauty and the Beast (1991) • Beauty and the Beast is the first in which hand-drawn characters appear in a 3D background • Every frame of the film is scanned, created, or composited within Disney's computer animation production system
Jurassic Park (1993) • It was the 1993 film Jurassic Park, however, in which dinosaurs created with CGI were seamlessly integrated into live action scenes, that revolutionized the movie industry • It marked Hollywood’s transition from stop-motion animation and conventional optical effects to digital techniques.
Post Jurassic Park • There are several movies after Jurassic Park to add CGI elements • Free Willy (1993) • The Mask (1994) • Casper (1995)
Toy Story (1995) • Toy Story became the first fully computer-generated feature film • Revolutionizes the film industry • Average effects budget for films goes from 5 million to 40 million
Jumanji (1996) • After Jurrassic Park being such a success ILM is asked to produce numerous realistic CG animals for Jumanji • Including monkeys and a lion, which causes the studio to develop custom software to create, animate, and render monkey and lion fur, and long hair for the lion's mane
Titanic (1998) • The lead studio on Titanic, breaks new ground by putting thousands of digital people, animated with the help of motion capture, onboard the ship • The studio also created CG set extensions and digital water • The film received an Oscar for visual effects, and goes on to earn more money than any other film to date
Dinosaur (2000) • First to put an entire cast of 3D animated characters in a world fabricated from live-action backgrounds
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) • Although it fails commercially Final Fantasy features the first cast of photorealistic digital actors • Excites the imagination of the press and CG community
Beowulf (2007) • Very recent computer animated film which uses photorealistic actors • Actors modeled after common actors that we have seen in other movies • Almost tricks viewers into believing its real • YouTube - Beowulf Trailer
Sources • Google Images • http://images.google.com/imghp?tab=wi • You Tube • http://youtube.com/ • Beowulf Official Website • http://www.beowulfmovie.com/ • Wikipedia • www.wikipedia.org • CGI Movie Retrospective • http://web.presby.edu/~phmeeker/classes/pc/CSC258/Notes/Introduction/CGW-MovieRetrospective-minusLinks2Movies.htm