How are special effects for films created? What is digital painting? What does CG and CGI mean? We will answer these questions in this two-part article. And besides, here you will find addresses of sites on the topic and videos about creating special effects for films.
The article turned out to be so large that I had to split it into two parts to make it easier to read. The first part is devoted to theory and special effects, and the second is digital painting and graphics.
In general, most of the resources on the Internet related to the creation of special effects and digital painting are of foreign origin. This is due to the fact that in Russia this area is still developing. That is why Russian blockbusters with beautiful special effects have appeared recently. It is worth mentioning Timur Bekmambetov, who gave impetus to modern Russian blockbusters (for which many thanks to him).
concept
"CG" is translated as "computer graphics". However, as a rule, this concept has a slightly different meaning. After all, the concept of "computer graphics" covers almost any field of activity where graphics are created by a computer or with the help of it. However, the word "CG" means exactly the creation of either special effects for video, or digital painting, or the creation of graphics for various interactive presentations and video games.
True, special effects in movies are usually referred to as "CGI" ( computer- generated imagery , literally "computer generated images"). Although, in principle, there are no special differences between CG and CGI.
And now the most interesting...
Special effects in cinema
A long time ago, special effects were very primitive, but innovative at the same time. Usually, the essence of special effects was to skilfully erase tethers and the like from the frame to make everything look exciting and interesting. It was all in the days of silent films.
Later, when there was a need for various movie monsters, there was a need for appropriate special effects. Of course, if you want to create a humanoid or Bigfoot, then the actor was simply put on makeup or put on a suit. However, the creation of something more complex caused the directors big problems.
To add bizarrely shaped creatures to the cinema, filmmakers came up with stop-motion animation. Those. a plasticine model of the creature was made, and then photographed many times, while slightly changing its body position. And then, if you quickly scroll through such photos (30 frames per second), it looked like the creature was moving. Although it looked ridiculous, the directors managed to present it quite interestingly.
It was frame-by-frame animation that changed everything (even modern special effects are made according to the same principle). However, even in our time, some cartoons are made using frame-by-frame animation, because such cartoons look original and interesting.
And then came the era of informatization and computerization ...
Then the film industry realized that you can draw special effects using a computer. Moreover, characters and various creatures can also be drawn directly on the computer and transferred to film during editing. Then there were the first films with "embedded" characters.
However, with this came problems. Due to the fact that such characters were superimposed on the tape after the shooting of the material, the actors had to show all their acting skills in order to interact with such an "invisible partner".
When Steve Jobs created Pixar, he wanted to create a cartoon made and rendered only with a computer. Thus, the Toy Story series was born.
Modern cinema is not far from the basics used by the forefathers of special effects. Only plasticine creatures were replaced by creatures completely made in graphic editors. However, there are a couple of techniques and tricks that modern directors actively use...
Chromakey
Pronounced "chroma kei", although the correct pronunciation should be "chroma kee". The essence is simple, the actor is filmed against the background of a green or blue canvas of fabric (rear screen), and then an image is put in place of this canvas. Those. you can shoot almost a whole film in one pavilion, where main character travels around the planet (by the way, this is how the movie Resident Evil 4 was created).
To project the desired image well on the rear screen, you need to use a monotonous soft color, and therefore either green or blue is usually used.
Motioncapture
It means "motion capture". Special sensors are attached to a real actor (white balls or cubes, etc.), and then all his movements are analyzed on a computer. Those. an actor fully dressed in a suit of sensors makes some movement, and then this animation data is transferred to a computer character. So the computer character moves just like a person (smoothly and physically correctly).
And sometimes, motion capture is used locally, for example, to add something computer-generated to a real actor (computer makeup, if you want).
3D graphics editors
Without them, you cannot make a single voluminous monster or creature, or build an entire city. To add, say, King Kong, you must first model it. This is done in three-dimensional graphic editors, and the process is more like creating a sculpture. It is necessary not only to be able to handle such programs, but also to know the basics of anatomy, composition, etc. As a rule, such people are also called artists, since the principle of work is almost the same.
Usually, a primitive model of the character is first made in order to understand how he will behave in the frame, how much space he will occupy, how the actors should interact with him. And then a high-quality model for editing is already made.
The skill of modern special effects creators is amazing. Fully simulated actors are already being created - of course, why pay a real actor when you can make your own, which will neither be capricious nor get sick.
In the following image, you see actor Jeff Bridges from Tron: Legacy. On the left is the real Jeff Bridges, and on the right is his artificial young copy (which is computer generated). Amazing, isn't it...
Filmmakers have many more clever ideas for using computer technology in cinema. Who knows, maybe tomorrow this article will have to be updated - new technologies for the production of special effects will appear. Now special effects and artificial computer characters are indistinguishable from reality, and what will happen next...
In the end, I want to show you some short videos about creating special effects in some films.
Visual effects and computer graphics have firmly entered our lives. Today, anyone is able to explore the mysterious and Magic world post-production and become an expert in the field. The tips below will help raise your VFX and CGI knowledge.
This is fairly obvious advice, but it is often ignored by beginners. The habit of looking and analyzing should become part of the work process or training. After watching a film with cool visual effects, review it again, but not as a spectator, but as a specialist. Try to find mistakes and partners, there are actually a lot of them. Analyze how the shot was created, how it was lit, and why it was done the way it was.
Copy
Try repeating frames from your favorite movies or videos. Of course, a cool team of artists was sitting on the creation of one cool shot. But I am sure that most of the frames can be realistically recreated with a minimal budget. The task is to create something similar with a minimum budget and maximum quality. Remember, you are doing this in the interest of your professional development. As a result, these works will fit perfectly into the portfolio, and they can be published on behance.
Who am I?
When you watch a Hollywood CGI blockbuster, remember that a team of professionals worked on every frame. Each team member did one highly specialized job. One group modeled while the other lighting these models, someone drew the environment, someone animated the characters, and someone composited it all, blurring the line between reality and the CG world. If everyone did everything, the result would be disastrous.
Therefore, it is important to decide what the soul lies to. What are you ready to do for 10-12 hours a day, not regretting a single second spent on work? You can choose several directions for yourself, but it is important to highlight the primary ones, and pull up the rest, if possible.
Learn the Basics
Being a highly specialized expert is important, but you need to understand the whole process of creating a visual work. If your job is to rig characters, then you need to understand and know how those characters were modeled, how best to light them, and how they will fit into the footage. Basic knowledge in each of these areas will give you a huge boost to development.
Chat and meet experts
Go to CG and film related events. Of course, there are very few of them in the CIS, but when they pass, real sharks of visual effects gather there.
It's never too late to learn or how to save a few years
A few years ago, it was believed that only a select few could become a VFX artist. In fact, that's how it was. Only the most diligent and persistent could find the necessary valuable information and spend hours studying programs through trial and error. Now everything is exactly the opposite. There is so much information that you can watch only tutorials all your life. But you won't get that far.
The only right way is to learn from professionals. Only under the control of the master will the student conquer the heights of the CGI industry.
The only question is where to go to study?
There is only one answer here - the best masters your business. For example, take studio courses TerminalFX just look at them portfolio to understand how cool teachers work there.
The money spent on training will pay off dozens, if not thousands of times. The field of computer graphics is only gaining momentum and specialists are always needed here.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
CGI studios
One of the first computer graphics studios was the American company Industrial Light & Magic, founded by George Lucas in 1975. ILM has revolutionized the concept of visual effects in films.
see also
Write a review on the article "CGI (graphics)"
Notes
Literature
- Boris Mashkovtsev(Russian) // Technique and technology of cinema: a magazine. - 2006. - No. 2.
- Kerlow, I.V.. - 2004. - 451 p. - ISBN 0471430366.
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An excerpt characterizing CGI (graphics)
Princess Mary knelt before her and hid her face in the folds of her daughter-in-law's dress.- Here, here - do you hear? It's so strange to me. And you know, Marie, I will love him very much,” said Lisa, looking at her sister-in-law with sparkling, happy eyes. Princess Mary could not raise her head: she was crying.
- What's wrong with you, Masha?
“Nothing ... I felt so sad ... sad about Andrei,” she said, wiping her tears on her daughter-in-law's knees. Several times, during the morning, Princess Marya began to prepare her daughter-in-law, and each time she began to cry. These tears, for which the little princess did not understand the reason, alarmed her, no matter how observant she was. She didn't say anything, but looked around uneasily, looking for something. Before dinner, the old prince, whom she had always feared, entered her room, now with a particularly restless, angry face, and, without saying a word, went out. She looked at Princess Marya, then thought with that expression of eyes of inward-turning attention that pregnant women have, and suddenly burst into tears.
Did you get anything from Andrew? - she said.
- No, you know that the news could not come yet, but mon pere is worried, and I'm scared.
- Oh nothing?
“Nothing,” said Princess Marya, looking firmly at her daughter-in-law with radiant eyes. She decided not to tell her and persuaded her father to hide the terrible news from her daughter-in-law until her permission, which was supposed to be the other day. Princess Marya and the old prince, each in his own way, carried and hid their grief. The old prince did not want to hope: he decided that Prince Andrei had been killed, and despite the fact that he sent an official to Austria to look for the trace of his son, he ordered a monument to him in Moscow, which he intended to erect in his garden, and told everyone that his son is killed. He tried not to change his former way of life, but his strength betrayed him: he walked less, ate less, slept less, and became weaker every day. Princess Mary hoped. She prayed for her brother as if she were alive, and waited every minute for news of his return.
– Ma bonne amie, [My good friend,] - said the little princess on the morning of March 19 after breakfast, and her sponge with mustaches rose according to an old habit; but as in all not only smiles, but the sounds of speeches, even gaits in this house, from the day the terrible news was received, there was sadness, even now the smile of the little princess, who succumbed to the general mood, although she did not know its cause, was such that she even more reminiscent of the general sadness.
- Ma bonne amie, je crains que le fruschtique (comme dit Foka - cook) de ce matin ne m "aie pas fait du mal. [My friend, I'm afraid that the current frischtik (as Chef Foka calls it) would not make me feel bad. ]
What about you, my soul? You are pale. Oh, you are very pale, said Princess Marya in fright, running up to her daughter-in-law with her heavy, soft steps.
“Your Excellency, why not send for Marya Bogdanovna?” - said one of the maids who were here. (Marya Bogdanovna was a midwife from a district town, who had been living in Lysy Gory for another week.)
“And indeed,” Princess Marya picked up, “perhaps, for sure. I will go. Courage, mon ange! [Don't be afraid, my angel.] She kissed Lisa and wanted to leave the room.
- Oh, no, no! - And besides pallor, the face of the little princess expressed a childish fear of inevitable physical suffering.
- Non, c "est l" estomac ... dites que c "est l" estomac, dites, Marie, dites ..., [No, this is the stomach ... tell me, Masha, that this is the stomach ...] - and the princess began to cry childishly, suffering, capriciously and even somewhat feignedly, breaking their little hands. The princess ran out of the room after Marya Bogdanovna.
— Mon Dieu! Mon Dieu! [My God! My God!] Oh! she heard behind her.
Just a few years ago, a group of highly respected Hollywood actors and directors, in all seriousness, tried to organize a movement to protect live artists, who, in their opinion, were threatened by the expansion of digital performers. Robert Zemeckis made a particularly strong impression on people with his The Polar Express, Beowulf and A Christmas Carol, where the actors were replaced by computer dummies. Years have passed, and the figure remains a tool, bread and butter Hollywood stars nothing threatens.
Moreover, over the past years, technology has not made a qualitative breakthrough - special effects are sometimes lame today, and CGI characters are sometimes scary to the point of trembling in the worst sense of these words. We believe that in a couple of years, viewers will remember with horror the heroes of the recently released Warcraft and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2. But now, together with the Film.ru portal, we will remember those computer heroes who spoiled the viewing pleasure for us a little earlier - and this is the best evidence of the superiority of man over machine.
Max Rebo Band - "Return of the Jedi"
It has long been known that George Lucas' worst enemy is George Lucas himself. How many copies have been broken around his decision to "tweak" the classic Star Wars trilogy, and it seems that there are still more dissatisfied with the changes than those who were delighted with the corrections. Take, for example, the musical group of Max Rebo, accompanying the whims of Jabba the Hut. In the original Return of the Jedi, it was a trio, two of which were latex-clad performers and the third was a puppet. In the revised third film, nine more newcomers joined the trio, but, by golly, it’s better not to see this - they are ridiculous, lopsided and look like alien bodies in the usual company. You wouldn't be chasing quantity, George.
Young Razor - Downhole Revenge
In general, Peter Segal's "downhole revenge" cannot be called a film replete with special effects. All the more ridiculous is the scene with an unsuccessful attempt to rejuvenate the hero of Sylvester Stallone with the help of a computer. In one of the episodes, we are shown footage of supposedly thirty years ago, in which Razor says goodbye to big boxing - next to the live actors in the frame, there is something with a mouth that does not open in time with the speech. There is no doubt for a second that we are looking at a computer doll from a video game of the last century or at a wax museum exhibit exposed to the sun.
Blurp - "Lost in Space"
The replacement of an animatronic doll with a computer character is terrifyingly explicit in the fantasy adventure Lost in Space. Extremely bad forgery. Firstly, the CGI here stands out too much with the color gamut and uneven lighting. Secondly, the contact of the drawn monkey-lizard creature with live actors looks frankly unsuccessful - the monster wriggling in the hands of Joey Trabbiani does not disturb the fingers of a person at all, and Heather Graham strokes the baby without touching it at all. It just hurts to watch.
Jar Jar Binks - "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace"
A new addition to the Star Wars saga, Jar Jar Binks is still one of the franchise's most disliked characters to this day. He falls out of a number of heroes of both the classic and the new trilogy, he does not fit into the atmosphere and does not get into the mood - Binks is a stranger to the film from the first frame to the last. Perhaps he was not made in the worst way, but this does not add charm to him - stupidity in him is over the edge, an idiotic face asks for a fist, and clumsiness does not amuse, but irritates. There were, however, fans theories explaining the intention of Binks's stupidity, but they remained dreams, and Jar Jar is just an unpleasant hero.
Green Lantern - "Green Lantern"
Oh, that Ryan Reynolds CGI suit in Green Lantern… Two hundred million dollars wasted in the graphics, and the main character looks like an idiot christmas toy, a light bulb in a garland sparkling with artificial light. In fairness, in this picture, all the graphics look fake, cartoonish and completely lifeless, and there are a lot of them. Even the modest mask that hides Hal Jordan's eyes was rendered in post-production. Well, where does it fit? Now "Lantern" is more of a source of jokes, including from the lips of Reynolds himself, but does this situation suit the studio bosses?
Langoliers - "Langoliers"
Yes, yes, this is a television series, filmed at the same time in those days when multi-million dollar TV budgets could only be dreamed of in the sweetest dreams. But this does not change the ugliness of the title monsters, devouring the past - it is difficult to find a person who, after reading a Stephen King story, would look at these meatballs with teeth and say: “Yes! That's exactly how I imagined them!" Perhaps a neighbor's child helped the designer of the concepts - otherwise how else to explain the similarity of langoliers with Pac-Man, only smeared with something brown (we won't even think about what). Bad, very bad.
The Scorpion King - "The Mummy Returns"
The clearest example of how bad special effects can ruin a movie is The Mummy Returns, in which the Scorpion King is wedged between Rick O'Connell and Imhotep, almost scaring the audience away. Although it would be more correct to say not “scaring”, but “making laugh” - the Scorpion King did not look like a product paid for by a generous hundred million dollars. The final battle with the "drawn" Dwayne Johnson was completely similar to a beginner's pen test, for the first time undertaking to conquer the 3D editor package on his computer, for professionals such a terrifying quality is simply unacceptable.
Monster - "Something"
The best proof that computer visual effects still not far removed from what adorned the films of the classics of the last century, is a remake of the horror "The Thing" in 2011. The new film, in fact, was made in order to surpass the original (and in fact also a copy) of 1982, but surprisingly, the monster in Carpenter's film looks more convincing against the background of his younger brother. Of course, in 1982 it was more difficult, but this complexity gave specialists the impetus to invent something new. Today, monsters look like pitiful imitations of what we were scared of in childhood. It would be better not to do such remakes.
Conductor - "Polar Express"
Having mentioned Zemeckis's experiments in computer graphics, we cannot but return to his work, however, when choosing the worst character that the new movie Frankenstein has created, you can get stuck for a long time - everyone is too ugly. However, let's dwell on the most obvious - on the leading character of the debut picture, the conductor of the "Polar Express". This hero should be endearing, but this angular monster with the death mask of Tom Hanks instead of a face is more frightening than endearing. The director's macabre experiment backfired - the Christmas story became the creepiest cartoon in history. Children are not recommended. Adults too.
Liu Kang - Mortal Kombat 2: Annihilation
The moment when Liu Kang, one of the heroes of the popular video fighting game Mortal Kombat, turns into a dragon is perhaps the most anticipated scene for fans in the second film of the franchise. By the time of the transformation, everything is already on edge, battles follow one after another, but instead of a climax and an explosion of emotions, the sight of a dragon causes pity and apathy. A heartbreaking sight, unworthy even of its less technically advanced time, this dragon does not inspire fear, it looks like a moth-eaten lizard rendered in a hurry on some amateur's home computer. How to save the Earth from annihilation with this? Is that just to make enemies laugh to tears.
Werewolves - "Twilight"
It's unfair to blame the first film in the Twilight franchise for lackluster CGI, given the film's modest $37 million budget. However, by the final film, the shooting cost already 120 million per picture, but the quality of the effects remained the same "cave". Well, okay, the super speed of vampires can be portrayed as a banal daub in the frame, but the wolves should be drawn better. As long as Jacob and his company are standing, it's still all right, but in motion it's just blood from the eyes. The franchise has a huge fan base that has brought in a lot of money at the box office, but it's hard to imagine that anyone would give their money to see a cartoon werewolf.
T-800 - "Terminator: May the savior come"
The fourth in a lineup of feature films about a robot sent from the future to fix the past for SkyNet, Terminator Salvation is chock-full of special effects. The post-production directors did their best - there are not a single complaint about the mechanisms, but with people ... More precisely, with one person, with the key actor of the franchise, Arnold Schwarzenegger, there was a problem. The fact is that Arnie at the time of filming was still working in politics and could not devote himself to the film. Instead, McG used the actor's "digital face" stretched over another person. The effect was terrifying, and after all, Schwartz's cameo has long been presented as the main "highlight" of the film.
Young Flynn - "Tron: Legacy"
Director Joseph Kosinski is certainly a talented visionary, but some technical tasks are difficult even for him to handle. The long-awaited sequel to "Throne" was supposed to amaze the viewer with the latest achievements in the field of special effects, but in fact the picture was remembered only for the sluggish confrontation between the young and mature Jeff Bridges. Moreover, the computer young Flynn was inferior in everything to his living double - as soon as the camera took a larger shot, the lifeless facial expressions of the clone became obvious, and the dead eyes could not be hidden. One thing saved the film - according to the plot, the computer Flynn was not supposed to be a man. But it does not add sympathy to him.
Hulk - Hulk
On the way to the Hulk screen, Ang Lee was supported by a huge army of fans of the Green Giant, however final result many more disappointed than inspired - the frame was taken by some kind of ridiculous green computer spot. You can't deny Eric Bana trying to portray Bruce Banner, but for the Thug his talent was not needed, the Hulk was "drawn" without any reference to the actor, and this made a lifeless pile of polygons out of one of the most beloved comics characters. The same problem, by the way, also buried The Incredible Hulk with Edward Norton in leading role, and only Joss Whedon was able to cope with the character, using the mocap technique, multiplied by the diligence of Mark Ruffolo.
Inhumans - "I am a legend"
For its time, the fantasy drama I Am Legend by Francis Lawrence cost a fabulous sum of $150 million. A lot could be done with this money, but it seems that a significant part of these funds settled in the accounts of Will Smith. Hence the very mediocre "graphics". Moreover, the opponents of the only surviving person were originally supposed to be played by disguised stuntmen, but later the director decided to replace people with computer models. On purpose or not, the non-humans turned out to be lifeless, and their movements did not fit into the laws of physics. It ruins the tape a lot.
computer generated images , lit. "computer generated images") - still and moving images generated by and used in the visual arts, printing, cinematic special effects, television and simulations. Computer games typically use real-time computer graphics, but CGI-based in-game videos are periodically added as well.Moving images are created by computer animation, which is a narrower area of CGI graphics, applicable, including in cinema, where it allows you to create effects that cannot be obtained using traditional makeup and animatronics. Computer animation can replace the work of stuntmen and extras, as well as scenery.
Story
The first use of computer graphics in a feature film was in Westworld, released in 1973. In the second half of the 1970s, films appeared using elements of three-dimensional computer graphics, including Future World, Star Wars, and Alien. In the 1980s, before the release of the second "Terminator", Hollywood cooled off to computer effects, in particular, due to the more than modest box office "Thron" (1982), entirely built on the use of the latest advances in computer graphics.
In "Jurassic Park" (1993), for the first time, with the help of CGI, it was possible to replace the stuntman; the same film for the first time managed to seamlessly combine CGI (the skin and muscles of dinosaurs were created using computer graphics) with traditional filming and animatronics. In 1995, the first full-length cartoon was released, completely modeled on a computer - Toy Story. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within Us (2001) featured realistic CGI images of people for the first time