How computers and special effects have changed film.

James Chambers

• Special effects in early film: were mostly referred to as camera techniques. Most special effects movies with human casts would do some stunts with an alien or a monstrous creature

It also lead to some really funny movies monsters from the 50s

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh-Wz3iEdCM&feature=share&list=PL2AB2306ADB376AC4 watch first couple min of it only.

• With what they had to work with there is only so much you can do. But with the advancements in technology and computers you go from limited capabilities to endless possibilities. Where anything is possible…

• http://youtu.be/W7HBVFDAnnY

• Limits imposed by real world models are gone: Before its introduction, a movie director no matter how creative he is had limitations. The special effects were limited by the robotic creatures, whose movements were obviously limited by the hydraulic machines that powered them and had very high cost.

• In the case of computer graphics, the models are modeled using a graphics workstation. All it takes is a small team of skilled graphic designers and powerful workstations to render the amazing scenes we now have today.

Metadata 1971

• The first experimental key frame film involving freehand drawings, called Metadata, made by artist and animator Peter Foldes in 1971.

• He drew on a data tablet and used the world's first key frame animation software invented by Nestor Burtnyk and Marceli Wein.

• A short clip from it follows

• http://youtu.be/YbPikjjylJ4

• 1977s Futureworld was the first major feature film to use 3D computer-generated imagery “CGI” CGI was used for an animated hand and face. The animated hand was a digitized version of Edwin Catmull's left hand. The film also used 2D digital compositing to materialize characters over a background.

• Notable firsts in CGI• 1977 Star Wars more on it later• 1981s Looker had the first CGI human character,

Cindy. And the first use of 3D shaded CGI.• 1982s Tron was the first on so many fronts and

groundbreaking at the time the idea to make Tron was inspired by the game Pong back in 1976 Most of the scenes, backgrounds, and visual effects in the film were created using Backlit Animation. http://youtu.be/BYTBMOL84XA Tron bike race.

• The 80s also introduced the public to the VHS*

• Film studios tried to take legal action to ban home ownership of Videos.

• Now home video is now a significant "second venue" for exhibition of films, and an additional source of revenue for the film industries.

• Now many movies made will never be seen on a big screen but straight to video/dvd.

With the advent of inexpensive home PC’s and camcorders has led to many homemade films, and assisted in an explosion of independent production companies. Like Troma

Who can forget this handsome devil in his pink Tutu and Mop.

• Toxic Avenger From Troma

George Lucas Companies

By Carrie Hansen

Films Accredited:• The Star Wars Anthology

• Raiders of the Lost Ark

• Howard the Duck

• The Land Before Time

Films Accredited:• Star Wars • Indiana Jones & the Temple of

Doom• The Goonies• Willow• Jurassic Park• Avengers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmPEYssU5vQ&feature=bf_prev&list=LPk4fb_xTq6IA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEP_26Hgwc4&feature=BFa&list=LPk4fb_xTq6IA

Star Wars• The first movie in the original Star Wars Trilogy was shot

with an anamorphic lenses. A technique of capturing a widescreen picture on standard 35mm film.

• Episodes II and III were shot with a high-definition digital camera.

The 1990s

• 1000’s of full length feature films were released within the decade

• Rise of Independent Cinema - as well as Independent Studios (Miramax, LionsGate and Newline)

• Advancements in Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) technology

• Home Theatre had the potential to double films revenue

Action in the early 90s

• Terminator 2 (1991) • Jurassic Park (1993)

Forest Gump (1994)

• Directed by Robert Zemeckis

• Written novel by Winston Groom (1986)

• Grossed 330 million in US and Canada

• 2011 – Selected for preservation in the Library of Congress ‘ National Film Registry

Titanic (1997)• Original release

made 1.8 billion dollars

• With inflation changes it marks as the 5th highest grossing film

• 2012 release brought the film(s) to a profit of 2.1 billion

Disney Renaissance Era• The Little Mermaid (1989)• The Rescuer’s Down Under (1990)• Beauty and the Beast (1991)• Aladdin (1992)• The Lion King (1994)• Pocahontas (1995)• The Hunchback of Notre Dame

(1996)• Hercules (1997)• Mulan (1998)• Tarzan (1999)

• Collectively made 3.9 billion dollars• 6 of of 9 sound tracks went Platinum• Lion King Top Grossing Disney Film at

time - 961 million

The 2000’s

• “Epic” films and comic book films were gaining popularity.

• Pixar started continues success and 8 more movies within the decade

• Documentaries gained popularity – Super Size Me, Fahrenheit 9/11 and An Inconvenient Truth

Pixar Studios

• Collectively made 7 billion dollars

• Finding Nemo, Toy Story 3 and Up are all in the top 50 Highest Grossing Films

• Owned by Disney and helped founded by Steve Jobs

Avatar (2009)

• Directed by James Cameron

• Written in 1994 by Cameron

• 1st film to gross over 2 billion dollars (2.7)

• Re-Release cost a million dollars a minute.