Many
decades ago, animators were artists who drew pictures by hand. Traditional
animation consisted of a whole team of animators who drew and colored images on
a “cell”—transparent celluloid sheets on top of a background image to create a
multi-layered frame. As a result, segments of an image could change from frame
to frame without redrawing the entire picture. By manipulating the drawings in
each layer between frames, animators would create what many adults today
remember as the traditional cartoon.
Computer generated imagery (CGI) is the usage of computer graphics for special effects in movies, printed, and electronic media. The visual scenes may be dynamic or static and may be two-dimensional (2D). The term "CGI" is commonly used to refer to 3D computer graphics used for creating scenes or special effects in films and television.
The use of 2D CGI is often mistakenly referred to as "traditional animation" most often in the case when dedicated animation software such as Adobe Flash or Toon Boom is not used or the CGI is hand drawn using a tablet and mouse. The evolution of CGI led to the emergence of virtual cinematography in the 1990s where runs of the simulated camera are not constrained by the laws of physics.
Did you know…?
·
“Tron” (1982) and “The Last Starfighter”
(1984) were the first two films to make a solid 3D use of CGI. In “Tron” a
hacker was figured into a world of computer where a gladiator-like game is
being played in a circuit like surface. “The Last Starfighter” tells about a
video gaming boy recruited by a visitor from a galaxy being invaded by aliens
requesting to put his gaming skills to the test as that galaxy’s only hope
against total annihilation.
·
CGI started as early as 1973 with a
techno thriller film “Westworld,” written and directed by Michael Crichton.
·
George Lucas’ space epic brainchild
“Star Wars” in 1977 was the third film on the evolution of CGI technology which
featured wireframe Death Star and targeting computers on the X-Wings spaceships
used in the film.
·
In 1976, Edwin Catmull and Fred Parke of
the University of Utah created a CGI hand and face which was featured on
Westworld’s sequel “Futureworld”.
·
In 1979, two films, “The Black Hole” and
“Alien” utilized raster wireframe models to depict the appropriate space
scenario required on the course of the story depicted on the film.
·
In 1982, another two films “Star Trek
II: The Wrath of Khan” and “Tron” were produced which advanced further CGI
developments in film making.
·
The 1991 film “Terminator 2: Judgment
Day” featuring the T-1000 cyborg with shape shifting capability played by
Robert Patrick utilized heavy use of CGI followed by “Beauty and the Beast”
which both earned recognition. The former won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects
and the latter became the first animated film nominated for Best Picture.
·
The 1993 release of “Jurassic Park”
featured CGI dinosaurs synchronized with hydraulically controlled life-sized
puppets. What happened next is history as we see how realistically dinosaurs
came into life before our eyes.
·
The 1995 success of the first fully
computer-generated animated film, “Toy Story” signaled the start of a new era
in film making. Film production companies realized the necessity that enabled
each to establish their own film studios dedicated to carry out CGI
enhancements in films. Thus we learned of “CGI armed” studios like Pixar
(Disney), Blue Sky Studios (20th Century Fox), DNA Productions (Paramount and
Warner Bros), Sony Pictures Animation (Columbia Pictures) and DreamWorks SKG
(founded by the trio of Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen).
·
The film “The Abyss” in 1989 with Mary
Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Ed Harris who were on a deep sea quest to search for
a missing nuclear submarine and coincidentally met a colony of deep sea aliens
featured photo realistic CGI adapted into scenes.
“The nature of the movies is
different than it was five years ago, and they're all driven by the
possibilities of CGI, which means you can make anything happen on screen that
you can possibly desire.” (Tom
Hanks)
[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“10 Facts about Computer Graphics Imagery (CGI)” by Knoji
·
“Computer Generated Imagery (CGI)” by Techopedia
·
“Computer-generated imagery facts for kids” by Kids Encyclopedia Facts
·
“Computer-generated imagery” From Wikipedia
·
“What Is CGI
Animation” by Ryan Dube
CGI can also be used for medical, architectural,
courtroom, and computer animation purposes.
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