Over the past year, Hollywood has been grappling with a noticeable exhaustion when it comes to CGI. Critic after critic has condemned big-budget films for their excessive reliance on computer-generated effects. Richard Brody of The New Yorker criticized Ant-Man 3 for taking away the life from its animated elements, while Ellen E Jones of The Guardian claimed that CGI rendered Little Mermaid devoid of life. Netflix rom-com You People made headlines when it was revealed that the final kiss scene was achieved through CGI, and actor Christian Bale expressed his disdain for working exclusively in front of green screens on the set of Thor: Love & Thunder.
In what appears to be a response to the CGI fatigue, 2023 has brought forth a wave of films that heavily rely on practical effects. Greta Gerwig employed techniques reminiscent of silent films and soundstage musicals to bring her vibrant vision of Barbieland to life. Christopher Nolan reconstructed Oppenheimer’s Trinity test using miniatures, while Christopher McQuarrie took filmmaking to new heights by hoisting a train carriage 80ft into the air for a stomach-churning stunt in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Even indie films are joining in on the fun, with Wes Anderson transforming a piece of Spanish farmland into a fully-functional town for Asteroid City, Ari Aster creating a “penis monster” entirely out of prosthetics in Beau Is Afraid, and the horror film Talk to Me earning praise for its gory and unsettlingly realistic prosthetics.
Film historian Pamela Hutchinson believes that this wave of practical-effects-driven films comes after a period where CGI was seen as the answer to all possibilities. Now that we know what can be accomplished with computer-generated effects, there is a certain level of distrust and weariness towards it. Hutchinson argues that seeing something crafted with care and attention, like the Barbieland set, is refreshing in a world where everything can be done on a computer.
For Gerwig, it was a given that her film would rely on in-camera techniques rather than CGI. Set decorator Katie Spencer and production designer Sarah Greenwood, known for their work on period films, joined the project to help bring Gerwig’s vision to life. Gerwig wanted to pay homage to classic films such as Jacques Tati’s Playtime and those made in the 1940s by Powell and Pressburger.
Greenwood emphasizes the importance of touch in children’s play and how Gerwig wanted to convey that the toys in the movie were real and tangible. The use of old-school techniques, such as a transition sequence that echoes the style of the 1910s, created an infectious quality on set. Cast and crew found themselves drawn to the miniature studio and transitions, finding joy in the process. This sense of ownership and pride in the film extends beyond those directly involved in its creation.
While Barbie embraced practical effects to evoke the feeling of playtime, other films seem to take pride in real-life techniques as a response to the increasing influence of AI in Hollywood. The latest Mission Impossible film sees Tom Cruise facing off against an all-seeing AI called “the entity,” mirroring Cruise’s real-life efforts to caution against the use of AI in filmmaking. The use of practical effects, juxtaposed with CGI, helps reinforce the promise to the audience that there are authentic elements within the film.
However, it’s important to note that this emphasis on practical effects doesn’t mean that there are no VFX involved. Films like Oppenheimer, despite their practical effects, still rely on VFX to enhance certain scenes. While audiences may not fully believe that everything they see is real, they appreciate the connection and the recognition of the artistry behind the sets and scenery. Film-making encompasses so much more than just computer-generated images, and there is a desire to return to the craftsmanship and artistry that goes into creating a film.
Greenwood is pleased to see that there is still an audience for practical effects and the work she and her team do. While it may be painstaking, she believes it is much more enjoyable than relying solely on hundreds of VFX artists working in the dark. The emphasis on practical effects brings back the joy and fun in the filmmaking process.
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