Saturday, June 8, 2013

A Case Against CGI IV

"Why did I retire? I felt that computer animation was taking over. Everybody seemed to think that computer animation was the thing. Computer animation, I think, is a wonderful tool, but only a tool."
 
-Ray Harryhausen (SciFiNow #80, p.115)-


4 comments:

le0pard13 said...

And for some filmmakers, it's a crutch ;-).

SFF said...

Well said. It's the truth. Wonderful when it is applied sparingly or with great artistry, but when it's neither it's truly dreadful.

Harryhausen's words are those of a true artist to be sure.

Unknown said...

A crutch indeed. Well said! I still think the best use of CGI is in tandem with practical effects as Peter Jackson did so effectively in THE LORD OF THE RINGS movie.s

SFF said...

Amen. I think of films like Sucker Punch, District 9 that approach it with real care. TLOTR is another good one.

But I love those practical effects. I was reading an article on the upcoming Snyder Superman film and apparently much effort was given to build sets and tangible stuff to give it a sense of realism. Again, love the artistry.

It's rare to see something as wonderful as Talos or Trog today for sure.