Mark Pickavance wrote a great article over at DenofGeek.com titled “Have modern visual effects robbed us of reality?”
This is a common problem among VFX artists. We all got into this industry because we grew up wondering “How did they do that?!” Well now that we do this for a living, we know how they did that! And the ‘movie magic’ that got us addicted in the first place becomes a sacrifice you make to the VFX gods. You just can’t help yourself from saying ‘Wow that rig is great. Look at how the muscles flex and slides under the skin!’ Instead of just saying ‘Wow a Dinosaur!’
It sucks. And we all have our ways of coping. Mine is beer.
But I forget that we’re not the only ones getting that peak behind the curtain. Special Features on DVD’s and internet articles galore, have turned the average movie goer into a relative VFX connoisseur whether they realize it or not. Raising the demand for bigger and better in the next summer blockbuster. But ironically enough, this VFX arms race is hurting the movie industry at it’s core. Or at least that’s what Mark Pickavance proposes.
I personally agree with Mark. I would love to see VFX used when VFX are needed. And not just to polish a turd of a movie. Take last years ‘The Dark Knight’ for example. Christopher Nolan openly expressed his understanding that the best way to use VFX is as the last rung on a latter.
What do I mean by the last rung? Well the first step is get a great story. Without that you’ll just be stuck on the ground floor. The second step is get great actors to tell that story. Then find real locations. And then use practical effects to get as much in-camera as you can. If you try to get it in-camera but it’s just impossible or too unsafe, then and only THEN do you use VFX to fill in the gaps. That’s how VFX are supposed to be used.
But I digress, ha.
Check out Mark Pickavance below and then let me know what you guys think.
Q: Will this VFX arms race end in audiences getting burned out and the demand for VFX declining? Or do you think the industry will see the light and give the audiences what they want…REAL movie magic?
LINK: Have modern visual effects robbed us of reality?
Has the knowledge of how effects technology works and watching the evolution of this art form robbed me now of the ability to just accept what they’re doing without thinking about the deeper reality or inherent lack of it? In some respects it’s like the difference between conventional actors and those who follow the ‘method’ techniques. Some actors learn the lines and just turn up to deliver them, while others insist on inhabiting the character through experiencing physically or emotionally what they’ve gone through.