Practically Speaking

If you’re a big fan of movies, particularly horror and sci-fi, you’ve probably taken a position on whether or not movies should use CGI (computer-generated imagery) or practical effects (which include prosthetics, animatronics, models and miniatures). Personally, I am a HUGE fans of practical effects.  That being said, I understand that there are things that you […]

The Pitfalls of Motion Capture

Special effects have come a long way in the past 30 years.  They’ve evolved from practical elements rotoscoped together to digital effects that stitched together with the power of computer editing.  The increasing power and speed of computers means that computers are able to create complex worlds that take up terabytes of data like James Cameron’s “Avatar” […]

The State of Special Effects

Above is a video of a partial animatronic (a covered skeletal armature that use various methods to mimic the motion of a human, animal, or imaginary being) test for the movie “I Am Legend” from Steve Johnson FX.  It was not used in the final film, though considering the designs that were, is disappointing.