Recently, I have watched a behind-the-scene footage of the new film with Sandra Bullock entitled ‘Gravity’ on YouTube. The film has a great visual artistry, but almost all space views are breathtaking, aren’t they? Anyhow, I want to write today a little bit about special effects in movies.
Nowadays it is hard to imagine a Hollywood movie without a tons of special effects. But how did it all start? In the beginning small mock-ups were built and movements of strange creatures were achieved by stop-motion photography which uses realistic puppets or models that are manipulated and photographed one frame at a time. It was a really toilsome, wasn’t it?
New technologies in the early nineties enabled the creation of stunning effects. Yet, they were very expensive and only films with huge budgets could afford them. I can make a bet that most of us remember “Titanic” by James Cameron. However, although computers were extensively used, many scenes were created with mock-ups: For instance, the first minutes of the movie, where the Titanic wreck was explored by scientists:
Mock-ups were also used in scenes where the ship was going down but real-sized scenography was built in a port.
Often, computers are mixed with real scenography and f/x make-up. But sometimes it’s quite the contrary and all scenes are computer generated. Sometimes, even already dead actors can star in a movie or commercial:
The evolution of special effects can be observed in movie series like Stars Wars or Harry Potter. In the mentioned titles special effects are in everything, from scenography, spells and make-up. Those films involves pyrotechnics and computer generated effects.
Closely connected with special effects is make-up art. For instance, in the TV series “The walking dead” most of the actors who played zombies had prosthetics, that imitated peeling skin.
BTW zoombie is recently quite a popular Halloween make-up, isn’t it?
In recent years, we can watch films that are fully generated in computers. Probably all of us have heard of “Avatar” movie, which in my opinion looked great but the screenplay was unfortunately poor….Going back to the Gravity movie, even though the action takes places in just one location, all the scenography was computer generated. Actors were hung in one place and quick movement illusions were achieved by changing the backgrounds and camera tracking. I think such scenes with almost no props demand from an actor a great imagination and the ability to precisely learn choreography.
Questions:
- Do you pay attention to special effects in movies?
- Do you agree that good special effects are those which are unnoticeable?
- Do you think that a good movie should have special effects?
- Do you think that bad special effects could result in a film flopping?
Ok, starts with:
ReplyDelete1) I do pay attention. And awnsering the second: I hate when I notice parts where special effects where specially made (with computer) and it's very noticable...
3) I don't think that. Good movie doesn't need special effects but it's really hard to find one now....
4) I think so... or if special effects are intentionally bad-made, that could be cool :)
Yes, I do pay attention to special effects. I am the one who tries hard not to scream "AWW, PARTICLES!" when I'm in cinema. But the truth is that good effects are unnoticeable - the best example is the last "Girl with a Dragon Tattoo" movie. A typical movie watcher would never say that this movie is so packed with SFX, but in almost every scene there are buildings added in the background and a heavy post-processing applied. That being said, every movie could use some special effects to make it look better. These days it's crazy cheap, too, so it's sometimes more financially wise to stay on Polish beach while wanting to take some shots on Bahamas, just add some 3D palms and reef and voila. ;)
ReplyDeleteBad special effects are the most fun part in class B movies. Google "Who Killed Captain Alex" and you'll see yourself.
Well, maybe nowadays only visual part of a film is able to sell tickets? If effects are good then we are more likely to focus on a story but if they are bad, then they make us laughing which is also good, right?
ReplyDelete@Martyna, I think the mentioned movie is not even a class B, but C or D ;)
I don't pay attention to special effects in the movies. The only case I did was with the movie "Avatar", because the graphics prowess was so groundbreaking. After that, nothing is really that impressive. I don't like explosions, things flying all around in the movies because I don't like such movies. I pay attention to the quality of animation though - if you can even call it a special effect.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the realism of a movie, so it's not something that I can pay attention in particular - it's paradoxically something I WOULDN'T pay attention to that would make the movie more worth watching for me - whether there are no obvious flaws, rather than whether the special effects were flashy enough.
I think that movies are divided into two parts: those based on special effects and movies made rather to make the watching people more interested in the storyline. I pay attention to special effects, it's nice to watch something that looks almost-perfect. In the other hand movies from the first mentioned category (like Avatar) are in my opinion just bad (especially that I hate 3D movies). Good movie should have good story as first, good special effects are important but only when first point is achieved. Bad special effects usually can destroy movie but sometimes they can even improve the final effect (here, I think about ridiculous parodies).
ReplyDeleteAs most pay attention to special effects in movies. Special effects are important for the film, give emotions and enhance the viewer experience.But more important is that do not overdo with these special effects.
ReplyDeleteWhen is too much computer effects movie looks like cartoon.
However, many years ago people made movies witout any special effects and some of them are really great.However, many years ago people was making movies without any special effects and some of them are really great.
Quite a nice subject I must admit. Personally I can always appreciate good special effests. But I am a graphic designer so I tend to think about visual effects all the time. According to your second question, I agree that they should be unnoticeable but also breathtaking. When I watch them I want to be like : Wow!
ReplyDeleteDoes a good movie should have special effects? It depends on the movie. If it is an action cinema I cannot imagine it without the special effects, but if its is something like Polansky or Woody Allen would direct - it doesn't need it.
Nowadays we have so many long movies filled with both action and special effects so it is nice to watched something based on bright and interesting dialogs.
Bad special effects can easily ruin the movie, so it is better not to have them at all than have bad ones.
I must admit that I am a huge Harry Potter fun - according to the video you have inserted in this post . This is a story about a wizzard. So it would not be possible to create this movie without the special effects. Recently I've watched an interview with the director of that movie and he said that it is a blessing for them that special effects technology is developing so fast because they can really do the magic:D
@martynazych - I am glad that you have mentioned the "Girl wit the Dragon Tatoo" I was supposed to do it myself but I noticed you were quicker:P After seeing this movie I was so suprised to discover that it was filled with special effects!
@piotrk - I agree that special effets sell tickets - did you know wich movie was the bestseller in the USA? - The Transformers - movie so filled with special effects that it is almost impossible to beat that:P
To the authos of this post:
If you are interested in special effects I am super you will appreciate "300: rise of the empire" - you can fing the trailer on the youtube:)
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ReplyDeleteNowadays we can find special effects in almost every single movie. They became quite an inseparable element of the show. I do pay attention to them, but as many of you wrote in the comments, I think that the best effects should be unnoticeable.
ReplyDeleteI rather don't watch the movie for the special effects only, I'm more interested in the storyline and acting. But I must admit that some effects are truly breathtaking and seem to be real. Of course, there are movies that just don't need many special effects and the ones that have too many of them. The key is to find the moderation.
Do you pay attention to special effects in movies?
ReplyDeleteYes I do. There a many movies that I ranked as good based on the effort of visual / special effects.
Do you agree that good special effects are those which are unnoticeable?
I can agree only in some extension. Some special effects can look very natural. However knowing the ability of film production we can define which effects were special or not.
Do you think that a good movie should have special effects?
Do you think that bad special effects could result in a film flopping?
Its all depends what kind of movie it is. If its a action movie or perhaps fantasy... special effect its a must. We do not expect to see special effects in some kind of movies. Film without special effects can also be a good movie.
I see that most of us do pay attention to special effects in movies. Of course they appear in films with different intensity.
ReplyDelete@Izabela, I am not surprise that The Transformers was a best-seller. Regarding "Girl wit the Dragon Tatoo", I have heard that the film didn't earn as much as it was expected to. Pity... The story based on great Stieg Larson's book and as you say cool special effects. I wonder if they're planing to produce a sequel...
Special effects are always a great additive to a good movie however special effects alone don’t make any a movie good. The only problem is when a good movie is destroyed by crappy effects and where your attention is being pulled away from the plot because you see that the scenes are not consistent; in this matter special effects are very important.
ReplyDeleteIn some way it’s true that good special effects are those which are unnoticeable since they just compose well with the entire experience of the film.
I love a good special effects. Fantastic thing is to sit on the couch in front of a large screen television or in the cinema and watching science fiction or fantasy movies :). At the beginning I wrote 'good' special effects. Unfortunately, it happens that the effects are just ridiculous. And then all the magic is gone :(. Surely everyone knows the star wars. I remind you that this movie is almost 30 years
ReplyDeleteand is the best example of the great effects! It's not just computer animation is an art and most things made by hand. So this is it!
Right, special effects in Star Wars still can draw attention. Similarly, Jurassic Park, I think.
ReplyDelete@PiotrK - The Transformer are so dull comapring to the "Girl wit the Dragon Tatoo"…..I myself am a huge fun of both books and movies based on that story. They were supposed to make a sequel but because of the fact that you have mentioned they gave up that idea - at least that' what I heard.
ReplyDeleteBut you can watch a swedish version of the movie. They made all three parts….:)
Most of movie i watch for their special effect. That can made movie amazing or.... funny or in worst option just lame. Movies with special effect are more dynamic, and interestic. For me movie without it are a little boring...in ours times almost all movie have it.
ReplyDeleteI love films esspecialy with really good computer effect. It amazing what people can create this time.