Here Is What Your Favorite Shows and Movies Look Like Before They Got The CGI Treatment
Movie effects sure have changed a lot over the years. Stop-motion is no longer the king when it comes to animation. Film and television shows are now able to show us some truly extravagant scenes that will blow your socks off! In this day and age, it seems like you can bring just about anything to life. It does not matter if you want to see the coolest action sequences or impressive mythical creatures. With CGI, everything is possible! Behind the scenes, however, things are a little different. Let’s take a look at what actually happens on the set before the editors come in to save the day!
Flying In The Matrix
One of the most famous scenes in The Matrix involves the characters flying. This would not have been brought to life without the SFX team. Here, you can see the dots and lines that helped them do this. Let us not forget about the harnesses the actors are wearing as well! When it was time to edit, they had to make those things disappear. How awesome is that?
Shin Godzilla in Real Life
If we did not know any better, we would have thought Godzilla was real. This is a testament to the hard work that the SFX team has put into this movie.
Shin Godzilla in Real Life
The creative team also added realism by adding CGI to practical shots like the tank and the bridge. The water and lighting definitely made the mood that much better!
The Tiger in Life of Pi
Of course, you only need to use your common sense to figure out that they did not actually use a tiger to shoot the movie. However, the more naïve among us might still think they did.
The Tiger in Life of Pi
The realistic tiger made a huge impact on the film. However, we are even more impressed by the actor after seeing this picture. Who would have thought he was looking at this blue thing the whole time?
Iron Man in The Avengers
Movie fans will be interested to see this! What do you think? Should these scenes be made entirely in CGI? Or should they try to put the real actor in there?
Iron Man in The Avengers
It is hard to answer such questions, although what we do know is that the editors in charge worked hard to make this scene as perfect as it was. Good job, you guys!
Rocket in Guardians of the Galaxy
We adore Rocket the Raccoon, but he would not have been as beloved if they had not used motion capture to bring him to life.
Rocket in Guardians of the Galaxy
The method gave the character depth and humanity that would have been impossible with traditional CGI. None of us had any idea that this was what the scene looked like on the set.
The Background in Boardwalk Empire
It can be hard to find the best locations for films. Sometimes, they have to manipulate the environment to suit the needs of the scene. In this case, they wanted to use old buildings.
The Background in Boardwalk Empire
The SFX team decided to turn the other apartments into the open sea with ships to boot. This is a great choice because this background left a lasting impression on its viewers!
Fire in X-Men: Days of Future Past
Fire effects are important in sci-fi and even action films. Luckily, they have vastly improved over the years. As you can see here, we can see just how intense this scene was!
Fire in X-Men: Days of Future Past
Of course, it makes sense to use CGI on something that can cause so much damage. We are glad to hear that actors are no longer put in dangerous situations for the sake of their art.
The Backgrounds in The Hobbit
Some fans did not like the CGI they used in the film because the Lord of the Rings trilogy accomplished so much without relying on effects. At any rate, it made the movie feel more whimsical.
The Backgrounds in The Hobbit
The film was largely shot inside studios, so they had to replace the skylines too. Despite the limited sets, they created some breathtakingly beautiful scenes!
The Dragons In Game of Thrones
It is sad, but dragons are not real. However, this did not stop people from getting thrilled over the mythical creatures in Game of Thrones. In the show, they looked so real!
The Dragons in Game of Thrones
This shows us exactly what Emilia Clarke had been stroking. No dragon here, just a green screen plushy.
Davy Jones In Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Motion capture appears to be getting more and more common in this day and age. However, we have yet to see anything that can compete with the Davy Jones performance delivered by Bill Nighy.
Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
It is hard to make a character that looks like this. We are glad that the SFX team got to show everyone what they could do by bringing this amazing character to life.
The Set For Alice in Wonderland
It is not unusual for films to be made entirely in CGI. Take the Alice in Wonderland movies for example. The only thing that stayed the same from the set to the final cut was the dress!
The Set for Alice in Wonderland
It shows the talent of both the editors and cast members. That’s dedication if we ever saw it.
The Rapids In Oz the Great and Powerful
There are times when scenes are simply too dangerous to enact in real life. If you want an example, look at the rapids scene in Oz the Great and Powerful.
The Rapids in Oz the Great and Powerful
The actor was actually in a moving rig that simulates the choppy effects of the water. They used the blue screen here!
The Background In 300
When used right, green screen animation can help make the film look more amazing. Sometimes, it is more about the details than anything particularly spectacular.
The Background in 300
They only added the gloomy sky post-production, but we like the effect it had on the scene! Talk about atmospheric.
Caesar In Rise of Planet of the Apes
The latest Planet of the Apes film would not have been the same if it were not for these incredible effects.
Caesar in Rise of Planet of the Apes
Together with the amazing performance delivered by Andy Serkis, the motion-capture effect made it feel a lot more realistic.
Jacob In Twilight: New Moon
Clearly, you need to use CGI when you want to depict something that does not exist in real life.
Jacob in Twilight: New Moon
However, it says a lot about the talent of the SFX team when the members of the audience start to wonder where they found such a big wolf to play Jacob’s werewolf form!
Thanos In Avengers: Infinity War
The hardest part of being in a motion capture SFX team is balancing the animation and the expressions made by the actor.
Thanos In Avengers: Infinity War
We are sure the team was glad that Josh Brolin can make such distinct expressions! That probably made things somewhat easier.
Explosions In The Avengers
Lots of stunts have since been replaced by special effects, as you can see from these comparison shots.
Explosions in The Avengers
Of course, we are glad that film crews are making things safer for everyone involved! If this had been real, we are sure our favorite stars would have gotten injured one way or another.
Sandra Bullock in Gravity
Did you think that Sandra Bullock had been hovering in space? We don’t blame you. It looked so real!
Sandra Bullock in Gravity
However, the truth is that they had to use costumes and sets to mimic zero gravity. How cool is this?!
The Wall in Game of Thrones
We know that the scenes that happened in The Wall look way too chilly, but they were actually shot indoors! No, they were not freezing to death when they worked on those scenes.
The Wall in Game of Thrones
This likely makes you wonder how much of what you are watching is CGI and how much is the real thing.
Robots in Elysium
Not everyone is happy that they used SFX for robotic suits like this one. However, the results were great!
Robots in Elysium
You can see the black and white straps on the suits that let the SFX team edit it to their hearts’ desire.
The Ruins in The Avengers
No, they did not destroy actual cities for these scenes in the movie. Although they had to add some props on the set, most of the background does not exist.
The Ruins in The Avengers
Where would we be without the SFX team? They did a great job of showing us a city in ruins!
Andy Serkis and Rise of Planet of the Apes
Motion capture is truly a fascinating process. We do not know how, but we are sure that it will become even better in the future.
Andy Serkis and Rise of Planet of the Apes
In the series of films, the team managed to transfer the performance delivered by Serkis into the face of a non-human character.
Quidditch in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
The wizarding world would not have been convincing without the talented special effects team.
Quidditch in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
We have all wanted to play Quidditch, so this is a bit of a downer. Still, we cannot deny that they were able to make the flying broomstick sport look believable.
Just About Everything in Ender’s Game
Sometimes, it seems like people do not give the SFX team enough credit for the work they do.
Just About Everything in Ender’s Game
This photo will put them in place. Can you believe they made the second one based on the first one?!
The Hulk in The Avengers
The Hulk is yet another CGI-dependent character in the franchise. Take a look at this photo for proof. Whoa. Can you believe how different these two shots look?
The Hulk in The Avengers
That big marshmallow suit is not intimidating at all. Quite the opposite, even. Thank goodness for CGI!
The Mountains in 300: Rise of an Empire
If you ask us, we really do appreciate the subtle special effects simply only enhance the scene.
The Mountains in 300: Rise of an Empire
The mountain in the background was not there, but it made such a huge difference between the shots!
Raptors in Jurassic World
The raptor squad has already been featured in a number of memes, but we are sure everyone would get a laugh out of this photo as well.
Raptors in Jurassic World
Here are the raptor heads and body frames controlled by puppeteers. CGI and traditional acting still make the best combination out there.
Motion Capture in Avatar
Avatar is yet another movie that relied a lot on CGI. Without motion capture, it would have been a completely different film!
Motion Capture in Avatar
You can see here that there were several stages in the process. It’s pretty interesting to see, right? Now you know just how much work goes into these things.
Details in Ender’s Game
Can you believe the amount of detail they added during the post-production stage of filming? It is certainly impressive! It is hard to believe none of the razzle-dazzle had been there, to begin with.
Details in Ender’s Game
Essentially, only the head, arms, and torso stayed the same. Everything else got the CGI treatment! The more you know.
The Walls in 300
There are times when the budget does not permit you to travel somewhere else. It can be a logistics nightmare to move everyone and everything around. CGI comes handy in times like this.
The Walls in 300
Nearly everything was present here already, but they still had to give the background a little boost! We love the effect of the end result. How neat is that?
The Background in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Look at just how different these two photos are! It is so hard to believe that they are the same shot.
The Background in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
If you want to improve the background, you can add a thing or two or even more to make it perfect! The second photo does look a lot more magical than the first one did.
Flying in Superman Returns
There are so many great images from films that do not receive the credit it deserves. We bet you had no idea that the shot of Superman flying through the air was shot this way. What a fascinating photo!
Flying in Superman Returns
The SFX team had to work on both their computers and on the ground to make it look realistic. How crazy is this?
The Dog in I Am Legend
Yep, they also used a green screen to work on the smaller details. Not many people give CGI animals a lot of thought, but they are important in certain films. Real animals can be dangerous, after all.
The Dog in I Am Legend
The guy was wearing a green suit so that they can add the rest of the dog during post-production.
The Map in The Hunger Games
When you make universes with futuristic technology, filmmakers need to use our current technology to bring these things to life.
The Map in The Hunger Games
Here, you can see that the actors were only manipulating a regular table. After post-production, it turned into this amazing map.
More Robots in Elysium
We bet you thought they simply created the CGI robots out of nowhere, but that is not true.
More Robots in Elysium
In reality, they had to use motion capture to depict them on the big screen. This method is often used to make the movements more realistic.
Buildings in Avengers: Infinity War
Did you think that practical settings are always shot on location? Well, you would be wrong. There are times when it is more convenient to recreate these places on the set instead.
Buildings in Avengers: Infinity War
The set was partially added to the photo, which gives it a sense of realism. Nonetheless, we have to applaud the SFX team for seamlessly editing these shots.
The Suit in Iron Man
Iron Man is recognizable by the iconic suit that he wears. However, RDJ was not wearing it in its full glory when they were filming the movie! Nope, they only added in the cool features later on.
The Suit in Iron Man
When it comes to these things, it is much easier for the team to simply make a realistic suit and then give it a facelift during the post-production part of the project.
The Famous Shot in The Walking Dead
This must be one of the most recognizable shots from the TV show! Who would have thought that this was what it looked like when they shot it?! Wow, we never would have thought that this was the case.
The Famous Shot in The Walking Dead
The horse, the actor, and the background were there. However, they had to use CGI effects to show that the character was on his way to Atlanta. This just goes to show that things are never what they seem.
The Dock in The Wolf of Wall Street
Whoa, we cannot believe what we are seeing in this photo! Who would have thought that there was actually no water there when they shot this scene? The dock was only a product of the imagination.
The Dock in The Wolf of Wall Street
Are you wondering why they decided to use SFX for something that looks so simple? Well, it is not always possible to shot on location for a number of reasons. That’s why they resorted to using a green screen.
The Fire Portal in Doctor Strange
You do not need to be a rocket scientist to figure out they made the fire portal using special effects.
The Fire Portal in Doctor Strange
For this shot, the filmmakers decided to be practical about it. They had to digitize the scene behind the fire portal, so this is how they decided to go about it! How seamless is this? Good job, you guys.
Molten Lava in Terminator Genisys
SFX teams working on modern projects have accomplished things that seemed impossible in the past. We doubt film editors of the past could have made this molten lava effect seem so realistic!
Molten Lava in Terminator Genisys
They managed to do this by putting small dots on the actor’s face to identify where to put the effects in.
Background in 300: Rise of an Empire
It is no secret that shooting on location can deal a huge blow to the budget for the film. That is why many projects decide to use green screen instead. No one wants to deal with pesky people, right?
Molten Lava in Terminator Genisys
For the crew, using SFX to capture this scene was more convenient. They only had to edit the mountainous background and moody lighting.
Fire in San Andreas
Practical fire and explosion effects are not unheard of, but it is often much preferable to use SFX for these scenes. That was what happened in this shot.
Fire in San Andreas
As you can see here, the main rubble was present on the set for realism. However, everything that might be dangerous had been added during post-production.
Characters in Alice in Wonderland
There is no way to show fully fleshed out fantastical characters and creatures without using CGI! As you can see here, Tweedledee, Tweedledum, and the Knave of Hearts came to life this way.
Characters in Alice in Wonderland
When it came to the actual filming, the actors had to don large green screen suits. The editors only added in the details later on.
Robots in Robocop
The robotics character here shows us just how different it was on the set of the show. We certainly remember the second one instead of the first one when we watched the film.
Robots in Robocop
Do you see the bands on the arms and shoulders of the actor? This allowed the SFX team to keep an eye on the body movements. They later used this during the post-production period.
The Tiger in Life of Pi Again
The tiger in Life of Pi was a star in its own right. This must the reason it is so hard to believe that there was absolutely nothing in its place in certain parts of the film. Whoa.
The Tiger in Life of Pi Again
Looking at this photo offers us a great way to appreciate just what the SFX can do for a movie. The background is a thing of wonder as well!
Digital Controls in Man of Steel
It is easy to forget that some things are impossible when you watch a film with amazing special effects.
Digital Controls in Man of Steel
In the photo above, you will notice that the digital controls were not in the ‘before’ shot. Yup, they only filled it in after filming this scene.
The Characters in Space Jam
Yup, this classic movie is guilty of using the green screen too. Did you think that Michael Jordan was alone during filming? Nope, he was always with green screen performers during these scenes!
The Characters in Space Jam
Well, this is definitely a new way to look at the zany film. How crazy is this?!
Effects in Robocop
We have to say that the first photo does not look intimidating at all. It is only a street with some debris, right?
Effects in Robocop
Of course, this was not the final product. When it was time to premiere the movie, that scene looked like the third photo instead!
Working on the Tiger in Life of Pi
Here is an early progression of our beloved tiger from the movie. The SFX team cannot simply make something out of nothing. These effects must be created layer by layer.
Working on the Tiger in Life of Pi
When it comes to this one, you will notice that there is a grid below the tiger. This helped them understand the musculature and bone structure of the beast!
These Shots from Robocop
If we did not know any better, we would have thought that these two shots were taken from different films! Who would have thought that they were the same shot?! Whoa, they look nothing alike.
These Shots from Robocop
This let the filmmakers use the space for a different thing altogether. It allowed them to have a frame of reference for the things they added during the post-production period. Just look at the rings on the floor, for example. You might not think it, but the first shot was actually very helpful for them.