Computer generated images (CGI) and 3D animation have injected a whole new dimension in movies. The concept of animation and CGI to create visual effects is not new, but post Avatar, the use of this technology has been visible abundantly. It created a whole new standard for visual effects in the movie industry.
Extensive use of CGI can be witnessed in movies like Life of Pi, Lord of the Rings series, Harry Potter series, John Carter, Adventures of Tintin and most recently The Jungle Book. The technology not only helps to create realistic accidents, or stunts but also makes one believe in the existence of blue-beings on another planet who resemble real humans on earth!
“It is a good opportunity for CG artists as they get greater chances and good pay packs. But personally I feel that the growing focus on CG and VFX have diluted the themes and stories in movies these days. Recently released The Jungle Book also seems to be a portfolio of CG and VFX, rather than an entertaining movie for children,” says Bhaswar Bhattacharya, professor of Animation and Graphic Design at NSHM Knowledge Campus, Kolkata.
The boons of performance capture or motion capture and skull caps have actually enabled animated creatures to give realistic facial expressions in movies. This not only makes the animated creature look smarter but also makes one believe in the scenes onscreen. The realistic facial expressions in Avatar had been achieved through skull caps fitted tightly over the heads of the characters and cameras attached directly in front of them.
“Mocap is done through the use of sensors on a real character’s body, tracing the body movements and actions for the animated character in a movie or video game,” said animation student Abhishek Bhattacharjee. When asked about the career prospects in the field of CGI animation in cinema, Abhishek added, “With every passing year, more and more movies are coming out with extensive use of VFX and 3D animation. Therefore the future holds good for students learning this subject, as the industry seems to be demanding more interested and specialised artists for CGI works. Not only movies but also the gaming industry is in high demand for animation artists. Basically the career prospect is growing.”
Rajnikanth’s Kochadaiiyaan has been the only Indian movie based on motion capture till date. Several Indian films, mostly South Indian films have been using CGI extensively for the past few years; one of the best examples would be Baahubali. Not only movies, but also most of the video games are based on motion capture. This technology is used for numerous reasons- to recreate massive accident or destruction scenes, to create imaginary and different looking beings, to create real animals and make the audience believe all of these with minute details of wet skin/fur, wrinkles, morsels of destroyed articles etc.
The use of computer graphics dates back to the early 1940s, with the first use of chroma screen. Back then it was considered to be a magical effect, while now it is extremely common and user-friendly. With the advent of time and fast growing technology, photorealism, 3D animation, CGI and motion capture stepped in and made today’s movie industries across the world the way it is today.