Computer Generated Imagery (CGI): The Tech Of Future

Do you also wish to go back in time and watch Interstellar again? The stunning celestial computer-generated imagery (CGI) has mesmerized cinema lovers for years.

Including CGI in your production can facilitate higher audience engagement and better winning opportunities. For the audience that seeks something new, traditional videos might come across as redundant, low-effort, and cluttered with no specific design supervision. 

Choosing the right CGI design with animation software or an AI image generator, can elevate your video graphics to a whole new level!

Without further ado, let's try to break down computer-generated imagery and how you can simulate an immersive experience of a lifetime. 

These computerized graphics are being integrated widely within digital marketing as GTM launches, product teasers and trailers and video gaming launches. 

CGI is used extensively in the entertainment industry because it’s often cheaper than creating elaborate miniatures or hiring extras for crowded scenes. This technology also comes in handy when it’s not safe or even possible to create the visuals needed to bring a story together.

Computer-generated imagery (CG) is a subcategory of visual effects (VFX) that can make your videos more immersive, entertaining, and cohesive. The addition of power-packed features and dynamic transitions can facelift your videos and make an audience attentive to your story. These graphics can enable smooth scene transitioning, scene recognition, and supernatural element inclusion that would create an uninterrupted viewer experience. 

Characteristics of CGI

If you’re interested in spotting CGI effects the next time you’re at the theater or watching television, there are specific characteristics to keep an eye out for.

For instance, films often have 2D computer-generated imagery, like objects, backgrounds, and environments. If it looks too good to be true, it’s likely CGI. The same can be said for 3D objects, created using 3D modeling software, of various figures, spaces, or environments. 

You can also spot computer-generated imagery when a scene tricks you into thinking an illusion is being presented, which can be done with 3D animation. Examples are the 2000 film The Perfect Storm, which showed a small fishing vessel battling severe weather and massive ocean waves. Or the 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which showed Brad Pitt aging backwards.

Source: Wired

Sometimes, bad or sloppy computer animation can be seen when certain objects or environments look artificial or stand out amongst their surroundings. While there are many films you can watch for a good laugh in the CGI department, the 2001 film The Mummy Returns is a classic in terms of GGI gone wrong. 

As a half-man, half-scorpion, the Scorpion King, played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, seems like a good character in theory, but the filmmakers botched it with terrible lighting, rigid movements, and disastrous facial rigging. While the goal was to make the Scorpion King look terrifying, audiences thought the end result was comical.

Source: CBR

History of CGI

The history of CGI technology can be traced back to the 1950s when filmmakers used mechanical computers to create patterns onto animation cels (short for celluloid), which were then incorporated into feature films. The first film to use CGI was Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo in 1958.

The first time a Hollywood film used CGI was in 1973 during Westworld. The scene featured “Gunslinger” vision to show the audience how robots could see. Viewers were so impressed with the film, including these new special effects, that it inspired a sequel, 1976’s Futureworld. 

The success of CGI in these films paved the way for a new fan-favorite movie, Star Wars: A New Hope, in 1977. The film showed a wireframe rendering of the Death Star in hopes of training the Rebel Alliance.

By the end of the 1970s, the use of CGI in films started becoming more popular in science fiction movies, found in films like The Black Hole and Alien, which both featured wireframes and computer graphics. In the 1980s, CGI broadened its reach as it was in the movies Tron in 1982, The Last Starfighter in 1984, Young Sherlock Holmes in 1985, and The Abyss in 1989 – to name a few.

When we think about “the beginning” of CGI as we know it today, we often recall some classic films of the 1990s, like Terminator II, Speed, and the Star Wars Special Editions films 

Arguably, the best CGI during this time was the original Jurassic Park, which debuted in theaters in 1993. Thanks to a mix of different types of video effects, animatronics, CGI, and real characters, dinosaurs were brought to life and wowed the audience in a way that had never been done before. 

Source: Screenrant

In 1995, Disney created the first movie to be completely directed with CGI: Toy Story. Pixar would soon follow their lead with the animated films Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo. 

Then came the 2000s, which accelerated CGI in films even further. For instance, in 2001, Lord of the Rings featured the first CGI character to interact with real actors – the fan favorite Gollum. Thanks to motion capture technology, actor Andy Serkis played Gollum while the CGI version mimicked his movements and facial expressions. 

Source: Polygon

CGI can also be found in all eight Harry Potter films, starting with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in 2001. CGI is in multiple scenes, specifically during the troll scene, Quidditch games, and in the finale when Lord Voldemort is shown to be on the back of Professor Quirrell’s head. 

Source: Screenrant

Fast forward to today. CGI plays an integral part in almost every single motion picture. To put it in perspective, the original Jurassic Park had 63 visual effect shots. In 2012, the film The Avengers had over 2,200 visual effects shots using CGI, and the 2014 film Guardians of the Galaxy used CGI for 2,700 shots, making the film 90% CGI.

Source: Insider

Key roles and departments involved in CGI

For CGI to be visually impressive, it takes a long, challenging, highly technical process. The teams involved in this process are large, and it takes more than one village to ensure the result is truly a work of art. 

• Art department: Members of this team take the director’s vision and the script and create visuals to bring it to the big screen. From artists to illustrators, the design includes storyboards and photorealist art pieces to complete the finished product.
• Pre-visualization artists: Sometimes called pre-viz, these people are the first ones tasked with creating a 3D representation of the final shots. Usually, this involves low-quality versions of action sequences using 3D models. These models help the director plan camera placement during filming.
• Research and development: The R&D team is a technical department that builds software and tools needed that may be too time-consuming for artists to design manually. 
• Asset department: Virtual assets are necessary to create visual effects and are typically created by texture painters, modeling artists, and shader developers. 
• Matchmove: Otherwise known as motion tracking, the matchmove team combines 3D data and live-action footage using a virtual camera. These artists use this live-action footage to create the camera that all departments use for the final cut.
• Animation team: In film, whether it’s big or small, if it moves, it needs to be animated. An animator is always behind the controls getting the movements right.
• FX simulation: The FX artists on the team design FX animation and dynamic simulations to recreate real-world elements, like hair, skin, water, explosions, or fire.
• Matte paint: With the help of chroma key, also known as a  green screen, matte painting uses digital and traditional painting tools to create scenes that would be impossible to shoot in real life.
• Lighting: The right lighting makes or breaks a digital scene, so all light sources need to be considered to mimic an environment as naturally as possible. It’s also important that live-action elements and visual effects blend seamlessly to exist together. 
• Compositing: This team of artists layers all the elements into the final shot to ensure things look as realistic as possible.

Examples of computer-generated imagery in entertainment

While we’ve already mentioned several CGI films, let’s learn from other computer-generated imagery examples in entertainment.

Avatar

You can’t talk about CGI without mentioning the major blockbuster film Avatar. The James Cameron film that hit theaters in 2009 visually stunned audiences with 3D technology, complex 3D models, composition, and environmental detailing.

Source: GQ

Game of Thrones

Television programs use CGI, too – one popular example being Game of Thrones. The show first aired on HBO in 2011 and featured everything from dynamic landscapes, dragons, formerly human ice creators, and other mythical creatures. Various CGI elements were used to get these special effects right, including a green screen, like the example below. 

Source: Insider

Life of Pi

Nominated for eleven Academy Awards (with four wins!) in 2013, Life of Pi tells the story of a young boy who survives a shipwreck only to be stranded in a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger. The computer-generated tiger amazed audiences and helped bring the unique story to life.

Source: Digital Trends

How to learn CGI

If you’re interested in learning how to create computer-generated imagery for your own visual masterpiece, but are unsure where to start, we’re here to help. 

First, you need to learn how to code with web developer software. It’s best to understand the basics of programming languages and how they work with hypertext markup language (HTML) and cascading style sheets (CSS) to create websites. Getting familiar with Javascript by using online tutorials or coding exercises is also going to help you out.

Once you can write code, dabble in various 3D modeling software and animation tools. These will come in handy once you start working on projects that require animation or design skills.

You can also enroll in schools that offer CGI and animation courses. 

Top 5 AI image generation software in 2024

You can also design thumbnails for your videos with AI image generation software. With the help of a few prompts, you can visualize the scenario you wish to create, along with added animations and special effects. These consolidated art generators would help you personalize images or video media with hyper-realistic, quality, and upsized graphics that can give your project a new look and feel. 

It's time to create magic

The power of CGI keeps improving, from beautiful landscapes to crowded scenes to ruthless monsters. If you can dream and design it, you can bring it to life using computer-generated imagery.

Look beyond the traditional realm of art and universalize your designs with top AI image generators in 2024 and bring more impact with less effort.