Magic exists in the form of visual effects. While most movies these days use some level of CGI, not all are worthy of the excellence awarded to those who successfully distort the boundaries between reality and fantasy. One such worthy candidate is James Cameron's Avatar franchise. With groundbreaking visual effects and cinematic technologies, Avatar is a sure bet when it comes to the art of VFX.
Technology in the movie world is constantly developing and with it comes new and inventive ways of bringing stories alive. However, it is important to remember and acknowledge the VFX's of the past that served as pioneers in the visual effects world. From CGI to motion capturing, here are visual effects from movies that deserve to be held in the same regard as the Avatar Franchise.
'Life of Pi' (2012)
Pi's (Suraj Sharma) family sets sail for Canada to start a fresh life after their family business, a zoo, fails. A fierce and devastating storm strikes one night while they're aboard their ship in the middle of the ocean, sinking nearly everything Pi holds dear. Along with some of their zoo animals, including a ferocious Bengal tiger, he survives in a lifeboat. Pi and the tiger form an unlikely bond during their quest to survive, which provides him daily inspiration to live.
The spectacular visual effects in Life of Pi, including the tiger Richard Parker, a hail of flying fish, a phosphorescent whale, and the island of meerkats, received high accolades from critics. Three-quarters of the final film's images were made by Bill Westenhofer and his team, with the rest being entirely original creations.
'Transformers' (2007)
Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), a teenager, buys his first car without realizing that it is actually an alien robot. Other aliens have also landed On earth. In search of the Allspark, Optimus Prime and a gang of other transforming robots have arrived. The Autobots and Optimus Prime aren't the only aliens to show up, though. The Allspark is sought after by the Decepticons as well, and they will stop at nothing to obtain it, even if it means destroying the entire planet.
Motor magicians at George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) had been balancing the demands of reality (studio budgets, GM sponsorship) with the constraints of turning a real car into a transforming robot for two years to build one of the most meticulous, and possibly most credible, effects achievement.
'The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' (2005)
Based on C.S. Lewis' novel of the same name, the four Pevensie children flee their town because of the bombings of WWII. Taken in by an elderly professor, the children find themselves playing a game of hide-and-seek. The youngest child, Lucy (Georgie Henley), finds a wardrobe to hide in. It is in the back of the wardrobe she finds the magical land of Narnia. But with her discovery comes battles with all sorts of wicked creatures, a talking lion named Aslan (Liam Neeson) and an evil witch (Tilda Swinton).
Over 1000 of the 1670 effects in Narnia were intricate CGI characters. There were around 40 different species of beasts, in addition to CGI landscapes and sets. Not to forget the spectacular effects surrounding Aslan the lion. Definitely ahead of its time.
Rogue One (2016)
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The Rebellion's fight against the Empire appears to be lost when they learn that the Death Star, a brand-new super weapon, is in the hands of their enemies. When a potential flaw in the Death Star's construction is discovered, an unlikely team of ex-criminals and rebels embark on a desperate quest to steal the structure's blueprints. Their success now determines the fate of the entire galaxy.
Nearly 1,700 visual effects shots from ILM are included in Rogue One, including photorealistic digital recreations of the late Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher. A level of grounded gritty realism not seen in the saga for a long time is present in the VFX and action set pieces.
'War for the Planet of the Apes' (2017)
The penultimate end of the trilogy follows Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes as they are compelled to engage in a deadly battle with a human army under the command of a merciless Colonel. Following the apes' unfathomable losses, Caesar struggles with his darker impulses and sets off on his own mythical journey to exact revenge on behalf of his species.
Andy Serkis is best known for his performance capture roles comprising motion capture acting, animation, and voice work for computer-generated characters. If you see him cast in a film you know that you are in store for amazing visuals.
Dune (2021)
In Dune, a mythical and deeply moving hero's journey, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), a brilliant and gifted young man born into a vast destiny beyond his comprehension, must journey to the most deadly planet in the cosmos to protect the future of his family and his people.
Led by Production VFX Supervisor, Paul Lambert, alongside DNEG VFX Supervisors Tristan Myles, and Brian Connor, the VFX team behind Dune contributed to 28 sequences and nearly 1,200 VFX shots of the film’s 1,700 total. Due to close collaboration on all fronts, the visual effects crew ensured that all post-production work remained as believable as possible with each element specifically designed to bring photorealism to the table.
'Blade Runner 2049' (2017)
The Los Angeles Police Department's newest Blade Runner, Officer K (Ryan Gosling), discovers a long-buried truth that might potentially throw what's left of civilization into turmoil. He embarks on a search to locate Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), a former Blade Runner who has been lost for 30 years, as a result of his discoveries.
The sequel's success was greatly influenced by the original movie's tone and aesthetic, as well as by the sequel's willingness to delve deeper into that world. Framestore and VFX Supervisor John Nelson collaborated to create a futuristic film that pays tribute to the original image while also requiring demanding animation work and large-scale CGI landscape designs.
Ex Machina (2014)
Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson), a 26-year-old programmer at the biggest online corporation in the world somehow wins a contest for a week at Nathan (Oscar Isaac), the business's reclusive CEO's private mountain hideaway. When he arrives, Caleb finds out that he has to take part in a bizarre and exciting project where he must communicate with Ava (Alicia Vikander), the first true artificial intelligence in the world.
Despite Ex Machina's Miniscule budget, the VFX team at DNEG worked miracles and delivered a beautifully realistic piece of visual art. With a combination of conceptual painting and 3D models, the design of Ava was not based on other androids but on a collection of images of Formula One car suspensions, high-end road bicycles, lightweight aircraft airframes, human anatomy, and procedural sculpture.
'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest' (2006)
Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is reminded he owes a debt to Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), who captains the flying Dutchman, a ghostly ship, with a crew from hell. Facing the "locker" Jack must find the heart of Davy Jones to save himself.
ILM decided it was time for something better and newer after their experience with motion-capture technology in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. A large, squishy bunch of appendages that needed to function like a live organism provided a significant obstacle in the form of Davy Jones' tentacle beard. The fantastic animation controls that the creature development artists included allowed animators to move the tentacles in very a specific manner. Emotions continued to shine through the many layers of effects, even with a wide range of parameters for high-level control.
'Jurassic Park' (1993)
If ever there was a VFX pioneer, it would be Jurassic Park. Huge advancements in scientific technology have enabled billionaire, John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) to create an island full of living dinosaurs. Hammond invites four individuals, along with his two grandchildren, to join him at Jurassic Park. But when there is a power outage, the group find themselves having to survive against predators that have long been extinct.
The majority of dinosaur shots in the movie are props and animatronics, which is to the film's advantage. The outcome is something that, almost three decades later, still appears to be very real. Animated puppets and computer-generated visuals are both used in the movie. It smoothly combines digital artistry with workable substitutes. The practical effects take precedence over CGI.