The Future of CGI and Physical Actors - Case Study Example

 CGI Advancements and the future of the Human Actor Introduction Just a few years ago, computer animation was thought to be too complicated and too expensive to achieve in terms of full-length films or even animated shorts. In 1995 when The Simpsons producers decided to tackle computer graphics on their hit show, only a short segment of the half-hour episode was animated with computer graphics due to financial constraints and the difficulties of animating so many different characters and settings. In the final draft of the episode, only two characters are animated by computers and the CGI setting is little more than a green grid and a few rudimentary objects; as he first enters the alternate universe represented by CGI animation, Homer Simpson says "this place looks expensive... I feel like I'm wasting a fortune just standing here" (Treehouse of Horror VI). This was the attitude of many animators for years who struggled to advance their technology while battling financial constraints. In the last decade, however, great advancements have been made not only in the capabilities of computer graphic artists and software but in the ability of computers to animate more for less; it didn’t hurt that animation studios were granted larger budgets to explore CGI options. Feature films like the CGI breakout hit Toy Story paved the way for more investment in computer animation and now people in the film industry are beginning to wonder whether computer animation is destined to overtake the role of real, live actors. CGI CGI is an acronym for computer generated imagery; this field encompasses many different specific computer graphics such as landscaping, people, animals, weather and other special effects (Pierson, 2002, 3). 3D computer graphics were primarily used for special effects in TV and movies before the trend of feature length computer animated films caught on, animators focused their efforts on creating new, and ultimately cheaper and less complicated, ways of dealing with onscreen special effects. Traditionally, special effects could include anything from a fire in a burning building to a full on explosion, or even the tricks of an illusionist which were too complicated to be performed in reality. With CGI animation, television and film producers can sidestep the often messy and unpredictable hazards of physical special effects and actually make the outcome closer to what they had envisioned to begin with. Specifically, special efforts on computer began to take the place of the creation of miniatures (used when large scale models are too cumbersome) and also to take the place of hundreds of extra cast members for shots with large numbers of people (Payne, 1994, 201). Computer animation meant that producers didn’t need to deal with unnecessary numbers of people or tricky special effects, and also that they could produce the required special effects under a perfectly controlled environment. CGI has progressed from this rudimentary usage into full-scale animation that includes all cast members, all scenery and all special effects. As the animation software becomes more advanced, computer animators have been able to upgrade from what seems very similar to regular animation to intricate, detailed and often very lifelike landscapes, special effects and even characters. Although animators have struggled for years to perfect the animated form of a human, the results are getting closer and closer to the kind of realism that is already found in CGI landscapes (Lovejoy, 2004, 178-179). As yet, the computer animated human has not fully satisfied either animators or audiences simply because of the high level of realism granted by the other aspects of the film. The desire of computer animators to achieve near-reality with their graphics is the reason why some people in the industry have started to wonder about the future of the real, human actor; the reality of computer graphics at the moment makes it seem very unlikely, however. The reasons for this are plentiful: for one, the cost of producing CGI films can be quite high, and further investment into the development of this kind of software will not necessarily provide the totally lifelike human form for several more years if ever (Bullinger, 1999, 443-445). While simple animation can cut the costs of building sets, hiring special effects crews and extras, full-on detailed animation is costly and often accompanied by the use of talented voice actors and regular Hollywood stars. For the moment, CGI use is split between full feature films and special effects use; A Bug’s Life and The Day After Tomorrow both used cgi for the entire animation process and for special weather effects, respectively. Animated Films The first major cgi film produced by the Pixar Animation Studies was 1995’s Toy Story; a breakthrough for computer animation and a huge draw in theatres. The movie was created from the point of view of one child’s toys, and although the script, the acting and the big name voice artists were all of top quality the major pull for audiences was the fact that this was a unique chance to see a movie entirely animated on computer. Many aspects of the animation were highly commendable; in particular the outdoor scenes and many of the toys were animated to such an excellent quality that they actually appeared real. It was clear with this film, however, that the most challenging aspect of cgi animation was the creation of a realistic human character. In the years following the release of Toy Story, many more cgi films have been produced by Pixar and other growing computer animation studios. In 1998 Pixar released A Bug’s Life, which conveniently sidestepped the issue of creating realistic human characters in a move that would catch on. Until Pacific Data Images’ (a studio that would later merge with DreamWorks) 2001 Shrek, insects and animals made up the bulk of cgi animated casts. The difference in quality between the human characters in Toy Story and Shrek is obvious; while the former characters were quite stiff and angular, Shrek animators were able to give their animated people more freedom in movement, something that helped the human characters blend better with the realistic backgrounds and other non-human characters. When computer animators first began to work on feature length films, the aim of many was to achieve a level of animation that was as near-reality as possible. As the industry advanced, however, producers and animators have begun to embrace the fun, cartoonish element of computer animation and the battle for complete realism has all but faded away. Animating People The basic principle of computer generated imaging animation is that it combines computer modelling with programmed movement; the technical term used to express the method of character animation is rigging. Rigging refers to the process of appointing many different control points to each character or animation object (Brookey and Westerfelhaus, 2005). These control points are used as virtual puppet strings, from which animators program all movement; most characters on Toy Story had more than 700 animation control points (Rouse and Both, 2005, 447-470). The process of computer animation for animals and human figures is much more complicated and involved the use of considerably more animation control points than do background and landscape images. Because the critical eye watches a 3D animated human with both a clear idea of what people should look like and how they should move, it has always been the most difficult role of an animator to create realistic people in computer animated films. The Future of CGI and Physical Actors Given the atmosphere in which the first full length cgi films were released, it seemed that animation studies were determined to create characters and landscapes that were as near reality as possible. Given the trend of light, comedic and children-oriented cgi movies that have been released since the mid-nineties, however, it now seems that animators are happy to maintain the full-length cgi industry as a synonym for high quality cartoons. The popularity of the computer animated film has not dwindled as more and more movies are created this way; it is the concern of many in the movie industry that given this popularity, traditional films with flesh actors are being threatened. The fact of the matter is that computer animation has placed more of a threat on the traditional 2D animation industry than it has on movies featuring real actors. It retrospect, traditional film and the 2D cartoon industries have existed simultaneously since the conception of film and TV; neither of these was ever poised to overtake the other and it can be noted that each industry enjoys its own loyal audience while appealing to all demographics (Columbia Encyclopaedia). If this initial relationship between film and animation has been maintained for a century, there is no reason to suspect that computer animation will take the place of the human actor. Furthermore, it is not only the desire of movie-going audiences to watch real physical comedy, onscreen chemistry and natural scenery but it is the dream of many men and women to become successful actors. Incredible numbers of people enrol in drama schools every year with television or film in mind as a career goal; while these could always use stage theatre as a fallback plan, the fact remains that the film industry is growing, not shrinking. Audiences for cgi movies do not restrict their viewing habits only to computer animation; nor do traditional movie-goers boycott the full-length cgi film. For the most part, movie audiences enjoy animation and traditional film simultaneously and would not be likely to part with either one in favour of the other (Seiter, 1999, 3-33). It seems unavoidable that the computer animated human character will become more and more realistic over time, as will all other aspects of computer animated films. To think of these advancements as a kind of threat to the traditional human actor, however, is an overreaction given the strong history of film as a sister industry of 2D animation. It is true that cgi films are immensely popular with viewing audiences, however animated feature films have always been popular even before computer animation was conceived. Computer animated people will surely rise with the help of talented voiceover artists who are currently active in the film industry; participation by Hollywood stars in 3D animated movies does not mean they are acknowledging a shifting audience focal point, however. Conclusion It has been the dream of software engineers and forward-thinking animators for decades to achieve a realistic animation medium through the computer. The first major achievement to this end was the production of 1995’s Toy Story; a full length feature film that was entirely animated on computer. While many aspects of the animation were entirely life-like, the human characters lacked fluidity and believable movement. These initial difficulties were addressed and a great leap has been made in human cgi characters that can be highlighted by comparison between Toy Story and 2001’s Shrek. As computer artists worked towards creating more realistic characters and audiences flocked into theatres to see the many subsequent cgi movies, the film industry started to wonder if this computer animation trend was poised to overtake real, physical actors. Despite the fact that cgi full length movies have remained very popular since their creation in the 1990’s, movie-going audiences have not abandoned traditional films in order to watch the animated alternatives. Cgi movies are popular, however the preceding age of 2D animated movies saw high popularity as well. If the film industry has been a growing success for a century alongside the cartoon industry, there is no reason that cgi features and traditional films cannot coexist peaceable as well. The human actor is not under any threat from computer animation because audiences have always enjoyed realism and animation simultaneously. Bibliography Brookey, A and Westerfelhaus R 2005, ‘The Digital Autur: Branding Identity on the Monsters, Inc. DVD’, Western Journal of Communication, Vol. 69. Bullinger, H and Ziegler J (eds.) 1999, Human-Computer Interaction: Ergonomics and User Interfaces. Volume: 1, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, NJ. Lovejoy, M 2004, Digital Currents: Art in the Electronic Age, Routledge, New York. Payne, D 1994, Computer Scenographics, Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale, IL. Pierson, M 2002, Special Effects: Still in Search of Wonder, Columbia University Press, New York. Rouse, W and Both, K 2005, ‘Organizational Simulation’, retrieved 9 January 2008 Seiter, E 1999, Television and New Media Audiences, Clarendon Press, Oxford. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, ‘Motion Pictures’, Columbia University Press, New York. The Simpsons, ‘Treehouse of Horror VI’. Read More