Computer-generated imagery, more popularly known as CGI, has been an integral part of many industries since its inception in 1958. Video games, architecture, engineering—it has its fingerprints on all of those and more; it is a vital part of the modern world. Of course, CGI is known mainly for its impact on the medium of film. From the Star Wars franchise to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, digitally created visuals have been effective tools to enhance or bring together a plethora of pictures. Truly, their application in movies and shows is just as artistic as the works they inhabit, and the methods and intent behind their creations are just as complex. This article will cut to the core aspects of CGI, both conceptually and in its usage, to illuminate the intricacies of this element of film.

How Is CGI Made?

As per the acronym, CGI is crafted with computer programs like Houdini or Autodesk Maya. With the help of software like those, members of a film’s team can create any number of useful visuals. Most only associate CGI’s employment with the making of large 3D landscapes and creatures seen in movies like Avengers: Endgame, but its usage is often much broader than that. Jakob Straub explains the range of its application in his article “Filmmaking 101: What is CGI in Movies and Animation?” where he elaborates that “it’s used to create characters, environments, backgrounds, special effects, and even entire animated films.” Yes, even full-length films like the recently released Inside Out 2 heavily utilize virtually created imagery, with said motion picture containing 2D and 3D instances of it. Furthermore, the techniques involved with the creation of CGI are just as varied as its usage, a fact the Nashville Film Institute sheds light on in their stellar essay “What Is CGI? – Everything You Need To Know.” To paraphrase a portion of that article, methods for CGI creation include using 2D pixel-based image editors to produce vector shapes, 3D graphic software to craft particle effects, algorithms to make fractal patterns, etc. In sum, filmmakers use select software in specific ways to create the computer-generated imagery they want in their work, whether that be a large dinosaur or a text box.

What Does CGI Add To Films?

CGI yields plenty of benefits for the films utilizing it, both from an entertainment and production standpoint. It helps realize a creative vision in numerous ways while also assisting actors and making for a better viewing experience.

Safety

On set, everything possible is done to keep actors safe, but the wildest of stunts and craziest of costumes can prove dangerous or uncomfortable nonetheless. CGI remedies that issue by allowing portions of films that may be problematic for a human to engage with to instead be handled virtually. Motioneditsmarketing says as much in their article “Know the Important Role of CGI in Films,” where they state the following: “CGI holds huge importance in video production due to its practicality and safety benefits. With CGI, you can mitigate risks. It ensures the well-being of your cast and crew throughout the filming process.” Additionally, the article brings out that historical events can be displayed safely with CGI. The physical security virtually created imagery provides is a big boon for the medium of film and, in turn, enables the cast and crew to be more creative than they could ever be without it.

High Quality Visuals

No matter the form it takes, CGI, at its most basic level, is meant to give filmmakers the means to incorporate larger-than-life or generally fictitious elements into movies, as is noted in our Cloverfield article. Because of that, there is nothing virtually created imagery is better at than granting films with high-quality visuals throughout their runtime; it was quite literally made to achieve that end. With these quality visuals, the conceptual vision of many stories can be fully portrayed on screen. One instance of that sentiment lies in the making of the film Nope. The motion picture features a large UFO as its main antagonist, and since it couldn’t realistically be physically built for the film, the filmmakers opted to create the mysterious saucer with CGI. According to a conversation TheWrap had with the movie’s visual effects supervisor Guillaume Rocheron, which was later partially written in Drew Taylor’s “‘Nope’ VFX Supervisor Reveals Secrets of Jordan Peele’s Horror Epic: From Gordy to Jean Jacket,” the unique alien spacecraft was intentionally designed minimalistically, with every element of its look having a clear function. Moreover, it was also made to look wind-based. That amount of visual complexity translated to a truly gorgeous final model that wowed audiences upon their viewing, giving the movie a stunning and memorable visual. The CGI behind the UFO is a big reason for Nope’s commercial and critical success, just as it has been for many other films. Transformers, Into the Spider-Verse, Creed III—these films, along with plenty of others, are tremendously improved thanks to the incredible visuals computer-generated imagery can produce.

De-Aging 

It may be a sports phrase, but it rings just as true in all facets of life: Father time is undefeated. Regardless of how good an actor is, with time, their hair will gray and the roles they can play will gradually decrease. There is no way to stop that, but CGI’s ability to de-age people certainly delays the advent of that reality. De-aging is self-explanatory: it makes an actor look visibly younger, allowing them to better fit into youthful roles. This special technique is being used more and more as technology advances, with its effects appearing in films like Spider-Man: No Way Home through a digitally youthened Alfred Molina, Willem Dafoe, and Thomas Haden Church (according to Shawn Van Horn’s The Best De-Aged Characters in Film, From Scorsese to the MCU). This application of computer-generated imagery, while still not perfected, is quite an aid for filmmakers and actors nonetheless.

By utilizing CGI, film production is made safer and more actor-friendly, all while high-quality visuals are created to entertain audiences. Computer-generated imagery is a staple of modern movies for those reasons; they add so much to the works they inhabit, enhancing the medium in subtle and clearly visible ways. Their ability to help realize a creative vision to the degree they do is simply astounding, leading to their apparent ubiquity. The benefits of CGI aren’t even limited to what is mentioned above; the sheer volume of its positive impact stretches out a great deal. It is, without doubt, a pivotal aspect of design.