THE EVOLUTION OF VISUAL EFFECTS

IN FILMMAKING AND THE INFLUENCE

OF IT ON CINEMATOGRAPHY

By

Sabahat Azam

MSc, St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata, 2019

A THESIS

Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the

Requirements of the Degree of

MSc in Multimedia

St. Xavier's College (Autonomous)

The University of Calcutta,

May 2019

Guide: Palran biswas

 THESIS ACCEPTANCE STATEMENT

As the guide for Sabahat Azam, I affirm that this manuscript is the final and accepted

dissertation.

Rev. Palran Biswas, (Assistance Professor) Multimedia Dept.

19.04.2019

2
 LIBRARY RIGHTS STATEMENT

In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for M.Sc degree at St.

Xavier's College (Autonomous), I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for

inspection. I further agree that permission for "fair use" copying of this thesis for

scholarly purposes may be granted by the Librarian. It is understood that any copying or

publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written

permission.

Signature:

Date:

3
 THE EVOLUTION OF VISUAL EFFECTS

IN FILMMAKING AND THE INFLUENCE

OF IT ON CINEMATOGRAPHY

By

Sabahat Azam

Guide: Palran Biswas

MSc, St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata, 2019

A THESIS

Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the

Requirements of the Degree of

MSc in Multimedia

St. Xavier's College (Autonomous)

The University of Calcutta

May 2019

In this master thesis I have looked at the main features of various

techniques and the visionary effects used in the field of CG with a number

of examples starting from the earliest visual effects used to today’s age. In

4
addition, how the film industry gradually changed with the rise of digital

age and its impact on cinema. I have started my first chapter focusing on

the history of visual effects and how the tricks where created with simpler

means and gradually crossing the decades of new technologies of digital

age. Discussing on the films made before World War I and after the World

War II and how it affects on shaping the cultural change in the style of

cinematography. And lastly the issues related to this field with concluding

my understanding of its pros and cons.

5
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank the Central Library of St. Xavier's College (Autonomous) from

where I got the permission to access several of the books which helped in the compilation

of this research paper. I would like to thank my Drishti Gupta, VFX Match mover artist

from Red Chilies Entertainment for the interview on my thesis topic.

I would like to thank my guide, Palran Biswas, for his constant assistance and support

throughout the research process.

6
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .......................................................................................................iii

1. INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………1

1.1 Early History..............................................................................................2

2. BIRTH OF VFX……….….............................................................................3

2.1 Train Arriving at a station

2.2 A Trip to the Moon

2.3 The Thief of Bagdad

3. MODERNIST VISUAL EFFECTS………..............................6

3.1 An introduction to Digital Effects Creation. ………………………....6

3.2 Star Wars directed by George Lucas, 1977.……………………......….8

4. SCIENCE FICTION BOOM

4.1 Movies in the new Era

4.2 Terminator 2: Judgment Day directed by James Cameron, 1991

4.3 Jurassic Park directed by Steven Spielberg, 1993

4.4 Titanic directed by James Cameron, 1997

4.5 Matrix directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski, 1999

4.6 Avatar directed by James Cameron, 2009

7
5. REASON BEHIND THE RAPID GROWTH OF THE VFX INDUSTRY AND

VARIOUS ISSUES BEHIND THE PROSPERITY

CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................

BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................................................................

APPENDIX............................................................................................................................

BIOGRAPHY OF AUTHOR.................................................................................................

8
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Early History

Back during the days, when the computerized PC advances were on the developing,

every one of the props, wonderful situations or animals in the sci-fi movies and blood

and guts films were made for genuine out of elastic, silicon and on the base of water

powered frameworks and help of mechanical robotics. For example, In The Execution

of Mary, Queen of Scots (Alfred Clark 1895), which is considered the first known

film to have used visual effects1,the on screen character is replaced by a mannequin

using a substitution shot before the hatchet cleaves off her head. A considerable

amount of the effects utilized on the silent screen were accomplished similarly by

ceasing the camera in a static position, supplanting objects on set and beginning again

1 etheses.whiterose.ac.uk

1
permitting nebulous visions, vanishings and changes on the screen.

Figure 1: A scene from The Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots

Problems faced during the early time were – Firstly to build huge set it would cost

huge money, which required huge time and manual labor, then comes the risk of

accident and damages. The set designing always comes with limitations, and mostly

unfavorable outcome.

After few months, George Méliès coincidentally found a similar system while

capturing in Paris his camera stuck amid a shoot and changed a bus into a wagon,

person on foot to alter course, and men to transform into ladies.2 Méliès, the stage

2 publications.theseus.fi
2
chief at the Theatre Robert-Houdin, was motivated to build up a progression of a

series of more than 500 short movies, between 1914, in the process he designed

techniques as multiple exposure, time-lapse photography, dissolves, and hand painted

color. Because of his capacity to apparently manipulate and change reality with the

cinematography, Méliès is alluded to as the "Cinemagician."3

Hence the beginning of American and European film production, which started to

astonish the viewer with new dynamite effects and imprint the age i.e. known as the

“cinema of attractions”.4 If in-camera editing can be viewed as the begetter of

enhanced visualizations, as Keil and Whissel hint at in Editing and Special/Visual

Effects, editing and visual effects demonstrated a significant split when computerized

innovation began to be associated with filmmaking. In fact, while editing ‘has

regularly strived to shroud itself, working as an art intended to encourage progression

and fortify the impact of consistency', advanced impacts have 'loaned themselves to

the domain of the realm of the extraordinary and the spectacular’.5

With the birth of CGI the early methods were no more useful. It is a lot less expensive

to create the Na’vi world with all its creature in software than making the set for real.

Nowadays, the films are so seamlessly beautiful that it is hard to associate the illusion

to be not real. But like any other industry this industry also grew from a small pebble

after pebble into a giant mountain.

3 publications.theseus.fi
4 The cinema of Attractions Reloaded by Tom Gunning 1990
5 etheses.whiterose.ac.uk
3
 CHAPTER 2

BIRTH OF VFX

Introduction

In this section I will studied how the early VFX was born without knowing its power

and how it was further enhanced in the short coming films. The first and foremost is

Train Arriving at a Station by Louis and Auguste Lumières, 1895 in which for the

very first time people were seeing something which they never seen –the moving

images. Then the famous magician’s film A Trip to the Moon by Georges Méliès in

1902, following to the film which was totally done in studio with mesmerising visuals

- The Thief of Bagdad by Raoul Walsh in 1924. The reason for discussing these films

was to show the change is taking place from simple moving pictures to story based

visual master piece of its time. These movies are the gem of the VFX because it set

the path for new ideas to take place. Little do we know about how the Train Arriving

at a Station was made in single shot and the camera establishment and the narration

of this simple shot have the mindful impact on its viewers because of its reality

effect.6

2.1 Train Arriving at a station (Louis and Auguste Lumieres, 1895)

Just like paint and brush captures the reality of the moment on a canvas, the invention

of Cinèmatographe by Lumière brothers was the birth of VFX in terms of how it

shows the exact reality through lens. Train Arriving at a Station, is a simple shot

which shows that a train is coming towards the station. Still the effects was so

impactful that people got scared in viewing for the first time, all because of its

depiction of shot as close as real. The power of the visual lies in the composition of a

6 pt.scribd.com
4
frame and mise-en-scene.7 The film without a doubt bewildered people in the

audience who were not used to the incredibly realistic illusions made by moving

pictures.8 The Lumière brothers realized that the impact would be emotional if they

set the camera on the platform nearer to the arriving train. Another noteworthy part of

the film is that it outlines the use of the long shot to set up the setting of the film,

trailed by a medium shot, and close-up. (As the camera is static for the whole film,

the impact of these different “shots” is influenced by the development of the subject

alone). The train arrives from a far off point and hunkers down on the watcher, at last

intersection the lower edge of the screen. The train appears to surge out to one side of

the screen. In this unique situation, despite the fact that Louis Lumière did/couldn't

use any camera movement, the power of the mise-en-scene created the enhanced

visualization and mesmerised all the viewers.9 The film is a visual effect itself.

Figure 2: A scene from Train Arriving at a Station

7 digitalarchive.gsu.edu
8 https://www.thevintagenews.com, article by Neil Patrick
9 digitalarchive.gsu.edu

5
2.2 A Trip to the Moon (Georges Melies, 1902)

Louis Lumière’s train, made by the ground-breaking exhibition with no camera

control, pave a path towards a new industry. The stepping stone of 1900s was Georges

Méliès’ Trip to the Moon which shows the unbelievable space scene, rocket launched,

people from moon and various unrealistic yet visually mesmerizing storyline. As we

can construe from Méliès’, his movies use techniques such as stop-motion, dissolve,

superimposition, and many more.10 We see stop motion effects in the scene on the

moon where the scientist’s umbrella morph into a mushroom and starts to grow big

(refer figure 3). This scene has no attachment with the reality but this imaginative

scene in that era was a mouth opening scene for the viewer. Another brilliant example

of Triple exposure in the film is underwater scene. The background is a matte painting

with the objects like fish and ship being super imposed with the rocket falling into the

water. This kind of story viewers have never seen before and that what attracted them

the most.

Figure 4: The Man in the Moon watches the capsule as

it approaches, and it hits him in the eye – one of the
Figure 3: A scene from A Trip to the Moon. A earliest
momentexamples
of stop-motion
of the trick thatfiction
science from the film
genre.
‘A trip to the Moon’ where the Umbrella turns into a giant mushroom.

Figure 5: Triple exposure - in the

underwater scene.

10 https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/5/3/17311222/georges-melies-google-doodle-trip-moon-
conquest-pole-effects

6
7
2.3 The Thief of Bagdad (Raoul Walsh, 1924)

“The Thief of Bagdad empluys six kinds of visual effects - stop-motion, dissolve

(with double exposure), iris, matte painting, glass shot, and double/triple exposure

(superimposition)”11. It’s very easy to do these effect in today’s date. But back then

these effects were the ground breaking of their times. Effects like clay animation, stop

motion, matte painting, glass shot were extensively used in the film. Back then people

were not concerned with the unrealistic look of the film rather than they enjoyed it

with amazement.

The reason why this film is important in the history of VFX because of its use of

tinting and toning effect changing with the mood and storytelling process of the film

(refer the figure below).

CHAPTER 3
Figure 6: The above pictures from the film The thief of Bagdad shows the different scenes have
different color tone according to the mood and dramatic tension of the film.

MODERNIST VISUAL EFFECTS

3.1 An introduction to Digital Effects Creation

11 https://www.scribd.com

8
Fink and Morie express that VFX is anything can helps to create anything which is

physically not possible to shoot doing the live action footage which take place during

the post production time with the help of computer software “such as matte painting;

rear- and front-screen projection; miniature or forced perspective sets; computer

graphic objects, characters, and environments; and compositing of images recorded in

any numbers of ways”12. Though advanced digital effects have the similar aim of their

ancestors, when computerized innovations were starting become involved, the effects

creation process experienced a generous change which affected film generation. Fink

and Morie express that the enhancements in digital effects have had the real effect of

opening ‘‘creative options well into the post-production process, virtually until the

last minute’’.13 Each part of the film can be carefully controlled and on account of this

directors are never again restrained to settle on basic imaginative choices in

advance’.14 However, a digital effects film isn't completely made of computerized

characters and environments. CGI successions can be included in post-production and

digital effects can significantly alter the cutting-edge film, however digital effects

film always needs genuine on-screen characters to perform before the camera. To

consistently mix the two layers, the procedure requires planning so that the digital

technology around the actors can be molded and the performance organized. It

12 vfxforfilm.wordpress.com

13 Michael Fink. "Introduction", The VES Handbook of Visual Effects, 2010

14 etheses.whiterose.ac.uk

9
develops that digital effects provide the director with a certain independence in post-

production while demanding strict planning before principal photography. 15

Figure 7: An example of a Digital Pipeline in differ from company to company.

15 etheses.whiterose.ac.uk
10
3.2 Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977)

One of the greatest film of all-time favorite is Star Wars with its jaw dropping effect.

The film has. Everything that impresses a viewer but the reason why this film is holds

such a special place is because of its innovation in the field of VFX which was never

seen before. Instead of making huge sets and spending huge amount of money this

film used motion “control photography technique”16. This film is a pure cinematic

experience in term of superb visual effects. “The use of the computer in special effects

of Star Wars production in 1976 was the result of the imaginative benchmarking of

other industry’s application of the computer”.17 In spite of the fact that motion control 

was a simple enhanced visualization, it delivered a previsualization of what Visual 

effects can do in the future which became the trendsetter for the coming decade to 

explore in this field more and more. Computers become the savior after industrial 

revolution in every industry to expand their horizon. The idea, the image everything is

extra ordinary in terms of people’s understanding and connection. The idea of hero 

who can save the Universe was what Figure 5: Industrial light and Magic crew

members making a Star Destroyer for
shooting motion control.

16 pt.scribd.com
17 etd.gsu.edu

11
everybody was looking up to after the outbreak of the war and people easily related to

it.

Until Star Wars (1977), shots of ships in space were taped with large- and small-scale

models, taking into consideration moderate and inflexible developments. “All that

Figure 8: Yoda, the character was made changed when Star Wars visual-effects
using clay in the Star Wars I, which was then
replaced with CGI in later episodes. supervisor John Dykstra devised a new

computer-controlled motion camera system.”18 Now a spaceship model can be shot

placing against a blue screen in one position meanwhile the camera have the freedom

to moved around it, the innovation helped to give the illusion of movement.19

Figure 6: Set designed for Figure 7: Behind the scene – Detailed miniature model setting for for
shooting the motion control fright the shoot.
scene. Industrial Light & Magic
Other objects could then be taped with precisely the

same camera move on the grounds that the camera was all PC controlled. At the point

when all these diverse components were joined or "composited" together, it made it

feel like one single dynamic shot. Similar methods were utilized at ILM and

18 scholarworks.gsu.edu

19 www.thrillist.com
12
somewhere else for scenes in the Indiana Jones franchise, Blade Runner, E.T.,

and Ghostbusters, among various different movies.20

CHAPTER 4

POSTMODERNIST VISUAL EFFECTS

4.1 NEW ERA OF THE MOVIES

This new ear of the movies was different from the early decade. Now instead of

amazement they wanted realistic. Just like postmodern characteristic there has to be

explanation of everything. Even in the VFX industry new technology were brought up

to satisfy the need to achieve the realism factor. Director’s started making films which

are heavy in VFX. With the help of VFX they could do anything and everything was

possible to bring on the screen. In this new decade use of VFX could be seen in every

were be it films, television series video games, advertisement and many more. But

this new decade had a shift in storyline with futuristic touch and feel. “Since the

1980s, effects-oriented SF films, such as Tron, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Jurassic

Park, The Matrix and others, have established digital visual effects as the essential

technological tool in the SF and fantasy genres”21. Every thing works on demand and

supply. The demand for VFX increases rapidly only because of it was easily seen

everywhere. All the directors were exploring this field with their new ideas and

technology. This demand and supply mantra was the major reason in this field to

developed rapidly. And at the same time the advent of new digital media proofs to be

20 www.thrillist.com
21 scholarworks.gsu.edu

13
very helpful. With the help of this new media it was possible to render everything into

computers easily which gave birth to real time rendering which I will discuss in the

later chapters.

4.2 Terminator 2: Judgment Day (James Cameron, 1991)

Terminator 2 isn’t only a film, it’s an accomplishment. James Cameron figured out

how to make a film that was tense and action-packed, as well as revolutionary. It was

the start for what special visualizations could do, and changed the business until the

end of time. It would not to be wrong to say that without the help of technology the

effects were not possible to bring out on screen. This films’ famous effects the 3d

transformation of a human to liquid and back to any possible shape was the golden

entry in the VFX industry. Thought terminator was not the first film to show this

effect. It was Willow in which this was shown but could not left any imprint because

of its low quality. In Terminator the picture quality was high because of its reality

effect.

Figure 8,14: This. Scene was not possible to do without the help of computer software.

The above figures 13 and 14 are from the film Terminator. This scene uses three type

of technology together to bring this scene so mesmerising. New software was

introduce like “Make sticky” to make the silicon like fluid movement which later

14
takes the shape of a police officer using CGI on the live footage of the background

scene and little here and there adjustment, fine tuning with the help of Photoshop.

Figure16: Robert Patrick's fluid metal character, the T-

1000, in James Cameron's film was nearly conceived for
transforming. The shape-changing terminator was a
computer produced effect that could take practically any
structure.
Figure15: The scene where the T-1000 rises out from the checkerboard floor with a swift fluid
movement. At that point this was a mesmerizing scene never seen before

Figure17: There were numerous different precedents in

the film where Patrick changed into human characters
or metal shapes utilizing morphing methods.

4.3 Jurassic Park directed by Steven Spielberg, 1993

15
Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park is the film that has become a path breaking work in

the history of visual effects. It brought to the screen the most realistic dinosaurs

audiences had ever seen at that time, a mixture of animatronics and fully computer-

generated creature.

Like any other film they started with the pre visualization of the film (ref. figure 18)
19: Courtesy of Steve Williams.
Figure 18:
with simple drawings then later made large size

artificial models which they scanned and put the data into the computer (ref. figure

19).

Then the with the help of computer CGI models were made. They used “SoftImage

3d” to make the rigging of the character which later animated to bring the life out of

simple drawn sketches (ref. figure 20 & 21).

Figure 20 & 21:This is how the rigging was done in Softimage3d.

16
 Figure 22: Final Dinosaur image ready for the film.

Then the final step before compositing was to paint the skin of the texture to give it

the realistic feel (ref. figure 22). Apart from the technology and software, this film

stands out because of its realistic, believable action on the screen. The success of the

film solely depends on the minute details added to the scene to make it more realistic

(ref figure 23).

Figure 23: Realism in this scene is the way minute details like the
breathing and the blinking of the triceratops were added.

Jurassic Park was a huge leap forward in terms of post modern visual effects. This

film shows how the development in the field of science can make anything possible in

the world. It can turn the natures order of living creature which can be the reason of

man’s own destruction. A strong portrayal of post modern characteristic.

17
4.4 Titanic directed by James Cameron, 1997

In 1997 the remarkable ‘Titanic’ figured out how to make an immense bounce in the

field of VFX. In fact it is not even possible to mention all the shots were the he VFX

was used because the film is fully based on VFX. Crowd multiplication, the sinking of

of the Titanic, people dying in the Pacific Ocean everything was made with the help

of CG (ref. figure 24). Again Titanic was not the fist film to use CG but this film was

so memorable because of its shift to the storyline. From the heavy science fiction film

to soft periodic melodrama. A simple never ending love story with the mesmerizing

and breath taking visuals with each scene closet to the realism effect (ref. figure 25).

Figure 24: Iconic scene where the Ship sinks was one in a
350,000-gallon water tank where the solidified cadavers
were made by applying a powder on the on-screen
characters that at that point solidified when came in
contact with water. Wax was applied to hair and cloths to
make a wet look.

Figure 25: Before and after scene from Titanic shot

using Chroma screen – A vital technique which
helps in VFX pipeline.
18
4.5 Matrix directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski, 1999

Apart from the massive hit of its visual effect scene this film shows the cultural and

social development of the humans in the digital age as well as its side effects which it

brings with it. The development in the field of science and robot technology and how

it makes human life more easily, this films shows how the same technology can be

used against the human kind as well. Just like and artificial intelligence, the

protagonist can adapt himself to whatever it what’s to become and later it becomes the

symbol of the one who saves the world from the bad people. This film won Oscar for

Visual effects. This film developed a new technology called “time slice photography 

makes it possible for Neo’s action to be shown in extreme slow­ motion with a 360 

degree view. The technique is also frequently called the bullet­time shot.” 22 (ref.

figure 26).

Figure 26: Behind the scene of The 360’ Shot using

124 cameras around the actor. The rooftop is done in
CG and in the background the still photos of urban
environment. The compressed projection of 3 layers
with the help of computer controlled cameras reflects
the film’s postmodern features.

22 scholarworks.gsu.edu

19
4.6 Avatar directed by James Cameron, 2009

“It should be noticed that all the above mentioned movies were not the only ones that

brought something new to the industry of cinematography. However, the demand for

the digital effects, 3D visualization, computer graphics and all the other modern

technologies was growing and is still mounting up constantly since it emerged.

Further- more, the sequential fact and testimony of this is the fabulous “Avatar”. Of

course it was impossible not to involve this film in the work with such a topic.”23

James Cameron waited 12 years to start this movie because at that time new

technologies were not there. “Different kinds of new techniques were used in the

movie for the first time ever”.24 “The creators also developed a system that grows a

lush forest in three dimensions or, for example, they invented a new and highly

performed lighting technique which changes throughout the movie and in fact gives

different impression and types of mood”.25 Another impression technology was

developed for this film was “rig helmet” (ref. figure 27) which the actor had to wear

on their head, attached with many tiny lights which can captures the tiniest bit of

facial expression and send the data to the computer for real time rendering which can

be seen on the monitors at the time the actors are performing in the form of 3d

characters (ref. figure 29). “This technique helped to create the feeling for audience

that avatars are realistic human-like creatures, because of detailed facial expressions

and real looking movements”.26

23 www.theseus.fi
24 www.theseus.fi
25 www.theseus.fi
26 www.theseus.fi

20
Figure 27: Rig helmet capturing the facial expression.

Figure 28: Avatar Characters.

Figure 29: Rig helmet capturing the facial expression.

21
 CHAPTER 5

REASON BEHIND THE RAPID GROWTH OF THE VFX INDUSTRY AND

VARIOUS ISSUES BEHIND THE PROSPERITY

“The CG in motion picture is not only to entertain usual viewer and to make

everything happen on the screen, but also it is developing to make money out of that.

Money in this case, is one of the most important levers for improvements since

animation became a big moneymaking business”.27 The main reason is the acceptance

amongst the audiences of age of every generations. The reason is the primary cause

for people investing in this business and hence newer technologies coming every now

and then. Cinema business from the earliest time was all about making the audience

alienated from the harsh reality and audiences always want that space to escape into

the wilderness. And all this is easily provided to them with the help of VFX.

Another important factor to consider VFX is the revenue generated from it huge in

compare to a film with no VFX. For example, revenue generated from the film 500

days of summer released in the same year as Avatar was 60 billion which was made at

the cost of 7.5 million, where as Avatar was made with the budget of 237 million and

earned almost 3 Billion. This difference in the money earned made producers simply

attracted towards the investing their money into an VFX films rather than a simple

feature length film.

Nowadays the VFX companies is so competitive and cutting throat arena that to get

project they start to bid at a lower price. Another important competitive part is major

VFX shot are outsourced to other countries where skillful people are ready to do the

job at much lesser price. For example, The VFX part of the film “Life of Pi” which

27 www.theseus.fi

22
even won the Oscar left its VFX production house Rhythm & Hue go bankrupt

because of low biding issue.

“The next dispute is related to the fact that the industry enterprises demand subsidies

for projects of big sizes (like films) from national or governmental organizations

around the world. Basically speaking, the subsidies, such enterprises are eligible to

get, are issued using taxpayers’ money. During the filming and post-production

processes, the working place of VFX designers can be changed for up to several

times, moving be- tween countries around the globe, according to the subsidies

sources and conditions, which may also shift.”28

“Another issue that is present in the field of the cinematography is the lack of

recognition of the CG artists. The amount of work and passion that contemporary

professional VFX designers contribute is striking and the result of it is creative and

also innovative in many cases. However, as it has been said once - “They are lucky if

the credits mention them after the catering. I cannot think of a name of a worldwide

VFX star in this industry – they are invisible.” Though, everybody knows the names

of at least few famous movie actors.” 29

28 www.theseus.fi
29 www.theseus.fi

23
 CONCLUSION

With the advent of technology and digital media has taken cinematography to a whole

new path towards a new direction of growth. This growth helped artist to expand their

ideas and imagination to transfer to next level where everything is possible as far as

possible. Visual effects help directors to portray their extraordinary vision to the

viewers in more impactful manner. VFX also makes the visual communication easy in

terms of explaining any idea to other, and acts as a string which connects the artists

mind with the audience. With no doubt VFX has opened up many possibilities in the

cinematography of unfolding the story but on the other hand it also brought situation

where films are only VFX and no storyline. If we remove the VFX and CG shots from

the film the film left with nothing but actors acting in front of green screens. For

example, “Removing CGI from movies would mean that there would be only

green/blue key (screen) and actors. “Titanic” without a boat, “Hulk” without Hulk

himself, “Hobbit” without its creatures, or “Avatar” without everything. All these and

many other movies would not exist without VFX.”30

But on the other hand I feel that VFX technologies are just mere tools and techniques

used by the artist who creates all kinds of imaginable characters, objects, situations

environment and gives life and feel to the characters. Without the artistic vision and

capabilities tools are just the iron junk which can’t do anything of its own. To achieve

the desirable effects on the screen artist needs the vision, skill and knowledge. Many

critics says that modern contemporary films are nothing but a junk of VFX with no

actual storyline and reality, no acting of the actors, just the computer labourer has

decreased the true essence of old traditional cinema. Many expressed that computer

generating images ruin the cinematic style of the storytelling.

30 www.theseus.fi

24
To conclude visual effects and CGI animation have no doubt left a mammoth imprint

in the field of cinema and to the style of cinematography. I personally feel with the

help of VFX artist can become God – the creator of its own creation and control every

actions and situation happening with the creature.

Lastly without any doubt anyone can say that the industry will keep growing because

people cannot stop watching movies, series and advertisement. It is hard to say where

the future of VFX industry may ahead to.

25
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. The VES Handbook of Visual Effects: Industry Standard VFX Practices and

Procedures. Published by Elsevier Inc., 2010.

2. Digital visual effects on cinema by Stephen prince, publisher- Rutgers

University Press, 2012.

3. The Filmmaker's Guide to Visual Effects: The Art and Techniques of VFX for

Directors, Producers, Editors and Cinematographers, Published by Routledge,

2017.
4. Digital Compositing for Film and Video published by Focal Press, 2010.
5. Compositing visual effects: essentials for the aspiring artist originally

published by Focal Press, 2008.

6. The art and science of digital compositing originally published by – Ron

Brinkmann, 1999.
7. The Visual Effects Producer: Understanding the Art and Business of VFX

Focal Press, 2017.

8. Filming the Fantastic: A Guide to Visual Effects Cinematography by Mark

Sawicki by Focal press, 2011.

9. Reality & Effect: A Cultural History of Visual Effects by Jae Hyung Ryu, 2007

10. The Director’s Method in Contemporary Visual Effects Film: The Influence of

Digital Effects on Film Directing by Gianluca Balla, 2016.

11. Computer Graphics in Cinematography by Aleksandrs Polozuns, 2013

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 APPENDIX

Interview Questions

Drishti Gupta, Match Move artist in Red Chillies Entertainment.

Q: First of all may I know what area are you working in?

I am a match mover in Red chillies Entertainment

Q: In which year did you join Red chillies?

2015

Q: What inspired you to join this industry?

What inspired me..Ah..Basically I was very you know always amazed to see VFX

movies and my first inspiration came from Avatar I think. Then I wanted to know how

everything is made so, that is why and after that you see the other movies also and

then you start recognising that yeah VFX really creates magic on screen. How really

that magic is created I had no clue that time when I was younger. So, yeah then later

we come to know about something called VFX and so I enrolled myself and I got this

thing.

Q: Do you think Digital VFX role is an artistic one or a technical one or a

mixture of both?

Obviously, it is absolutely artistic and to create any sort of art you need skills either

bit of manual skill or computerized skill but at the end of the day it is the manual

labour only created through the computer. So, yeah I think it is creative with the help

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of technology.

Q: What are the software one needs to master in order to get into particular

company or is it any particular software which only this company takes and

other companies doesn't take?

No, no its nothing like that dear. The thing is that with every year in this age what is

happening is that the technology is updating. So, what is happening is that suppose if

there's one studio who can afford the most popular software of this time they are using

it. The ones whose budget is low they can't afford that so they are using the

intermediate one. There is no specific software you need to know to get into one

studio why because suppose for example now competing is a field. In competing a

person needs to have a basic idea about what is competing, what is keying, what is

colour grade? Everything that can be taught in the basic level, even in Photoshop and

then you apply it to moving images in either fusion or nuke or whatever even in after

effects. So, the basic knowledge should be there. If your knowledge is not clear then

why we are doing this, why this tool will do this stuff then it doesn't matter. When you

go to give tests in all that what happens is they ask you, they put you to a test on the

software you know best. They never tell you that I have this software in my studio

and you have to do it in so and so only. This doesn't happen. Then you are trained on

the software you are comfortable on for a month or so and later their software which

are used in their studio.

Q: What are the factors that affect the budgeting and scheduling thing for a

film?

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It all depends on the movie. Like for when we came to know about zero we knew the

camera equipment’s would be expensive, we have to shoot a same shot for 5 times

and how many VFX shots are present in it? It depends on the quantity and quality,

then the budget is decided. There is no minimum or maximum. For example, we had

to put blood stains in the sword for film Kesari so accordingly it was low budgeted

VFX work. It will depend on the project.

Q: What are some of the biggest problems you encountered?

There was no problem as such. Each one is a new shot which you have to deal with

doesn't matter if it has Tom Cruise for Mission Impossible or SRK from Zero. Every

shot in a single film is also different. You can't foresee when you see a shot that this is

going to give me difficulty.

Q: Why recent VFX based films are criticised by the people to have no

constructive story only junk of visuals?

VFX people are the creative people who work on the VFX. They are not the ones to

make the movies. They don't run on the story or have a say in it, the story is totally

upon the director. If the director thinks that VFX has an important role in it so not just

use VFX in the creative manner but VFX in the form of storytelling, then only story

would be called superb and VFX used to describe the story was also superb but this

happens very rarely.

Q: Any views on emerging trend which Indian industry should follow?

Obviously there are a lot, one is standard of quality. If you see Bajirao mastani or

Padmavat for both movies set replacement, sky, moon stars everything looks made up.

It is a matte painting. The main motive behind is always said that VFX should be such

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that it can't be made out. It should be seamless. It should be so seamless and invisible

that people cannot understand that So, this is something India needs to catch up on.

Reason is that the directors now, when they were in college they did not learn so

much about VFX and lack the technical knowledge. They think shoot anything in

front of green screen and VFX people will do the magic, and computer does it all. In

most cases they don't consult at all before shooting.

Q: Rc films are doing only Bollywood films or they take up outsourced works

too?

We do outsourced works also not only Bollywood films

Q: So, finally any advice for aspiring VFX artists?

You need to give full commitment; you don't have holiday much you have to stay

back. You have to adapt to that.

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 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sabahat Azam born in Kolkata, West Bengal on 2nd August 1995. She did her

schooling from St. Johns Diocesan and later joined Ashok Hall for H.S. in the year

2014. She recently worked as an intern for Fleapo Corp. as a Graphic designer and

Animator. Currently she is in fifth year of the department of Multimedia at St.

Xavier’s College, Kolkata.

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