The Growth of Computer Technology in Entertainment

1
The Growth of Computer Technology in Entertainment

• Kyle Millns

2
Changes in Special Effects

• Traditional special effects using only physical
  stunts and pyrotechnics
• Examples Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

3
Changes in Special Effects

• Advancements in special effects using scale
  models and computer controlled cameras
• Examples Star Wars (1977), Close Encounters of
  the Third Kind (1977)

4
Changes in Special Effects

• Modern special effects can be done entirely
  digitally
• Examples Lord of the Rings (2001), Mirrormask
  (2005)

5
Other Changes

• Actors can be replaced digitally
• Examples Gladiator (2000), Superman Returns
  (2006)
• Many movies are now filmed and edited purely
  digitally
• Allows for easier editing

6
Changes in Animation

• Early animation
• Traditionally animation was done entirely by
  hand, by a large team of animators
• Examples Snow White (1937), Akira (1988)

7
Changes in Animation

• Digital ink and paint
• The advent of computers allowed animators to draw
  and color the cels digitally
• This allows layers to be manipulated digitally
• Example The Little Mermaid (1989)

8
Changes in Animation

• Integration of CG
• Adding CG into traditional animation, and
  utilizing cel shading on CG models allows for a
  greater degree of flexibility
• Examples Titan A.E. (2000), Tarzan (1999), Ghost
  in the Shell 2 (2004)

9
Changes in Animation

• 3D animated films began to appear in the 1980s
• CG allows models to be made and rigged digitally,
  rather than using stop motion and physical models

10
Changes in Animation

• One type of 3D animation focuses on a more
  cartoon type of feel
• This is a sort of digital successor to stop
  motion animation
• Examples Toy Story (1995), Shrek (2001)

11
Changes in Animation

• Another, newer type of 3D animation strives
  toward photorealism
• This is one of the most difficult things to
  achieve in computer animation
• Example Final Fantasy VII Advent Children
  (2005)

12
Changes in Animation

• Using computer technology there is no longer any
  need for human tweening in traditional animation
• This significantly reduces the number of
  animators required for a picture

13
Changes in Animation

• Advances in computer technology has made it easy
  to make and share homemade animations
• Flash animation is a good example of this

14
Current Issues

• CG animation has now dwarfed traditional
  animation in the realm of big budget movies
• Fewer traditional animators are being employed
  with the growth of CG animation and computer
  assistance in traditional animation
• Shooting on location is becoming less popular
  with the seamlessness of using a digital backdrop

15
Future Issues

• With the falling popularity of hand drawn
  animation and the improving quality of
  cel-shading, traditional hand animation may
  disappear almost entirely
• Improvements in 3D CG graphics may soon permit
  completely photorealistic humans, which could
  take real actors off the set completely, and
  simply require voiceover work
• For example Tom Hanks roles in The Polar
  Express
• It is becoming cheaper and easier to do CG
  special effects than physical effects, making
  action films much more profitable to produce
• This could skew the industry toward special
  effects heavy films and away from more dramatic,
  less flashy films

16
Questions

• Why are computer animated films so much more
  popular than traditional animation?
• The majority of both the winners and nominees for
  the Academy Award for Best Animated feature are
  computer animated
• Should Disneys acquisition of the massively
  profitable Pixar be reason to close its last
  traditional animation studio?
• Pixars creative chief John Lasseter told Time
  magazine that he may restore Disneys traditional
  animation unit, stating Of all the studios that
  should be doing 2-D animation, it should be
  Disney.
• If a special effect can be produced at less cost
  digitally, should it be? What about a filming
  location?
• For photorealistic humans, is it ethical to
  reproduce a deceased actor, or to modify an
  actors appearance to fit a part?
• Examples Marlon Brando in Superman Returns or
  John F Kennedy in Forest Gump
• Should older films be digitally edited and
  updated with new material as technology permits?
• Han shot first.