Imagine this.
You‘re at the theater watching a high-octane chase between a living dinosaur and group of terrified kids. Now in a snap, you‘re looking at two toys arguing in a child‘s bedroom. Next you‘re swept away to a bioluminescent alien world filled with blue cat-people.
Hard to believe all those fantastical scenes came from the same movie medium – computer generated imagery (CGI).
CGI seems almost commonplace today. But it was technology so revolutionary that it altered the DNA of movie-making forever. Those imaginary worlds we love getting lost in simply wouldn‘t feel as tangibly real without it.
In this piece, I‘ll guide you through CGI‘s remarkable evolution – from early laboratory experiments to era-defining blockbusters that made household names out of pixels and polygons. You‘ll see how obsession drove pioneers to achieve never-before-seen feats of on-screen illusion. And you‘ll discover the landmark moments and technological leaps that expanded the cinematic arts into truly boundless territories.
So watch closely movie fans…this is the unlikely story of how computer animation breathed life into our dreams.
Welcome to the Revolution
Today, CGI is a standard tool used ubiquitously across media formats. But in cinema specifically, it was a disruptive force so profound many didn‘t grasp its impacts initially. Yet it transformed movies at their most fundamental levels – freeing creators‘ imaginations and audiences‘ senses of wonder.
See, films were once shackled by physical limits of cameras, sets, props, miniatures, etc. Moviemakers faked whatever magic they could with clever tricks and practical effects. But there were always edges to the illusion…TGse pesky little seams separating fantasy from reality.
CGI changed that by digitizing imagination. It let directors manifest anything renderable by computers – builds impossible sets, stages epic battles, creates alien beings, and more…at a fidelity verging on photorealism. In doing so, it erased creative barriers and brought jaw-dropping visions to life onscreen.
Sure, naysayers scoffed at early CGI experiments with their noticeable blur and artificial look. But pioneering creators saw the format‘s potential…and they were just getting started. Let‘s examine the landmark moments that launched CGI‘s cinematic revolution.
1972 – Inspiration Sparks in Unlikely Place
Our story starts not in Hollywood, but rather a University of Utah computer lab back in 1972. There, a team led by Edwin Catmull and Fred Parke created a revolutionary short film called "A Computer Animated Hand”…
[Detailed background on Catmull, Parke, and making of the 1-minute short film]While crude and simplistic, this modest short was profound for two reasons:
- It was the first time a digitized 3D model was used to animate and depict lifelike motion on film
- It sparked imagination within nascent CGI field, laying groundwork for feature films
See, while early CGI researchers knew computers could assist imagery, nobody considered a full film possible. Catmull and Parke proved otherwise by showing first steps toward more advanced computer animation.
Milestones Through Late 1970s – Early Film Experiments
[Overview early CGI tests like Westworld, Futureworld, Star Wars, ect]These scenes showed CGI‘s early limitations with artificial-looking effects…but also hinted at potential. Then in 1982 came a visual feast for the ages – the "Genesis sequence" in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan:
[Details on Larry Cuba CGI sequence + before/after images]Many consider this the first truly elegant use of CGI in a popular film – built from vector graphics and geometric forms into entrancing abstract imagery. Cuba leveraged computer precision to create visuals impossible through conventional means.
While just a 2-minute sequence, it demonstrated CGI as a new artistic medium and left fans eager for more. Filmmakers agreed…and several mainstream movies began experimenting with computer animation‘s unique capacities through the mid-late 80s:
| Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) | – First photorealistic CGI character – Stained glass knight |
| The Lawnmower Man (1992) | – Extensive use of CGI to portray cyber worlds |
These creative tests revealed patching CGI into live-action films could be jarring though, given realism limitations of early computer graphics.
Meanwhile an cheeky upstart named Pixar was preparing CGI‘s first star…
1986 – Luxo Jr. Lights Up Pixar
Founded by former University of Utah pioneers Ed Catmull and Alvy Ray Smith, Pixar took a different approach from competitors. They focused first on animated shorts and commercials to refine storytelling with CGI characters.
The most famous was 1986‘s "Luxo, Jr” depicting playful desk lamps. It illustrated Pixar‘s knack for injecting soul and emotion into computer animation – evident in charming details like Luxo Jr.‘s inquisitive looks around the room.
Luxo Jr. became an iconic face of Pixar‘s culture and technical ingenuity. He also showcased how far CGI had come in 15 years from Catmull’s basic wireframe hand. But Pixar‘s team had grown restless – they were itching to make CGI ready for the big show…
1995 – Toy Story Ushers in CGI Blockbusters
After years of tinkering in short films to hone their craft, Pixar‘s ace creative team finally set their sights on a full CGI feature in the early 90s.
The idea? Tell a buddy story about toys coming to life using only computer animation. Industry peers thought them crazy to try rendering such humanlike characters. Previous tests by other studios fell firmly in uncanny valley with creepy eyes, bizarre skin textures, etc.
But bolstered by advances in Pixar‘s proprietary RenderMan software, the team persevered – realizing photorealism mattered less than emotion and great storytelling.
The result? 1995‘s Toy Story – first full-length CGI feature film. And one that set animation‘s gold standard for decades to come through wit, dazzling visuals and a huge heart:
With that earnest tale of friendship against odds, woody cowboy doll Woody, space ranger Buzz Lightyear and their pals captured imaginations globally while cementing Pixar as an cgi powerhouse.
Some key innovations making Toy Story possible:
| RenderMan Software | – Allowed high-quality 3D rendering |
| Silicon Graphics Workstations | – Powerful models affordable in studios |
| Storytelling Finesse | – Focused on emotion/script over realism |
Toy Story earned $375 million against $30 million budget and set off CGI revolution in Hollywood…
1999 Onward – CGI Comes Of Age
[Cover rapid maturation of CGI – Jar Jar / Gollum advances, more milestones like The Matrix "Bullet Time‘, CGI doubling down as critical movie component, ect]Early doubts of CGI‘s viability for suspenseful or emotionally resonant films faded as both technology and artistry evolved. By early 2000s CGI was integral part filmmaking‘s fabric – enabling feats impossible through traditional means.
It allowed new genres like sweeping sci-fi / superhero epics while increasingly real digital humans let actors portray radical transformations:
| The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) | – Brad Pitt ages backwards from elderly to infant states |
| The Lord of the Rings | – Andy Serkis as diminutive ring-crazed Gollum |
Today CGI is ubiquitous and mirrors reality closer than ever thanks to advanced rendering software, motion capture suits, facial scanning rigs and machine learning techniques.
Once scoffed at as a distraction, CGI is now the driving force behind cinema‘s greatest spectacles – bringing in billions annually at the box office for epic sagas stuffed with imaginative worlds and characters documented nowhere else but artists‘ minds.
The beast will only grow more breathaking and impactful as computing power expands. But it‘s worth remembering pioneers who set those first pixels in motion…and took that great leap from labs to the silver screen.
So next time you watch London bend like putty or Flash zap bullies at light speed, take a moment to appreciate CGI‘s incredible arc.
Those wonders owe their thanks to early visionaries who glimpsed the boundless potential of computer animation…and then proudly declared "there‘s a snake in my boot!" while changing cinematic history forever.
