Unless you’ve been living in an isolated igloo in Antarctica for the past 20 years, it’s obvious that technology is advancing at an unprecedented speed. This rapid evolution has dramatically affected movie production. From the earliest days of cinema, filmmakers relied on various practical tricks to create a variety of visual effects. They worked around the medium’s limitations because the technology wasn’t there to do anything else.

Today, most special effects are done through CGI (computer generated imagery). This brings up the question: is the era of “practical effects” coming to an end? While practical effects do bring with them a certain nostalgia, the reality is that the capabilities of computer-generated imaging has surpassed anything that prior film-making generations could have imagined.

Broad Application – Unlimited Potential

With the aid of computer-powered graphics, scenes can be altered, enhanced or even created from scratch. The post-production phase of film-making has become just as important as the actual acting. In some cases, decidedly more important. For instance, “digital buffing” is capable of making the actor appear younger or older, can drop or increase their weight, and augment their acting ability by adding artificial tears. Crying-on-demand has long been a struggle for many professional actors.

Producers joke about computers soon being able to replace entire characters. Perhaps actors themselves will become redundant. Though this sounds like a stretch, no one can argue that the CGI has definitely raised the bar regarding a film’s ability to create an alternate reality.

Blockbuster Statistics

If you look at the 50 top-grossing movies of all time, you’ll find that majority of them are either powered by CGI, or are entirely animated. Yes, there are some blockbusters that don’t rely on visual effects, but that’s only because the particular genre doesn’t require it.

It’s clear that the emphasis is shifting. Practical effects could soon be gone, along with the artists that created and implemented them. This article goes into greater depth on the topic.