UPDATE! New WIRED VFX Video Plus 30 Minutes of VFX Talk About The Force Awakens!

MAZstatureA new video by WIRED goes behind the scenes of the action sequences and motion capturing of The Force Awakens. Also fxguide posted an extensive video interview with Roger Guyett and his team about their impressive VFX work on the movie.

 

 

We finally see the the stature in front of Maz Kanata’s castle in full beauty, as Maz herself.

BB8 zapperLupita Nyong’o on set for the “cantina” scene.

Lupita

Unkar Plutt was both a practical and CGI effect, good when you can’t see the difference.

simon-pegg-unkar-plutt-the-force-awakens-rev-2-news

unkar

 

 

 

 

UPDATE!

 

Fxguide visits Industrial Light & Magic and talked with Roger Guyett and his team about their impressive VFX work on STAR WARS – THE FORCE AWAKENS:

 

 

 

+ posts

117 thoughts on “UPDATE! New WIRED VFX Video Plus 30 Minutes of VFX Talk About The Force Awakens!

    • January 21, 2016 at 6:52 pm
      Permalink

      I sang this, rather loudly, when I entered the theater the second time I saw TFA.

      Either no one got it, or I’m actually as terrible at singing as I’m sure I am. 😉

      • January 21, 2016 at 7:06 pm
        Permalink

        LOL!! = )

  • January 21, 2016 at 6:38 pm
    Permalink

    That’s pretty freakin’ cool. I think they did an amazing job on the VFX for this movie. Maz Kanata is incredible. I love the detail in her skin.

  • January 21, 2016 at 6:50 pm
    Permalink

    Out of the three lead CGI characters I felt Maz & Unkar Plutt stood out the most. They were well animated but all of it could’ve been practical effects. A great scene from the first Hobbit comes to mind, where all the dwarfs share the table with Gandalf. The special effects team just used montage to adjust the character sizes.

    • January 21, 2016 at 9:36 pm
      Permalink

      I still cannot tell about Unkar being CGI all the 8 times I saw it.

    • January 21, 2016 at 10:13 pm
      Permalink

      The only CGI *character* that really stood out to me was Snoke, and even then, he wasn’t all that bad.

  • January 21, 2016 at 6:56 pm
    Permalink

    Yeah… this makes me go back to the CG vs practical discussion that is also a prequel vs. originals discussion. Motion capture is a technology they fully developed with Avatar the way we know it. If there was motion capture in 1999 they might have used it.
    Also… judging by things here they pretty much used CG and greenscreen the same level they had with the PT. It’s not true that they used that extensive CG always, most of the times they solved things with miniature backgrounds that were practically shot aswell.
    All this to say… prequels shouldn’t be bashed that much because of extensive use of CGI.

    • January 21, 2016 at 7:14 pm
      Permalink

      TFA used CGI when it was impractical to do practical (no pun intended). The prequels, however, had fully CGI clone troopers and fully CGI sets that could have been costumed actors and normal sets. That’s the difference.

      • January 21, 2016 at 7:40 pm
        Permalink

        The real difference is that prequels were pushing technology ahead, this one is using actual ( and polished ) technology in cgi, compared to back then.

        Practical an CGI conbination is basically the same in this movie and prequels, just to not say prequels had more practical ( People are very sensitive to this ). It’s been more than 10 years since ROTS, so CGI have to look a lot better. Really impressive BTW.

      • January 21, 2016 at 8:42 pm
        Permalink

        ok, yeah, Clone trooper armor CGI is really an exageration, I agree but that’s really all. As I said, I’ve checked and most of the sets weren’t cgi but miniatures. Mustafar, Geonosis arena and such, and I know why: it would have been really, really expensive to build real sets for all those scenes.

        • January 21, 2016 at 9:36 pm
          Permalink

          Again. The issue is not the quantity of CGI, it’s where it is used and how. Fully CGI clone troopers is inexcusable and detracts from the movie. Even using miniature sets instead of real sets is a bad move. Yes, we got fantastic locations and aliens in the PT, but at the expense of a good film, IMO.

          • January 21, 2016 at 9:54 pm
            Permalink

            But how do you build things hundreds thousands of feet high? Coruscant buildings? Then everything will have a smaller scale.

          • January 21, 2016 at 10:59 pm
            Permalink

            CGI buildings are fine, just composite them with a real background set. Why do we need a fully CGI Jedi temple? Why couldn’t they build a set for that? Lucas needed to be more flexible in his vision, like he was forced to do with the OT. That flexibility increases the realism and immersion.

          • January 21, 2016 at 11:14 pm
            Permalink

            And that’s all fine and good, but it still looks terrible on screen, and, more importantly, it led to sterile performances by the actors.

          • January 21, 2016 at 11:32 pm
            Permalink

            I guess stage/theater actors act oddly, huh?

            Funny because I seem to recall there being certain tangible objects in the background, foreground, and on the ground in many of the scenes (even when bluescreen was used); and most interior building shots were done in built sets with tangible objects in them.

            I guess every effects-heavy movie also causes this too huh, of affecting the actors (see MCU) ?

            There’s just no pleasing some people.

          • January 21, 2016 at 11:30 pm
            Permalink

            Jedi temple was real. It was a miniature.
            Actualy Jedi temple was done as real sets and miniatures. And it looks great.
            It is not CGI.

          • January 21, 2016 at 10:17 pm
            Permalink

            False (and that’s just your opinion *insert Lebowsky meme here*)! 1st off, most of the clones you see on the foreground are mo-cap, with a person acting them out (not exactly “fully CGI”) 2nd: they’re clones, they need to look the same height-wise and body-wise (so there’s a reason they were done as they were). 3rd: You average moviegoers just cares that the movie looks decent. Most aren’t acting like geek cinephile armchair filmmakers talking with their friends how they likes the use of a practical here and how they like the use of CGI over here. 4: there’s a reason why AOTC was nominated for a VFX Oscar (yes, we know that it didn’t win it but still, its VFX was held in such high regard to even be in consideration for that award (but hey, there are a lot more effects-heavy movies now than when the OT movies came out). Furthermore, other organizations did nominate and award AOTC for its VFX, see the attachments; all this says a lot of positive things about AOTC’s VFX as they were fascinating and groundbreaking for their time). You don’t get this kind of recognition for having a movie whose effects look like crap (which AOTC does not). 5: this “dated” argument that some of you CGI vilifiers like to use is really nothing more that a “grasping for straws” effort in trying to use a baseless and unsubstantiated argument (because let’s face it, every movie starts getting “dated” as the years go by regardless of the types of effects used, it’s only natural (and this included the OT movies)). 6: this is not up for discussion anymore (and I’m not planning to get into arguments about this with you or anyone else). People like you continue to parrot this same tiring talking point in trying to make one feel differently despite some not planning to change their feelings at all. It’s been 10+ years now. You got anything else that’s new? Just drop it, get over it, and move on.

          • January 21, 2016 at 10:27 pm
            Permalink

            MO-cap clones are still CGI clones. why couldn’t they use VFX to just make the REAL troopers a uniform height? If you really want to tell me that THIS looks realistic:

            http://media.theiapolis.com/d4/hMW/i2099/k4/l20WW/w1H1/ewan-mcgregor-obi-wan-kenobi-samuel-l-jackson.jpg

            than you’re simply an idiot, simple as that. I don’t care how many Oscars the movie was nominated for, it still looks like shit, and pales in comparison to Jurassic World, a movie that came out nearly a decade prior.

          • January 21, 2016 at 10:37 pm
            Permalink

            That is a miniature. Practical effect that TFA did not used.
            It is not CGI. And it looked great 14 years ago.

          • January 22, 2016 at 2:27 am
            Permalink

            I know you said it doesn’t matter, but I still want to post this. xD

            Much of the “CGI” in the prequels isn’t CGI. Nearly every interior set thought to be digital was a physical miniature (albeit very digital-looking), using improved technology Lucas designed for the OT.

            Yes, the actors were in a green screen soundstage most of the time, and were later composited onto the miniatures. But most of what people think is CGI isn’t.

            https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d09ed4e38e413ac921b98c9076b112728d77ec50637d45232a03d069048e9ffe.jpg
            https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5ef142483958a34559ed9a2e9d00c1f43c7cce7839e4e02c3f180469670ba349.jpg
            https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/8116b38637fdce2560e18720fef2e1410e8bb2b7f4420770f60f541f2795492b.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ba89ddd6ff01e5893d5fc1337dab50582562f4c6bd097c44ba4593af0bf26279.jpg

            And what a lot of people think is CGI was actual, full-scale sets.

            https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/3e878b5bdbd50cbd2ee0dc7a6479274d9c84330c0d9ceda7f6fe37590428eb35.jpg

            The only really unjustifiable use of CGI (imo) was the clone troopers. Really irritating. xD

          • January 22, 2016 at 2:41 am
            Permalink

            Yes, I know. But the full scale sets and miniatures were (sadly) absolute shite.

          • January 22, 2016 at 3:11 am
            Permalink

            Well you got me there. xDD

          • January 21, 2016 at 10:38 pm
            Permalink

            Also Clone troopers must all be the same. Same size, same shape. That is the reason why they were CGI.
            Many of the stormtroopers in TFA are also CGI.

          • January 21, 2016 at 10:58 pm
            Permalink

            Then you can have Temuera Morrison do a bunch of shots and composite them together. Or hire a bunch of extras that are about the same height. It’s not that hard.

          • January 21, 2016 at 11:09 pm
            Permalink

            What I posted to TUD as a response to his comment can be applied to you as well.

            Bye Felicia!

          • January 21, 2016 at 11:29 pm
            Permalink

            Actualy they did.

            If you look end credits of AOTC. You will see two actors credited as clone troopers.

            But it is hard to find thousands of people that look the same.
            Also budget.
            But AOTC got Oscar nomination for VFX.

          • January 22, 2016 at 12:53 am
            Permalink

            But not ones in the foreground that we have to stare at. CGI is great for backgrounds, but don’t shove a shitty CGI clone in my face.

          • January 21, 2016 at 11:05 pm
            Permalink

            1. I said decent.

            2. “why couldn’t they use VFX to just make the REAL troopers a uniform height” Thank you for proving my point abou talking like a “pretentious geek cinephile armchair filmmaker”, trying to sound like an expert/professional in making movies. So how many big-budget, effects-heavy blockbusters have you made?

            Instead of coming here, please get off this site and go visit those click-bait sites where the likes of you seem to be at all the time (whose comment sections are filled with your type of like-minded people).

          • January 22, 2016 at 12:53 am
            Permalink

            They made the dwarfs in The Hobbit small, they can make the clone troopers a uniform height. Don’t act like it’s some impossible feat.

          • January 22, 2016 at 4:28 am
            Permalink

            That shot looks fine, its when they start walking down the halls does the shadowing and reflections make it seem off.

          • January 21, 2016 at 10:34 pm
            Permalink

            Thing is PT where alot more practical than TFA.
            Also CGI is never really needed.
            Soo TFA could have been created using only practical. That is how ANH is created.
            And TFA is ANH rehash.

          • January 21, 2016 at 11:10 pm
            Permalink

            IMO the real issue with the prequels is the direction of the actors and the small amount of time allowed to get each scene done, not to mention the unpolished scripts. Each film should have had a budget nearer $200m – George allowed only a little over half of that. It was just rushed. Yep and some CGI scenes could have been lit more realistically but all would have been more tolerable and maybe even unnoticeable if the acting and script engaged the audience a lot better.

            in George’s defence he asked for help from Kasdan, Spielberg, Howard and more, but they probably presumed it would be too stressful as there was no studio backing it with big corporate investor $$$ – just George’s personal $$$ and vision which may not allowed for as much creative freedom as they might have liked. Friendships could potentially be lost over situations like that…

          • January 21, 2016 at 11:25 pm
            Permalink

            These are miniatures not CGI scenes in prequels.
            Prequels almost did not use Full CGI scenes like TFA.

          • January 21, 2016 at 11:27 pm
            Permalink

            Exactly!

            When people keep parroting the CGI thing, it continues to create this misconception that things were “all done on a computer” and undermine and trivialize the true process in creating certain scenes.

          • January 21, 2016 at 11:25 pm
            Permalink

            1. Carrie Fisher
            2. Jonathan Hales
            3. To Stoppard

            All are script doctors that worked on I, II, and III’s scripts (with Hales being more involved in II’s script). Furthermore, he did seek out advice from others in seeing what others thought of his work (ex: Spielberg, Darabont telling GL “I wouldn’t change a thing” for the TPM script, etc; hell, even before TPM got made, people were telling GL that he should direct the PT). So yeah, it’s not like he wasn’t asking for help at all and not trying to seek advice (and it’s a misconception for people to label GL as a “control freak”).

            And come on, everyone should’ve known that GL was not a fan of corporate Hollywood. He wasn’t when the OT movies were being made, and he still wasn’t when the PT movies got made, and he still isn’t now. So this “studio backing” thing should not come as a surprise to anyone.

    • January 21, 2016 at 8:03 pm
      Permalink

      Its what they did with the CGI that matters.

  • January 21, 2016 at 7:22 pm
    Permalink

    Rationally I know, yet I am always amazed how much work goes into every detail of these movies. I think they did an amazing job combining practical and CG. Watching previous VFX videos, I realized how many times I thought something was real vs. CGI and vice versa, which in my book proves the quality of both. I could have sworn Rey’s bread was CG. Nope. 🙂

  • January 21, 2016 at 7:27 pm
    Permalink

    I was fine with the CGI aliens, but I fail to see why they couldn’t have used practical effects instead.

    Also, the rathtar scene should’ve been replaced by Rey fighting The Raid actors with her staff. Bad move, Abrams.

    • January 21, 2016 at 8:18 pm
      Permalink

      why weren’t the raid actors aliens? it seemed weird that they were ALL humans

      • January 21, 2016 at 8:57 pm
        Permalink

        Seemed weird that the Rebels were all human in ANH too. SW will always have it’s idiosyncrasies for whatever reasons.

    • January 21, 2016 at 8:51 pm
      Permalink

      Honest to God, saw the film 8 times now and could NEVER tell Platt’s face was CG. I knew intellectually his eyes couldn’t be like that with a human in there, but never thought “CG” not for a second.

    • January 21, 2016 at 9:28 pm
      Permalink

      I guess I am the only one that liked the Rathars. I don’t get the beef with the,.

      • January 21, 2016 at 10:03 pm
        Permalink

        I like them, but not how they look. Their CGI wasn’t that great, but it was passable.

        • January 21, 2016 at 10:09 pm
          Permalink

          I just can’t see how it was bad.

          • January 21, 2016 at 10:28 pm
            Permalink

            It was something about their lighting and texture. It just didn’t seem like they were really there. It wasn’t TERRIBLE CGI, it was just okay.

          • January 22, 2016 at 1:05 am
            Permalink

            Yeah, they looked a little too shiny or rubbery or something. Like the texturing and lighting was rushed. It was probably the weakest CGI in the movie, IMO.

          • January 22, 2016 at 2:39 am
            Permalink

            Definitely. And again, it wasn’t BAA, it was just average. I’m guessing it was rushed.

      • January 22, 2016 at 4:25 am
        Permalink

        I actually love the Rathtars. They’re throwbacks to classic 50’s and 60’s science fiction, stuff that Lucas and JJ both like. Its cheesy, and its supposed to be.

        • January 22, 2016 at 5:53 am
          Permalink

          It’s stylistically designed to be that day. We can’t undo it, but we can diminish the effects of it.

      • January 22, 2016 at 12:21 pm
        Permalink

        I liked the rathtars enough, but I was disappointed when another fan pointed out how Abrams wasted an opportunity to use The Raid actors for an action sequence with Rey and her staff,

    • January 21, 2016 at 11:45 pm
      Permalink

      SERIOUSLY, that entire sequence would have been better off if they weren’t chased by a giant CGI monster… was hoping that the

      KANJIKLUB (Raid Actors) got into a fight with Rey and Finn or even Chewie or Han. Also wanted to see a bit more action from the Guavian dudes.

      • January 22, 2016 at 2:35 am
        Permalink

        Would’ve been a great opportunity to show off Rey’s skills with a weapon during combat. This would have established some background on where she stands as an opponent before she goes against Kylo and unexpectedly kicks ass..

  • January 21, 2016 at 7:28 pm
    Permalink

    I was not a big fan of the Unkar Plutt facial CGI… but I can live with it. Though my expectations for TFA were higher in some regards. Previous installments have always pushed the envelope in terms of special effects, but in this case I felt like the CGI was of above average quality. There are films I’ve seen with better CGI.
    I’m at least grateful they didn’t go the AOTC route & made the storm troopers real this time.

    • January 21, 2016 at 9:49 pm
      Permalink

      Name the better CGI films?

      • January 21, 2016 at 10:10 pm
        Permalink

        in specific instances, some of the mocaps in dawn of planet of the apes (some of them looked downright real). The Raccoon from GOTG looked pretty real. Interstellar I felt was visually better as far as special FX go/ spaceships & exotic worlds.

        Just keep in mind though… the OT was totally ahead of it’s time. I’ve been waiting for a new film that would break the mold. The only film that I felt competed with in that era was Alien. Though no leap was bigger than 2001, Lucas was at least wise enough to incorporate those technological advances into his own films.

        • January 21, 2016 at 10:30 pm
          Permalink

          The CGI apes looked *pretty* real. If there’s one thing that makes them look less real, it’s the fact that they make facial expressions that no ape could ever physically make. It’s completely necessary, though.

          • January 22, 2016 at 4:19 am
            Permalink

            One caveat though… I didn’t see planet of the apes on the big screen… I think it’s totally possible on the TV it might look better.

            Interstellar though I did see on 70mm IMAX, the ships in that looked stunning. I really wish Lucasfilm would go back to their roots & do it they same way Nolan did (because it’s what they do best).

          • January 22, 2016 at 4:20 am
            Permalink

            I agree. The model work and practical VFX in The Dark Knight are absolutely AMAZING. Even more interesting than the movie itself, in my opinion.

  • January 21, 2016 at 7:39 pm
    Permalink

    I thought Unkar Plutt was just a latex-y mask so thats cool

    • January 21, 2016 at 9:47 pm
      Permalink

      That’s what I thought, didn’t see the CGI there all 8 times as I said.

      • January 21, 2016 at 10:28 pm
        Permalink

        Yeah Ive seen it 7 times and I thought it was just a ridiculous mask!

  • January 21, 2016 at 9:35 pm
    Permalink

    TFA is Star Wars movie with the most CGI soo far.

    • January 21, 2016 at 10:02 pm
      Permalink

      And also the best, and best used CGI.

    • January 21, 2016 at 10:25 pm
      Permalink

      Great example of perfectly used CGI. Unlike some other similar movies…

      • January 21, 2016 at 10:31 pm
        Permalink

        Not really. Rathars and Snoke look like 20 years old CGI.
        And Unkar looks like rubber.

        • January 22, 2016 at 12:49 am
          Permalink

          Mmmmmm…no.

        • January 22, 2016 at 3:54 am
          Permalink

          What the hell is peoples problem with the CGI Snoke???

          • January 22, 2016 at 4:24 am
            Permalink

            Yeah, its weird. Its like they don’t realize its a hologram. Some people don’t want to pay attention.

        • January 22, 2016 at 10:30 am
          Permalink

          I will give you a half portion for this answer…

  • January 21, 2016 at 9:56 pm
    Permalink

    Man, as much as I like the movie as is, those Falcon and X-Wing sequences just seem to work SO much better with the more epic and romantic music used in the trailer. It’s a shame JJ couldn’t have just carried those over to the movie itself, or had Williams come up with something in a similar style.

  • January 21, 2016 at 10:54 pm
    Permalink

    SWNN staff, you guys really need to stop publishing these effects showcasing-types of articles. Can’t you see that you’ve got some anti-CGI people/CGI-VFX vilifiers all worked up in the comments section trying to chime in with their superficial, superfluous and extraneous comments (self-made fears that they made up for themselves)?

      • January 22, 2016 at 2:44 am
        Permalink

        Your stance is totally valid, and I partially agree. But I think Aj’s point is that Lucas and ILM practically reinvented the wheel for dozens of technological advancements, which IS true. And I honestly can’t think of better CGI during that era, besides LotR, which only looked good because most of it ocured in very dark environments. xD

        • January 22, 2016 at 4:19 am
          Permalink

          Jurassic Park. And LotR legitimately looked better, not just because it was dark.

        • January 22, 2016 at 4:20 am
          Permalink

          Most CGI does look better in dark environments, which is a lesson learned the hard way by SW itself.

          • January 22, 2016 at 4:38 am
            Permalink

            Yep, and Davy Jones – he looks so friggin good whenever it’s dark and raining. Especially on Blu Ray, ironically enough.

            I’m starting to think the main issue with the prequels’ CGI is that the lighting is off. That’s typically it; the Planet of the Apes movies look so great because the lighting is almost perfect in every shot, and the actual, physical sets were well lit by the DP as well. But I can’t say the same for the PT – the CGI and physical lighting often don’t match.

            But I still think General Grievous is one of the best CGI creations to this day. <3
            https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c18d4d4ad35eb2ad031270d55606949429fb2b9811964208a2a630744e33f531.jpg

    • January 22, 2016 at 2:36 am
      Permalink

      There are a lot of opinions out there coming off as really spoilt. These guys clearly did state of the art effects work, and yet for some folks, it simply isn’t good enough….weird

    • January 22, 2016 at 8:30 am
      Permalink

      Seriously? This is perfect view and click generating content, BECAUSE it is so contentious. Everybody has an opinion on this topic and wants to express it. As long as that is true, expect to see stories like this and on other “controversial” topics all over this site. It is what keeps it alive!

      Wake up and smell the engagement-bait!!!

  • January 21, 2016 at 11:07 pm
    Permalink

    Can’t wait for the Bluray with all this sort of additional stuff. Still bummed that they aren’t offering both an extended version and cinematic version in a collectors edition bluray release.

  • January 21, 2016 at 11:12 pm
    Permalink

    Really don’t care for Maz at all. They could have made her an ancient non-force sensitive bartender like Guinan or gone the other way and made her Yoda’s lost Jedi Master. Instead we got this compromise where she can use he force but is also a pirate which you never really buy either.

    Like Snoke, She needs a lot of fleshing out which won’t happen due to all the dozens of characters in the next one needing screen time.

    • January 22, 2016 at 12:48 am
      Permalink

      Do you KNOW that this won’t happen? No, you don’t Just wait and see. Then you may judge.

      • January 22, 2016 at 2:11 am
        Permalink

        Not likely. If she were a Jedi then yes but she’s more of the Watto of the ST.

        • January 22, 2016 at 2:38 am
          Permalink

          She has force powers, you know. She’ll be in the saga for the long run.

          • January 23, 2016 at 2:00 am
            Permalink

            More to do with the lack of diversity the media is always ragging on about as well as the fact that Lupita has an Oscar. She should have gone with a more alien voice though rather a generic middle aged woman’s one. She didn’t do a terrible job but it lacked real character.

          • January 23, 2016 at 8:00 pm
            Permalink

            Sure, fair enough. But I thought she did a fine job as a mystical teacher/motherly type, and we’ll be seeing more of her in the coming films, so I wouldn’t worry too much.

          • January 24, 2016 at 4:17 am
            Permalink

            I wouldn’t mind seeing her be the first of the new cast to die since she’s the most obvious choice but I think Disney would be too worried about potential racist accusations which is probably why Finn will survive too.

  • January 21, 2016 at 11:19 pm
    Permalink

    It is funny to see that people still don’t get prequels were made 10-15 years ago and that the CGI used then is 10-15 years old too, and that CGI evolves trough time, because there are people working on that. Any new big movie will have better CGI now, and 10 years from now movies will have better CGI than today.

    • January 22, 2016 at 12:11 am
      Permalink

      Yup. True.

    • January 22, 2016 at 12:46 am
      Permalink

      Oh yeah, look at how revolutionary this is. It’s certainly much better than the amazing VFX of LotR and Jurassic Park, which both hold up 80-90% today.

      http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/3061/9959/original.jpg

      Because it’s too much work to build some real pillars and do a background set extension. Instead, we need to have our actors stand in front of a green screen and “act”.

      • January 22, 2016 at 3:05 am
        Permalink

        I think that looks good, and they did build a pillar or two.

        • January 22, 2016 at 4:18 am
          Permalink

          Look at those C-3PO looking droids in the top left corner. They’re literally pixelated. And everyone’s shadow is obviously added digitally.

          • January 22, 2016 at 4:21 am
            Permalink

            I honestly don’t see it as a problem. I don’t see the pixelation. If there is it could be screencap quality.

          • January 22, 2016 at 4:22 am
            Permalink

            No, because it’s not there with other CGI within the frame. Just open the picture in a new tab and look closer.

          • January 22, 2016 at 6:39 am
            Permalink

            I did

          • January 23, 2016 at 12:25 am
            Permalink

            Then check your eyes. That shot is horrendous.

          • January 23, 2016 at 1:20 am
            Permalink

            My hearing isn’t the best, but my vision is fine. Looks fine to me, reflections on the ground, shadows. Looks fine to me.

          • January 23, 2016 at 7:58 pm
            Permalink

            Ugh, no. The lighting is off, the textures are off, everything looks too smooth, and those droids in the top left are seriously pixelated.

      • January 29, 2016 at 4:03 am
        Permalink

        Again, That was made 10-15 years before, and before that there was nothing like that, it is an impressive work. O course you will find details, and of course If this scene were remade today the difference will be very noticeable. But just as it is, i find it fascinating, i dont know if I already said this but, this was made10-15 years before 🙂

  • January 21, 2016 at 11:32 pm
    Permalink

    I still prefer model shots of the ships to CGI

    • January 22, 2016 at 12:45 am
      Permalink

      I think both work well, as long as the models scale convincingly.

      • January 22, 2016 at 2:45 am
        Permalink

        It’d be cool if they could combine the two, somehow, so you get all of the benefits of physical miniatures and all the benefits of CGI. ^^

    • January 22, 2016 at 3:52 am
      Permalink

      They will rarely use models in todays film making, it would just take too long.

      • January 22, 2016 at 4:17 am
        Permalink

        Exactly. Plus, it’s hard to get cool camera angles using miniatures. Just look at the Death Star battle at the end of the original theatrical version of A New Hope. It’s dreadfully stale.

        • January 22, 2016 at 9:18 am
          Permalink

          If i had a say, i would have Made a Finalizer and Kylo’s shuttle models. But the Finalizer actually does look like a model already lol.

          They could have done Maz’s catle as a model too, like Minas Tirith in LotR. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8a/8d/3a/8a8d3a2dd9d0441a252ad46ad15fa6f2.jpg

          But this is just nit-picking.

          My only real gripe.. is i kind of wish Maz was a badass puppet.

          Still have 4 more films. perhaps there will be a fully animatronic puppet with realistic mouth movements.

          • January 23, 2016 at 12:25 am
            Permalink

            Exactly. Despite the fact that I think certain things should have been practical, the fact that i thought they already were proves just how good the CGI in TFA was.

          • January 23, 2016 at 2:36 pm
            Permalink

            i thought BB-8 was practical for everything but the falcon hallway scene (where he rolls around the hull). so yeah… the VFX were on point. I now have a sneaking suspicion that the opening scene was CGI BB-8 too…. damn.. so hard to tell…. and i had no clue that there was a kylo ren mask cgi scene! XD

  • January 22, 2016 at 1:01 am
    Permalink

    in my opinion, there is a certain level of world-building that george lucas achieved in the prequels that was fantastic. cgi or not, we all are so familiar with the different flavors each world had to offer throughout those films. but i will say that TFA is easily the most visually stunning star wars film to date. i can’t rave enough about how they greyed the line between “practical” and computer generated effects.

  • January 22, 2016 at 1:40 am
    Permalink

    i dont know why, the cgi was good but some scenes looked cheap like the dogfights and the escape of the hangar and offcourse snoke sucked

    • January 22, 2016 at 3:50 am
      Permalink

      What was so bloody wrong with Snoke? I didn’t notice anything that was bad. hell its not till you watch makings off that you know whats what. apart from the things I knew were CGI, there was a lot I didn’t realise, whether it was a background, character or what.

  • January 22, 2016 at 5:18 am
    Permalink

    I don´t feel is a problem about CGI vs Practical, it depends how they use it. Real sets can look bad like polyspan/foam too… Foam… Hoth Base was totally foam and it looked great! CGI has the problem that they can seem a videogame or a cartoon, and it is not about the money they spend, ESB used just paintings in some backgrounds and it looks really cool and real… nothing cheaper than them, simple paintings!

    I liked many views of Corouscant in the PT, usually aerial and city views work very well with CGI, because buildings have a well defined geometry. But other scenes were not so nice. The fact is that some fog/atmosphere and out of focus help and makes things much easier, it is weird they didn´t use it more often.

    In TFA for example I remember the aerial view of the castle most probably is CGI, I am not sure, it could be a model, and the design looks fantastic, I really liked it. But the set, inside and the ruins didnt look that well, it was fine but not great.

    The Starkiller Base size was inconceivable… well building a Death Star of a moon size was unbelievable too, but in ROTJ was reliable, more than in ANH.
    I like more the interiors what I think are CGI, there are some views of the interior Starkiller with that sophisticated pattern architecture, for example the place where Rey was climbing, or where Han died, there are some really nice CGI views there. It regarded me the interiors sky city in ESB very nice done.
    The practical in Starkiller sets were nice too, sometimes the combination of rock and building looked well but not fantastic.

    The destroyer interior was so nice, and I guess all those are practical, they look even better than the falcon.
    All the scenes in Jakku looked very nice, the destroyers cemetery views always impacted us, and the scaping scene in the Millenium Falcon was like WOW!

    People can complaint about plot things in TFA, the characters… whatever…, may be complaint about the unbeliavable planet view of Starkiller Base, but the Art and visual effects are amazing.

  • January 22, 2016 at 9:03 am
    Permalink

    To be honest.. i wasn’t a fan of the VFX reel that was released not too long ago (i think for the Oscars?). I don’t know who put it together… but i would have loved to have seen many other shots than what were shown. It seemed like it focussed on CGI. And, unless i am mistaken, isn’t practical under the umbrella of VFX? if not, then okay. But, still.

    I can’t wait for the bluray…. i want to see who made the practical lightsabers (or if the prop masters just used Custom Saber Shop stuff for the lighting guts). so cool that they used illuminated blades for dueling. No need to weird post-cgi ambient lighting.

Comments are closed.

LATEST POSTS ON MOVIE NEWS NET