Best digital creation?

LordoftheDance · 16-03-2009, 23:05

Possibly with James Cameron's Avatar on the horizon, we could see mention of that title in this thread at some point in the future...

But having just watched a movie (which I'll come to in a second), I would like to ask what you think is the best digital creature/human/entity put to film?

My vote goes to the dragons in Reign of Fire.

I was saddened to read about the fx house behind it, The Secret Lab, and how they only lasted 2 years before being made redundant due to oversights and overspending on Disney's side. A real shame.

The dragons in this film are just stunning to look at, the way their wings flap and dissipate the smoke around them; the fire they breathe (which I read is all digital also) - you've never seen such realistic-looking fire (that isn't real) on film; the way they move and the translucency of the wing membranes.

A big

to The Secret Lab and the work they did on the film, particularly the bull (which is the main, sole male dragon).

SIMON ADEBISI · 16-03-2009, 23:15

Jar J....................................

Bubastis in Watchmen was pretty cool looking.

Has to be Davy Jones in POTC2. Film was cack but he looked brilliant.

DM · 16-03-2009, 23:18

The cats in Let The Right One In

Guest 56823 · 16-03-2009, 23:36

Kong in Peter Jackson's King Kong was a pretty impressive achievement. He is a thoroughly believable character rather than just a creature.

statto · 16-03-2009, 23:54

Gollum, by a country mile.

scoobyood · 16-03-2009, 23:58

Thought the CG in watchmen was ropey.

The baby in children of men was the probably the last time I was wowed by some cg. It was a case of.. wait what's going on here. That must be CG... what the hell is going on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gylKAvCa_c

Also, if anyone listens to the 'VFX show' podcast, they discussed COM in an old episode. When you watch that film again... When they are on a bus heading towards the refuge camp, and some helicopters fly past outside the window. The helicopters are CG and you'll think they look good. But actually EVERYTHING outside those windows was CG. the windows were green screen for the entire scene. It's just amazing.

chris21 · 17-03-2009, 00:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by statto

Gollum, by a country mile.

Seconded.

Gollum is a living breathing being.

Guest 8391 · 17-03-2009, 01:00

Gollum looks rubbish now if you rewatch it. Davey Jones gets my vote.

Soprano · 17-03-2009, 01:43

I,Robot robots looked excellent.

This opinion was brought to you in association with CONVERSE All Star

scoobyood · 17-03-2009, 02:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soprano

I,Robot robots looked excellent.

This opinion was brought to you in association with CONVERSE All Star

.. and Audi?

the thing with no name · 17-03-2009, 09:30

re-watched Two Towers recently and would call it a split vote between Gollum in TT and Davy Jones for me - both stunning work

thescrounger · 17-03-2009, 10:03

I don't think I've ever seen a completely convincing creature done in CG. Animatronic puppets are still better.

AndyWilson · 17-03-2009, 10:24

The first time you see a brontosaurus (or whatever the big one is called nowadays) in Jurrasic Park is one of those WOW! moments in cinema that couldn't have been achieved without CGI.

I know JP owes a lot to model work too, but that particular scene, which I think was all CGI, just took my breath away in the cinema. We'd seen dinosaurs on screen before, but had always had to suspend disbelief. This appeared like a real moving breathing animal.

Mr Majestik · 17-03-2009, 10:48

Slightly off topic but genius...

ourmatetone · 17-03-2009, 10:55

Was Davy Jones all CGI though? I thought it was just the tentacles?

Still looked awesome.

Don't remember the dragons in Reign of Fire being particularly awesome, can't remember much about the film anyway though.

LeftHandedGuitarist · 17-03-2009, 10:55

Gollum is the best by far, and he still stands up today. He always looked a little ropey in the daylight scenes even back in 2002, but any scene in the dark is near flawless and the main reason he's so good is that he's actually acting. It's his eyes. The scene in the pool with the fish in his mouth, completely believable.

There's a few shots of the T-Rex in Jurassic Park which are amazing still, again, the scenes in the dark and rain.

Davey Jones is incredible, shame I can't stand to watch the films he's in!

I agree about the dragons in Reign of Fire, easily the best dragons ever put on film. We need more dragon movies.

ourmatetone · 17-03-2009, 11:03

This goes with the point I was trying to make in the suspension of disbelief thread, but Gollum works brilliantly for me not because he looks "real" but because he's so animated and gives a credible performance.

Also, glad to see Children of Men get a mention. That whole film was a very impressive technical achievement. Central London is so familiar to me and the way they digitally dressed it up for the future setting was stellar.

Johnny Vodka · 17-03-2009, 11:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by statto

Gollum, by a country mile.

This.

And Reign of Fire is a very underrated film imo.

Niceguygeoff · 17-03-2009, 11:41

ILM's Davy Jones is exceptional, as were the Transformers. I've got a high threshold for CG but even so, those two amazed me.

Honourable mention goes to Weta's Kong, although the rest of the stuff in that flick is pretty bad at times which knocks a mark off.

I've always thought that Jar Jar was a tremendous achievement though. In a perverse mirror of the Gollum comments above, I find it fascinating that people moan about how awful a character Jar Jar is but they rarely mention the execution of the CG when talking about him.

As with dear Smeagol, some of the CG work isn't great, natch, but some of it is strikingly good. Watto is also very well done, although it's such a shame that Lucas didn't have the balls to do more with his CG characters than a Rasta space frog and a flying version of Fagin.

Jabbitt · 17-03-2009, 11:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKPiggott

Was Davy Jones all CGI though? I thought it was just the tentacles?

Still looked awesome.

Bill Nighy who played Davy Jones got to wear some lovely grey pyjamas as he called them, covered with tracking dots. They also applied Davy Jones makup to his eyes in case the CGI didn't work out on the characters face. In the end ILM did such a fantastic job that the make-up was never needed and DJ is 100% CGI.

I remember finding that out and being completely blown away as I had thought that it was mostly Bill with some obvious CGI enhancement.