CGI hasn't improved in the last 20 years

[F1980]

Transformers came out in 2007, practically 20 years ago. The special effects in the movie makes it look like if the movie came out today, nobody would question if it came out 20 years ago.

The special effects actually look better than almost any new movie I've seen recently.

Back then, I would think that 20 years later, the special effects would be so good that you will not be able to tell if it's real or fake, but that's not the case. A lot of the CGI and special effects in new movies look terrible... or at least they look like they could have been done 20 years ago.

 

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

Transformers peaked 40+ years ago

 

[Sonny Qc]

 

[Satur9]

CGI especially looks bad on a small screen. Practical effects still look good though. They really should just stick to using CGI to add to practical effects instead. Adding a bit of CGI to miniatures always looks so much better than pure CGI alone.

 

[mb23100]

Transformers peaked 40+ years ago

I wore out my VHS copy of this as a kid. EASILY my most watched movie of all time. I can still recite it line for line.

 

[Kung Fu Kowboy]

I wore out my VHS copy of this as a kid. EASILY my most watched movie of all time. I can still recite it line for line.

Transformers and The Serge

 

[MDoza]

It has definitely improved. The issue is that studios and directors want more for less.

Most of the movies that you can point to from 20 years ago were groundbreaking VFX at the time. They designed the movies around those effects, and spent a large portion of the time and budget making sure they would be top quality.

Nowadays, those processes have been streamlined enough that directors expect to be able to create anything in post production without foresight, and the artists are being asked to do the same quality work in half the time. So what you see in most movies today is on par with what was made 20 years ago, but at a fraction of the time and cost.

There are a few movies out there that still dedicate the time and money to pushing the limits of VFX though. Go watch the recent Planet of the Apes or Avatar movie.

The video you posted specifically is comparing apples to oranges though. The “new” VFX they show are CG doubles of real humans, whereas the “old” VFX are inorganic objects. Our brain is a lot more discerning when it comes to noticing issues with human CGI doubles. If you find some CGI doubles of humans from 2007, they will look much much worse.

 

[avenue94]

Ya, you have to be crazy to think CGI hasn't improved when the underlying technology is night and day more powerful now.

But having quality CGI doesn't ensure it will be used properly or funded enough for a production.

 

[MrBean]

I think AI enhancement of CGI will make CGI indistinguishably real. I look forward to that but otherwise agree, @F1980
Today's methods are barely beyond a template.

 

[eddymotto]

wow. apparently James Cameron wasted the last 20 years of his life. tough message.

 

[Frank_Drebin]

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scrape that tongue ffs!

 

[Ladder Master]

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Damn. Right click save, as they used to say on the internet.

 

[Frank_Drebin]

studios demand more for less, push for the same quality with tighter timelines, everything's rushed, they cut corners, they put out trash, they brand the trash as "premium", everything's made for streaming and smaller screens.

zero respect for the craft these days.

 

[Fedorgasm]

First they try and make it as good as possible, but once that's achieved, they switch to trying to make it as cheap as possible.

That's pretty much how everything goes now.

It's called enshittification

 

[Sonny Qc]

Damn. Right click save, as they used to say on the internet.

"I tied an onion to my belt, which was the style at the time"

 

[Law Talkin’ Guy]

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Is this CGI?

 

[azerty]

jurassic park is from 1993 and it look better than a lot of todays productions

 

[HHJ]

After Avatar came out, everyone went CGI crazy, and it wasnt special anymore. It's everywhere in everything.

 

[MLarson]

I hate CGI as a special effect it way over used.