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July 1996, Week 2

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Subject:
From:
Mark Allen <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 10 Jul 1996 09:53:01 -0800
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>I am compiling information for a research paper on the topic:
> "Computer Technology: Changing the Film Industry"  (past, present, and
>future).
 
Here are some important historical points in the world of computer
technology in special effects:
 
TRON -used a great deal of computer enhancement (vector style)
 
Aluminum Cans Promotional Add -This is the famous add with the robot woman
in the chair that was made to promote cans; this is what people in the
industry first saw that peaked their interest.
 
Tin Toy -First computer animated film to win an oscar.
 
Reboot -First computer animated television show.  (Also first instance
where Vactors (virtual actors) enter the world as regular characters.)
 
Toy Story -First fully computer animated film.
 
 
I'm not sure what the first film to use cg (computer graphics) to simply
enhance the story was.  Forrest Gump is widely recognized as the first film
to do this to such a full extent and so successfully, but it had been done
before.
 
Computer Technology is used to:
 
Create Mattes (backgrounds)
 
Add Key objects (like a flying saucer or a little flying orb) which are
composited onto the background object)
 
Elliminate unwanted elements (like the Sergents legs in Forrest Gump, but
you can take out entire actors too... this can clean up continuity errors.
Continuity Errors are when something has changed since a previous scene
cut, like an actor is there or a glass in on the table that wasn't there
before.)
 
Wire Removal (people in action films are often on wires and cg can make
sure the audience doesn't see those)
 
Character Regeneration (used for making huge crowds out of small crowds).
 
Compositing (placing any image onto another image, like the multiple
Michael Keatons in Multiplicity).
 
...there are many other reasons, these are some common ones.
 
 
Here are some keyword pointers:
 
SIGGRAPH (they have a little documentary about the developement of cg which
they show at their convention)
 
PIXAR
 
Silicon Graphics History
 
Industrial Light and Magic
 
John Knoll (effects supervisor at Industrial Light an Magic)
 
 
 
I know this is a mish mosh, but hopefully something in here will help.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sincerely,
 
Mark Allen
Xantherboy
 
****XANTHER
****http://www.directnet.com/~xanther/
 
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