Hey Hollywood – Stop with the Bad CG

Living in the Valley, I sometimes participate in audience test screenings of new movies. For those of you who’ve never done this before, let me explain: you go to the movies. Outside of the theater is someone with a brief tagline, title, or description of a new movie featuring XYZ or Directed by So-and-So. You get a paper with information on it describing bits and pieces about what you’ll see if you go.

So you call the number on the paper and give info; your age and gender. This is to see if you’re in the target demographic they’re trying to reach for the movie. Sometimes they’ll ask you more questions after the fact if you -are- in their target market. But anyhow-you’re given a number to write on your paper and told to report early to the theater; usually on a middle of the week during an off season when there’s no big movies playing.

You and hundreds of others show up. Depending on where you are in line, you might not get in. Once you do get in, you’re wanded and security checked to ensure you’re not illegally taping the film you’re about to see. Typically they don’t give you the title eitherâÂ?¦

When you get in, you’re told ‘this is a rough cut, the music’s not done yet, the special effects aren’t done yet’ or a thousand other small things. What you’re there to do, basically, is watch the film and comment. When the movie is done (no credit sequence usually) you’ve given a form to fill out asking questions about plot, characters, effects, what you did or didn’t like.

One such film I did this for was VanHelsing, with Hugh Jackman as a vampire hunter. We were treated to some interesting filler cg sequences and some fun greenscreen (Which I think I preferred to the actual end film, but I digress). The opening was great, the movie moved at a decent pace, the Q sequence (ala James Bond) was funny� and they dropped the werewolf one too many times into the river. Not funny. (They took our comments on that and edited some of it out)

Then we come to the end. A CG slugfest between Dracula and Werewolf Hugh Jackman. It was dull. Uninspired. It was Hugh Jackman entirely covered in CG. The fight leading up to it, between the two live actors, was great! Then they both ‘transformed’ into their monster forms and a CG team took over.

I’ve seen better action sequences in SquareSoft’s Final Fantasy games. In fact, THAT was what I wrote on my paper. “If I wanted to see two CG characters slug it out, I’ll go turn on my Playstation.” What was a somewhat entertaining movie was ruined by a pair of digital characters duking it out.

Did you see Daredevil? Did you see how BADLY DONE that whole pipe-organ sequence was? “I want a new outfit’ was an excuse to put him into a costume that was more readily done in CG. How about Blade 2? The CG Ninja fights. How about Episode 1,2, and 3 of Star Wars? DON’T get me started on the Senate sequence. Fantastic 4? Posidon Adventure? Resident Evil? (When they used real actors it was real scary. Switch to the CG andâÂ?¦ no thanks) The horrible Ultra Violet? Matrix 3? Davey Jones looked great in Pirates 2 but the rest of his crew? The CG boats? The Kraken sequences? Have you seen the footage for the upcoming Ghost Rider?

The list goes on and on. Hollywood is becoming dependant on horrible computer graphics in lieu of action sequences, makeup, special effects, and acting.

Hellboy was great visually. Why?! Most of the effects were practical. Jurassic Park, granddaddy of massive CG effects movies used puppets for the up close shots (most of the terrific raptor and t-rex sequences). Narnia had beautiful makeup, effects, and costumes – and used CG in the long shots instead of the close ups a majority of the time.

See the trend? CLOSE UP = PRATICAL. Long Shot = CG. But make it good CG. Don’t make the characters too shiny or too flat. Don’t make them move in unrealistic ways. Don’t try to do clothing. I’m sorry. It doesn’t look like that, your texture mapping isn’t that perfect yet.

Please, Hollywood. I love the movies. I love good effects. But I don’t love seeing a ton of digital up on the screen. It looks fake. I’m sorry. Until you can fool me 100% of the time, use a combo of practical and CG.

We know. We groan when a bad digital effect pops up on screen. You wonder why people don’t go to the movies as much as they used to? Because we’re not stupid and we don’t want to see bad computer characters in place of actors and well crafted models and makeup effects.

Oh, the increasingly bad plotlines and high charge of tickets doesn’t help your cause either.

But, yeah, bad CG. Stop. Please.