Timeline of CGI in film and television

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Pioneering uses of computer-generated imagery in film and television:

1 1970s
2 1980s
3 1990s
4 2000s
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] 1970s

Image	Film	Year
Image	Notes
	Westworld	1973
	First use of 2D computer digitized images as part of a feature film (infrared point of view of Gunslinger robot).
	Futureworld (sequel of Westworld)	1976
	First use of 3D computer graphics for animated hand and face. Used 2D digital compositing to materialize characters over a background.
	Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope	1977
	First use of 3D vector graphics for the trench run briefing sequence.
	Alien	1979
	Used raster wireframe rendering for navigation monitors in the landing sequence.
	The Black Hole	1979
	Disney uses CGI for the opening titles.

[edit] 1980s

Image	Film	Year
Image	Notes
	Looker	1981
	First CGI human character, Cindy. First use of shaded 3D CGI as we think of it today.
	Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan	1982
	ILM computer graphics division develops "Genesis effect", first use of fractal-generated landscape in a film.
	Tron	1982
	Extensive use of 3D CGI including the famous Light Cycle sequence.
	The Professional: Golgo 13	1983
	The first anime title to use CGI (opening credits and helicopter attack sequence).
	2010: The Year We Make Contact	1984
	CGI was used to create thousands of monoliths for the end sequence.
	The Last Starfighter	1984
	Uses CGI for all spaceship shots, replacing traditional models. First use of 'integrated CGI' where the effects are supposed to represent real world objects.
	The Adventures of André and Wally B.	1984
	Lucasfilm's computer animation division creates an all-CGI animated short. The first CGI animation with motion blur effects and squash and stretch motion.
	Lensman (SF Shinseiki Lensman)	1984
	First anime to make extensive use of CGI.
	Young Sherlock Holmes	1985
	Lucasfilm creates the first photorealistic CGI character, 'stained glass knight'.
	The Black Cauldron	1985
	The first Disney animated feature to contain computer generated objects.
	Dire Straits - Money for Nothing	1985
	The first computer generated music video. The animators would go on to found Mainframe Entertaiment.
	Flight of the Navigator	1986
	The first use of reflection mapping in a feature film, used for the flying alien spacecraft.
	Labyrinth	1986
	First realistic CGI animal
	The Great Mouse Detective	1986
	First major use of computer animation in an animated film, the depiction of Big Ben's gears as background in one of the final segments.
	Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home	1986
	First use of the Cyberwave 3D scanner, first 3D morphing
	Luxo Jr	1986
	Pixar's first fully 3D animated short film. First use of shadows in CGI. First CGI film to be nominated for an Academy award.
	Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future (TV show)	1986
	It was the first TV series to include characters modeled in 3D entirely within the computer.
	Knightmare	1987
	First game show with interaction between humans and computer generated surroundings.
No pic	Willow	1988
No pic	First photorealistic use of morphing effect in a feature film.
	The Abyss	1989
	First 3D digital water effect.
	Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade	1989
	First all-digital composite.

[edit] 1990s

Image	Film	Year
Image	Notes
Image:Total Recall CG Scene.jpg	Total Recall	1990
Image:Total Recall CG Scene.jpg	Use of motion capture for CGI characters.
	Die Hard 2: Die Harder	1990
	First digitally-manipulated matte painting.
	RoboCop 2	1990
	First use of real-time computer graphics or "digital puppetry" to create a character in a motion picture.
Image:Backdraft.jpg	Backdraft	1991
Image:Backdraft.jpg	First use of photorealistic CG fire in a motion picture.
	Terminator 2: Judgment Day	1991
	First realistic human movements on a CG character. First use of a personal computer to create major movie 3D effects.
	Death Becomes Her	1992
	First human skin CG software.
	Quarxs	1993
	First broadcast series of animated CG shorts.
	Jurassic Park	1993
	First photorealistic CG characters.
	Babylon 5	1993
	First television series to use CGI as the primary method for its visual effects. First TV use of virtual sets.
No image	Radioland Murders	1994
No image	First use of virtual CGI sets with live actors.
	VeggieTales	1994
	First completely computer animated direct-to-video release.
No image	The Flintstones	1994
No image	First CGI-rendered fur.
	ReBoot	1994
	Mainframe Entertainment creates the first full-length computer animated TV series. First use of character animation in a computer animated television series.
no image	The Mask	1994
no image	First film to blend live action with CGI for human effects that mimic traditional cartoon animation styles.
	Waterworld	1995
	First realistic CG water.
	Casper	1995
	First CGI lead character in feature-length film (preceded Toy Story by six months). First CGI characters to interact realistically with live actors.
	Toy Story	1995
	First CGI feature-length animation.
	Conceiving Ada	1997
	First 2D all-CGI backgrounds with live actors.

[edit] 2000s

Image	Film	Year
Image	Notes
	Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within	2001
	First feature-length digital film to be made based on live action principles.
	Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius	2001
	First CGI feature length movie made using off-the-shelf hardware and software.
	Shrek	2002
	First film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, newly created that year. The other nominees were "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius" and "Monsters, Inc.", illustrating the growing dominance of CGI features over traditional animation.
	The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers	2002
	First use of AI for digital actors (using the Massive software developed by Weta Digital).
	The Matrix Reloaded	2003
	The Burly Brawl - the first use of "Universal Capture", the combination of dense (rather than point-based) motion capture and per-frame texture capture.
	The Matrix Revolutions	2003
	Superpunch - the first realistic close-up of detailed facial deformation on a synthetic human.
	Gollum	2003
	First Digital actor to win an award (BFCA), category created for Best Digital Acting Performance
	Immortel (Ad Vitam) - Casshern - Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow	2004
	First movies with all-CGI backgrounds and live actors.
	The Polar Express	2004
	First CGI movie that used motion capture for all actors.
	Elephants Dream	2006
	First CGI short movie released as completely open source. Made with Open Source software, theatrical and DVD release under Creative Commons License. Unique that all 3D models, animatics and software are included on the DVD free for any use.