Timeline of CGI in film and television
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This is a chronological list of films and television programs that have been recognised as being pioneering in their use of computer-generated imagery.
Contents |
[edit] 1970s
| Film | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Metadata | 1971 | An experimental 2D animated short by Peter Foldes drawn on a data tablet, who used the world's first key frame animation software, invented by Nestor Burtnyk and Marceli Wein[2][3][4][5]. |
| Westworld | 1973 | First use of 2D computer animation in a significant entertainment feature film. The point of view of Yul Brynner's gunslinger was achieved with raster graphics.[1][2] |
| 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 an animated 3D wireframe graphic for the trench run briefing sequence. |
| Alien | 1979 | Used raster wireframe model rendering for navigation monitors in the landing sequence. |
[edit] 1980s
| Film | Year | 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 (15 min. fully computer generated) of 3D CGI including the famous Light Cycle sequence. Also includes very early facial animation (for the Master Control Program). |
| 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. |
| Tony de Peltrie | 1985 | First CGI-animated human character to express emotion through his face and body language.[3] |
| Young Sherlock Holmes | 1985 | Lucasfilm creates the first photorealistic CGI character, 'stained glass knight' with 10 seconds of screentime. |
| Dire Straits - Money for Nothing | 1985 | The first computer-generated music video. The animators would go on to found Mainframe Entertainment. |
| 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. |
| Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home | 1986 | First use of the Cyberwave 3D scanner, first 3D morphing. |
| Luxo Jr. | 1986 | First use of shadows in CGI, made with special developed software Renderman. First CGI film to be nominated for an Academy award. |
| Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future | 1987 | First TV series to include characters modeled entirely with computers. |
| Knightmare | 1987 | First game show with interaction between humans and computer-generated surroundings. |
| Willow | 1988 | 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
| Film | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total Recall | 1990 | 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. |
| Backdraft | 1991 | First use of photorealistic CGI fire in a motion picture. |
| Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 1991 | First realistic human movements on a CGI character. First use of a personal computer to create major movie 3D effects. |
| Death Becomes Her | 1992 | First human skin CGI software. |
| Quarxs | 1993 | First broadcast series of animated CGI shorts. |
| Jurassic Park | 1993 | First photorealistic CG creatures. |
| VeggieTales | 1993 | First completely computer animated direct-to-video release. |
| Babylon 5 | 1993 | First television series to use CGI as the primary method for its visual effects. First TV use of virtual sets. |
| Insektors[4] | 1993 | First computer animated TV series. First use of character animation in a computer animated television series. |
| ReBoot | 1994 | First full-length computer animated TV series. |
| Radioland Murders | 1994 | First use of virtual CGI sets with live actors. |
| The Flintstones | 1994 | First CGI-rendered fur. |
| 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. |
| Marvin the Martian in 3D | 1997 | First computer animated movie viewed with 3D glasses. |
| Titanic | 1997 | First wide-release feature film with major elements rendered under the open source Linux operating system.[5] Also included a number of advances, specifically in the rendering of flowing water. |
| Fight Club | 1999 | First realistic close-up of detailed facial deformation on a synthetic human. |
| The Matrix | 1999 | First use of CG interpolation in Bullet Time effects. |
[edit] 2000s
| Film | Year | 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. |
| 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. |
| Gollum from the Lord of the Rings trilogy | 2003 | First photorealistic motion captured character for a film, Gollum was also the first digital actor to win an award (BFCA), category created for Best Digital Acting Performance |
| Able Edwards | 2004 | First movie 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. |
| Flatland (film) | 2007 | First CGI feature film to be animated by one person. Made with Lightwave 3D and Adobe After Effects. |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ USATODAY.com - 'Sky Captain' takes CGI to limit
- ^ Visual and Special Effects Film Milestones
- ^ Along the Banks of the St. Lawrence
- ^ Created in 1993. 2nd Prize for the category 3D Animation Imagina in 1993 for the episode "Some Flowers for Bakrakra" [1]
- ^ Rowe, Robin (2003-01-01). Linux and Star Trek. Linux Journal.
[edit] External links
- CG101: A Computer Graphics Industry Reference ISBN# 073570046X Unique and personal histories of early computer graphics production, plus a comprehensive foundation of the industry for all reading levels.
- CG production companies and CGI in the movies - detailed historical information
- Milestones in Film History: Greatest Visual and Special Effects
