An image that is generated by a computer.
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I thought that most people these days knew what CGI was, but Google data tells me the exact opposite. Over 8,000 people in the US search for an answer on this every single month. Clearly it couldn't hurt to get back to basics and dig into the history to CGI and breakdown exactly how it works so more people can better understand this relatively young art form. Show
What is CGI?At the most basic level, Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) is the creation of still or animated visual content with computer software. CGI most commonly refers to the 3D computer graphics used to create characters, scenes and special effects in films, television and games. The technology is also used in everything from advertising, architecture, engineering, virtual reality and even art. CGI is used extensively these days because it is often cheaper than physical methods which rely on creating elaborate miniatures, hiring extras for crowd scenes, and most commonly for when it's simply not safe or humanly possible to create the visuals. CGI is created using a range of different methods. The use of algorithms can produce complex fractal patterns. 2D pixel-based image editors can create vector shapes. 3D graphics software can create everything for simple primitive shapes to complex forms made from flat triangles and quadrangles. 3D software can even simulate the way light reacts to a surface and generate particle effects. Where CGI starts to get really exciting is when computer-generated imagery is layered into digital film footage using a technique known as compositing. This technique is becoming more familiar to people as often refered to as green screen. Alfred might have got out of the gates early with some 2D trickery, but it wasn't until 1972 when Edwin Catmull and Fred Parke created a computer-animated short film called A Computer Animated Hand that introduced 3D computer graphics to the world. This feat was achieved when Edwin drew 350 triangles and polygons in ink on his hand and then digitized and laboriously animated the data in a 3D animation program that Catmull actually wrote. A few years later CGI took another leap forward with the help of Hollywood. In 1973 Westworld flexed its muscles with the first 2D CGI scene showing "Gunslinger" vision - an interpretation of how robots could see. The movie was so successful that it inspired a sequal. Futureworld pushed the boundaries of CGI even further when it rendered a 3D head using the same techniques as Edwin Catmull had outlined. The kicker is that the studio executives used the original hand animation created by Edwin and incorporated it into the film. This amazing work was quickly recognised by the Oscars about a decade later with a Scientific & Engineering Academy Award. Shortly after robot cowboys blew everyone away, Industrial Light & Magic created an iconic piece of cinema history that truly showed the potential of CGI. The Trench Run Briefing in Star Wards: A New Hope showed a wireframe rendering of the Death Star designed to help give the Rebel Alliance some last minute training. Directed by George Lucas, the film and it's incredible imagery would ultimately become indirectly responsible for ushering in the CGI era.  It took years for computers to fully harness the power of CGI and to allow directors to bring their visions to life. By the end of the ‘70s, computer-generated imagery started popping up in a few science fiction movies such as The Black Hole (more wireframe goodies) and Alien (another wireframe). As the '80s rolled around, Industrial Light & Magic dropped into second gear and truly changed cinema for good with the release of Tron in 1982. Due to the proposed complexity of the film and it's first time Produce and Director at the helm, Disney nearly passed up on the chance. The movie didn't break records at the box office, but it did go on to eventually win an Academy Award fourteen years later. CGI continued to really push the boundaries of computer power in the '80s - how good was The Last Starfighter (1984) and The Abyss (1989) - and more companies jump in to try their hand at this mesmorising mix of technology and art. In the '90s, computers allowed CGI masters to start really going big with their ideas and new found techniques. During this decade, countless groundbreaking films were released such as Terminator II; Judgment Day (1991), The Lawnmower Man (1992), Toy Story (1995), Star Wars Special Editions and of course The Matrix (1999). Leading the charge with many of these movies was ILM, Stan Winston Studios and Phil Tippett who dropped arguably the best CGI of all time - Jurassic Park (1993). The bar was set so high with this, many CGI artists strongly believe Jurassic Park has the best visual effects to date. What really changed at this point was how they used a mix of real actors, animatronics and CGI to bring dinosaurs to life alongside the actors which has never been done successfully before. Beyond 2000, CGI accelerated at an exponential rate. The need for more computer power, better software and new ideas helped usher in an abundance of CGI films, most notable being Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Avatar and Up. CGI is now an integral part of all feature films - even ones you don't think have them. There is simply no pixel that is not touched these days by CGI. Take for example Jurassic Park again, director Steven Spielberg and company crafted no more than 63 visual effects shots for this film. By comparison today, one of the most successful films of all-time, The Avengers, has over 2,200 visual effects shots with CGI. Adding to this, 90 minutes of Transformers: Age of Extinction’s running time has CGI effects. Even the widely acclaimed Guardians of the Galaxy relied on CGI for 2,750 of its shots. In other words, 90 percent of Guardians features CGI in some capacity. Key CGI Roles and DepartmentsThe process of creating CGI is long, challenging and very technical. Teams are large and very diverse which means there are opportunities for all types of people ranging from hardcore coders through to illustrators and non-artists who like managing teams. Everyone plays a crucial role in producing the final visual effects and I've listed some of the most common creative and technical roles below to help you understand where you mind fit it best. Art DepartmentThe Art Department is responsible for
translating a Directors vision and a script into visuals that can be shared with the entire team to truly understand the creative and technical challenges that lay ahead. These concept artists and illustrators create everything from storyboards to photorealistic artworks that show what the finished shot will look like. Pre-vizPre-visualisation Artists are responsible for creating the first 3D representation of the final visual effects shot. They use artwork and basic 3D models to create normally low-quality versions of the action sequences so the Director can start planning out camera placement and
creative/technical requirements. Asset DepartmentVirtual assets are need in visual effects to match real world objects or create new objects that don't exist or are too expensive to build in the real world. These are mostly created by modeling artists, texture painters, shader developers and riggers. Research and DevelopmentConsidered a very technical department, RnD artists are responsible for building new software and tools to accomplish the tasks that can't be done, or are simply too time consuming for artists to manually complete over and over again. The role requires a very strong background in computer science and a passion for
problem solving. AnimationThis one is pretty obvious. Basically anything that moves on film needs to be animated. It doesn't matter if it's a small prop like a chair, a huge space ship or even a hero character or creature. If it moves and has a performance, an animator will most likely be behind the controls. Oh, and let's not forget what nearly happened when they tried to release Sonic the Hedgehog recently. We can all thank social media for jumping on this one and preventing a massive disaster to a franchise we all love. How do I start learning CGI?Traditionally speaking, there are two main ways to start learning Visual Effects. Go to a school, or teach yourself at home. It's very easy to find persuasive case studies for both learning paths so which should you choose? In my opinion this depends entirely on you. Some people are great at learning skills themselves and don't need help for the heavy lifting part. On the other hand, there are people who need to be surrounded by others and need strict schedules and tasks. It really is up to you, and how you like to work. Regardless of which approach to learning vfx you take, the most important thing to do is just start. It's that simple. Regardless of which approach to learning you take, the most important thing to do is start. It's that simple. Pick up a book, start sketching, watch and analyse a movie, watch documentaries about visual effects, attend local events. Just get started. If you don't have the passion and motivation for this, then it doesn't matter how good your education - you will never make it. Top 10 Schools in the World to learn CGIWouldn't it be great if schools actually competed against each other to see who was the best school? This is exactly why the Rookie Awards was started back in 2010 and why their annual School of the Year rankings are so important to everyone. The School of the Year rankings are based on the quality and performance of student work that is submitted to our judging panel each year for the Rookie Awards. Most people feel that traditional school rankings that include peer and employer reviews, faculty to student ratio, citations and other data are not adequate when ranking the best creative schools. This might work for more traditional career paths, however when it comes to technical and creative such as Visual Effects which don't have standardised testing. For a full breakdown on how the results are calculated make sure to visit the official public announcement. Please find below the official Top 10 Visual Effects Schools in the World as awarded for 2018. 1. GnomonSince 1997, Gnomon has been educating many of the world’s best digital artists. The school in Hollywood, California, offers a variety of educational options to help students reach their goals in the entertainment industry, with a BFA degree in Digital Production, full-time vocational programs, specialised courses for high school students, and over 100 individual courses for professional enrichment. More Info 2. Lost Boys | School of Visual Effects20+ years of excellence, Canada's School of Visual Effects (VFX). Complete your training in Effects, Lighting, or Compositing. 99% placement rate. The studio that teaches. The award-winning Lost Boys Studios operates this extraordinary school of visual effects. With its roots as an internationally renowned VFX boutique with 20+ years of excellence. More Info 3. Think Tank Training CenterFounded in 2005, Think Tank Training Centre specializes in the latest software, techniques and technologies that cater to the needs of the film, television and video game industries. Think Tank boasts 92% job placement in the CG Industry. More Info 4. Filmakademie Baden-WürttembergThe Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg – as one of the most-renowned film schools in Europe – offers practical education in film, television and new media to over 500 students. More Info 5. Vancouver Film SchoolVancouver Film School is Canada's premier post-secondary entertainment arts institution and one of the most distinguished in the world. The 13 production-oriented programs at VFS span one year or less and cover all aspects of visual media. More Info 6. PIXL VISN | Media Arts AcademyPIXL VISN |media arts academy was founded in 2010 by industry professionals who are driven by a passion for training animators and visual effects artists. We offer 3D Animation and Visual Effects training in a modern facility equipped with state-of-the-art equipment. More Info 7. Écoles AriesWith 19 years of experience and 5 training centers located in the most attractive cities of the South (Lyon, Grenoble, Annecy, Toulouse and Aix-en-Provence), Aries is a benchmark school in the field of digital creation: 3D - VFX & Animation, Web Development, Graphic Design, Video Games. More Info 8. ArtFXArtFX is a private digital arts college, training its students in CGI, VFX, 3D Animation and Video Games. Located in Montpellier (France), the school was created by professionals of the film, video games and visual effects industries.As the only school in Europe specializing in compositing CGI into live-action footage, ArtFX is a reference for CGI and CG animation training. More Info 9. Institut ArtlineInstitut Artline is an innovative online school that allows you to follow a professional degree course in digital creation, accompanied by recognized experts working in the largest studios and agencies of different sectors of digital creation. More Info 10. RavensbourneWe're an innovative, industry-focused university sector college located in the heart of London. We're champions of creativity and collaboration, dedicated to giving our learners the specialist skills and opportunities they need for outstanding careers in digital media and design. More Info Interested in learning more about CGI?I hope this has given you a good overview of what CGI is and the amazing career prospects available to you. It's really up to you now, you need to put in the hard work. You need to take the next step using the advice provided in this guide. So do yourself a favour, grab the following list and start working though it. One step at a time. That's all it takes.
Thanks for reading this guide. I plan to keep updating this often to make sure it remains relevant and helpful. Please reach out to me via the comments section with any suggestions or questions. Andrew McDonaldAndrew McDonald is co-founder of The Rookies has been working in the visual effects industry since 2002. Most recently he was a CG Supervisor at Industrial Light & Magic. What is an image on a computer?An image is a visual representation of something, while a digital image is a binary representation of visual data. These images can take the form of photographs, graphics and individual video frames. For this purpose, an image is a picture that was created or copied and stored in electronic form.
What is computer generated animation?computer animation, also called computer-generated imagery (CGI), form of animated graphics using computers that replaced both “stop-motion” animation of scale-model puppets and hand-drawn animation of drawings.
How are computer generated images made?CGI is created using a range of different methods. The use of algorithms can produce complex fractal patterns. 2D pixel-based image editors can create vector shapes. 3D graphics software can create everything for simple primitive shapes to complex forms made from flat triangles and quadrangles.
What programs can create computer generated images?Now you need to go through the list given below to pick the tool that best suits your needs.. Autodesk Maya. Try Now. Autodesk Maya is a feature-rich CGI software designed for the Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. ... . Houdini. Try Now. ... . Modo. Try Now. ... . ZBrush. Try Now. ... . Sculptris. Try Now.. |
