There are a number of tools available to filmmakers, who wish to enthrall their audiences. Some of those tools are practical effects, including makeup and appliances, animatronic puppets and scaled models. Another tool is the use of visual effects, or computer generated imagery. Many of the more current films I've seen, have concentrated on CGI, as the preferred method of choice. Personally, I think that decision is a type of mistake, which can only occur when there's too much money in the budget.
Classic
Movie Trailers - The Island of Dr, Moreau: Director's Cut (1977)
The
movie "Star Wars" lived and breathed, as a result of its
practical effects. The use of models, makeup and costumes, did so
much to pull you into that universe. "Blade Runner" is
another example, that I've pointed to in the past. What excites me
about those movies, is how much more effective they are, than more
modern films with more modern solutions.
When
I refer to effectiveness, I'm talking about the ability of the movie
to immerse you, in the experience. Immersion itself is that moment in
time, when you forget that you're watching a production. You get to
accept what you're seeing onscreen as truth, and you're not aware of
that feeling until it has gone. If the producers have done their jobs
correctly, there is nothing present in the film, to break you from
that trance.
Unfortunately,
CGI often causes disillusionment. Tricking the eye isn't difficult,
but fooling the brain is a different matter. However, when we're
presented with something that we have no frame of reference for, it
is an easier task. The reason why the effects in "Avatar"
worked so well, is that they showed us creatures we had never before
seen.
"The
Island of Dr. Moreau", also shows us unfamiliar creatures, but
it does so in a way that I believe is superior. There was a living,
breathing lion to be seen, in the face of a man; there was a bear in
the features of another. I saw a boar that could walk around upright,
and a bull that hated his humanoid form. My mind confirmed what my
eyes had whispered to me; there were no doubts raised, or questions
regarding the authenticity of the visuals.
To
be honest, I was at one point, pulled away from the story. When the
actors had to wrestle with the animals on the set, I was suddenly
concerned about their safety. I'm so used to seeing some sort of
cheat being used, that the real thing caught me off guard. Though
there is something to be said, about the ability of CGI to reduce
risk, the best way to film a wild animal, is to place one in front of
the camera. If that practice was more common today, the presence of
it wouldn't be so striking.
In
the past, Hollywood used trained animals and handlers, because there
was no other choice. Today it has better technology, and a lot more
money to throw at problems, that can't be fixed with money alone. You
could spend billions of dollars, in an effort to imitate life, but
that doesn't mean the venture will be successful. Computer magic is a
tool, that should be used in conjunction with other tools; it should
never be the focus, or draw that a movie offers.
Motion
pictures are not tech demos. We don't go to the show to see the
latest achievements in computer software. What we want is a story
that intrigues and acting, that helps us enjoy the ride. A person in
makeup, still gives a better performance than an animated image,
however detailed. Money does provide resources, but it still takes
the discerning mind of a director, to use them wisely.
Fortunately
for us, "The Island of Dr. Moreau" is still available to be
seen. We can still be pulled into a production, that wasn't hampered
with the weight of an oversized budget. Risks were taken and talent
was used, from man and beast alike. Artists worked on the faces of
other artists, that produced more art of a different kind. All of
those factors combined to create a hell of a show, and something that
should be more appreciated.
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@ChannelSeals
See
"The Island of Dr. Moreau: Director's Cut", on Netflix!
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