Timeline of CGI in film and television
Encyclopedia
This is a chronological list of films and television programs that have been recognised as being pioneering in their use of computer animation
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Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
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1960s
| Film | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kitty | 1968 | A group of Russian mathematicians and physicists headed by N.Konstantinov created a mathematic model of a moving cat. A program was made for the computer BESM BESM BESM is the name of a series of Soviet mainframe computers built in 1950-1960s. The name is an acronym for "Bolshaya Elektronno-Schetnaya Mashina" , literally "Large Electronically Computing Machine". The series began as a successor to MESM... -4. The computer then printed hundreds of frames to be later converted to film. |
1970s
| Film | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Metadata | 1971 | An experimental 2D animated short by Peter Foldes Peter Foldes Peter Foldes, born in 1924 in Budapest, Hungary and died March 29, 1977 in Paris, was a director and animator of British nationality.-Biography:... drawn on a data tablet, who used the world's first key frame animation software, invented by Nestor Burtnyk and Marceli Wein. |
| Westworld Westworld Westworld is a 1973 science fiction-thriller film written and directed by novelist Michael Crichton and produced by Paul Lazarus III. It stars Yul Brynner as a lifelike robot in a futuristic Western-themed amusement park, and Richard Benjamin and James Brolin as guests of the park.Westworld was the... |
1973 | First use of 2D computer animation in a significant entertainment feature film Feature film In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie... . The point of view of Yul Brynner Yul Brynner Yul Brynner was a Russian-born actor of stage and film. He was best known for his portrayal of Mongkut, king of Siam, in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor for the film version; he also played the role more than 4,500 times on... 's gunslinger was achieved with raster graphics Raster graphics In computer graphics, a raster graphics image, or bitmap, is a data structure representing a generally rectangular grid of pixels, or points of color, viewable via a monitor, paper, or other display medium... . |
| Futureworld Futureworld Futureworld is a 1976 sequel to the 1973 science fiction film Westworld. It was written by George Schenk and Mayo Simon, and directed by Richard T. Heffron. The cast included Peter Fonda, Blythe Danner, and Arthur Hill. There is also a cameo appearance by Yul Brynner in a dream sequence... |
1976 | First use of 3D computer graphics 3D computer graphics 3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images... for animated hand and face. Used 2D digital compositing to materialize characters over a background. |
| Star Wars Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the... |
1977 | First use of an animated 3D wire-frame graphic for the trench run briefing sequence. |
| Superman: The Movie | 1978 | First film with a computer-generated title sequence. |
| The Black Hole The Black Hole The Black Hole is a 1979 American science fiction film directed by Gary Nelson for Walt Disney Productions. The film stars Maximilian Schell, Robert Forster, Joseph Bottoms, Yvette Mimieux, Anthony Perkins, and Ernest Borgnine, while the voices of the main robot characters are provided by Roddy... |
1979 | Used raster wire-frame model rendering for the open credits depicting a 3D wireframe of a black hole. |
| Alien Alien (film) Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which... |
1979 | Used raster wire-frame model rendering for navigation monitors in the landing sequence. |
1980s
| Film | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Looker Looker Looker is a 1981 science fiction film written and directed by Michael Crichton. It starred Albert Finney, Susan Dey, and James Coburn. Former NFL linebacker Tim Rossovich was featured as the villain's main henchman.... |
1981 | First CGI human character, Cindy. Also, first use of 3D shaded CGI. |
| The Works | 1982 | The New York Institute of Technology Computer Graphics Lab premiered a trailer at SIGGRAPH SIGGRAPH SIGGRAPH is the name of the annual conference on computer graphics convened by the ACM SIGGRAPH organization. The first SIGGRAPH conference was in 1974. The conference is attended by tens of thousands of computer professionals... for their CGI project. This would have been the first feature-length CGI film, but it was never completed. |
| Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the second feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise. The plot features James T... |
1982 | ILM computer graphics division develops "Genesis Effect", first use of fractal-generated landscape in a film. Bill Reeves leads the Genesis Effect programming team, and creates a new graphics technique called Particle Systems. |
| Tron Tron -Film:*Tron , a franchise that began in 1982 with the Walt Disney Pictures film Tron** Tron , a 1982 science fiction film by Disney, starring Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, Cindy Morgan, Dan Shor and David Warner... |
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). |
| Rock & Rule Rock & Rule Rock & Rule is a 1983 Canadian animated film from the animation studio Nelvana. It was produced and directed by the company's founders, Michael Hirsh, Patrick Loubert, and Clive A. Smith. The film features the voices of Greg Salata, Susan Roman, and Don Francks, with Catherine O'Hara, Chris... |
1983 | First animated film to use computer graphics. |
| The Last Starfighter The Last Starfighter The Last Starfighter is a 1984 science fiction adventure film directed by Nick Castle. The film tells the story of Alex Rogan , an average teenage boy recruited by an alien defense force to fight in an interstellar war. It also featured Dan O'Herlihy, Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Preston, Norman... |
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. The Adventures of André and Wally B. The Adventures of André and Wally B. is an animated short made in 1984 by The Graphics Group , which was later spun out as a startup company called Pixar... |
1984 | Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO.... 's computer animation Computer animation Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images.... division creates an all-CGI-animated short. The first CGI animation with motion blur Motion blur Motion blur is the apparent streaking of rapidly moving objects in a still image or a sequence of images such as a movie or animation. It results when the image being recorded changes during the recording of a single frame, either due to rapid movement or long exposure.- Photography :When a camera... effects and squash and stretch Squash and stretch Squash and stretch is a common animation technique applied to characters or objects in motion. The technique makes their actions more fluid, and it is generally exaggerated for a cartoonish effect. When utilized with more subtlety, it works just as well for realistic movements... motion. |
| 2010: The Year We Make Contact 2010: The Year We Make Contact Jupiter is engulfed by monoliths, which increase its density to the point that nuclear fusion occurs, transforming the planet into a small star. Discovery is consumed in the blast, but Leonov breaks away and begins its long journey home. The new star's miraculous appearance later inspires... |
1984 | Jupiter Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,... 's turbulent atmosphere is CGI-rendered, mostly during the black spot shots. |
| Tony de Peltrie | 1985 | First CGI-animated human character to express emotion through his face and body language. |
| Young Sherlock Holmes Young Sherlock Holmes Young Sherlock Holmes is a 1985 mystery/adventure film directed by Barry Levinson, produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Chris Columbus, based on characters by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle... |
1985 | Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Limited is an American film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman and CEO, and Micheline Chau is the president and COO.... creates the first photorealistic Rendering (computer graphics) Rendering is the process of generating an image from a model , by means of computer programs. A scene file contains objects in a strictly defined language or data structure; it would contain geometry, viewpoint, texture, lighting, and shading information as a description of the virtual scene... CGI character, 'stained glass knight' with 10 seconds of screentime. |
| Dire Straits - Money for Nothing | 1985 | The first computer-generated music video Music video A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings... . The animators would go on to found Mainframe Entertainment Mainframe Entertainment Rainmaker Entertainment, Inc. is a Canadian computer animation and design company based in Vancouver, British Columbia and Los Angeles, California. It produces computer animation TV series and movies. They are best known for producing the first ever CGI animated series ReBoot, as well as the... . |
| Flight of the Navigator Flight of the Navigator Flight of the Navigator is a 1986 Disney science fiction film directed by Randal Kleiser and written by Mark H. Baker and Michael Burton, about a 12-year-old boy named David who is abducted by an alien space craft and finds himself caught in a world which has changed around him... |
1986 | The first use of reflection mapping Reflection mapping In computer graphics, environment mapping, or reflection mapping, is an efficient Image-based lighting technique for approximating the appearance of a reflective surface by means of a precomputed texture image. The texture is used to store the image of the distant environment surrounding the... in a feature film Feature film In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie... , used for the flying alien spacecraft Spacecraft A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo.... . |
| Labyrinth Labyrinth (film) Labyrinth is a 1986 British/American fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, and designed by Brian Froud. Henson collaborated on the screenwriting with children's author Dennis Lee, Terry Jones from Monty Python, and Elaine May .The film stars David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin... |
1986 | First realistic CGI Computer-generated imagery Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media... animal Animal Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and... . |
| Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is a 1986 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the fourth feature film based on the Star Trek science fiction television series and completes the story arc begun in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and continued in Star Trek III: The... |
1986 | First use of the Cyberware (company) Cyberware (company) For other uses; see Cyberware Cyberware Inc. is a company that produces high performance color 3D scanners. Cyberware is owned and managed by the Addleman family with headquarters in Monterey, California; it has scanning centers located in USA, UK, Europe, Australia and Asia.-3D Color Scanners:A 3D... 3D scanner 3D scanner A 3D scanner is a device that analyzes a real-world object or environment to collect data on its shape and possibly its appearance . The collected data can then be used to construct digital, three dimensional models.... , first 3D morphing Morphing Morphing is a special effect in motion pictures and animations that changes one image into another through a seamless transition. Most often it is used to depict one person turning into another through technological means or as part of a fantasy or surreal sequence. Traditionally such a depiction... . |
| Luxo Jr. Luxo Jr. Luxo Jr. is the first film produced in 1986 by Pixar Animation Studios, following its establishment as an independent film studio. It is a computer-animated short film , demonstrating the kind of things the newly-established company was capable of producing... |
1986 | First use of shadow Shadow A shadow is an area where direct light from a light source cannot reach due to obstruction by an object. It occupies all of the space behind an opaque object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, or reverse projection of the object blocking the... s in CGI Computer-generated imagery Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media... , made with special developed software Renderman RenderMan Interface Specification The RenderMan Interface Specification, or RISpec in short, is an open API developed by Pixar Animation Studios to describe three-dimensional scenes and turn them into digital photorealistic images... . First CGI film to be nominated for an Academy Award. |
| Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future is a 1987–88 science fiction/action television series, merging live action with animation based on computer-generated images, that ran for 22 episodes in Canadian/American syndication... |
1987 | First TV series to include characters modeled entirely with computer Computer A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem... s. |
| Knightmare Knightmare Knightmare is an English television program for children, produced by Broadsword Productions for Anglia Television and was broadcast on ITV from 7 September 1987 to 11 November 1994... |
1987 | First game show Game show A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes... with interaction between humans and computer-generated surroundings. |
| Willow Willow (film) Willow is a 1988 American fantasy film directed by Ron Howard and produced/co-written by George Lucas. Warwick Davis stars in the film, as well as Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Jean Marsh, and Patricia Hayes... |
1988 | First photorealistic use of morphing effect in a feature film Feature film In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie... . |
| Tin Toy Tin Toy Tin Toy is a 1988 short film using computer animation. It was directed by John Lasseter and produced by Pixar. It was the first testing of PhotoRealistic RenderMan... |
1988 | First computer-animated short film to win an Oscar. |
| The Abyss The Abyss The Abyss is a 1989 science fiction film written and directed by James Cameron. It stars Ed Harris, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, and Michael Biehn. The original musical score was composed by Alan Silvestri... |
1989 | First digital 3D water effect. |
| Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a 1989 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. It is the third film in the Indiana Jones franchise. Harrison Ford reprises the title role and Sean Connery plays Indiana's father, Henry... |
1989 | First all-digital composite Digital compositing Digital compositing is the process of digitally assembling multiple images to make a final image, typically for print, motion pictures or screen display... . |
1990s
| Film | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Total Recall Total Recall Total Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox & Mel Johnson, Jr.. It is based on the Philip K. Dick story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”... |
1990 | Use of motion capture Motion capture Motion capture, motion tracking, or mocap are terms used to describe the process of recording movement and translating that movement on to a digital model. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, and medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robotics... for CGI characters. |
| Die Hard 2 Die Hard 2 Die Hard 2 is a 1990 action film and the second in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by Renny Harlin, and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane... |
1990 | First digitally-manipulated matte Matte (filmmaking) Mattes are used in photography and special effects filmmaking to combine two or more image elements into a single, final image. Usually, mattes are used to combine a foreground image with a background image . In this case, the matte is the background painting... painting. |
| RoboCop 2 RoboCop 2 RoboCop 2 is a 1990 science fiction action film directed by Irvin Kershner and starring Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Dan O'Herlihy, Belinda Bayer, Tom Noonan and Gabriel Damon. Set in the near future in a dystopian metropolitan Detroit, Michigan... |
1990 | First use of real-time computer graphics or "digital puppetry Digital puppetry Digital puppetry is the manipulation and performance of digitally animated 2D or 3D figures and objects in a virtual environment that are rendered in real-time by computers... " to create a character in a motion picture. |
| Backdraft Backdraft (film) Backdraft is a 1991 action thriller film directed by Ron Howard and written by Gregory Widen. The film stars Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rebecca De Mornay, Donald Sutherland, and Robert De Niro. Jason Gedrick and J. T. Walsh co-star in the film... |
1991 | First use of photorealistic CGI fire in a motion picture. |
| Terminator 2: Judgment Day Terminator 2: Judgment Day Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong... |
1991 | First realistic human movements on a CGI character. First use of a personal computer to create major movie 3D effects. |
| Death Becomes Her Death Becomes Her Death Becomes Her is a 1992 American dark slapstick screwball comedy fantasy film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, and Bruce Willis... |
1992 | First human skin Skin -Dermis:The dermis is the layer of skin beneath the epidermis that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain. The dermis is tightly connected to the epidermis by a basement membrane. It also harbors many Mechanoreceptors that provide the sense of touch and heat... CGI software. |
| Quarxs Quarxs Quarxs created between 1990 and 1993, was one of the earliest computer animated series. It predated ReBoot.Each episode was made in HDTV and no more than three minutes long. Only twelve episodes of the original series of 100 have been created... |
1993 | First broadcast series of animated CGI shorts. |
| Jurassic Park Jurassic Park (film) Jurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. It stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck... |
1993 | First photorealistic CG creatures. |
| VeggieTales VeggieTales VeggieTales is an American series of children's computer animated films featuring anthropomorphic vegetables in stories conveying moral themes based on Christianity... |
1993 | First completely computer animated direct-to-video release. |
| Babylon 5 Babylon 5 Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262... |
1993 | First television series Television program A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series... to use CGI as the primary method for its visual effects. First TV use of virtual sets. |
| Insektors Insektors Insektors was a 1994 French animated TV series about a conflict between two tribes of anthropomorphic insects: the Joyces and the Yuks . Made in a small studio, Fantome, in France, it was the 1994 recipient of a "Children and Young People" Emmy Award... |
1993 | First fully computer animated TV series. First use of character animation Character animation Character animation is a specialized area of the animation process concerning the animation of one or more characters featured in an animated work. It is usually as one aspect of a larger production and often made to enhance voice acting. The primary role of a Character Animator is to be the... in a computer animated Computer animation Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images.... television series. |
| Radioland Murders Radioland Murders Radioland Murders is a 1994 black comedy mystery film directed by Mel Smith and co-written/produced by George Lucas. Radioland Murders is set in the 1939 atmosphere of old-time radio and pays homage to the screwball comedy films of the 1930s... |
1994 | First use of virtual CGI sets with live actors. |
| ReBoot ReBoot ReBoot is a Canadian CGI-animated action-adventure cartoon series that originally aired from 1994 to 2001. It was produced by Vancouver-based production company Mainframe Entertainment, Alliance Communications, BLT Productions and created by Gavin Blair, Ian Pearson, Phil Mitchell and John Grace,... |
1994 | First half-hour computer animated TV series. |
| The Flintstones The Flintstones (film) The Flintstones is a 1994 American live-action comedy film based on the Hanna-Barbera cartoon television series of the same name about a Stone-Age man, his family and his best friend. The film was directed by Brian Levant, written by Tom S. Parker, Jim Jennewein and Steven E... |
1994 | First CGI-rendered fur. |
| Waterworld Waterworld Waterworld is a 1995 post-apocalyptic science fiction film. The film was directed by Kevin Reynolds and co-written by Peter Rader and David Twohy. It is based on Rader's original 1986 screenplay and stars Kevin Costner, who also produced it. It was distributed by Universal Pictures... |
1995 | First realistic CG water. |
| Casper Casper (film) Casper is a 1995 American comedy fantasy film starring Bill Pullman and Christina Ricci, based on the Casper the Friendly Ghost animated cartoons and comic books. The ghosts featured in the film were created through computer-generated imagery... |
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 Toy Story Toy Story is a 1995 American computer-animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is Pixar's first feature film as well as the first ever feature film to be made entirely with CGI. The film was directed by John Lasseter and featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen... |
1995 | First CGI feature-length animation. |
| Dragonheart Dragonheart Dragonheart is a 1996 fantasy adventure film directed by Rob Cohen. It stars Dennis Quaid, David Thewlis, Pete Postlethwaite, Dina Meyer, and the voice of Sean Connery. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and various other awards in 1996 and 1997... |
1996 | First 2D all-CGI backgrounds with live actors. |
| Marvin the Martian in 3D Marvin the Martian in 3D Marvin the Martian in the Third Dimension is a 3-D film which is currently being shown at Drayton Manor Theme Park. It was formerly an attraction at Warner Bros. Movie World and Six Flags Great America... |
1997 | First computer animated movie viewed with 3D glasses. |
| Titanic Titanic (1997 film) Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal... |
1997 | First wide-release feature film with major elements rendered under the open-source Open-source software Open-source software is computer software that is available in source code form: the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under a software license that permits users to study, change, improve and at times also to distribute the software.Open... Linux Linux Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds... operating system. Also included a number of advances, specifically in the rendering of flowing water. |
| Antz Antz Antz is a 1998 American computer animated action adventure film produced by DreamWorks Animation. It features the voices of well-known actors such as Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Lopez, Sylvester Stallone, Dan Aykroyd, Anne Bancroft, Gene Hackman, Christopher Walken, and Danny Glover as... |
1998 | First computer animated film to show digital water. |
| A Bugs Life | 1998 | First ever computer animated widescreen film. |
| Invasion: Earth Invasion: Earth (TV series) Invasion: Earth is a BBC science fiction TV series. It was made in collaboration with the Sci Fi Channel, and released in 1998 as six fifty minute episodes.-Creation and production:... |
1998 | First major use of digital effects in a British TV series (BBC/Sci-Fi Channel co-production) |
| A Little Curious A Little Curious A Little Curious is a children's television show which has aired on HBO Family since 1998, lasting for just two seasons , and... (Bubble Love) |
1999 | First use of a CGI character on live action video. |
| Fight Club Fight Club (film) Fight Club is a 1999 American film based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. The film was directed by David Fincher and stars Edward Norton, Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter. Norton plays the unnamed protagonist, an "everyman" who is discontented with his white-collar job... |
1999 | First realistic close-up of detailed facial deformation on a synthetic human. |
| The Matrix The Matrix The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving... |
1999 | First use of CG interpolation Interpolation In the mathematical field of numerical analysis, interpolation is a method of constructing new data points within the range of a discrete set of known data points.... in Bullet Time Bullet time Bullet time is a special and visual effect that refers to a digitally enhanced simulation of variable-speed photography used in films, broadcast advertisements, and video games... effects. |
| Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, as the first of a three-part prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the first film in the saga in terms... |
1999 | First film to use CG extensively for thousands of shots, including backgrounds, environmental effects, vehicles, and crowds. Several CG characters stood alongside real actors in dozens of shots, making them the first CG "supporting" cast members. |
2000s
| Film | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is a 2001 Japanese-American computer animated science fiction film directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series of role-playing video games. It was the first photorealistic computer animated feature film and also holds the record for the most... |
2001 | First feature-length digital film to be made based on photorealism Photorealism Photorealism is the genre of painting based on using the camera and photographs to gather information and then from this information creating a painting that appears photographic... and live action Live action In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation... principles. The first theatrically released feature film to utilize performance capture (motion capture) for all of its characters actions. |
| Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (film) Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius is a 2001 computer-animated film based on a few three-minute animated shorts shown on Nickelodeon between the years 1999-2002, and a pilot in 1998. The film was produced by Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies with O Entertainment and DNA Productions... |
2001 | First CGI feature length movie made using off-the-shelf Commercial off-the-shelf In the United States, Commercially available Off-The-Shelf is a Federal Acquisition Regulation term defining a nondevelopmental item of supply that is both commercial and sold in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace, and that can be procured or utilized under government contract... hardware and software. |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | 2001 | First use of AI Artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its... for digital actors (using the Massive software developed by Weta Digital Weta Digital Weta Digital is a digital visual effects company based in Wellington, New Zealand. It was founded by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, and Jamie Selkirk in 1993 to produce the digital special effects for Heavenly Creatures. In 2007 Weta Digital’s Senior Visual Effects Supervisor, Joe Letteri, was... ). |
| The Matrix Reloaded The Matrix Reloaded The Matrix Reloaded is a 2003 American science fiction film and the second installment in The Matrix trilogy, written and directed by the Wachowskis. It premiered on May 7, 2003, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, and went on general release by Warner Bros. in North American theaters on May 15,... |
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 Gollum Gollum is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was introduced in the author's fantasy novel The Hobbit, and became an important supporting character in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings.... 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 Able Edwards Able Edwards is a 2004 film directed by Graham Robertson. Able Edwards follows the clone of a Walt Disneyesque entertainment mogul created to revive the glory days of his deceased predecessor's corporation... |
2004 | First movie shot completely on a green screen using digitally scanned images as backgrounds. |
| Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow is a 2004 American pulp adventure science-fiction film written and directed by Kerry Conran in his directorial debut. The film is set in an alternative 1939 and follows the adventures of Polly Perkins , a newspaper reporter, and Harry Joseph "Joe" Sullivan ,... |
2004 | First movie with all-CGI backgrounds and live actors. |
| The Polar Express The Polar Express (film) The Polar Express is a 2004 motion capture computer-animated film based on the children's book of the same title by Chris Van Allsburg. Written, produced, and directed by Robert Zemeckis, the human characters in the film were animated using live action performance capture technique, with the... |
2004 | The second CGI movie that used motion capture Motion capture Motion capture, motion tracking, or mocap are terms used to describe the process of recording movement and translating that movement on to a digital model. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, and medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robotics... for all actors. The first was "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" |
| Elephants Dream Elephants Dream Elephants Dream is a computer-generated short film that was produced almost completely using the free software 3D suite Blender . It premiered on March 24, 2006, after about 8 months of work... |
2006 | First CGI short movie released as completely open source. Made with Open Source Open source The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology... software, theatrical and DVD release under Creative Commons Creative Commons Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons... License. Unique that all 3D models, animatics and software are included on the DVD free for any use. |
| Flatland Flatland (2007 film) Flatland , is a 2007 computer animated film based on the 1884 novella, Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott. The film was directed and animated by Ladd Ehlinger Jr. in Lightwave 3D. The screenplay was written by author Tom Whalen... |
2007 | First CGI feature film to be animated by one person. Made with Lightwave 3D and Adobe After Effects Adobe After Effects Adobe After Effects is a digital motion graphics and compositing software published by Adobe Systems, used in the post-production process of filmmaking and television production. Its main uses are the origination of 2D and 2.5D animation, visual effects compositing and finishing... . |
| Beowulf Beowulf (2007 film) Beowulf is a 2007 American animated fantasy film written by Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary inspired by the Old English epic poem of the same name. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film was created through a motion capture process similar to the technique he used in The Polar Express... |
2007 | Entirely made in CGI, features motion capture for all actors and has realism as its foremost goal. The largest team ever assembled for an Imageworks-produced movie (as of 2007) generated new animation tools for facial, body, and cloth design especially for the movie, and elements of keyframe animation were incorporated into the movie to capture the facial expressions of the actors and actresses. |
| Plumíferos Plumíferos Plumíferos is a 2010 Argentine computer-animated film made by Manos Digitales Animation Studio using Open Source software for all 3D models, animation, lighting and render process, under Linux operating system. Some scenes from the film were first shown at the 2005 and 2006 Blender Conferences,... |
2009 | First CGI feature length movie made using Open Source Open source The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology... software for all 3D models, animation, lighting and render process, under Linux operating system. |
| Avatar | 2009 | First full length movie made using performance-capture to create photo-realistic 3D characters and to feature a fully CG 3D photo-realistic world. The first Virtual Art Department (VAD) and complete Virtual Production pipeline was developed by director James Cameron and team to create the film in real-time. |
| Coronation Street Live (2010) Coronation Street Live (2010) Coronation Street Live is a live episode of the British soap opera Coronation Street, which was first broadcast on Thursday 9 December 2010 on ITV1. The special live edition was to celebrate fifty years of the programme being on air. The sixty-minute episode was directed by Tony Prescott, who had... |
2010 | First use of CGI in a live broadcast |
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