Advancing Technology

        In my opinion, one of the major drawbacks to the 3D CG animation industry is, somewhat paradoxically, the rate at which new technology evolves and develops. While advancing technology is undoubtedly for the greater good of animation as a whole, smashing through limitations and boundaries to allow animators to achieve the previously impossible, it can be detrimental to what as come before.

        Take for instance The Lord of the Rings series of films, which were made fairly early on in the era of the effects heavy blockbuster. In the 10 years since these films were made, CG animation has come on in leaps and bounds, so it is inevitable that there are some sequences which look dated by today's standards. The scenes that suffer the most in retrospect are those which attempt to place human characters (or their rough digital doubles) into predominantly digital landscapes, such as when Legolas confronts and elephant like Mumakil. However, this compositing challenge continues to pose problems in VFX shots today. 

        Regardless of such niggles, all three films were at the forefront of the CG animation industry, as reflected in their numerous awards for Best Visual Effects (including an Academy award each), and the fact that while many contemporary VFX creations have passed into ridicule, most of Weta Digital's effects still stand up today. On the other hand, the effects in 

Differing standards. The detailed and convincing Cave Troll...

...compared to the plastic skinned Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns 
(released at a similar time to Felowship of the Ring)

        An important consideration in the longevity of CG animation is how successfully it integrates with everything else on screen.  For VFX animation, it seems to be a bit trickier, as the digital designs have to match physical props, sets and characters, along with ensuring the lighting and interaction of the real and the virtual is seamless.

        Now, it is commonplace for films to be shot almost entirely against green screens, with entire worlds and armies of protagonists created digitally. So commonplace that audiences take the 'good' for granted and leap at the chance to criticise the 'bad'. Avatar is often praised as a milestone in modern animation, but perhaps part of the success is due to the fact that, cleverly, the human characters rarely interact with the elaborate virtual world of Pandora. Also, the extensive use of CGI is justifiable; Cameron envisaged a whole new planet with a vast new ecosystem. Similarly with Marvel's Avengers Assemble, the vast helicarrier and destruction of New York would have been a logistical and financial nighmare to achieve without digital assistance.

        Yet while these instances of CG animation are successful, we have reached a stage when films are beginning to rely too heavily on 3D animation. Take The Desolation of Smaug; undoubtedly there is some incredible animation in this film. However, there are also a number of instances where it is used unsuccessfully and unnecessarily. Why for instance include a shot of Legolas riding an animated (and not particularly convincing) horse? Double Negative mentioned at York Aesthetica festival that the reasons for justifying VFX was to create the impossible, to cut costs, or for health and safety purposes. A short shot of a man riding a horse fits into non of these categories, especially not is such a large blockbuster.

        In animated feature films, becoming outdated appears to be less of a problem, as everything follows a consistent design. For example, Ice Age's stiff, spiky fur may look outmoded when seen alongside Merida's wild, bouncing and naturalistic curls in Brave, but in the context of the Ice Age films, nothing looks amiss. 

        Speaking of Merida's hair, although Pixar had already been praised for achieving new heights of realism with Scully's fur in Monsters Inc, the company needed something new. They wanted to be able to realistically simulate the movement of the corkscrew curls which would reflect the princess's 'fiery spirit'. The result was Taz, which gave each lock of hair the ability to stretch, snap back, bounce and brush against one another, with the added intricacy of gravity's influence. All in all, simulation supervisor Claudia Chung and her team gifted Merida with hair more textured and in depth than any previous animated character. Would Disney have been able to master Rapunzel's 70ft mane in 3D if Pixar hadn't paved the way?

        As we advance further and further into the digital age and continue to find new ways for technology to enhance the entertainment industry, it is inevitable that previous innovations and techniques will fade as new ones step into the light. It would be a shame, however, if this quest to push boundaries eclipses consideration of what is successful and, most importantly, enjoyable. Should every technological advancement be used, just because you can? In my opinion, no. If something isn't broken, why try and fix it?