re: #249 Vogon Poetry

There’s still something to be said for doing things with practical effects - like say the scenes in Inception where they were flipping the set around to mimic the van flipping off the road. Sure, it could be done with CGI, but there’s a weight that CGI just hasn’t been able to capture thus far. Heck, even the Matrix bullet time shots were practical effects using multiply linked cameras to get the desired outcome.

And far too many directors use CGI to cover up gaping holes in their stories (Michael Bay and George Lucas, I’m looking at you). Explosions are not a substitute for exposition.

In a way, it’s like 3D. Most of the time it’s just used to get things flying out of the screen at you. Gets old fast.

In my mind, one of the best uses of 3D was Hugo, by Martin Scorsese. Yes, you had the ‘Flying out effects’ (one with the dog was particularly good), but he also took advantage of the DEPTH that it gave him, and there were some remarkable shots that took advantage of the world extending behind the screen.

RBS