Rick Baker retires. This is bad.

[Dr. Otto]

Fucking hell. His words about today's studios always wanting things "cheap and fast" are more depressing than I can describe.

http://www.joblo.com/horror-movies/n...-to-retire-220

[digitalcirce]

No kidding. The man was instrumental to movie special effects. The auction of his film props that the article refers to happened on the 29th through the Prop Store of London - http://www.propstore.com/rickbaker/ - hopefully a lot of his fans will be able to own and cherish a little part of his legacy, since future practical special effects will likely not be of this caliber.

[Xanderfox]

If her was retiring due to age then it would be acceptable, but to think he's "given up". It's a sad commentary on the over dependence on CRAP CGI, that so many studios would rather have sub-par CG effects than decent Particular effects? I'm not talking big names that make block busters where the CG takes months to years and looks convincing either. That lower budget movies where make up and FXs folks payed their dues... The whole movie industry is going to suffer as CGI will have to be used where a Particular effect would be better simply because there isn't anyone left to DO practical effects! CG is a useful tool but it shouldn't be the only tool in the tool box! it's like trying to do home repair with nothing but a hammer!

[Case Scenario]

Crying shame, really.

[Shadow_Dragon]

It is the way of things really. In all honesty, the movie business really lost originality long ago. The truth of the matter is that despite people complaining about re-hashes, sequels, and whatnot. It is what sells. I mean, look at the hype of what star wars is getting for god's sake.

I remember reading somewhere, I forgot where, but it was stated by someone that production studios have tried various originals and the originals just didn't garnish as much revenue as a sequel or a reboot. So case in point, I guess us audience are probably to blame for such things. If we can get the same thrill for an action or horror flick with cheap cgi affects masked by pointless 3D as one would decades ago with impressive practical effects (terminator, Jurassic Park), then I can see the reasoning why things have gone the way they are.

I mean think about it, before, people would work in automobile factories on assembly lines, now we have people that just monitor and maintain the robots that assemble the cars.

Before you would by records, tapes, and CD's to listen to your favorite band or songs.

Now you can just pop on to your favorite torrent site of choice and get it all for free from virtually anywhere.

[sodacat]

Aw man, Rick Baker was working on a Gargoyles movie? Yet more evidence we do not live in the ideal universe.

[Anahki]

Let me go on with the bad joke: CGI is not responsible, just the people handling it xD.
Yes, this is a real shame. Now we are more and more exposed to fast souless FX...

[Kantomaster1111]

Originally Posted by Anahki

Let me go on with the bad joke: CGI is not responsible, just the people handling it xD.
Yes, this is a real shame. Now we are more and more exposed to fast souless FX...

There are many talented CG artists. But for the content we want, studios are not shelling out money to have the proper CG done up to snuff. To say it's the people handling it is wrong, unless of course you mean the studio and not the artists themselves (they are SORELY underpaid).

[Buzy]

I kind of hope and dream that with the recent Mad Max release, and the sheer amount of practical effects mixed with -unobstrusive- CGI(which itself was generally used for scenes and backdrops, -not- characters or the vehicles which actually were real rigs in the great majority of things), that we might hopefully see a return and rebirth of more practical effects and things someday.

As someone else said, CGIs can be nice but they are best used when to set a scene or backdrop, not when used to be the focus of things where the majority of time they just cause a loss of scale often(especially due to how badly they were used).

I just saw the Jurassic Park 2 trailer after coming out of watching Mad Max and the CGIs dinos were such I've pretty much decided to never go and watch that movie because ugh.

[Xanderfox]

Originally Posted by Kantomaster1111

There are many talented CG artists. But for the content we want, studios are not shelling out money to have the proper CG done up to snuff. To say it's the people handling it is wrong, unless of course you mean the studio and not the artists themselves (they are SORELY underpaid).

CGI isn't bad thing, but it also isn't the Special Effects wonder tool it's treated as, and lots of what is out there is bad. I think I personally mostly gave up when Underworld came out, the idea that CGI was the only thing was so ingrained that that film's participial effects where literally blown off as "oh it's just CGI" when with the exception of transnational morph effects for the lycans everything was done with practical effects, no matter what you think of the film's story or the acting the effects are impressive one you know 90% of them where NOT CGI. But it's gotten to a point where audiences think every effect is CGI and studios think CGI effects are all they need.

[Decardo]

I agree that this is bad, we need more practical effect based VFX houses.

I'm in the process of developing a series of short horror movies and werewolves will be included and if the project gets the momentum I want it will feature a female to wolf transformation that will be practical.

Its a long way off and I can see this has its only following (I've been a fan for years)

If we ever get that far I'll let you know as I really want it to be worth of mentioning in the same sentence as AWIL.

[lighttech]

if you really want to see what CGI does to a film just watch the werewolf transformation from "American werewolf in London VS the one one in part 2

one is great and look horrific and painful --the other--- POOF i am a wolf --done in a few seconds

CGI in what should be make-up EFX sucks

it should "add" not steal the whole show