Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (USE SPOILER TAGS!)

[Dwayne Hicks]

Originally Posted by R3P0

He was not all CGI, It was Mo Cap acting there are pics of Bill with dots all over his face, ILM added CGI over him. All CGI would be like Jar Jar in EP 1-3 or Dax in Ep 3, the Kaminos in Episode 2. They were not actors but totally done CGI and inserted.

All CG

[SethRex]

Originally Posted by R3P0

He was not all CGI, It was Mo Cap acting there are pics of Bill with dots all over his face, ILM added CGI over him. All CGI would be like Jar Jar in EP 1-3 or Dax in Ep 3, the Kaminos in Episode 2. They were not actors but totally done CGI and inserted.

Wasn't Jar Jar also done mocap? The actor was on set as well wearing a Jar Jar hat if I recall.

[Ernest Rister]

Originally Posted by SethRex

Wasn't Jar Jar also done mocap? The actor was on set as well wearing a Jar Jar hat if I recall.

Not mo-cap, they just used his performance as a reference, full digital replacement.

[aiman04]

Originally Posted by R3P0

He was not all CGI, It was Mo Cap acting there are pics of Bill with dots all over his face, ILM added CGI over him. All CGI would be like Jar Jar in EP 1-3 or Dax in Ep 3, the Kaminos in Episode 2. They were not actors but totally done CGI and inserted.

All CGI. Those dots to capture motion (and emotion) only, though not everything the tentacles was animated using computer algorithms.

[Geoff D]

For me there's a world of difference between a mocapped CG character and a non-mocapped one. Yes, the tools to realise a digital character visually may be the same, but the performance is leagues better because it's full of the random little tics and mannerisms that can only come from a real person.

I'm not worried in the least about the mocapped Star Wars VII characters. They're gonna smash it.

[JamesBenjamin]

I mean, just look at Gollum. "All CGI" characters are not going to look like JarJar anymore.

[aiman04]

I guess you mean character animation? That's correct the character is all CGI but not all animated, the motion captured from the dots translated into the character. This was developed after Episode I, so they used the best technology they had at that time so can't really blame them.

[Geoff D]

They don't just push a button and magically turn the mocap info into a fully realised CG character though, there's still a lot of work involved.

[aiman04]

Of course.

[Himmel]

The Falcon in trouble!!!

[Show spoiler]

[Kirk Out]

Originally Posted by Terminated

The Falcon in trouble!!!

[Show spoiler]

looks fake

[Scorpion Soldier]

Originally Posted by Kirk Out

looks fake

It is, it's fan-made: http://andrewss7.deviantart.com/art/...er-1-379843832

[greg_achen]

Originally Posted by PeterTHX

And what's wrong with all CG characters?





Especially ones rendered by Industrial Light & Magic?

Almost 10 years later and Davey Jones remains of the the best looking and most convincing CGI creations of all time.

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by greg_achen

Almost 10 years later and Davey Jones remains of the the best looking and most convincing CGI creations of all time.

He still looks fake and CGI to me as most cgi characters. Just use animatronics, costumes, and make-up like the old days and i'll be happy.

[kamphausd1]

Originally Posted by Kirk Out

looks fake

And a tell-tale sign is that it has the original dish.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

He still looks fake and CGI to me as most cgi characters.

[aiman04]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

He still looks fake and CGI to me as most cgi characters. Just use animatronics, costumes, and make-up like the old days and i'll be happy.

You're the first person I see disagreeing with this, and I respect your opinion. For me Davy Jones still the best computer CGI character ever created, that actually brought to life. The first time I saw him I thought Bill Nighy was wearing an advanced prosthetic mask, then as I see him more and more I started to doubt that and really couldn't decide if he was practical or computer generated. I ended up naturally believing his character and stopped thinking about it. The skin texture seems translucent to the light, with hint of fluid underneath the skin and he appears in broad daylight most of the time (film makers tried to avoid this it usually reveal a lot of flaws). Then the way his face and those tentacles moved, breathing and smoking pipe, etc. Great work by maestro John Knoll (who's supervising The Force Awakens with another Star Wars prequel veteran Roger Guyette). For me there are 2 most important factors in making CGI characters work:

1. The detailed organic texture of the skin must be coupled with the correct lighting, this will help it blend with the environment and achieve that photo-realistic look. Notice how visual effect maestros are members of American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). This will give it real scren presence.
2. The motion and emotion, body movement and facial expression of the character, motion capture helps a lot now. Performance of a good actor is appreciated. This is how we believe it as a living character.

That said everyone knows I don't mind CGI characters. Just thought they're really going a old-school film making approach, when directors compromise should something doesn't work on set. I mean they built and operated BB-8 for real when it can easily be done with computers, non-organic is so much easier. But okay, as long as we will have good story I'm all for it.

[Falaskan]

Yes, Davey Jones had a translucency to his skin that few cgi characters are given, for some unknown reason

[Thomas Guycott]

Originally Posted by Terminated

The Falcon in trouble!!!

[Show spoiler]

Originally Posted by Kirk Out

looks fake

Originally Posted by Scorpion Soldier

It is, it's fan-made: http://andrewss7.deviantart.com/art/...er-1-379843832

Good lord, that thing is positively ancient by now.

[Falaskan]

I just now came across the Vanity Fair magazine featuring Ep VII. It's gotten me more pumped for this movie than anything else so far. Spoilers be damned!