» September 14, 2014

Episode VII wouldn’t be Star Wars without VFX

by Kevin Hillman

"[Industrial Light & Magic]'s work since the 1970s has been on the cutting edge of movie effects, bringing incredible, unbelievable, escapist stories to life."

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The producers of Star Wars: Episode VII have declared they have learned from the supposed mistakes of the film franchise’s prequel trilogy: they will avoid extensive use of computer generated imagery in the sequel trilogy, now in production. Haters of the prequel trilogy jumped for joy knowing that CGI will not ruin their return to the galaxy far, far away. But this attitude toward visual effects, specifically toward Star Wars movies, is absurd.

Of the top 10 highest-grossing films of 2014, eight are live-action movies that are only possible thanks to visual effects, and the remaining two are computer-generated cartoons. Several more movies this year promise to break into that top 10 list, and all of them are visual-effects-driven. These VFX — the effects created in post-production and added to live-action scenes — have become essential to create the modern cinematic spectacles that people all over the world love. And in most cases, these high-grossing, VFX-driven movies do not get by on spectacle alone, but they also tell good, fun stories.

The Star Wars franchise, despite sparking the visual effects revolution, is no longer being allowed the freedom to utilize the CGI that the films’ own company, Industrial Light & Magic, made famous. Whether Episode VII director J.J. Abrams wanted to use VFX or not, so-called Star Wars fans really left him no choice. The decision to minimize CGI was forced upon Abrams by the visceral hatred some have for the Star Wars prequels and by their claim that one of the biggest problems with Episodes I, II, and III was their over-reliance on CGI, as opposed to the puppets and set pieces that helped define the original three films.

This criticism is silly. It focuses on only a few scenes out of hundreds and penalizes them for not achieving “realism” in a movie that is based on laser fighting in space. This narrow lens lets the critic ignore the massive leaps in filmmaking made by ILM and Lucasfilm. ILM’s work since the 1970s has been on the cutting edge of movie effects, bringing incredible, unbelievable, escapist stories to life.

Movies about escapism require imaginative production techniques. This is nothing new in filmmaking. In Hollywood’s Golden Age, films such as King Kong and Metropolis relied on stop motion and model building to create worlds we could never otherwise envision. Willis O’Brien and Ray Harryhausen set the standard for special effects in movie making, creating masterpieces still admired today for their innovation. But while their work certainly was groundbreaking for their time, those techniques could not be used on such a grand scale today to create the movies consumers have come to expect.

Nonetheless, O’Brien and Harryhausen did inspire generations of new filmmakers who sought to replicate the magic they felt upon first viewing the work of those men. Among these movie titans are Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, and George Lucas. Each of these filmmakers, who have a combined box office take higher than the annual gross national product of most countries, have always been on the cutting edge of moviemaking. And some of their most famous and successful movies rely largely on the visual effects made possible because of the technological leaps made by Lucasfilm and ILM.

The much-loved original Star Wars trilogy was put together using practical special effects. But at the time Lucas was working on the movie, the effects necessary to tell his story did not exist. Lucas assembled a team that would become ILM to work on the effects for the film. The result was one of the most stunning visual pieces in cinematic history. The practical effects were incredible, but their production was also daunting, tiring, and limited. Lucas wanted to create scenes as he imagined them, no matter how absurd or unworldly they seemed. ILM and computer generated imagery would be the only viable response to that desire.

Ironically, the first movie franchise to use a completely computer-generated sequence was not Star Wars, but Star Trek. The Genesis sequence in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was created by ILM and set the stage for the next three decades of moviemaking. ILM followed up a few years later in Young Sherlock Holmes by presenting the first completely computer-generated character, then went on to produce effects for some of the most breathtaking films in history, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and Jurassic Park.

With each new movie came another new milestone, and ILM was making a habit out of changing cinema. Every new film was praised for its innovation and the way it was changing movies into an even greater medium for dreamers. It was around this time in the mid-1990s, with his company changing the film world, that Lucas realized he could create the long-hoped-for Star Wars prequel trilogy, complete with fantastical worlds straight from his imagination. Practicality was no longer a concern for effects in filmmaking.

What Lucas created was another revolutionary work, filled with cinematic firsts. Episode I — The Phantom Menace used visual effects in almost every scene, including the extensive pod race. It even included a major alien character, completely animated in 3D. Unfortunately, that alien character, Jar Jar Binks, angered a lot of old fans of the film series to the point that, to this day, they complain about the movie.

Jar Jar Binks and the entire Gungan society were huge visual breakthroughs. Unfortunately, they faced a backlash due to complaints about the writing. Critics bury the entire film because of the character’s personality traits, then they pile on complaints about the visual effects. What they forget is that many of the effects used in Phantom Menace led directly to the modern epic cinema we enjoy today. Without the fight on Naboo, the war scenes of The Lord of the Rings trilogy may not have been possible.

Such complaints continued throughout the prequel trilogy, with some criticisms holding more weight than others. Certainly, Lucas did go too far at times; almost none of the classic practical effects were used in Episode III — Revenge of the Sith. But each movie pushed the envelope of moviemaking with never-before-seen visual effects creating expansive worlds and realistic characters. Episode II — The Attack of the Clones was even the first movie shot in all-digital. These movies set the stage for the next decade of filmmaking, giving rise to Marvel Studios and the first truly realistic superhero movies. Without Harryhausen, there would be no Star Wars. Without Lucas, there would be no Avatar.

Unfortunately, the perpetual complaints about CGI in the Star Wars prequels have forced Abrams to insist he will be utilizing practical effects wherever possible, potentially robbing audiences of another game-changing moment in cinema. But all hope is not lost.

Where Lucas admittedly went wrong with the prequel trilogy was in finding balance. The new Star Wars trilogy should be the visual successor to all six of the previous movies. Using practical effects for set pieces and a few monsters is a great idea, and doing so can create some incredible movie magic that is absent from today’s big-budget blockbusters. But when it comes time to create vast new worlds and expansive battles in space, the producers should allow ILM to do what it does best. Lucas was notorious for letting the visuals speak first and writing the story around them. Abrams need not go that far, but he should certainly let ILM’s incredible talent shine through wherever possible.

Interestingly, Andy Serkis has been announced as a cast member for the new Star Wars movie. Serkis is famous for portraying some of the most incredible motion-captured characters in cinema, including LotR’s Gollum, King Kong, and Cesar from Rise and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. It seems likely that Serkis will use his incredible talents to portray an alien character that will make everyone forget about Jar Jar Whatshisname.

In the end, Star Wars VII will probably turn out to be another filmmaking landmark, as it will integrate the best of visual and practical effects to create another world in which we can all get lost in excitement.

Kevin Hillman works in television and is equally capable of discussing 19th century tax law and Pokemon battle tactics. He lives on Planet Coruscant with an Ewok named Moo.