CompuServe Messages

—>Ok, that's it! =:-) I have had just about enough of this "put ILM on a pedestal" stuff! ILM does some fantastic stuff, true. But let us not forget the other companies out their that don't have the bucks to force-feed themselves to the public: PDI, Rhythm and Hues, Blue Sky, Angel Studios, Boss Film Studios, Santa Barbara Studios, PIXAR…. the list goes on and on.<— I think the main reason that ILM gets so much press is because they are constantly breaking new ground realizing their visions. Although these other companies do produce some great stuff, it's for the most part nothing that ILM didn't do first. Right now, in Hollywood, there are basically two different kinds of effects. There's the "oh my God!" type of effect, and the "I didn't see the effect" type of visuals. ILM has mastered the new current trend, which is the invisible effect, quite nicely in Forrest Gump. Many of the F/X shots in the show were 'invisible' to the audience, most noteably, the erasing of the Lt.'s legs. Other companies, with a few exceptions, are only now starting to take on this type of work. ILM also tends to do this type of work on a huge scale. Radio Land Murders, which was pretty much a flop, used many types of digital manipulation techniques to 'fool' the audience into believeing that they were seeing many more dances on a stage than were really there, for example. The reason ILM does so much good work is because George Lucas see's his digital deamhouse as the means to an end in telling a convincing storey, not as an end in itself. One big reason that ILM has embraced computers is because without them, Lucas would not be able to create the universe needed for his next trilogy. The next big rage in Hollywood will be to do not only all the abouve mentioned F/X type work, but to do cheaper and faster. Lucas will no doubt lead the way in this new direction, taking ILM, and the technology it represents, right along with him. GT