Computers in film industry

Computers in the Film Industry

In his book Connections , noted historian James Burke puts forth the argument that technology is a driving force of history . Through a comprehensive series of historical and scientific anecdotes , he points out how the arrival of critical technologies has contributed to the evolution of social , political and economic structures . Such events go way back to the time first made the first piece of technology , a plow which enabled him to develop agriculture and consequently , civilization Technology does this due to its ability to enable new uses , new

features and new ways of doing things . Therefore , examining technology should always be two part - first is the possibilities it enables and how it changes the environment in which it operates

In a smaller scale , the same could be said about the film industry Throughout the history of film making , development of technologies have helped influence the directions and trends of cinema by simply giving directors more weapons in their arsenal . The development of electric lights freed the shooting of films from the need of daylight . The development of sound has led to the demise of silent films . Color film has completely replaced black and white . These technologies , by virtue of providing a better movie going experience have completely erased the kinds of films that preceded it

In the past decades , one technology that has taken the world by storm is the computer . Millions of microscopic bits of silicon which perform billions of calculations per second have changed the way people communicate , the way that information is shared , or the way banks calculate your interest just to name a few applications . Film making has also been affected by computers . And just like every bit of technology computers have allowed film makers to not only utilize the technology to make their lives easier but to change film making itself

One of the most apparent use of computers in film making is in the arena of special effects . Computers have vastly replaced the use of miniatures , trick photography and other traditional methods . Such things are easier and cheaper to perform in the computer . Computer generated special effects allow for greater and more realistic possibilities . One poster child for the majesty of computer generated effects has been the 1993 film Jurassic Park . Only using computers could the breathtaking dinosaurs have been brought to life . Another prime example has been Forrest Gump where computer based techniques allowed the protagonist to interact with Presidents Nixon and Kennedy . More recently , 300 used computer based techniques to bring to life a stylized adaptation of Frank Miller 's comic . These would not have been possible without computer technology

Computer generated imagery are not only special effects but rather compose the entire movie . The first Toy Story was a landmark movie which was completely done in CGI . The success of Toy Story was followed by other CGI animated films from Pixar , Toy Story 's creators , as well as from other studios . As further proof for the rising...