By Andrew Sanford | Film | March 25, 2024 | By Andrew Sanford | Film | March 25, 2024 | There is a scene in Spider-Man: No Way Home where Peter Parker and Happy Hogan are at a cemetery. In the movie, we are meant to believe that they are outside. It doesn’t look like that. Instead, it looks like two actors standing in front of a green screen. The movie’s reported budget is $200 million. A lot of the CG in it isn’t that bad. But, it features a horrible shot that, arguably, could have been done practically. This isn’t just a Marvel problem. A lot of big Hollywood movies are too reliant on CGI for environments when practical sets would make more sense and look a lot better. That doesn’t mean it should be done away with. CGI should be used to enhance instead of replace (when possible). Just look at something like Dune: Part 2 , where the costumes and sets feel tangible, and giant ships and explosions feel otherworldly, thanks to a nice mix of CG and practical effects. Fede Alvarez, director of the upcoming film Alien: Romulus , wants to give audiences an otherworldly feeling as practically as possible. When speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Alvarez had this to say about the upcoming film. “I have this obsession with no green screens, so we built every creature and set. Everything had to be built so we were really living and breathing in these spaces.” You can tell from the trailer that his choices are paying off. Alvarez made it clear that he is not anti-CG. The director points out how he made a short film called Panic Attack! where he and his friends created all the CG. To him, it’s all about knowing when to use it and when not to. “So it’s just whatever is best for the shot, and when it comes to face-to-face encounters and moments with creatures, nothing beats the real thing,” the Don’t Breathe director said. It’s also arguable that the use of CG depends on what movie you’re making. Jon Watts, who directed No Way Home , is a great director. But Marvel makes their movies via assembly line. Sometimes, that leaves their films feeling undercooked. Ironically, Alien: Romulus was made by the same parent company. I guess we can count ourselves lucky that Alvarez did things his way.
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