Why use 3D animation for films and animation?

With the huge advancement of technology, 3D animation continues to improve in its realistic imitations and is now commonly used in most major films. Double Negative, a studio that have worked on numerous films such as the Harry Potter series, Rush and Marvel films, show how 3D animation and effects enhance the films atmosphere. For example in the film, Guardians of the Galaxy, most of the film was depicted in space, with alien planets that differ in culture compared to Earths. The only means in which to create a space background is to create this using computer graphics that can hold a sense of realism through the advancement of technology. This shows that other backgrounds that are fantasy based can now be visualised through this use of technology in ways that historical films such as Le Voyage Dans La Lune could only dream of.

Le voyage dans la lune

In the film Rush, Double Negative not only modeled the race cars that interacted with the other race cars, but also the background, the clouds, the crowds and stands with the adverts were all added digitally. This change in weather affects the atmosphere of the scene, making it seem foreboding and dismal, and the addition of the crowd show that it is an important event. Adding these effects digitally not only helped with filming, having to wait for the forecast to be correct for recording, but also expenses with the set. The amount of money that would have been spent for making the crowds stands and also hiring extras to be the crowd for the scene, makes it far cheaper to make them with computer graphics. When the emotional event of the race car crashing occurs the whole scene is created with 3D models and effects. At the Bradford Animation Festival, 2013, Double Negatives Nathan Ortiz shows development work and research into creating Niki Lauda's crash scene, they not only thought about the points in which the car would collide with the ground and scenery but also the form and type of smoke that would emit from the fire. This addition gives a sense of added realism to the 3D effects.

Rush (2013)