For my scene analysis, I chose the film Gravity. I think that this is a prime example of a film that uses a lot of special effects and CGI to help the film seem much more realistic and extraordinary. The large majority of the film is set in outer space, and we know that we have never been able to film out there so the director had to find someone who was capable of using animation, green screens, and CGI for this scene. In this scene, it’s a tragic and heartbreaking moment where Matt Kowalski (George Clooney’s character) has to separate from Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock’s character) or they will risk both being dragged out into space. He sacrifices himself so that she can live and try to get back to earth. The dramatic scene is intense as she tries to reason with him, even as her own group slips and slides on the rope.
One of the interesting things I found while researching about this film was that the process was much more complex than it seems. It is so much more than a simple green screen. They had to formulate an animation for some shots as well, because they were also were premiering the film in 3D. For most of the outer space shots, Sandra Bullock is in a white background and the actions are added back in.
Personally, I feel that the visual effects in this film are truly stunning. It took them a lot of effort to make the film look as realistic and believable as possible, and it really helps pushes the plot forward.
Samantha Sky's Blog 