We all know about the danger of having too much of a good thing. Many students realize the truth of this after going on binge-drinking tangents resulting in long make-out sessions with the toilet. Directors often face the same dangers of binging, only in their case it is on CGI, or computer generated images, as director Ang Lee learned from his floundering CGI-engulfed film 'The Hulk.'
Keeping in mind that Lee's last film was a digitally unsuccessful flop, the unusual use of CGI in his drama 'Brokeback Mountain' makes the film even more compelling beyond its striking, controversial plot. Film connoisseurs often argue that due to CGI's tendency to create a flat, unrealistic visual experience, live-action films lying outside the sci-fi or action genres should employ CGI sparingly. Despite these concerns, Lee decided to integrate CGI into 'Brokeback Mountain' in order to push the complex narrative forward and craft his vision beyond what a cinematographer can capture.
It was important to Lee to bring life to Brokeback Mountain itself and mold the landscape into another recognizable character in the film. This attempt to convert a setting into a character challenged Lee to sculpt with exact detail his vision of a raw, stunning American West.
The visually stimulating effect sequences in 'Brokeback' left audiences questioning which scenes, if any, had CGI in them. The crews' relatively tight budget of $13 million required them to film with a system that allowed over a dozen animation artists to use advanced CGI editing programs in the post -production process immaculately. Overall there were approximately 75 visual effects created for the film, 15 being CGI sheep.
Besides providing illusions such as a fighting Yoda or an oversized ape, CGI offers directors more control over the images in their films, something Lee needed for 'Brokeback's' eccentric tale. The director constantly demands perfection, which in return requires that he maintain complete control over scenes. CGI allowed Lee to better direct elements like nature and animals, which fits his taste perfectly, as Lee claims he despises working with animals and says he would rather not work with sheep again.
Louis Morin, the visual effects supervisor, noted in an interview that the 3-D sheep replications were the greatest factor, requiring tremendous amounts of work.
Lee's control fix induced many challenges, including attempts to stage over 2,500 sheep in some scenes. The actual set of the film only used 700 sheep, partly because of Canada's comedic concern for the spreading of American diseases to their sheep. Lee's compulsive perfectionism even pressured Morin to visit the Calgary set often so he could blend 3-D created shots seamlessly with cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto's sensationally captured natural scenery.
As of January 29, 2006, 'Brokeback Mountain' has grossed more than $50 million in America and snagged eight Academy Award nominations, including one for cinematography. As Ang Lee shows, one rough night of binging should not stop you from going out again. Like beer, when CGI is used responsibly, it is a magnificent technological advancement that can propel a film into a refreshing break from mind-numbing routines.
