From 1891 to 2021, the changes in the frame of the film are surprisingly massive, and here is only a short period of 130 years.
Changes between the crowds (less than 24fps) and the rain of bullets (120fps). The evolution from 720p to 4K or 8K. These are enough to make me lament the growth of the film.
The first objective element that drives the progress of movies is the rapid development of science and technology, just like the shock to the audience when the film first appeared.
What is more, the colour film shocking the audience and brought more vitality to the film industry. VFX came into being, bringing unlimited possibilities for film and television.
Thanks to Moore’s Law, the iteration of computers is far beyond human imagination. Compare the first 75-second fluid special effects to the enormous waves in the science fiction movies being played in theatres today. There is a billion times the number of polygons between the two films. Computers can carry more and more polygons and textures, and the gradual popularization of devices such as VR and AR makes modern graphics technology gradually approach reality. The visual effects of high-budget movies are approaching the limit that the human senses can accept.
Before there is another breakthrough in sensing technology, another factor that promotes the film industry-people will play a role. Imagine the era when all photographers used cameras to record crowds and trains, but some people thought of using close-ups to record a winkle! Words such as genius, artist, fantasy, drama, etc., belong to a human, not AI created by data and algorithms. Because AI works can never jump out of existing databases, humans are creating all the time. More than 3 million films, either beautiful or simple, have been made in just over a hundred years. Various film types are gradually taking shape, and film has become an enormous industry, which people have talked about for a hundred years.
Like many literary forms, movies are no longer popular and fashionable but are a culture every country attaches importance to. The predecessors of the film industry summarized and demonstrated numerous shooting tricks. These experiences in lens, scene, editing cannot be obtained by digesting the records in two nights. I may use my future career to apply and experience.
The difference between animation and VFX is not that big. I think animation is much more than the Disney movies shown on the big screen in cinema. You can see the application of animation and VFX in commercials, games, and applications. The essence of animation and VFX are movable polygons or particles. Excellent materials and the work of animators have made the boundaries of film, animation, and VFX more and more blurred. (But I did not consider stylized animation and experimental animation.)
But the film seems to be just entertainment, but a film is also a form of art. The film gives people inspiration and inspiration. Just like the hammer in the hands of Michelangelo and the paintbrush in the hands of Leonardo in the Renaissance, it releases and enhances people’s thoughts. Therefore, whether it is film or animation, it is one of the members that promote the progress of civilization.
These superficial understandings were written at the beginning of my MA.