Aren’t we always fascinated by flying scenes? Here is one of the most difficult parts of the filming of “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince:” the quidditch event. Actors shoot individually as they are surrounded by blue and green screens. Everything else is created by computers, imagery, and all.
Pretending to be up in the air while they are moved by rigs, the challenge of the actors is to react to attacks, and carry out the swerves, all with perfect timing. The ability to portray movement and urgency is important. And it’s difficult because, in reality, they are merely surrounded by blank walls. And there were no brooms used!
I Am Legend
This photograph reminds us of that part of the movie where Robert Neville becomes hopeful of curing infected dogs with his serum. They try to ensnare a Darkseeker so they could test its efficacy, but its failure depressed him.
The real sad part is when his dog, Samantha, is bitten by the other dogs and becomes contaminated. He is forced to kill her with his own hands, and this is the most heart-wrenching part of the film. We are gladdened to find a picture of the set to remind us that Sam, at least the real German Shepherd that played the role, is alive and well. And that Darkseeker that attacked Will Smith’s character was only controlled by a puppeteer in a green morph suit.
Beauty and the Beast
This surely isn’t what the French novelist had in mind when he wrote the classic story of "Beauty and the Beast." And it doesn’t seem like a fairy tale or a love story; more like a comedy if you want our opinion. Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve would turn in her grave if she saw this picture of how her fictional beast gets an astronaut look.
Also, it’s commendable how Emma Watson is able to keep her composure. Perhaps that’s why she looks so stern, staring straight ahead and not glancing at her partner, who’s wrapped doubly in a padded suit. She dares not to look down and see his stilts.
300
This photograph captures what it was like to be a ruler during the Persian Wars. The feel of the time was masterfully recreated, so modern viewers could truly appreciate its historical value. As for the film "300," there is no denying that Zach Snyder had a clear vision of how he wanted the tale to look on the big screen.
To work on the scenes, effects specialists had to be very precise with their artistry to reflect how advanced the period was. And when Gerard Butler's character kicks that messenger into the bottomless pit and yells "This is Sparta," you just know that the real pit wasn't actually bottomless.
The Wolf of Wall Street
This film was directed by Martin Scorsese and featured Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role. Suitably, this project had an approved budget of $100 million. But it didn’t mean they could just pack their bags and travel to every location the memoir by Jordan Belfort entailed. Sometimes, Scorsese had to rely on green screen to bring certain locations to life.
The story has its characters traveling from the US to Italy, Switzerland, Monaco, and more. Imagine all the expenses they were able to save, thanks to CGI. Green screen was used to show the money-hungry bunch setting sail on a private yacht.