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Worth Watching: Visual Effects: 100 Years of Inspiration Video

by Alex Billington
August 30, 2009

I don't know a good way to introduce this. It's one of those great videos that you just need to watch simply based on the title alone. It's called Visual Effects: 100 Years of Inspiration - a "5th-grader-friendly" collection of clips and making-of footage from notable visual effects films of the past century. YouTube user bengraphics says it was "originally intended for educational use as an introduction to a classroom lecture." It's pretty damn awesome to see and will definitely be nostalgic for anyone that loves great visual effects. I first found it on Awards Daily but apparently it also came from Cinematical before that. Watch this now!

Ryan of Awards Daily puts it best: "It's a reminder of a simpler era when pulling a top hat out of a charcoal sketch was so pants-shittingly awesome genies had to wear adult diapers." It is also reminds me why I'm so excited to see James Cameron's Avatar - I think he's taking us into a new era with that movie just as he did before with The Abyss and Terminator 2, two movies which were featured in the video. Oh and the music was awesome too - it was "Rods and Cones" by the Blue Man Group. As great as it is to always look back at so many wonderful visual effects, it makes me excited to think about what's coming up next in the future.

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Oliver

Strange there is nothing from The Matrix !?
Nic

Cool but, my only gripe is the big skip from 1993 to 2004 (Jurassic park to Spiderman). I mean thats the time when vfx were really getting going. Obviously you can't throw everything into five minutes, but atleast put in The Matrix, Fifth Element maybe Lord of the Rings? How about an animated movie..Toy Story?
L

I watched Terminator 2 for the millionth time yesterday. The T1000 FX still translate awesome for today.
http://yahoo.com T-Man

WTF... no VFX from The Matrix???
Oliver

It is really nice clip but without The Matrix ,Lord of the Rings and King Kong !!!
Kevin

Keep this in mind about this video..."originally intended for educational use as an introduction to a classroom lecture." That probably explains the lack of The Matrix...almost all of the effects in The Matrix are of a pretty violent nature.
mortuus

Oliver....they had 2 shots of king kong....the 1933 movie and the remake.
Tyn

I agree with putting in the matrix. But where the fuck is 2001???? That was probably the best visual effects made ever.
Cody

Yeah what #6 said but theres no excuse for no overshot of Mordor or Gondor on lord of the rings.
SUPER X II

More King Kong, please!
Oliver

#7 mortuus / Yeaah I know , I saw the clip of the King Kong 2005 but I didn't see the King Kong by himslef just Naomi Watts and the other actor. and that was my point !
Lordofcinema

Ummm...Where was the CGI/Church scene from Young Sherlock Holmes? Also, it was missing scenes from The Last Starfighter!
JoohuNdur

What about tron, superman, clash of the titans?
Xerxex

yeah without 2001 A Space Odyssey, this video isn't that good!
Nikhil Hariharan

Well this clip has been circulating the web like crazy last link. For those that are saying the Matrix to be in this and such, i think the author wanted to convey visual effects that are meant to change the industry or create inspiration for future fx artists. In this case the Matrix wouldnt fit (if ur talking bout bullet time etc...) because that effect itself isnt that useful today nor did it "advance" any technology.
AprilCoolsDay

No Roland Emmerich?
http://www.ParanormalSearchers.com Lordofcinema

I agree with LordofCinema, the omission of Young Sherlock Holmes is huge. And how about Sin City?
http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington

^ Everything you guys are saying is accurate, but I think this is just the creator's version of what he wants to show, not every last movie like that. In fact, I get tired of always seeing Young Sherlock Holmes referenced over and over, so I'm happy to see some different movies spice it up, but it's still a good video and we still remember all the other greats...
Kevin

Where's Howard the Duck? Where's Piranha? How about Krull? Are you people serious? Who cares what movies are left out of a non-profit Youtube video montage that a teacher made for school? The video makes it's point even if it doesn't meet up to your standards (I for one would have liked to have seen some Georges Melies scenes at the beginning...but who cares?).
ZzFDKzZ

Yeah was surprise not to see The Matrix in there. Pretty much change action movies.
MgbPeregrine

Kevin in 19 gets it! Great visual trip through special effects. Shows how much has been accomplished. And makes you wonder what's coming! Thanks for sharing.
Tra la la la la di da

Yeah, a lot missing and a lot that didn't need to be there but not a bad watch...kinda. I've had worse wastes of time. Never the less, Alex once again not so subtlety mentions Avatar which will do nothing for anything. it's IMAX which we've seen and it's 3D which has been done long long ago. When VR happens something a bit more realistic happens, then we will see a change. I think we've reached our point for the time being.
Luke

Cool, but it kinda bugged me that it only said what some of the movies were. Especially since they were all ones I already knew.
Luke

I mean while they were playing.
Alex

Um, where is 2001: A Space Odyssey? Before Star Wars, it was.
DoomCanoe

Nightmare Before Christmas, The Matrix, 2001 and Sin City of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow needed to be on this list. Still an Awesome video though and#15 The part that I think needed to be shown is the Neo's dodge from the original Only because that was all stop motion. The camera was on a track going like 80miles around a backbreaking Keanu taking some odd number of pictures every second. The scene took 4 seconds to shoot or something crazy like that, And is in my opinion a trick that needs to be used much more in movies. That was the first time its been done and it looked AMAZING.
Dan the Fan

It was a neat compilation to see how things have evolved throughout the years. If anything, it seems as though Jurassic Park was the pinnacle of CGI and the only advancements from thereon in were through camera angles, not so much the CG aspects. I also know that Steve Williams (the guy mainly responsible for JP's look) spent countless hours finessing the movie whereas I've never heard much else from other movies where the creative team goes above and beyond what's needed (aside from The Matrix, as people have stated). But I will admit, seeing Brad Pitt's face transform like that was a bit eerie. I didn't realize how old he actually looks when compared to his CG counter part. That being said, I am still waiting for the next step in CG evolution - where the work doesn't come off as 'cartoony'. Spider-Man 1-2-3 all looked cheesy, and so did Pirates... And from what I've seen, Avatar does not look like it will step up to that. Sorry Alex
TTEX

No AVATAR or MATRIX?
L1A

Stop complaining about missing movies in the clip. Just go and create your own clip.
http://www.10tu.com/forums dRailer

Wasn't the "ring" in the explosion of the Death Star only added with the theatrical re-release as Lucas's special edition version?
d1r3ct

The Matrix's VFX are better than some movies that have come out in the last three years.
Kamish

I know this is only about a 5 minute video but there is a long list of things that should be included... Here's things that pop into my mind... Trip to the moon gone with the wind (burning of Atlanta) 1955 day the earth stood still 2001 Close Encounters Raiders ET Young Sherlock Holmes (stained glass knight 1st CG character) T2 Forrest Gump...no legs on Lt. Dan Toy Story Matrix...bullet time LOTR Fellowship...the Balrog AOTC...Yoda vs. Dooku LOTR 2 towers...Gollum The Polar Express ROTS G. Grievous Transformers Dark Knight (Prisoner Escort Chase) Avatar (clip from the trailer)
Dan the Fan

@30 - Yes.
jessica

okay
Korm

HUGE props for Jason and the Argonauts. LOVE that move!
mikezet

Where is Optimus Prime, Neo and Speed Racer?..this is revolution effects of this age....bad job....missing a lot.....