Things We Saw Today: See What Marvel Films Look Like Without Special Effects

A sign of a film with great special effects is that the effects aren’t readily apparent to the eye. The viewer is too busy marveling at the sweeping mountains of Wakanda, or the BiFrost, or dancing baby Groot to be cognizant of what is and isn’t real. I know that, for myself, I pretty much accept everything I see onscreen (to a degree).

It’s very funny and enlightening to see just how much work and production goes into the major VFX work at play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This video, courtesy of GamesRader, shows all the different levels of special effects, from New York City blocks in the opening attack in Avengers: Infinity War, to Josh Brolin doing motion-capture as Thanos, to Tony Stark’s nano-tech Iron Man suit.

The blend of practical effects and CGI is seamless, especially in the Spider-Man: Homecoming scenes, where Spidey leaps off of top of the Washington monument via a combination of green screen and wire work. And it’s especially fun to see Bradley Cooper hamming it up in his mo-cap suit as he portrays Rocket Raccoon.

We also get a glimpse of the CGI overlay required to create characters like Rocket or the Hulk. We see a skeleton model layered with muscle, then skin to articulate these CGI characters. We also get a sense of the goofiness at play in such highly artificial settings, and the humor and skill required to convey complex emotions with nothing but a green screen and a tennis ball on a stick. Kudos to the army of VFX wizards who bring the world of Marvel to life.

(via io9, image: screencap)

• Buffy the Vampire Slayer‘s beloved musical episode “Once More With Feeling” is getting a vinyl release, thanks to Mondo. Here’s hoping they aren’t just going through the motions *wink. (via Consequence of Sound)
• Captain Marvel concept art reveals that everyone you know and love is a Skrull. (via CBR)
• This Funny or Die video “Marvel’s Mrs. Maisel” imagines Midge Maisel joining the Avengers and honestly, I’m on board. (via ComicBook.com)
• On the 25th anniversary of John Candy’s passing, fellow Canadian Ryan Reynolds posted a tribute video to the comedy legend. (via Twitter)
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It’s the 25th anniversary of John Candy’s passing. We cooked up a small tribute to a comedic genius and Canadian hero. If you haven’t seen much of his work, take a look at his films. He was a treasure. Thanks to @chriscandy4u and @therealjencandy. 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/dHvuviKnBs

— Ryan Reynolds (@VancityReynolds) March 3, 2019

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Chelsea Steiner

Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.

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