special effects

The Mill+ was brought on board to create a stunningly realistic CGI chimpanzee for PETA's "98% Human" spot, which actually touts using CGI animals over real ones in movies.

Explains BBDO Creative Director Toygar Bazarkaya, "In working with Mill+, we noticed there IS another way. We found a way to change the message from 'stop using great apes' to 'stop using "real" great apes.' Mill+ developed a technology that allows for the creation of a great ape that is so real, it's scary. No use of the real animal, but an undistinguishable result. Planet of the Apes looks like a cartoon in comparison. Absolutely mind blowing!"

Read more here on The Mill's blog.

If Willy Wonka ran an amusement park, Till Nowak's mockumentary "The Centirifuge Brain Project" might be what it would look like. The award-winning short film uses impressive visual effects created by Nowak to show its impossible rides. It's now available to watch in full online. Check it out below.

Don Levy talks about the evolution of visual effects within the history of cinema in this TED Talk from March 2012. See his montage taking us from George Mélies through Inception below.

Special-effects unit director Ray Tintori talks to The New York Times about the old-school techniques he used to bring the beasts in Beasts of the Southern Wild to life. Tintori used real pigs in prosthetics, puppetry and miniature techniques gleaned from movies like Dark Crystal to complete the low-budget film. He says, "You’d go read the old Cinefex magazines and see, How did they do this in the ’40’s? How did they do it in the ’80s?” And then decide, O.K., let’s do that, but make it out of garbage. Because we have no money.”

Read the full article here.