I, for one, would love to see a careful mix of practical and CGI. There are going to be shots and sequences that are too difficult to execute with scale models and motion control (or too time consuming, expensive, etc.), but I think there will definitely be a place for legacy effects...especially with a nostalgic like Abrams at the helm.
While I'd love to see ALL of the space sequences done with models (I still think the RotJ model/VFX camera work is the best of its kind in film history), that wish will never be granted. They'd have to practically rebuild the scale model and mo-con industry from scratch, or go with an outfit like 32TEN...and give them a helluva lot of time to complete the work. I'm not sure about 32TEN's operational capacity, but I'd imagine they're not prepared for something as extensive as Episode VII is likely to be. So from a pure volume perspective, in terms of VFX production, it's likely that CGI would fill in where it's simply not possible to construct practical effects in the time available.
Again, I'd love to see a formal return to scale models and motion control...with all the advances in computer control technology, servo technology, precision machining, 3D printing, etc. Not to mention the huge leaps in compositing and CGI for cleanup, shot assembly, and effects animation. I mean...particle physics will be wonderful when it comes to blaster fire, turbolaser fire, proton torpedoes, concussion missiles, and so on. Much better (faster, and easier to change/correct) than rotoscoping all that footage.
So in my mind, I'd love to see real, physical models, lit by real lights, at the core of the VFX production. Then augment with the necessary CGI to "hide the wires" and add detail that is simply too difficult to invest in a physical model. Just having the reference footage of real model work will make creating realistic and appropriate CGI that much easier for the digital artists.
I live in Southern California, and I'd like to think of myself as a filmmaker...but only four years out of school, I'm really little more than a novice (and perhaps a bit less). It has been very frustrating, as a "filmmaker" (I'll just go with the term for the sake of simplicity), to have these aesthetic preferences (i.e., Original Star Wars Trilogy VFX) that one cannot achieve through CGI. Especially with the lower budgets available to independent productions. Yeah, even we can do CGI. We can rotoscope and create digital mattes, but if we want that definitive LOOK of the OT...well, we're kind of up ******'s creek without a paddle.
I've thought about trying to learn the old-school methods, but there aren't any in-depth (if any) courses taught in the Los Angeles area. Moreover, because productions aren't using the old techniques for scale models (starships and vehicles, in particular) it's equally impossible to find apprenticeships to learn the legacy techniques. If any of that work is being done, it seems to be mostly in-house with "boutique" specialists. And if there are VFX companies still doing that kind of work, they have no use for someone who knows very little about the legacy processes, and they don't have the time, inclination, or budget to teach.
I've often dreamed of finding some crazy old wizard living in L.A., one of those guys who used to work in the VFX business and is willing to teach an equally crazy (if not crazier) youngster...but that's like finding a real-life Mr. Miyagi to teach you karate. It doesn't matter that I'm "the next generation" and want to actively promote a return to older methods (because throwing the baby out with the bathwater is WRONG), that doesn't change the fact that the opportunities no longer exist. The support infrastructure no longer exists. Like hand-drawn animation, this stuff lingers on more as a hobby than anything else, and that makes me profoundly sad.
So I'm trying, in my own feeble way, to do something about it. Some friends and I will be attempting to shoot some chroma-key motion control this year, using whatever rig we can get our hands on (I know a few people who know people), even if that's just a repeatable slider. I have access to a production space, lights, an ARRI Alexa-M with the 120fps high-speed package, Lomo Illumina lenses (and can get other lenses through friends), Panther dollies and jibs, track, and a ******-ton of Legos. That's right...Legos. I can't afford to pay a modeler to scratch-build a scale model. And I don't know if all this cobbling and fumbling in the dark will even yield a promising end-result. So thank the Maker for Star Wars Legos.
It'll be a test. A fun project, and a challenge to see if it's possible to recreate the old-school techniques from the ground-up, in a "garage" environment, with some fellow filmmakers and avid Star Wars fans. There's no question that I'd rather do all this with top-tier motion control rigs and legitimate scale models, but you've got to start somewhere (realistic).
All this to say, I think the future should learn from the past. And I hope The Powers That Be can recognize the benefit of looking to what has gone before, looking at what WORKED brilliantly before, and reintroduce it in a new and exciting way. I have high hopes for Episode VII...not only for the film itself, but also what it could mean for the VFX industry in general. If they seize the opportunity, this new trilogy could possibly change the VFX game for the better.
~J. D.
