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In this segment of my interview with Q Park - now a talented compositor credited on this year’s summer blockbuster Deadpool and Wolverine - we tackled one of the biggest challenges in visual effects today: why, despite all the technical brilliance, audiences aren’t always convinced.
Q Park raised a spot-on point. With characters like Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian, Leia in Rogue One, or Eleven in Stranger Things, the technology behind de-aging, deepfakes, and digital makeup is mind-blowing. But the disconnect between these jaw-dropping achievements and audience expectations is real.
Why does it happen?
It’s not a failure of the artists. Trust me, they’ve done their homework. They meticulously match reference materials, frame by frame, ensuring lighting and skin shaders are as accurate as possible.
But here’s the kicker: everything is still approximate. No matter how good the tools are, there’s always a gap, and that gap becomes most obvious when we know a younger Mark Hamill can’t exist in 2024. The moment you walk into the theater knowing that, you scrutinize harder.
I've seen it firsthand. When General Tarkin showed up in Rogue One, some of my friends didn’t even realize he was CG. To them, it was just like seeing the character walk back into the story. That’s the magic studios are aiming for not perfection, but something that works for the general audience.
When General Tarkin appeared in Rogue One, some of my friends didn’t even realize he was a CG character. To them, it was like he just walked back into the movie, as if no time had passed. That’s what studios aim for. Studios are not focused on making it perfect. They’re focused on what resonates with the general audience.
But the truth is, we’re wired to see faces. From the moment we’re born, we’re experts at picking up micro-movements, tiny shifts under the eyelids, subtle facial twitches that don’t even have names. Replicating that digitally is an Everest-sized challenge.
And when you’ve got a thousand shots to finish, perfection becomes the enemy of progress.
The takeaway? Don’t let one imperfect shot detract from the brilliance of an entire show.
Check out the video for more insights on bridging the gap between technical artistry and audience expectation.
Missed the previous parts? Catch up here:
Listen to Part 1 Here : https://lnkd.in/grEDnfGU
Listen to Part 2 Here : https://lnkd.in/gMft_RCV
Listen to Part 3 Here : https://lnkd.in/g4A2mBfv
Listen to Part 4 Here : https://lnkd.in/gRCJT8ts
Listen to Part 5 Here : https://lnkd.in/gUEyRu5g
P.S. Have you ever seen a VFX shot that pulled you out of the story because it didn’t quite sell?