VFX Artist Shows That "No CGI" Movies Are Full of CGI

At some point, the words "CGI" became synonymous with "bad" in our minds, perhaps because we still remember the days of cheap computer effects, but most likely due to filmmakers painting them as something undesirable, often boasting about having "no CGI" in their movies. But is it really true?

Visual Effects Supervisor Jonas Ussing compiled a great collection of CGI shots from films combined with their creators saying there is no such thing going on. Yes, practical effects might be "important" for Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick, but that doesn't mean "everything you see is for real," as he claims.

It's funny and a little tragic to see people outright lying about not using computer effects when there is evidence against it.

In the comments under the videos, several people claim to have worked on the movies presented, confirming there was, in fact, CGI involved. Maverick's Lead Layout Artist Ranajoy Kar said that while a lot of real jets were filmed for it, the team had to add additional jets or reskin existing ones. "The shots with the Su 57 were completely CGI, as were a lot of the environments," he claimed.

The problem behind the "no CGI" marketing is that artists are ignored because of it. Trying to conceal the fact there was VFX used in the project, studios go as far as erasing them from the credits, like with Oppenheimer, which reportedly left 80% of the FX crew hidden.

Sometimes, there are even orders not to discuss VFX so it doesn't overshadow the actors or gives the audience the illusion that everything is happening for real.

If you want to see more "invisible" CGI, check out Ussing's YouTube channel. 

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