Godzilla Minus One Did VFX the ’90s Way and That's Why It Won an Oscar
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- čas přidán 12. 03. 2024
- It only took 70 years, but Godzilla has finally gone home with the gold. Godzilla Minus One made history at the 96th Academy Awards, securing the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, a first-time win for the Godzilla franchise. Given how important Godzilla has been to nearly a century of international film, it’s a long overdue accolade that couldn’t have gone to a more deserving entry. Minus One isn’t just a great movie, but a prime showcase of director Takashi Yamazaki’s strong artistic vision and proof that Godzilla’s ability to change with the times is unparalleled among film characters.
But there is another lesson that Hollywood should take away from Godzilla Minus One’s landmark achievement. How did a movie with a small VFX team of 35 artists and a frugal budget of $15 million show up the entire Hollywood blockbuster apparatus? Part of the answer lies in the film’s leaning into a distinctly 1990s way of depicting CG effects.
More so than resources or manpower, I would contend that the issue ultimately comes down to attitude, and how Hollywood has spent the past couple of decades denigrating the entire field of visual effects artistry. What was once a brand new field of exciting technology that was supposed to expand what was possible within the medium by a wide margin has instead spent much of the 21st century being treated like a laborious obligation that many filmmakers and audiences wish would go away. Even though it’s now virtually impossible to find studio movies that don’t implement VFX to some extent or another (you’d be surprised how much invisible effects work is used in mid-budget dramas and action films), many promo tours for even gargantuan blockbusters like Star Wars: The Force Awakens or Top Gun: Maverick spend much of their time touting their reliance on “practical” effects and making bold claims about how everything was done “for real” on camera.
Let's dig in on how Godzilla Minus One recaptured the visual effects magic of the 1990s!
#IGN #Godzilla - Zábava
District 9. Half the time you're second guessing what is CGI and what isn't.
Also Starship Troopers, the CGI in that movie looked decades ahead of its time.
You're absolutely right! Neill Blomkamp is absolutely a creative talented Director.
@@timothyrockwell2638 Still a travesty Titanic won best VFX that year over Starship Troopers.
Nope, it's very easily seen for me. Sorry.
@@Kay12izationmaybe bcs it’s huge success in box office…
$15 Million to make Godzilla Minus One!!! Every Hollywood Studio, Executive, Producer, etc. is now shitting themselves right now.
Dune part 2 didn't failed so this falls apart lol ign are trend chasers like yourself
hollywodd half budget = dinner lightcandle
@@lazyvoid7107 its all about spendin doin more with less but u did juss look botarted for respondin before actually readin
They're not sh*tting themselves at all.
They are realisng that they can potentially MASSIVELY improve their profit margins simply by becoming more efficient.
Hollywood budgets have risen significantly faster than inflation.
Look at Alien - that movie looks f**kin incredible and it cost $10 million in 1979.
Inflation hasn't risen so much as that to reach what summer blockbusters cost now.
No they aren't
They are working out how to send most the work overseas to cheaper labor countries so they can hit a similar budget.
Godzille chasing the boat is just straight horrifying.
His eyes were so angry looking. It was amazing.
Felt very much like cat and mouse. Godzilla could have gotten them at any moment, but he was prolonging the chase for the fun of it.
Horrible in what sense?
@@Kronny23 "horrifying" not horrible
It confused me into thinking it was a costume or animatronic at first
To be honest. The main actor in godzilla gave the best perfomance of the year. It made godzilla believable with shock as well as the smallest dramatic moment worthy.
All the actors were great!
He's a reliable actor
honestly yeah nothing else getting nominated in this incredibly well rounded film is really a shame. just the one VFX nomination wasn't enough.
Exactly.@@JoshuaRibot
He was great and def attributed to the success of the movie but performance of the year is a little bit of a stretch lol
Jurassic Park T-Rex scene still holds up as one of the most amazing fx scenes in film history. Saw it in the 1990s and saw it in its IMAX release. Absolutely flawless!
My thought exactly while watching the video :D
For sure. The VFX in the 90s Jurassic Park films are absolutely amazing!
@@bhargavipbawhat is a VFX
thats what being in the dark and rain will do for you lol
@@elbryan4751visual effects. The art of editing movies with all the superficial phenomenons without them actually wing there
"Davy Jones in the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy" Shows shot of skeleton Jack Sparrow.
they just slapped my boi jack in there
1991’s Terminator 2.
Displays 1992😂
This thread perfectly points out IGN's own hypocrisy about not treating Digital Effects w/ the respect it deserves as it's talking about not doing that anymore
Modern Hollywood is using CGI/VFX as a crutch so producers can make last minute changes, abuse the time of vfx artists, taking the hands of action set pieces from the hands of the director and into another separate team (looking at you Marvel), crutching on VFX so they make up for their lack of planning, lack of pre-production, reshoots upon reshoots, etc
Films like Godzilla -1, the Creator, Dune Part 2, etc with amazing CGI but coming under lower budgets than the bloated budgets of MCU, Disney, etc. is because of PLANNING and preparation, a consistent vision, storyboards, etc.
VFX and CGI vs. Practical was never the problem, great VFX has always been a blend of the two. The problem has always been Producers thinking that "fix it in post" will fix everything. They think they can throw money at a problem and it will be solved, they think that their shitty planning and dumb ideas can be fixed later on by making VFX studios fix all the problems, thereby going waaay over budget.
not true of the creator. garth edwards didnt know what was gonna be in the shots when he shot it then just shoveled it off on ILM to fix. he didnt even want to plan and decide on who would be a robot throughout the movie, just shot people with no mocap and forced ILM to adapt to this ridiculous workflow. the dudes a hack.
All you did was just repeat what was said in the video, and made many assumptions, how do you know who exactly to accuse for these things for sure
@@austinwheeler3425It's a shitton, but it's a sci-fi movie coming 100m under the budget of some MCU movies (Dr. Strange at 294m, Avengers : Endgame 356m, etc.). That, in and of itself, shows restraint and great planning.
@@VarietyAndy He did that for a specific reason, as he explained in his Corridor Crew interview. That allowed him to have a very light film crew compared to other big budget productions.
@@VarietyAndy ILM and Edwards worked hand in hand to design how they approached the shots, it was unorthodox but together they proved it could work. There was no 'fixing'.
That movie deserves more awards.
Yeah, it should have gotten one for the musical score and best foreign language film.
Why? This is b movie wtf?
@@kre_dopeprod.3766what does that make Barbiheimer? A z movie?
@@fireironthesecond2909 barbizilla vs zillaheimer will be perfect
It should have been nominated for more, including foreign movie
It technically can (with only a few days to spare) be submitted in fireign film category for next year. Really.
So true
@@ShHeMiLeReits a 2023 movie
Japan didn't submit it so it couldn't be nominated
@@swishasweetrold Read the rules. It's not for movies released from January 1 to December 31. For some reason.
"GAHZILLA" - Arnold Shwatevegger
That frickin killed me. Reminded me of the old English dub of Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. Called him Godziller.
That freakin austrian accent. Wtf Arnie!
@@Valenquillits the British doing a lot of those older dubs. thats one of the big tells is words like diploma being pronounced diplomer godziller
If anything, it added comedy to it.@@bloodlinefilms
🤣😂
5:55 One of the reasons pacific rim still stands out today and looks amazing even though it came out in 2013.
A little note, as the honorable mention 4:22, Gareth Edward's Godzilla 2014 is also a truthful homage and a love letter to Kaiju Movies... Pacific Rim (2013) and Godzilla (2014) were the moments that showed Hollywood has the power to create something BIG by giving the talented director freedom to do as they pleased (and needed). But, later down that line, we knew where those movies go. But hey, we've been blessed by two films that may not be recognized, yet still remembered as the rising of Hollywood's Kaiju Era.
2010-2014 somehow had the best CG in Hollywood history and those 2 films were by far the best showcases of it
...and why Pacific Rim 2 was such a burning disappointment. And on top of that part of why the Western Monsterverse films are progressively going down the drain
@@reallycantthinkofausername487 And sadly, neither got nominated for the Best VFX Oscar.
@@Wired4Life2 Godzilla should've gotten that oscar ages ago
Don't forget Gollum!!! And the lord of the Rings. They won a lot pioneering these CGI.
People need to understand that more money does not equal better art. And so you can still create something great with a small budget
ALOT of the money destined to visual effects right now is wasted on "fixing shots" or in changing scenes midway through production, most hollywood directors either dont want to or cant work with cgi, and it clearly shows , both in the quality of the final product as well as in the budget destined towards it
Godzilla made me cry
You weren't alone!
Everybody cried on that movie. It's a masterpiece.
It's the first Godzilla movie that made me cry. The story and drama is awesome in this.
15 million. Man that’s impressive
Actually that was an estimate made by the media, the director has since clarified he wished he had 15 million. The current estimated figure is around 10-12 million.
@@Evil.Totoro that is even more impressive. meanwhile Hollywood (i'm looking at you, specifically Marvel), throwing out excessive budgets in the multi-millions just to have A-List actors in their movies to drive box-office sales should be embarrassed. That formula just doesn't work anymore. movie fans want movies that are more sophisticated.
@@kristopherryanwatsonthe Flash spent more money advertising during the Super Bowl than Godzilla Minus One did with its entire budget.
But the sad reality is it does work. At the end of the day, most of the “blockbuster” films still turn a profit. Which is all the producers need to justify doing it again.
Another thing to note is the director of Minus One is a VFX artist himself. Which makes sense. Having someone with intimate knowledge about something that a movie leans heavily into means you know what’s needed to get it done.
Godzilla -1 really showcase that you don't need $300 million usd budget to produce an Oscar award winning film. Takeshi did so much with so little and made a big an impact in the film world. The plot, the characters, the visual effects and Godzilla himself brought this whole movie alive. It should have won Best Picture and be 2023 Movie of the Year!!! Imagine if Godzilla Minus One had a $100 million usd budget? And had at least $25 million usd budget for marketing? I'm sure it would have easily generate $500 million usd revenues from ticket sales. Hollywood needs to take a step back and ask themselves how a film like G-1 was able to do so much with so little?
Actually, it didn't. They did very well but there are a lot of seams in the VFX. It was great for the budget but definitely not Oscar worthy.
As a VFX supervisor and VES member, who has worked on a number if mid to low $ projects, the key is always, Spend wisely, pick your VFX moments to tell the story. Simply put, 'Smart VFX' over 'Wow VFX'
I’m really happy Godzilla minus one won the oscars it’s really awesome
💚👏🏻
I’m so glad Godzilla won! This is a huge landmark for TOHO and cinema everywhere!
Same here, justice is serve.
When is −1 gonna stream? Absolutely, amazing movie.
Sometime in Summer around the same time the dvd comes out I'd say
DVD coming out on May 1st
The attitude is also part of why VFX teams get overworked (and underpaid), leading to projects where they aren't given enough time to finish the job before it needs to be out in theatres. Sadly, that means you're probably right about the risk of Hollywood taking the wrong lessons from this.
Ai will take there Jobs soon
@@mrtrizzybeatzAI might even be able to check your spelling
@@fanciestofcats7111 and what was spelled wrong ?
@@mrtrizzybeatzTheir. Go back to school
@fanciestofcats7111 you must be one of those grammer internet trolls huh?
Godzilla and Kong both won an Oscar now. That means GodzillaxKong is a movie of two academy award winners teaming up together.
Better keep your wiseass mouth shut
Its not because it really isn't the same godzilla
Intresting how both Godzilla and Kong are now had the Oscars. It may not the same Godzilla, but Godzilla is Godzilla. Thats the point.
@@nicolestimothy9921 "but godzilla is godzilla"
Yea sure one being goofy ahhh alpha titan and the other being a serious embodiment of tragedy. Your not funny at all finding similarities in two different portrayed powers.... keep your hollywoodzilla with yourself but dont even try to put dirt on japan's real priced piece
@@arniferak578quit being a gatekeeper. It’s bad form, and it screams “toxic fanboy.” Do you remember what “Japan’s real prized piece” was doing in the Showa Era? Have you even seen Godzilla’s Revenge, or Godzilla vs Hedorah, or Godzilla vs Monster Zero, or Godzilla vs Megalon? Thats Japan’s prized piece, much sillier than any of the Monstervse (Hollywoodzilla) movies. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bashing on the Japanese Godzilla at all. If it weren’t for those movies, we wouldn’t have the Oscar winner we have today. Godzilla the Character is the same across all iterations, regardless of how much you may hate a certain one.
One word: humility. Writers humble themselves to the story but studio heads don't humble themselves to the writers. Same with VX workers.
I've seen Godzilla -1 on 3 different occasions in the theater's & loved it everytime. Best movie I've seen in a long time.
Omg Kudos to you guys for putting this out there!
The behind the scenes on Minus One are truly inspiring - you can see them on the official Toho Godzilla CZcams channel - it's a masterclass of knowing your limits, and shot composition. The VFX are amazing on their own, but the way the director and his team chose to shoot them is the real secret sauce :)
Godzilla was a dramatic movie without being melodramatic--Hollywood needs to understand that distinction again. This movie also has more in common with Jaws then anything contemporary.
They need to tone down on the budget. Joker 2's budget,almost a quarter and a half of it, is just going to Phoenix and lady gaga's pockets
75% of Joker 2's budget is really on salaries for two actors?
@@bauul.that’s not true at all. we don’t even have reports on the budget for the movie so he’s just kinda saying nothing
One thing thats very true is that for Godzilla as said in the video the team discussed vfx in pre production and how it would blend in. From the beginning the director knew what he wanted and had a goal and vision. That's a big problem with movies today is that directors make a movie when they still don't know what they want and then make changes at the end and it's on the vfx teams to fix everything when there is no time or budget left. That's why so many superhero movies and tv shows look like crap these days.
Thats how the creator was shot and while it may look great you can tell from a narrative and story perspective they had no idea what they wanted to do but just barreled through and made it anyway
More than the budget he has people who are dedicated and inspired to the project and not people sitting on his desk waiting for payday
THIS ESSENTIAL REIWA ERA REMAKE IS THE BEST GODZILLA FILM EVER! CONGRATULATIONS TO "GODZILLA: MINUS ONE" FOR BEST VISUAL EFFECTS IN 2024 OSCARS. 🇯🇵🦖🔥🏆🎬🎥💯👏
Best depiction of Godzilla in cinematic history, a blueprint for the perfect movie, it has it all. Hollywood is extinct.
Oppenheimer, monsterverse, avatar, dune, etc
@@whyareyousubbing, Oppenheimer is worth noting but that about it and the only reason that had such a huge result is because Nolan is one of few legends in Cinema that can salvage "Hollywood". Monsterverse is a two sided coin. Thankfully, Apple will make sure they don't destroy the franchise with Marvel syndrome like we see with Godzilla X Kong in Pink Barbie Land.
@@captureinsidethesound Godzilla had pink dorsal plates in an old toho movie
No. This over rated hyping is just going to kill it at some time. Simmer down and let the movie breathe.
Man the Trex in Jurassic Park 1 always, always gives me goosebumbs. How well done it is, darn
Loved DeVito's reaction. That nod and eyebrow rise was all like "about time".
Gareth Edwards who directed Godzilla 2014, is also a master of visual effects and owes his whole career to his work creating all the visual effects for his first film on his home computer, which still stands the test of time.
And he is working on the new Jurassic park!
Well done. A really comprehensive dive on this question.
Gareth Edwards is a fantastic comparison. His work is absolutely stunning. The Creator looks absolutely amazing.
CGI, especially of some "super hero" movies has been awkward for a long time. Mostly choreography of moving characters (again, especially in super hero movies) looks just totally off.
Terminator and Jurassic Park that you mentioned stood the test of time in opposition to that.
This movie is hands down the best Godzilla movie ever made, it makes the current Hollywood kaiju movies feel like cartoons
Omg Godzilla series doing many different takes and having completely different goals? Wait till you learn about the rest of the franchise.
thats a Nerdstalgic take
But...they are based on Japanese movies too. You must be unfamiliar with the history of Godzilla, and the Showa era movies.
@@mitkoogrozev I’m fully aware of its origins. My comment still stands
@@diegopansini3152 Godzilla movies are either action comedies or melodramas. It's up to personal preference
It's not just the SFX, it has great dramatic storyline, plot and layout.
Thank you Cinefix for that awesome breakdown!
Couldnt be more happy for them. Love this!
Actually... It's nothing to do with Jurassic Park. Godzilla Minus One has 610 vfx shots, covering everything from the titular monster to ships, buildings and crowds.
The budget was small because they streamlined a small team. Director was also the vfx supervisor. The whole team of 35 had him with them for 8 months. For context, ILM say on their website that JP has fewer than 60 vfx shots.
The point is that people praised the CG T-Rex in JP, but tend to criticise any use of CG these days.
@@bournechupacabrathat isnt the point IGN is trying to make
tbf the budget was also small because labor in japans film industry is way cheaper than america (the other things still helped ofc)
and the low budget vs $230M from the west.
@@bournechupacabraThat's because cgi nowadays looks objectively worse than Jurassic Park.
CGI, VFX ?
What made Godzilla successful is story line that could make everyone’s heart move. Godzilla is not Akira type of film but more like Kurosawa’s type of drama in film
It was neither. It was an anime made to life. The aesthetic, the storytelling, the composition and the acting is very anime.
Godzilla should have been at least nominated for best international film.
Beautifully said. The mindset will lead to the appropriate method. Context matters, and caring about that is key.
This is like the Baldurs gate 3 of movies
No BG3 is now mid
@@lazyvoid7107How Very Dare You BG3 Will Never Be Mid
Nolan should have used CGI for the nuke in Oppenheimer. The gas explosion looked nothing like a nuclear explosion.
Yeah.. He used a cup of tea that got stirred by spoon then super zooming it... 😂
nah, cgi would clash too hard with the patina of the rest of the film, it works in films like dune part 2 because it does have a digital patina to it, but in oppenheimer, a film that is so patently analog, any cgi explosion would look totally off in 10 years.
The director directly involved and in control of the VFX process and having the final say likely dramatically cut cost and vastly improved the artistic vision. More of that please. Let’s the artists…art.
It's honestly a little pathetic that Jurassic Park's early 90s CG looks so much better that of so many modern films
It actually doesn't but carry on with the rose tinted narrative.
The budget was *FAR LESS* than $15 million. The director said that report was due to a mis-translation by reporters. He said the budget was closer to $8 million and said that he "wishes" he'd had $15 million. This "$15 million" number is false and continues to be spread, despite the director clarifying that. So it was made for even LESS than what was reported.
Godzilla is 70 years old, starred in 38 movies, and has finally won an Oscar. Never stop following your dreams
37, actually. You forgot to -1.
Godzilla Minus One - nominated and won Academy Award for Visual Effects.
Most of european movies - lucky if they even get nomination for International Movie Academy Award.
There were quite notable European movies like "Anatomy of a Fall," "20 Days in Mariupol" and "The Zone of Interest" that won in the same year, and even more when including ones that were European co-productions in some form.
In Godzilla minus one they reused the tail wip animation twice in the film but somehow didn’t get noticed by much.
Tbf, Godzilla can only do a tail whip in so many ways
Monke ball @@reallycantthinkofausername487
@@reallycantthinkofausername487 he has 13 different tail wips actually
MINUS ONE IS A MUCH DESERVED WIN FOR EVERYTHING HOLLYWOOD ISN'T!
ok, don't complain.
PS: The Creator has the best VFX
@@destroyerzilla7634didn't win an Oscar tho ;)
@@reallycantthinkofausername487Dune part 2 is better so cry me a river fake Godzilla fan
It's about time Godzilla won an Oscar
Technically, the first use of computer graphics in a movie was 1958's Vertigo's intro credits. The man who did it repurposed a WWII anti-aircraft targeting computer in order to generate the spirals and used a special pen-on-a-pendulum setup to draw the spirals.
The effect from the top of the news building where Godzilla turns around is maybe my favorite effect of all time.
We watched the rerealse that was in black and white in theater. Absolutely amazing film. You felt the tension and heartbreak, and the minus color only added to the feel.
when mentioning Pirates of the caribbean, that was Jack Sparrow from the clip.
Great take on VFX approach! ❤
Oppenheimer is finally releasing in Japan, and guess who interviewed Nolan? Yamazaki! 😆
It’s refreshing to see a movie with an original storyline create from a very storied character. One of the main reasons a lot of people are falling out of love with Marvel Studios is there lack of attention to story and their over reliance on VFX. Most of the movies they make feel unfinished and when they blame it on budget it just feels like an easy scapegoat. The newest movie “Marvels” budget was more then the first “Avenger’s” movie yet one is substantially better in quality then the other, and it that has little to do with VFX
Dang only 35 dude who did the vfx. They need to give oscar to all who makes the vfx
Before Godzilla Minus One was released, there was a movie called The Creator. The budget was over $80 million which is more than Godzilla M1 but had excellent special effects compared to a $300 million movie with wonky effects.
Looking forward to seeing it when it finally hits a cinema near me
It probably won't, should be out physical and digital by this summer
the Godzilla stare is terrifying..even they make sure to put emotion on Godzilla.
Really well informed video, great work.
You nailed it. This is why we have been waiting for a Pacific Rim sequence since the LAST and unique 2013 Del Toro's movie
it's not just about the monster, it's about the people. ngl this movie made me cry like three times.
Love the message of this video.
The problem is the many Executive Producers. They cost money 2 ways. They are expensive and they make films unnecessary expensive by being mostly incompetent.
That was a lame explanation why they did it in 90s way.
As an Architectural Model Maker, we had a poster of the original Godzilla in the workshop. He is the Patron Saint of all Model Makers.
The Ray Tracing was helping more to looks insane !
Well deserved. Easily one of the best movies of the year. Absolute masterpiece!
"He shares this trait with fellow Godzilla director Gareth Edwards" And that's Exactly why the VFX in Rogue One works and is 100x more stunning compared to other "cheap" band-aid uncanny seizure roller-coasters in the other films. It's to tell the story, Not to hide the flaws!
When will Godzilla minus be available to watch
now online.
This movie was a masterpiece and definitely show what new direction Toho could take Godzilla forward.
Hot take: Godzilla was a better movie. But Creator should of won for special effects
Godzilla Minus one deserves the oscar for best visual effects.
Glad to see movies like this recently.
the fact that VFX in the first Jurassic Park look better than 99% of CGI loaded movies these days tells you what the problem is, bad CGI is the problem
Bro it's Japanese attention to detail you can't compete with that,
Godzilla minus one was amazing 👏
The Creators and Godzila MinusOne ... big slapp on the face of Hollywood
Stunning film, it should have won more Oscars
Deserved best picture
no wonder sounds familiar, its cinefix narrator..
G -1 is just an absolute masterpiece.
When is its digital release?
This year definitely a great year for Japan film industry for winning Best animated feature & best VFX at the Oscar ...now that's something very interesting indeed
When you create something, you gotta respect the process to get a real beautiful result.
Honesty pays.
Honestly after watching Godzilla -1, it makes American Dogzilla franchise looks like a yoke.
As someone in practical SFX with many friends in VFX/CGI, at the end of the day we both have the same job - to use our skills to help make the best movie possible. The final products exist because all our different teams (cast, crew, etc) worked together to help make it happen.
Godzilla and the Detail stood out so much very beautiful as the Desgine. Even that alone was the most amazing part of the movie.
The real difference is that some people make movies purely for the money, while others make it for the art. It's the difference between a conveyor belt of fast food hamburgers and mama making a beautiful Christmas dinner.
*cough* Marvel *cough* Disney. I'm fine if it's a little of both -- money AND art. At the end of the day, they need to make a profit, and that's OK.
The Penguin and Dr. Freeze annouce Oscar winner Godzilla Minus One
as a 3D/Vfx artist, thank you for that video IGN!
It's about time Godzilla wan an Oscar.