Computer generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the application of the field of computer graphics (or more specifically 3D computer graphics) to special effects. CGI is used in movies and in printed media. Real-time computer graphics are rarely referred to as CGI.
CGI is used because it is often cheaper and because it allows a single artist to produce the required content without additional help. CGI is sometimes used in advertisements to render a more appealing image of the product.
There have been several beauty pageants held among CGI women. October 2004 issue of Playboy will feature topless CGI photos of Bloodrayne, a video game character. There are several virtual pop-stars in Japan that enjoyed certain success, releasing music CDs, having their music videos on TV and playing in TV advertisements.
CGI was first used in movies in 1973. During the next 30 years the image quality progressed enough to make possible fully CGI movies. In early 2000s, computer actors, especially virtual stuntsmen or actors in mass scenes, became indistinguishable from real people. See Timeline of CGI in movies for a detailed list of pioneering uses of computer-generated imagery in film and television.
In late 1990s the success of several high-profile computer animated films by PIXAR forced Disney and most of the other animation companies to start the transition from traditional animation to 3D.
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