10 Practical Film Effects You Probably Thought Were CGI
1. Tiny Jim Carrey On A Hidden Slope
And finally, Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind has to be the winner here. Surely, only a tiny percentage of viewers would even slightly suspect that the scenes in which Jim Carrey is shrunken during the film were accomplished with anything other than CGI.
Thats the truth, though. Carrey didn't film his bits on a green screen. Nor was he superimposed after the fact using editing. Instead, Gondry achieved the required effect of a miniaturised Joel by utilising some true in-camera wizardry.
The set isnt a real kitchen, despite appearances. Its actually a rather large set built with a slope in the middle and out-of-proportion background details. The angle of the camera hides it perfectly, but Jim Carrey is actually much further away from the viewer than Debbon Ayer, the actress playing his mother. (Dont believe me? See Gondry explain the illusion on YouTube, here.)
This is a very old-school Hollywood technique, and it pays off beautifully here. Its also much more inventive than the easier CGI alternatives, and allows the cast to actually interact despite their varying sizes. Bravo, Monsieur Gondry! You win.
Whats your favourite practical effect from the movies? Let us know in the comments