10 Practical Film Effects You Probably Thought Were CGI
3. The Inside Of Arnie's Head In Terminator 2
This ones pure genius. Anyone whos seen the extended edition of Terminator 2: Judgment Day will remember the cool added scene where Sarah Connor removes the CPU from Arnold Schwarzeneggers T-800. Most probably didn't realise, though, that this scene was achieved without a single digital advancement.
James Cameron and his team framed this scene very cleverly. In the foreground of shots like the one pictured above, youre actually looking at a prosthetic mould of Arnie's head with added open-able bits. Thats the real Linda Hamilton and the real Edward Furlong stood close to the camera. The real Arnie, however, is in the background portraying his own reflection. There isnt really a mirror at all!
Leslie Hamilton Gearren identical twin to Linda Hamilton is playing her sisters reflection in the background, while a body double stands in for Furlong, facing away from the camera. Perhaps if more filmmakers remembered that practical effects could be this convincing, we wouldnt have ended up with the mindless CGI dud of Genisys last year.