20 Things You Didn't Know About Zodiac
17. There's WAY More CGI Than You Think
Though CGI is present in practically every Hollywood movie released these days, few filmmakers employ it with the same brilliant subtlety that David Fincher does.
This is perhaps best evident in Zodiac, which is actually a mind-boggling visual effects showcase precisely because you don't know most of it is there.
Sure, you might've noticed the CGI blood, some of the physically challenging overhead shots, and perhaps even the period recreations of the San Francisco harbour, but you likely didn't catch just how many of the Frisco streets were created in post-production.
Artificial street sets were actually built in Los Angeles and strategic blue screens were used to key-in a flawless San Francisco backdrop later. Considering that bad compositing sticks out like a sore thumb, it's incredibly impressive that Zodiac's still look so convincing almost 15 years on.
And that is the sign of a director who knows how to make the most of the cutting-edge tools available to them.