In an era of cinema run amok with computer graphics, camera trickery, and exhaustive editing, it's reassuring to know there are still directors who crave authenticity in their movies. And actors who will destroy their own bodies to make sure they get it. As awesome as real, flesh-and-bone stunt work looks, it's not always the easiest thing to capture. It can require months of training, days of shooting, and even hundreds of thousands of dollars to make sure it ends up looking right in the final cut. So the ultimate question a director has to ask himself when deciding between CGI and practical effects is simple: "Is it worth it?" At the end of the day, that's up to the individual filmmaker (we all know how George Lucas and James Cameron would answer). But those who put their computers down and continue the rugged traditions of the silent movie era have the chance to create something truly magical. They can make audiences believe, even if only for a few moments, that what they're seeing is real. Because, technically, it is.
