Movies - TV
Why Visual Effects Legend Dennis Muren Prefers Star Wars Practical Creatures
By ANDREW HOUSMAN
Dennis Muren is a special effects legend whose extensive experience in both practical and digital effects helped usher in both the golden age of practical effects during the ‘80s and the modern era of CGI. He’s the first VFX artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and his creative reach gives him perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of both effects.
In an interview with StarWars.com, Muren used Jabba the Hutt as an example to explain that the constraints of the model turned out to be part of what makes the visual aspects of the character organic and believable. In contrast, the more recent CG Jabba that George Lucas edited into the special edition release of “A New Hope” slithers around awkwardly and artificially.
Muren summed up his feelings by saying, “I actually, in some ways, prefer a practical thing that doesn't look right. I can't relate to a digital image [that looks fake]. I don't feel like I can touch it. If it's done right, it's great. I totally love it. It's just that there's so much work that the industry has had to do lately and the budgets have been cut so much, there's not enough time to refine it.”