Daenerys Targaryen isn’t called the Mother of Dragons for no reason whatsoever. The character has a deep connection with the fearsome creatures, so much so that she flies with them on their backs. Especially in from the sixth season of “Game of Thrones” onward.
The bad news is that dragons aren’t real, but the good news is that a little green screen here and there can make any fantastical creature come to life. Even if it’s just for a couple of seasons. But it was certainly worth the wait. And HBO was able to bring even more dragons to life with the prequel series “House of the Dragon.”
Wonder Woman
This female-driven film smashed box office records when it hit the big screen. Diana (Wonder Woman) hails from Themyscira, a fantastical island that is a true no-mans-land. Gal Gadot had already gotten pretty used to all of the CGI when she first appeared as Wonder Woman in the film "Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice."
But things went to a whole new level when she had an entire motion picture dedicated to her character. The filmmakers used green screen to bring the mystical matriarchal motherland to life. We just wish it was real! And Gadot went through it all again when she reprised the role in "Wonder Woman 1984."
Avengers: Infinity War
At one point or another, moviegoers of different ages wonder how bombs that are set off in movies are actually filmed. We get curious about how studios make it appear so real. Perhaps that is why film budgets are normally through the roof, so they can create such destruction and simply pay it off.
Well, they usually look for abandoned places where they can lay down their groundwork for a battle scene. And "Avengers: Infinity War" had lots of fighting that needed to be created for our viewing pleasure. This photograph was taken during the shoot, but blue screens were used instead of explosives to minimize actual damage, attached to the walls. After a scene is done, the raw file is sent out for heavy editing.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
When actor, Andy Serkis, auditioned for the role of Caesar in "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," he didn’t have to worry so much about simulating a chimpanzee’s facial reactions. Not unlike the supervillain, Thanos, in "Avengers: Infinity War," this would require a number of facial scans on the part of the actor, which would be applied to computer imagery.
This way, Andy Serkis’ role became considerably easier, but still challenging nonetheless. Caesar is not an ordinary, innocent animal, and his behavior can be complex at times. At least, aesthetically, CGI technology has taken care of the film’s visual effects very well.
Star Trek
JJ Abrams, king of spacey blockbusters, took an intergalactic shot at the cult-classic space adventure series "Star Trek." He recast to have his very own Captain Kirk, Spock, Dr. McCoy, and the rest of the iconic characters from the original series. But he was also able to make his version of "Star Trek" so much more lush on the big screen.
Here we see Abrams directing Chris Pine (who plays James Kirk) and John Cho (who plays Hikaru Sulu) atop a prop spaceship. With the help of some CGI magic, the actors and the vessel were made to hurtle through outer space.