What was the first time Computer Graphics been used?

[TeRmInAl_AD]

I know CG animation was used first was bout early 90? But i don't know
Was T2 the first movie that used CGI? like T-1000? Or was it some other movie?

[Thrush]

CGI was being used as far back as the early 80's. "Tron" and "The last Starfighter" as for which movie is the first I'm not sure.

[CWM]

The second Star Trek movie had some CGI as well ...

[neo]

i'm sure it was the last starfighter

[Tuukka]

I'm pretty sure that it wasn't The Last Starfighter or Tron. Those films relied very heavily on CGI, and the first time CGI was used I think it was probably used only in a couple of special scenes. Things like that always start slowly, you don't start making a CGI heavy film with no previous experience.

Guess what, I have never even seen Tron. It was never available on video here in Finland.

[This message has been edited by Tuukka (edited 07-04-2001).]

[TeRmInAl_AD]

Is the CGI i'm talking about like in T-1000? Do u remember when he gets melted ? That's the kind of CGI i'm talking about hehe or when he goes thru the metal jail door.

[Tuukka]

CGI = Computer Generated Image

It usually means 3D animation. Before the arrival of CGI they used miniatures and 2D animation. Of course the first CGI animations were in 2D as well.

Tron and The Last Starfighter are very heavy on CGI, practically the films are based on it. The have countless of CGI objects and environments, and they are collaborating live action footage with CGI. Of course they look a bit crappy by today's standards.

Tron has probably dated better, because it's heavily stylished and doesn't even try to look realistic, unlike Last Starfighter.

[Deckard]

I am pretty sure TRON & THE LAST STARFIGHTER were the first two feature films to incorporate CGI into their FX.

On the topic of T2, the effects in that were the natural evolution of what James Cameron had done in THE ABYSS.