Lawrence D'Oliveiro
2024-09-09 22:30:23 UTC
In the early, pioneering days of CGI (late 1970s/early 1980s), the New
York Institute of Technology had the support of a wealthy, indulgent
benefactor who, it seemed, was willing to give them the latest and
greatest in computer graphics hardware, with money being no object.
One example was this new thing called a “frame buffer”. This was a
board which contained enough RAM to hold an entire full-screen bitmap
image, with 8 bits of information per pixel -- a fabulously expensive
piece of hardware for the time. When the Institute expressed interest
in getting one, their benefactor bought them, not one, but three. Now
suddenly they had the ability to create full-screen images with 24
bits per pixel at their disposal, and could work with full-colour
images! Heady stuff.
One day, they had the idea to create the first full-length feature
film made entirely out of computer-generated imagery. They put
together a script, and got as far as doing some modelling and a few
test animation sequences (with sound), before realizing the folly of
what they were trying to do: graphics pioneers and researchers they
were, but a feature film studio they were not.
Those fragments still survive, and are viewable for example here
There are also some still renders. And the script was also published a
few years ago; these (along with a few more videos) are available here
<https://lostmediawiki.com/The_Works_(partially_found_unfinished_computer-animated_film;_1979-1986)>.
York Institute of Technology had the support of a wealthy, indulgent
benefactor who, it seemed, was willing to give them the latest and
greatest in computer graphics hardware, with money being no object.
One example was this new thing called a “frame buffer”. This was a
board which contained enough RAM to hold an entire full-screen bitmap
image, with 8 bits of information per pixel -- a fabulously expensive
piece of hardware for the time. When the Institute expressed interest
in getting one, their benefactor bought them, not one, but three. Now
suddenly they had the ability to create full-screen images with 24
bits per pixel at their disposal, and could work with full-colour
images! Heady stuff.
One day, they had the idea to create the first full-length feature
film made entirely out of computer-generated imagery. They put
together a script, and got as far as doing some modelling and a few
test animation sequences (with sound), before realizing the folly of
what they were trying to do: graphics pioneers and researchers they
were, but a feature film studio they were not.
Those fragments still survive, and are viewable for example here
There are also some still renders. And the script was also published a
few years ago; these (along with a few more videos) are available here
<https://lostmediawiki.com/The_Works_(partially_found_unfinished_computer-animated_film;_1979-1986)>.