Top 10 Visual Effects You Thought Were Real

We’re pretty sure you were aware that Iron Man flying around and Bruce Banner turning into the Hulk were computer-generated. However, it’s probably more surprising to learn that almost all of the city battle scenes were shot on a green screen, with the buildings and city landscape added in after the fact. The attention to detail is particularly astounding, as an entire city is created from nothing, including a huge amount of civilians. It’s almost a shame that so much of the creation had to come tumbling down, but then again, that’s just another example of the awesomeness of these Oscar-nominated effects.

David Fincher is easily one of Hollywood’s most skilled and meticulous directors of thrillers. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he utilized some revolutionary graphics to reconstruct a crime scene from one of history’s most notorious serial killers. The scene was shot in a lot surrounded by a blue screen, and almost the entire environment was constructed later. What makes this so impressive is the fact that the environment is a full 360 degrees, including some long takes that show a large amount of space that isn’t actually there.

When it was announced that Baz Luhrmann was directing an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, everyone knew it would be an extravagant affair. Since the film’s budget was less than the GDP of a small country, it would have been impossible for them to actually recreate the glamour of 1920s New York, so the gaps were filled in with CGI. It’d be impossible to pin down one particular example from the movie of something that appeared to be real but wasn’t, so we’re just going to include the whole film. Removing the effects basically leaves just the actors and a few set pieces. Honestly, it’s astonishing what the filmmakers were able to create.

Modern visual effects have their detractors, but sometimes it’s really the only logical option. Case in point: this scene from Ron Howard’s Oscar-winning film, wherein a baby nearly drowns in the bath. A disturbing scene to be sure, but what would have been even more disturbing is using an actual baby in the scene. The director instead opted to shoot the scene with the bath and the baby separately, combining them together digitally. The flawless execution allows the moment to retain its power while not endangering any infant actors. You could probably get your Oscar taken away for that.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s characters’ lavish lifestyles just can’t be constructed without CGI, apparently. While a surprisingly large amount of the film, including the prison tennis court, many of the buildings, and the lion walking through the office scene were created with visual effects, it’s the yacht-boarding scene that appears to be the most real. When Naomi and company walk up the dock to get on the boat surrounded by water, it seems totally real, right? It turns out; the scene was filmed using a green screen, with the landscape added in post-production. Mind = blown!

A romantic drama about gay sheep ranchers in the 1960s doesn’t seem like one that would heavily utilize visual effects, but that’s what earns “Brokeback” its place on this list. The film takes place in Wyoming, but was filmed in Alberta, Canada, so the landscape shots needed some touching up to make the scenery feel more authentic. Additionally, there was the matter of the sheep…like, a lot of sheep. Effects were the logical choice here, since having to deal with a large amount of animals would have made things difficult for the independent production.

Some of you are bound to be a little disappointed by this one. This was one of the first times an actor refused to do a nude scene but ended up appearing nude anyway. The same technique would later be utilized in the season five finale of “Game of Thrones.” However, in Machete, Jessica Alba certainly appears naked in the film, but she actually wore a bra and underwear while shooting this scene, both of which were removed in post-production. The reason we chose this scene was because it came before the others, even if it wasn’t quite as extensive a shot. We’re not sure why Alba chose to do this, but it’s great to see that actresses have options.

Armie Hammer is now a much bigger name than he was in 2010, so this one is probably not as surprising as it was when it was released, now that we know he’s not a twin. Once again, David Fincher uses impeccable effects and turns one actor into two characters by placing Hammer’s face on another man’s body. Hammer played Cameron in all of the scenes while the stand-in provided the body for Tyler. It’s not the first time that one actor has played twins, but in other examples, they rarely appeared onscreen at the same time; while here, they’re almost always together. It’s one of the best composite images in the history of film, and that’s why it’s here.

“Fury Road” made a splash in 2015 with its absolutely breathtaking practical effects, but the film wasn’t without its equally breathtaking use of computer-generated effects. The production team was unable to find a canyon that had the physical qualities necessary to pull off the scene in which Furiosa tries to bargain with the biker gang. The canyon they ended up using had to be made considerably more narrow-looking to heighten the sense of claustrophobia and quite literally give the menacing gang the higher ground. Look as hard as you can - nothing looks even remotely like CGI, and that’s just one example of why this film is the perfect example of modern action filmmaking.

Before we unveil our top VFX trick, here are a few honorable mentions:

- Tear Added to Jennifer Connelly’s Face
“Blood Diamond” (2006)

- Ariana Richards’ Face Superimposed Over a Stunt Double
“Jurassic Park” (1993)

- Johnny Depp’s Blinking Was Removed Throughout the Film
“Dark Shadows” (2012)

- Robert Downey Jr.’s Face Superimposed Over a Stunt Double
“Iron Man 3” (2013)

- Oliver Reed’s Face Was Digitally Added Over a Double
“Gladiator” (2000)

As we indicated earlier, working with infant actors can be tricky. Especially when the baby is meant to be a newborn and various laws prohibit babies from appearing on film when under a certain age. This was remedied in Alfonso Cuarón’s sci-fi masterpiece with a brilliant visual trick. The climactic birth of a baby girl didn’t even feature an actual baby, but rather a model constructed entirely via computer, as opposed to the superimposed image employed in our number seven entry. The way the effect fits perfectly into the gritty look and color palette is mind-blowing, especially for a fully constructed image. For one of the film’s most pivotal scenes, the effects team really blew us away with this one.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite example of movie magic? For more fascinating top 10s published every day, be sure to visit WatchMojo.com.