Christopher Nolan avoided CGI and used 7ft stuntmen to portray Laestrygonians in The Odyssey. The giant leader, King Antiphates, is portrayed by actor Josh Stewart, while Matt Damon’s stunt double is Devyn Dalton, who is just under 5ft.

[u/padfoony]

[u/siraolo]

Forced perspective really does a lot here. 

[u/Sardoodledome → u/siraolo]

It really show the genius of the production - no cgi can beat the real thing.

[u/tunesmiff → u/Sardoodledome]

No cgi is really just invisible cgi. I guarantee there was CGI deployed in those scenes in addition to what was captured in camera.

[u/RedHawk_94 → u/tunesmiff]

CGI and VFX are not the same thing

[u/DShepard → u/RedHawk_94]

Idk, they're pretty interchangeable in a lot of contexts. I've heard "could we make that with CG" and "could we do that with VFX" about the same exact tasks pretty often.

[u/ctaps148 → u/DShepard]

VFX adds dramatic flair, CGI invents what was never there

[u/RedHawk_94 → u/DShepard]

They're not interchangeable. To people who don't understand the difference, sure, and they are used together when editing a movie, but they're not the same thing

[u/DShepard → u/RedHawk_94]

CGI is a form of VFX, which makes them interchangeable in a lot of contexts. Even Nolan movies have plenty of CG, but it'll be subtle particle effects and background elements more than characters and props.

[u/RedHawk_94 → u/DShepard]

It is not a "form of VFX". Layering different shots to make 1 shot is VFX, creating the character model for the Hulk is CGI, putting that character model in a scene with real people is VFX, taking a particle/fire/smoke effect over an existing shot that didn't have that element is VFX.

[u/DShepard → u/RedHawk_94]

You're just describing compositing in your first and third example, which again is a form of VFX, but is not all it is.

But I guess how you view it also varies from what area if the industry you're in and what your educational background is. I know a lot of film and art schools are real sticklers when it comes to certain topics.

[u/RedHawk_94 → u/DShepard]

Exactly, not all VFX is CGI. Compositing is VFX with 0 CGI included, but people would call that CGI. Removing wires or compositing one shot (Odysseus with the cyclops puppet) removing the puppet and overlaying the shots of the physical cyclops actor is not CGI. An areal stunt with wires being shot then removing the wires is not CG either. Green screening a persons performance onto a new background shot is not CGI either

[u/DShepard → u/RedHawk_94]

No, but adding a layer of fine dust particles simulated in Houdini or whatever is CGI and could easily be in a shot like the OPs, and is what I think of when I think "invisible" CGI like the commenter was referring to.