This CGI sure had us fooled.
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Here our picks for Another Top 10 Visual Effects You Thought Were Real.
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For this list, we're looking at
even more moments of visual wizardry that made us believe the magic.
Not all these examples of CGI are necessarily top-notch
but through careful editing and angles
they nonetheless managed to fool the average viewer.
If you didn't see an effect you thought should be here
check out our first video of the Top 10 Visual Effects You Thought Were Real.
Given the metaphorical rats playing both sides of the law in this crime drama
most viewers thought the only actual onscreen rat was genuine.
Showing up right at the end of the film
our furry little friend runs across a window sill.
Amazingly lifelike in both the way it scurries and sniffs around, the look is uncanny.
However, despite its realistic appearance, the rat is actually digital.
While it's not clear whether the rat is a composite or completely CGI
the effect is the same.
Cleverly symbolising the rats of the film over a gold backdrop
the shot is undeniably one of the film's best.
Making these stylish Kryptonian suits fit Zack Snyder's brand
of high-octane action was no small feat
but with a little CGI magic, they pulled it off.
In the opening scenes on Krypton
most of the intricately detailed costumes were real
but as Zod actor Michael Shannon explained
these suits, which were made of a latex-foam mix
were far too clunky for excessive movement.
To allow for the best possible performances
the Kryptonians were primarily filmed in mo-cap suits
so that their outfits could be digitally added in post-production.
And yet, despite the abundance of CGI
few could fault the look of these costumes.
In this classic sci-fi adventure thriller
a slip up by a stunt double resulted in the need for a digital touch up.
Can you spot where?
Few viewers can!
In this harrowing scene, one of our young heroes, Lex,
nearly falls victim to a raptor's gnashing teeth
when she tumbles from the ventilation system.
Of course, for the actual fall,
actress Ariana Richards' was replaced by a stunt-double
who accidentally looked up while swinging from the vent's edge.
Though this could've required costly reshoots
the VFX team was able to save it with an early digital face swap.
In their heartbreaking final conversation
Maddy and Danny share a touching goodbye
which causes the former to shed a single tear.
That drop of liquid wasn't Jennifer Connelly's creation though
nor was it that old Hollywood staple, glycerin.
The tear was something that director Edward Zwick
added digitally in post-production.
His choice to keep it stirred up a bit of controversy
as it caused many to question the appropriateness of using
effects to alter the emotion of a performance.
Dirty trick or not, it undeniably added something to the scene
even if we as viewers didn't know it.
Few would've thought it from the looks of the film
but David O. Russell's "American Hustle"
required roughly 600 visual effects to bring the 1970s to life.
The filmmaker is notorious for his attention to detail
and that meant carefully erasing details from the modern backdrop.
To turn back the clock, scaffolding was removed from the famed Plaza Hotel in New York
the city's skyline was adjusted
and contemporary cars were edited out.
Christian Bale's 60 extra pounds of flab, however, were the real deal.
In this sequel, when a terrorist forces hero John McClane
to wear a racist phrase in the middle of Harlem, tensions run high.
Given that the scene was actually being shot in Harlem
the production was at risk of bringing that very same conflict into the real world.
Realising that they might be putting Bruce Willis in danger
producers decided to leave the sign blank while shooting.
The infamous words were added to the sign-in post-production
allowing the filmmakers to also avoid any controversy from the press.
Because the phrase was so dangerously offensive
some TV versions of the film later changed the sign to "I Hate Everybody."
Director Dan Gilroy forces you into Lou's twisted perspective
by presenting the action in this thriller through the camera's monitor.
Though he initially planned on shooting the action from multiple angles
the team quickly realised the viewfinders of the onscreen cameras
made for a more unique presentation.
Marrying handheld footage with more advanced cameras
the crew shot from Lou's point of view
and after selecting the best footage
had it digitally put onto the camcorder screens.
Thanks to some extensive degrading
the footage genuinely looked like it was shot on the same camera.
More than just visually dynamic
this little trick made viewers feel complicit in Lou's sordid tale.
Even though Ridley Scott didn't actually go to Mars for this interstellar feature
he decided to avoid most of Earth as well.
While handfuls of shots were grabbed or referenced from deserts in Jordan
most of the film was shot on a soundstage
with a massive green screen for the backgrounds.
The astronauts' visors proved to be the biggest issue
and in some cases were replaced entirely with CGI visors
and more Mars-appropriate reflections.
With the detailed sets and the overall polish of the finished movie
they managed an interstellar illusion.
Proving that even the human body isn't safe from touch-ups
Leslie Mann had her body updated for the sake of comedy.
Even though Mann has appeared topless in previous films
the actress's nude shots on screen were quote "enhanced" with CGI.
While her co-star Olivia Wilde was given CGI nipples for modesty
Mann's breasts were actually enlarged to emphasize that she was nursing.
Contrasting the slow-motion glory shots with Mann's digestive troubles
the excessive nudity made it all the more funny.
Mann kept the joke going even after filming
telling reporters that growing her breasts was one of her strange talents.
Before we get to our top pick here are a few honourable mentions:
Lieutenant Dan's painful transformation was a truly visceral one for viewers
and in 1994, audiences had no idea how they'd made his injuries look so real.
The effects team covered Gary Sinise's legs with long blue socks
so they could edit them out of every shot.
Since Sinise's legs took up real space
holes were also left in sets to be digitally covered later.
By digitally adding a table in front of his legs in his apartment
they brought the audience even further into the illusion
and created some truly seamless on-screen magic
all through the combination of practical and digital effects.
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