Gore Verbinski, the director of the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, recently presented his new film "Luck, Joy, Die." After the film was shown at Fantastic Fest, ButWhyTho portal interviewed the director and, among other things, asked how visual effects have changed over the past 15 years and why they often look "not as good" as before.
"The simplest answer is that the Unreal game engine has come into the world of visual effects. There used to be a clear boundary: Unreal Engine worked great for video games, but then people wondered why not use it in movies as well. As a result, the gaming aesthetic began to penetrate cinema."
According to the director, the engine does a poor job of conveying light and skin texture, which harms realism.
"It works differently with light, doesn't reflect it naturally, and doesn't convey subsurface scattering well. As a result, the 'uncanny valley' effect occurs. I think the arrival of Unreal Engine and its replacement of Maya as the foundation is the biggest step backwards."
Verbinski also noted that the modern industry too often sacrifices quality for the sake of production speed.
"You can create a perfectly realistic helicopter, but if it flies incorrectly, the brain instantly reads the falseness. Every movement must be verified, everything must work 'honestly'. It's still animation, but sometimes it's not just about lighting and cinematography, but also about movement."
It is noteworthy that for similar reasons, Unreal Engine is often criticized by gamers. Modern versions of the engine significantly speed up development, but games on it are often reproached for being monotonous. Developers are accused of paying less attention to optimization, relying on the capabilities of the engine itself.