specialeffects

terminatior

In the summer of 1990, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) created a computer graphics character, a liquid metal terminator, for Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The character, T-1000, could transform seamlessly from its metallic state to a human form, played by the actor Robert Patrick.

ILM completed the work in less than eight months and included more than 40 computer graphics shots. They invested over $3 million in new hardware and hired animators and software engineers from all over the world.

To simulate the transformation, ILM technicians used a program called "Morf"; developed by ILM graphics artist Doug Smythe for the feature film Willow. Morfing is a process in which a computer changes one shape into another by generating the intermediate steps between the stages, permitting a smooth metamorphosis. The computer information is then transferred to film.

Finally, the computer images and background plates were merged through digital compositing.

Since T2, the computer graphics and digital departments at ILM have continued to expand. Today, ILM is staffed and equipped for the next generation of computer-based special effects.