Why Was Terminator Salvation's CGI (Mostly) SO Good

Head to https://squarespace.com/CGY to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code CGY Also Check Out the New Website at: https://www.cgwhy.com —-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Support the Channel On Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CGY200 Join Our Discord Here: https://discord.gg/hc62YMzWgy Learn VFX For FREE Here: https://rb.gy/hp9e08 Co-Edited By: https://www.upwork.com/freelancers/theeditroom —-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - Intro 1:25 - Why Was Terminator Salvation So Practical? 2:52 - The T-600 3:49 - Getting Them To Work On Screen 5:43 - The CGI is actually Impeccable 6:57 - The Absurdly Long Takes 8:59 - Squarespace 10:37 - The Terminator Factory Is Perfect 11:28 - Cutting Edge Rendering 13:16 - Why The Literal Killing Machines Don’t Actually Kill People 15:00 - Where things started to go wrong :( 16:49 - Why This Went Wrong 19:12 - VFX Supervisor Ben Snow 19:51 - In Conclusion —-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow me on any of these for more VFX Videos :) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cg_why/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@cg_why Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/CGY/100085230592716/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/cgy_yt —-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More VFX analysis here!: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGqkNhCmDpq2I27BVrtfh5ZNz-C-1Q_fl —-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOURCES: Cinefex 118 2009 Terminator Salvation Blu-Ray BTS https://www.cnet.com/pictures/photos-terminator-visual-effects-smashing-cars-taking-names/ https://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/2009/Volume-32-Issue-5-May-2009-/Shades-of-the-Future.aspx https://renderwonk.com/publications/s2010-shading-course/snow/sigg2010_physhadcourse_ILM.pdf https://www.awn.com/vfxworld/terminator-salvation-battle-machines https://www.rodeofx.com/project/terminator-salvation https://www.fxguide.com/fxfeatured/terminator_salvation_asylum_rsp_and_kerner/ https://www.cnet.com/culture/visual-effects-shoot-for-realism-in-explosive-terminator-salvation/ https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/interview-terminator-salvation-vfx-supervisor-charlie-gibson/ https://www.theterminatorfans.com/mcg-discusses-post-production-on-terminator-salvation/ https://watch.filmmakersacademy.com/programs/go-on-set-terminator-salvation https://www.fxguide.com/thevfxshow/vfxs080-terminator-salvation/ https://www.theterminatorfans.com/mcg-discusses-post-production-on-terminator-salvation/ https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8ofjxb https://collider.com/terminator-salvation-making-of/I https://youtu.be/kE33hRKFYeY?t https://youtu.be/iFeOWYTxFz8 —-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The making of TS is so fascinating that it might actually surpass the final film itself. While I do personally like this movie, the sheer effort put in behind the scenes—to keep things both practical and realistic while also deliberately honoring and evolving the special effects legacy of this franchise—is just absurd. This film seamlessly blends the practical effects of its predecessors with groundbreaking modern CGI, often achieving a near-photorealistic result. That’s why we’re breaking down this film’s underrated technical achievements—exploring why certain moments look stunning while others fall apart, and examining how the VFX process influenced the narrative. For example, why do the Terminators spend so much time throwing people instead of, well… actually killing them? Ultimately, we’ll uncover the extensive practical and digital efforts that went into making this movie—so much so that I can almost understand why Christian Bale lost it on set. —-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #terminator #vfx #cgi #terminatorsalvation #filmmaking