befores & afters: One of the most stunning sequences in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II is a naval battle that happens inside the Colosseum. Oh, and also, there are sharks. Visual effects supervisor Mark Bakowski recalls first hearing about the sequence in pre-production. “I remember sitting there with the producer who was showing me pictures and pointing at them and then looking at me, and then pointing at them,” he tells befores & afters.
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Using cgi and visual effects with combinations of filming locations and filming a real shark tank is the ideal use of movie making tools. Though I often loathe CGI, its collaborative use with filmed physical components is amazing. I usually dislike when movies make use of cgi for absolutely everything. Its ends up all looking the same. Specifically in sci fi and fantasy movies. Mainstream media needs to move on from producing dragged out, dramatic, sci fi or fantasy movies that have to be fully ‘realistic.’ If the movie follows such a whimsical, otherworldly, and fictional story, stronger visual and stylistic choices can make the story so much more developed. The plots of these movies already aren't realistic, so why does it have to look like it? Why do we just have to grasp our limited and human field of vision? If sci-fi movies take place in other dimensions and worlds.. Why can't we imagine something more? I feel that filming tactile materials and spaces that look otherworldly and using cgi as a tool is what can really make the visual components of a movie properly represent something otherworldly to its REALEST extent.
Bakowski’s description of the shoot, which involved filming the boats both dry and wet across different locations, really shows the complexity of integrating practical and digital effects. The use of water tanks and underwater shots to create the wet conditions, paired with dry footage and visual effects, demonstrates how filmmakers balance real-world environments with the need for fantastical, larger-than-life visuals. This sequence also made me think about how visual effects are often used to support not just the action, but the world-building in a film. For instance, the Colosseum itself was a hybrid of practical construction and digital augmentation, with ILM crafting the grand scale of the arena through VFX. This reminded me of how theater productions often blend physical sets with projections to create a more immersive environment for the audience. Both film and theater require a careful collaboration between practical and digital techniques to create an environment that feels both grounded and larger than life.
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