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

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Co-Edited By: https://ytjobs.co/talent/profile/398665
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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
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More VFX analysis here!:
   • All Of Our VFX Breakdowns And Analysis  
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SOURCES:
Cinefex 118 2009
Terminator Salvation Blu-Ray BTS
https://www.cnet.com/pictures/photos-...
https://www.cgw.com/Publications/CGW/...
https://renderwonk.com/publications/s...
https://www.awn.com/vfxworld/terminat...
https://www.rodeofx.com/project/termi...
https://www.fxguide.com/fxfeatured/te...
https://www.cnet.com/culture/visual-e...
https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/inte...
https://www.theterminatorfans.com/mcg...
https://watch.filmmakersacademy.com/p...
https://www.fxguide.com/thevfxshow/vf...
https://www.theterminatorfans.com/mcg...
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8o...
https://collider.com/terminator-salva...
   • Terminator Salvation | VFX Breakdown by Ro...  
   • Terminator Salvation - CGI making of (2009...  
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The making of Terminator Salvation 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 honouring 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.
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#terminator #vfx #cgi #terminatorsalvation #filmmaking