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Timelines and
Milestones
of Computer Animation and Visual Effects
This page
contains a selection of timelines and
milestones from the book.
Each of the categories is color-coded. The
live action feature movies with computer-generated visual effects appear
in green. (Winners of the AMPAS award
for visual effects are marked with an asterisk). In magenta are animated
feature movies, most of which include three-dimensional computer
animation. Independent productions and
short computer animations are in blue boxes.
|
Visual Effects
Films |
Animated Feature
Films |
Independent Shorts
|
Four additional categories that can be found in the book
are not included here: Video and Computer Games, Computer
Technology and Industry Events, Related Technologies and Events, and
Television Programs
NOTE: An asterix
in the visual effects green blocks (*) indicates winners of the
AMPAS award in that category.
View or Download a color
PDF
Selection of CG/VFX Milestones (1970-2002)
|
1960 |
1961 |
1962 |
1963 |
1964 |
|
The Time Machine
* |
The Guns of
Navarone* |
The Longest Days
* |
Cleopatra * |
Mary Poppins
* |
|
The Last Voyage |
The Absent Minded
Professor |
Mutiny on the
Bounty |
The Birds |
7 Faces of Dr.
Lao |
|
|
Disney's One Hundred and One
Dalmatians |
|
Jason and the
Argonauts |
Atboftb Carrier Landing, a 3D
animation with plotted drawings by William Fetter and W. Bernhart at
Boeing in Seattle |
|
|
John Whitney's Catalog, 16mm,
7min. |
|
Disney's The Sword in the
Stone |
|
|
|
|
|
John Whitney's Lapis, 16mm,
8min. |
| Top of Page
|
1965 |
1966 |
1967 |
1968 |
1969 |
|
Thunderball * |
Fantastic Voyage
* |
Doctor Dolittle
* |
2001: A Space Odyssey
* |
Marooned * |
|
The Greatest Story Ever
Told |
Hawaii |
Tobruk |
Ice Station
Zebra |
Krakatoa, East of
Java |
|
Stereo computer animations by
Michael Noll and Bela Julesz at Bell Laboratories |
Hummingbird by Charles Csuri,
first examples of computer-generated representational
animation |
Disney's The Jungle
Book |
Planet of the
Apes |
A Boy Named Charlie Brown, by
B. Melendez |
|
|
|
Cockpit Simulation by William
Fetter at Boeing has 3D computer-animated human. |
The Yellow Submarine by George
Dunning |
Pas De Deux, by Norman
McLaren |
|
|
|
|
Permutations by John
Whitney |
| Top of Page
|
1970 |
1971 |
1972 |
1973 |
1974 |
|
Tora! Tora! Tora! *
|
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
* |
The Poseidon Adventure
* |
Westworld (AMPAS VFX Awards
not given this year) |
Earthquake |
|
Patton |
When Dinosaurs Ruled the
Earth |
Heavy Traffic by Ralph
Bakshi |
The Savage Planet by Rene
Laloux |
Hunger by Peter Foldes,
National Film Board of Canada. |
|
|
Fritz the Cat by Ralph
Bakshi |
|
Warner Bros.' Charlotte's
Web |
|
|
|
Animated Faces, by Fred I.
Parke at University of Utah |
|
|
|
Top of Page
|
1975 |
1976 |
1977 |
1978 |
1979 |
|
The Hindenburg * |
King Kong * |
Start Wars * |
Superman * |
Alien * |
|
|
Logan's Run * |
Close Encounters of the Third
Kind |
|
The Black Hole
Moonraker
Star Trek |
|
|
|
|
|
Galaxy Express 999, Japanese
animation by Rintaro and Kon
Ichikawa | Top of Page
|
1980 |
1981 |
1982 |
1983 |
1984 |
|
The Empire Strikes Back
* |
Raiders of the Lost Ark
* |
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
* |
Return of the Jedi
* |
Indiana Jones and the Temple
of Doom * |
|
Vol Libre, fractal animation
by Loren Carpenter |
Dragonslayer |
Blade Runner
Poltergeist |
Growth, first in a series of
abstract animations by Yoichiro Kawaguchi |
Ghostbusters
2010 |
|
|
Looker, featuring Cindy the
first virtual actor |
TRON, becomes the first live
action film with over 20 minutes of computer
animation. |
|
Bio-Sensor created at Osaka
University and Toyo Links, is an early example of modeling with
blobby surfaces and figure locomotion. |
|
|
The Secret of Nyhm, by Bluth
Productions |
The Genesis Effect created by
ILM for Star Trek II is the first all computer-animated visual
effects film shot. |
|
Still Life Etude, an early
simulation of light, fog, rain, and skies created at Hiroshima
University. |
|
|
|
Carla's Island by Nelson Max
at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab |
|
|
Top of Page
|
1985 |
1986 |
1987 |
1988 |
1989 |
|
Cocoon * |
Aliens * |
Innerspace * |
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
* |
The Abyss * |
|
Return to Oz
Young Sherlock Holmes |
Little Shop of
Horrors |
Predator |
Die Hard
Willow |
The Adventures of Baron
Munchausen |
|
The Last
Starfighter
Back to the
Future |
In Disney's The Great Mouse
Detective the moving gears in the chase sequence are created with 3D
computer animation. |
Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo
popularizes animé, feature-length sci-fi Japanese animation, with
international audiences. |
Many cars in Disney's Oliver
& Company are 3D CGI models. |
Back to the Future Part
II
Indiana Jones and
the Last Crusade
Field
of Dreams
Ghostbusters
II |
|
The Last Starfighter, by
Digital Productions, is first live action feature film with
realistic computer animation of highly detailed
models. |
John Laseeter's Luxo Jr. is
nominated in the AMPAS Animated Short Films Category. |
Stanley and Stella: Breaking
the Ice by Symbolics Graphics and Whitney Demo Productions, early
flock animation |
Pixar's Tin Toy by John
Lasseter and William Reeves wins the AMPAS Animated Short Films
Category. |
The Abyss includes first
convincing three-dimensional character animation. |
|
The Black Cauldron, first
Disney animated feature film to use some computer-graphics
technology |
The still image Road to Point
Reyes redefines realism by compositing graftals and fractals to
portray a landscape. |
Red's Dream by
Pixar |
Technological Threat by
William Kroyer and Brian Jennings |
The Little Mermaid is Disney's
last film to use traditional ink and paint. It's closing shot is
done with CAPS. |
|
Brilliance commercial
featuring a sexy female robot with convincing realistic motion
created by Abel and Associates |
Visitor on a Foggy Night by
the Computer Graphics Research Group at Hiroshima
University |
Baloon Guy by Chris Wedge at
Ohio State University |
Locomotion, a Pacific Data
Images short, is an early example of
squash-and-stretch. |
Kiki's Delivery Service by
Hayao Miyazaki opens in Japan. |
|
Growth III by Yoichiro
Kawaguchi |
|
|
The Sky, simulations of light
and skies by Prof. Nakamae's research group at Hiroshima
University |
Knickknack by
Pixar,
Don't Touch Me by
Kleiser-Walczak, early character animation with motion capture
techniques |
|
|
|
|
|
Preview of The Works created
at the NYIT
The Little Death by Matt Elson
at Symbolics
Eurythmy by Susan Amkraut and
Michael Girard |
|
|
|
|
|
Study of a Numerically Modeled
Severe Storm, early
visualization | Top of Page
|
1990 |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
|
Total Recall * |
Terminator II: Judgment Day
* |
Death Becomes Her
* |
Jurassic Park * |
Forrest Gump
* |
|
The Hunt for Red
October |
Backdraft |
Aliens |
Cliffhanger |
The Mask |
|
Back to the Future
III
Die Hard
2 |
Hook |
Batman Returns
The Lawnmower Man |
The Nightmare Before
Christmas |
True Lies
The Flintstones |
|
Disney's The Rescuers Down
Under, first Disney animated feature film done entirely with the
first version of the CAPS System |
Terminator II is the first
mainstream blockbuster movie with multiple morphing effects and
simulated natural human motion. |
Aladdin is Disney's first use
of 3D organic surfaces and a fully computer-animated
character. |
Jurassic Park sets new
standards for inverse kinematics and digital
compositing. |
The wildebeest stampede in
Disney's The Lion King is a tour de force in the integration of 3D
computer animation with traditional animation. |
|
Hanna-Barbera's Jetsons: The
Movie includes computer-animated vehicles and
environments. |
The animated camera in
Disney's Beauty and The Beast travels in 3D space; first animated
film to be nominated for the AMPAS Best Picture Award. |
Liquid Selves, particle
systems animation by Karl Sims |
The computer animation for the
Babylon 5 TV series is initially produced entirely with
off-the-shelf microcomputer systems. |
Listerine Arrows TV commercial
by Pixar |
|
Panspermia by Karl Sims, an
early computer animation created with particle systems |
Mutations by William Latham
and IBM UK
Don Quichotte by Video System
uses keyframe character animation techniques. |
The Seven Wonders of the World
by Electric Images pushes the boundaries of architectural
visualization. |
|
|
|
|
Primordial Dance by Karl Sims
uses particles.
Leaf Magic by Alan Norton uses
motion dynamics animation. |
|
|
| Top of Page
|
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
|
Babe * |
Independence Day
* |
Titanic * |
What Dreams May Come
* |
The Matrix |
|
Apollo 13
Congo |
Dragonheart
Twister |
The Lost World: Jurassic
Park
Starship
Troopers |
Mighty Joe Young
Armageddon |
The Mummy
Star Wars: Episode
I&endash;The Phantom Menace |
|
Casper
Jumanji
Stargate
Species |
James and the Giant Peach
includes a wide variety of traditional and computer animation
techniques. |
The Fifth Element
Batman & Robin
Mars Attacks!
The Rock |
Mouse Hunt
Godzilla
Small Soldiers
Pleasantville |
Wild Wild West
Stuart Little
Sleepy Hollow
Fight Club |
|
Toy Story becomes the first
fully 3D computer animation feature film. |
Disney's Hunchback of Notre
Dame has 3D confetti, crowds, and architecture. |
Princess Mononoke by Hayao
Miyazaki opens in Japan. |
Disney/Pixar's A Bug's Life
and DreamWorks/PDI's ANTZ present insect worlds. |
2D brushstokes recreated on 3D
geometry in Disney's Tarzan. |
|
The canoe and Mother Willow in
Disney's Pocahontas are created with 3D. |
Warner Bros.'s Space Jam
features the Loony Tunes characters. |
Disney's Hercules is memorable
for the Hydra sequence and the morphing of cloud
paintings. |
The Hun crowd simulation and
props in Disney's Mulan are 3D. |
Disney/Pixar's Toy Story 2
takes Buzz and Woody to new levels of comedic and technical
achievement. |
|
the end by Chris
Landreth |
The Fight by Acclaim
Entertainment proves the viability of motion capture for character
animation. |
Pixar's Geri's Game by Jan
Pinkava is modeled with subdivision surfaces, wins AMPAS Animated
Short Films Award. |
Prince of Egypt by DreamWorks
presents a stylized approach to characters and superb effects
animation. |
Disney's Fantasia 2000
includes computer-generated sequences, released in
IMAX. |
|
|
Joe's Apartment Roach Rally by
Blue Sky Productions. |
Soulblade by NAMCO is a
weapon-based fighting game with impressive animation. |
Low-budget Rugrats is a
box-office success. |
Warner Bros.' Iron Giant has a
fresh animation style and great non-realistic
rendering. |
|
|
|
Virtual Andre commercial by
Digital Domain showcases motion capture. |
Chris Wedge's Bunny at Blue
Sky Studios wins the AMPAS Award, Animated Short Films
Category. |
Tightrope by Daniel Robichaud
at Digital Domain. |
|
|
|
|
Bingo by Chris Landreth
explores neo-Dada theatre.
Race For Atlantis animated for
IMAX by Rhythm & Hues. |
Fishing and Spatial Frames by
PDI with watercolor-like rendering and a surreal comedy of spatial
errors |
|
|
|
|
|
Fiat Lux by Paul Debevec, a
landmark in image-based
rendering | Top of Page
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
|
Gladiator *
|
The Lord of the Rings: The
Fellowship of the Ring * |
The Lord of the Rings: The Two
Towers * |
The Lord of the Rings: The
Return of the King* |
(Academy Award
winner not selected yet)
|
|
Hollow Man
The Perfect
Storm |
Artificial
Intelligence
Pearl Harbor |
Spiderman
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack
of the Clones |
Master and
Commander: The Far Side of the
World
Pirates of the
Caribbean: The
Curse of the Black
Pearl |
|
|
102 Dalmatians
The Adventures of Rocky &
Bullwinkle
Cast Away
The Cell
Dinosaur
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch
Stole Christmas
Mission: Impossible
2
Mission to Mars
Pitch Black
Red Planet
X-Men |
Black Hawk Down
Cats & Dogs
Enemy at the Gates
Evolution
The Fast and the
Furious
Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone
Jurassic Park III
Lara Croft Tomb
Raider
Monkeybone
The Mummy Returns
Planet of the Apes
Spy Kids
Swordfish |
Astérix & Obélix: Mission
Cléopâtre
Blade 2
Die Another Day
Eight Legged Freaks
Harry Potter and the Chamber
of Secrets
Men in Black 2
Minority Report
Panic Room
Reign of Fire
Resident Evil
Scooby-Doo
The Scorpion King
Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost
Dreams
Stuart Little 2
The Time Machine
xXx |
Daredevil
The Hulk
Kangaroo Jack
Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life
The League of Extraordinary
Gentlemen
The Matrix:
Reloaded
The Matrix:
Revolutions
Spy Kids 3: Game
Over
Terminator 3: Rise of the
Machines
X2: X-Men United |
Around the World in
80 Days
Catwoman
The
Chronicles of
Riddick
The Day after
Tomorrow
Harry
Potter and the
Prisioner of Azkaban
The Haunted Mansion
I,
Robot
Kill Bill-Vol. 2
Sky Captain and the
World of
Tomorrow
Spiderman 2
Troy
Van
Helsing
Thunderbirds |
|
Disney's Dinosaur combines
live action backgrounds with realistic 3D computer animated
characters. |
The AMPAS creates new category
for Best Animated Feature. DreamWorks' Shrek wins, runner-ups are
Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius, and Pixar's Monsters, Inc. |
The Lord of the Rings 2 uses a
combination of performance capture and keyframe techniques to
animate the Gollum character, superb crowd simulation
software. |
Finding Nemo *
Brother Bear
Les Triplettes de Belleville
|
The Incredibles
The Polar Express
Shrek
2
Terkel i knibe
(Denmark)
Immortel, Enki Bilal
Ghost
in the Shell 2 :
Innocence
Shark Tale |
|
Pixar's For the Birds by Ralph
Eggleston wins AMPAS award. |
Atlantis: The Lost
Empire
Final Fantasy: The Spirits
Within
Marco Polo: Return to
Xanadu |
Spirited Away *
Ice Age
Lilo & Stitch
Spirit: Stallion of
theCimarron
Treasure Planet |
Sinbad: Legend of
the
Seven Seas
Piglet's Big Movie
The Jungle Book 2
|
|
|
Onimusha is Best Animated
Short at SIGGRAPH 2000. |
Mutant Aliens
Osmosis Jones
The Prince of Light
Recess: School's
Out
Waking Life |
El bosque animado
Hey Arnold!
Mutant Aliens
The Powerpuff Girls First
Feature
Return to Never
Land
The Wild
Thornberrys |
Looney Tunes:
Back in Action
Millenium Actress
Pokèmon Heroes
Rugrats Go Wild!
Tokyo Godfathers
|
|
|
Victor Navone's Alien Song is
widely viewed on the Web. |
Pixar short Mike's New Car by
Pete Docter and Roger Gould. |
Eric Armstrong's The
ChubbChubbs wins AMPAS Short Award. |
|
|
|
|
Van Phan's Values is Best
Animated Short at SIGGRAPH 2001. |
Memorable commercials for
Blockbuster's Carl and Ray, Levi's, X-Box Mosquito, and Game Boy
Advance. |
|
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|
|
|
Tomek Baginski's The Cathedral
is Best Short at SIGGRAPH 2002. |
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Top of Page
Scroll through the full list of Academy Award VFX Winners since
1939
|
