History Main / GratuitousSpecialEffects

* Even ''BrokebackMountain'', a tender romantic drama, used [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPw5plmkd6Q extensive CGI.]]

* A large portion of the budget for ''{{Amelie}}'' was CGI despite being a romantic comedy. In the beginning, she is shown playing doctor with a stuffed animal as a little girl. This is a common enough scene and a real stuffed animal could easily be used. The director used a CGI stuffed animal in order to show it moving '''slightly'''. It's barely noticeable by many audience members. There was also a scene in which Amelie turned into a puddle of water in order to convey a sad mood. These are just two examples.

* Even ''BrokebackMountain'', a tender romantic drama, used [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPw5plmkd6Q extensive CGI]].

* Much like ''Scrubs'', there was at least a OnceAnEpisode ImagineSpot in ''AllyMcBeal''. It typically used CGI, which was extremely rare for a show like ''Ally [=McBeal=]'' (law drama) in the 1990s.
* Predating ''Scrubs'' and ''Ally [=McBeal=]'' was the 1997 ''ThirdRockFromTheSun'' episode "A Nightmare on Dick Street", which featured {{Dream Sequence}}s with production values far higher than that of the actual show, including some CGI. It was a ThreeDimensionalEpisode, with said dreams originally broadcast in 3D.

** It should be noted that while ''300'' was based on a comic by FrankMiller, the comic was more or less realistic. At least compared to the movie which had monsters and goat-boys throughout. In fact, the inclusion of the goat-boy was a ThrowItIn moment by Zack Snyder who saw a sketch by a production designer and decided to put it in.

* [[TakashiMiike Takashi Miike's]] film adaptation of ''Film/AceAttorney'' introduces a bizzare holographic system for projecting evidence in the courtroom that was completely absent from the original game, most likely in an effort to get the dramatic effect across when Phoenix Wright shouts "Take That!", and shoves the evidence at the witnesses' faces.

* ''Film/ForrestGump'': While SFX were used toward particular purposes (e.g., removing Gary Sinese's legs or inserting Tom Hanks into historical stock footage), there's also the feather BookEnds.

* ''{{Scrubs}}'' had an ImagineSpot OnceAnEpisode. They often featured somewhat elaborate special effects. For instance, in an early episode, JD imagines that his head blows up in a scene that would be more appropriate in a horror film. It was a comedy/medical drama.

[[quoteright:155:[[SinCity http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yellowbastard_8800.jpg]]]]

* The birth of the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gylKAvCa_c baby]] in ''Film/ChildrenOfMen''.

* A large portion of the budget for ''{{Amelie}}'' was CGI despite the fact that it was a romantic comedy. In the beginning, she is shown playing doctor with a stuffed animal as a little girl. This is a common enough scene and a real stuffed animal could easily be used. The director used a CGI stuffed animal in order to show it moving '''slightly'''. It's barely noticeable by many audience members. There was also a scene in which Amelie turned into a puddle of water in order to convey a sad mood. These are just two examples.

* ''SinCity'' was very over the top but when it comes down to it, it was a standard action movie that could have used the same special effects that have been around since the 70's. Instead, it broke ground in special effects by creating fully digital environments. You would expect this from a sci-fi movie that takes place on another planet, not a crime-thriller. This was done so that the movie could be as close to the original comic series as possible.
* ''JayAndSilentBobStrikeBack'' is a stoner comedy, but it contains several fantasy sequences with big special effects and even a lightsaber fight (apparently, the movie they were shooting had real lightsabers and not props).
* ''ForrestGump'': While SFX were used toward particular purposes (e.g., removing Gary Sinese's legs or inserting Tom Hanks into historical stock footage), there's also the feather BookEnds.

* In ''TheSocialNetwork'' the Winklevoss twins were portrayed by two non-identical actors, one of whom later had his head painstakingly replaced by a realistic CGI reconstruction of the other's head. A movie from even a decade earlier would have relied on SplitScreen or would simply have hired twins, but this film went the extra mile so that the twins could do things like walk around the frame in front of each other. Effective, but arguably not really required for a dialogue driven drama.

* The birth of the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gylKAvCa_c baby]] in ''ChildrenOfMen''.

* [[TakashiMiike Takashi Miike's]] film adaptation of ''AceAttorney'' introduces a bizzare holographic system for projecting evidence in the courtroom that was completely absent from the original game, most likely in an effort to get the dramatic effect across when Phoenix Wright shouts "Take That!", and shoves the evidence at the witnesses' faces.

* [[TakeshiMiike Takeshi Miike's]] film adaptation of ''AceAttorney'' introduces a bizzare holographic system for projecting evidence in the courtroom that was completely absent from the original game, most likely in an effort to get the dramatic effect across when Phoenix Wright shouts "Take That!", and shoves the evidence at the witnesses' faces.

[[AC: Advertisements]]
* Almost every modern TV ad uses computer graphics to sell everyday items such as cars or soft drinks.

[[TechnologyMarchesOn Modern filmmaking being what it is]], these effects are easier to come by. Because of this, works in genres other than science fiction and fantasy may contain computer generated imagery and other formerly complex special effects for cinematic purposes. These effects might be present for [[ImagineSpot dream sequences]], to emphasize the mood, for comedic effect, or simply because it [[RuleOfCool looks really cool]]. Newer filmmakers are using these techniques in works that don't technically need them in order to bring their stories to life. YourMileageMayVary if the works are better or worse off without them but it can be agreed upon that these particular examples are from genres that don't usually have or rely on such special effects. Just remember, TropesAreNotBad.

* ''WebOriginal/ThatGuyWithTheGlasses'' features several movie and video game reviews. The hosts are not content with simply talking about various pop culture works. They often contain special effects such as when WebOriginal/TheNostalgiaCritic had a laser shootout with WebOriginal/TheAngryVideoGameNerd. The effects would be cutting edge a few decades ago in a fantasy film. Today, they're quirky, funny flourishes that anyone with a decent movie-making program can achieve.

* ''ThatGuyWithTheGlasses'' features several movie and video game reviews. The hosts are not content with simply talking about various pop culture works. They often contain special effects such as when TheNostalgiaCritic had a laser shootout with the AngryVideoGameNerd. The effects would be cutting edge a few decades ago in a fantasy film. Today, they're quirky, funny flourishes that anyone with a decent movie-making program can achieve.

[[TechnologyMarchesOn Modern filmmaking being what it is today]], these effects are easier to come by. Because of this, works in genres other than science fiction and fantasy may contain computer generated imagery and other formerly complex special effects for cinematic purposes. These effects might be present for [[ImagineSpot dream sequences]], to emphasize the mood, for comedic effect, or simply because it [[RuleOfCool looks really cool]]. Newer filmmakers are using these techniques in works that don't technically need them in order to bring their stories to life. YourMileageMayVary if the works are better or worse off without them but it can be agreed upon that these particular examples are from genres that don't usually have or rely on such special effects. Just remember, TropesAreNotBad.

* OlderThanTheyThink: The ruby slippers in ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''. In the book of ''Literature/TheWonderfulWizardOfOz'', Dorothy's shoes were silver. They were changed to ruby in the film in order to better show off the technicolor.

* The 1997 ''ThirdRockFromTheSun'' episode "A Nightmare on Dick Street" featured {{Dream Sequence}}s with production values far higher than that of the actual show, including some CGI. It was a ThreeDimensionalEpisode, with said dreams originally broadcast in 3D.

* The 1997 ''ThirdRockFromTheSun'' episode "A Nightmare on Dick Street" featured {{Dream Sequence}}s and production values far higher than that of the actual show, including some CGI. It was a ThreeDimensionalEpisode, with said dreams originally broadcast in 3D.

* The 1997 ''ThirdRockFromTheSun'' episode "A Nightmare on Dick Street" featured {{Dream Sequence}}s with CGI and production values far higher than that of the actual show. It was a ThreeDimensionalEpisode, with said dreams originally broadcast in 3D.

* The 1997 ''ThirdRockFromTheSun'' episode "A Nightmare on Dick Street" featured {{Dream Sequence}}s with CGI and production values far higher than that of the actual show. It was a ThreeDimensionalEpisode, though only said dreams were in 3D.

* Much like ''Scrubs'', there was at least a OnceAnEpisode ImagineSpot in ''AllyMcBeal''. It typically used CGI, which was extremely rare for a show like ''Ally [=McBeal=]'' (law drama) in the 1990s.

* ''[[{{ptitleiqjyoon665ez}} 300]]'' is a (somewhat) historical war epic that makes use of prosthetics, GreenScreen and lots of computer graphics. The same battle was depicted in the movie ''The Three Hundred Spartans'' decades earlier with little more than fancy costumes and prop swords.