Computer-generated imagery (CGI) technology was utilized to bring the late actor Paul Walker back to life in “Fast & Furious 7”.
How Did Paul Walker Make His Comeback in “Fast & Furious 7”?
On the afternoon of November 30, 2013, fans of the “Fast & Furious” film series were shocked to learn that actor Paul Walker had abruptly passed away in a car accident. At the age of 40, his death left a significant void in the film community. His passing also posed a considerable challenge for the production team of Fast & Furious, as they had only completed half of the film at the time of the tragic incident.
In light of this unexpected event, the Fast & Furious film crew had to employ stunt doubles and CGI technology (short for Computer-generated imagery) to finalize the remaining scenes featuring the late actor Paul Walker.
It is known that two of the stunt actors hired to simulate Paul Walker’s image were his brothers, Caleb and Cody Walker. Furthermore, in March 2014, TIME reported from Daily News that the Fast & Furious team had “hired four actors with body structures similar to Paul Walker to replicate the late actor’s physical gestures.“
Paul Walker in Fast & Furious 7.
CGI and the “Unimaginable” Effects in Cinematography
In reality, CGI is a technology widely used in the film industry, advertising, and even print products. CGI is a popular tool due to its practicality. For instance, in a specific scene that may require hiring thousands of people, CGI can create that scene without incurring such high costs.
Utilized entirely by computers and specialized software, CGI technology can replace most dangerous scenes or create characters that are difficult to simulate in reality.
CGI is also considered to be a powerful application for content creation more than any other method. CGI technology was first used in film in the movie *Westworld* (1973). However, in this work, CGI could only represent two-dimensional content. Two of the first films to invest heavily in CGI technology were *Tron* (1982) and *The Last Starfighter* (1984).
To date, CGI technology has appeared in many famous films where humans cannot play all the characters. The most notable example is the *Transformers* film, where all the robots were created using visual effects instead of being built as complete models in reality.
Three steps to complete a “digital” scene, as seen in the famous Transformers film.
To execute a CGI scene, graphic artists redesign the “frame” of the image, then apply software to animate the characters, finalize details, and “polish” the images to make them as realistic as possible. Naturally, the process of perfecting a CGI scene is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Consequently, to complete the remaining parts of *Fast & Furious 7* in the absence of Paul Walker, the production team spent an additional 50 million USD.
It seems simple, but even a slight inaccuracy in applying lighting, shading, or color can make CGI scenes appear unrealistic and ruin the final product.
CGI in Fast & Furious 7
In the absence of actor Paul Walker, the Fast & Furious team had to use previously recorded footage of the actor, adjusting colors and lighting to match the current angles.
A scene where Paul Walker was digitally combined using CGI.
For scenes without available footage or mismatched materials, the production team employed “stand-in” characters, including two of Paul Walker’s family members and four actors with similar physiques. Based on the actions performed by these stunt actors, the visual effects team would digitally superimpose Paul Walker’s face to complete the final scenes.
Paul Walker’s face recreated using computer graphics on his brother’s body
This is not the first film to use CGI to alter a character’s face. Looking back at the blockbuster *Avatar*, the production team almost recreated all characters to fit the script. While recreating characters through makeup or costumes is possible, it is often more time-consuming and costly, and some effects may not appear as visually appealing as those created by computers.
Avatar featuring characters recreated with CGI technology.
Below are some images showcasing the power of CGI technology in modern cinema. To blend digital images into existing frames, filmmakers have applied “green screens“, then edited the green portions in specialized software to achieve the best effects.
CGI technology in *The Planet Of The Apes*.
Surely by now everyone knows that there were no real tigers in the film *Life of Pi*.
The image of the tiger was recreated in the most realistic way.
The scenes in the movie Alice in Wonderland were entirely created using computer graphics.
