The Peacock: A Beautiful and Majestic Bird

 Digitally Enhanced Performances: The Actors Who Received a Virtual Touch-Up

"Blade: Trinity" faced significant challenges during production, largely due to the strained relationship between actor Wesley Snipes and director David S. Goyer. As reported by Patton Oswalt, who appeared in the film, Snipes and Goyer engaged in frequent, heated arguments, with Snipes even attempting to strangle Goyer at one point.

Due to the tensions, Snipes and Goyer opted to communicate only through Post-It notes signed "From Blade." This added to the difficulties faced by Goyer, who attempted to film as many of Snipes' scenes as possible using stand-ins. However, Snipes refused to cooperate, intentionally ruining several takes.

One particularly amusing instance occurred during the film's climax, when Goyer asked Snipes to open his eyes for a dramatic shot. Despite repeated requests, Snipes refused to comply. Rather than forcing the issue, Goyer decided to have the effects department add CGI eyes to Snipes' face, creating an unusual, but hilarious, result.

Overall, the strained relationship between Snipes and Goyer created many obstacles for the production of "Blade: Trinity." Nevertheless, despite these challenges, the film was ultimately released and received moderate success.

The film adaptation of "Fifty Shades of Grey" posed unique challenges for the effects department due to its extensive use of sex scenes as a key part of the plot. In many films, actors wear flesh-colored underwear during nude scenes, but the nature of "Fifty Shades of Grey" required a more nuanced approach.

One of the most notable challenges faced by the effects team was the decision surrounding the personal grooming of Dakota Johnson's character, Anastasia Steele. Ultimately, the decision was made to leave Steele ungroomed, and a digital effects artist was brought in during post-production to add a tasteful tuft of pubic hair using CGI.

Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey referred to this as one of the most surreal moments of his career, closely followed by the process of finding a suitable butt double for Johnson. The attention to detail required for these scenes highlights the unique challenges faced by the "Fifty Shades of Grey" effects department and the lengths they went to in order to bring the film's risque story to life.

Nicolas Cage's passion for comic books is well known. He named his son Kal-El after Superman, changed his last name from Coppola to Cage in honor of Luke Cage, and has a tattoo of Ghost Rider on his arm. However, this tattoo posed a problem when Cage was set to star in the 2007 film adaptation of "Ghost Rider."

To avoid the awkwardness of Johnny Blaze having a tattoo of his own alter ego on his arm, the decision was made to use special effects to hide the tattoo whenever Cage needed to take off his shirt.

Rumors have persisted that Cage's abs were also created using CGI, but his co-star Eva Mendes has confirmed that they were 100% real. Cage's dedication to comic books and the lengths he went to bring the character of Ghost Rider to life demonstrate his commitment to his craft and love for the genre.

In the first season of "Game of Thrones," the character Hodor, played by Kristian Nairn, appears in a scene where he is naked, revealing a suitably large penis. To create the illusion, Nairn was required to wear a 16-inch prosthetic that was attached to his groin using glue and then blended with his body using digital effects to airbrush out the special thong he was wearing beneath.

Nairn stated that the thong was so effective in hiding his real penis that a co-star was taken aback upon seeing the giant prosthetic for the first time and asked if it was real. Nairn's response was a relieved "Luckily, no."

Interestingly, the actor was given the option to choose between two different prosthetic penises, indicating that the right choice was a matter of personal preference. This behind-the-scenes anecdote highlights the creative lengths the special effects team went to in order to create a believable illusion on screen.

In the Netflix film "Pee-Wee's Big Holiday," viewers were treated to a younger and more vibrant version of Paul Reubens as the titular character Pee-Wee. To achieve this, the filmmakers relied on a combination of advanced digital effects provided by Vitality Visual FX and practical techniques, such as make-up, lighting, and even sticky tape to give the impression that Reubens hadn't aged since his last TV appearance as the character.

The use of CGI to de-age Reubens was crucial in maintaining the classic Pee-Wee look, as Reubens himself acknowledged that the character wouldn't work with the addition of aging. In a playful comment, Reubens jokingly noted that a facelift could have been a more cost-effective solution, saving the filmmakers two million dollars. Nevertheless, the combination of digital effects and practical techniques in "Pee-Wee's Big Holiday" allowed Reubens to bring his iconic character back to life, much to the delight of fans everywhere.

The production of the 2017 superhero film "Justice League" was plagued with difficulties, including a contract dispute between one of its lead actors and the production company. Henry Cavill, who played the role of Superman, was contractually obligated to maintain a mustache for his role in the "Mission: Impossible" franchise during the reshoots for "Justice League."

This presented a challenge for director Joss Whedon, who was brought on board to take over the film after Zack Snyder stepped aside. The solution was to film the reshoots with Cavill's mustache intact, and use computer-generated imagery (CGI) to remove it in post-production. The same technology was used to create special effects for other popular films such as "King Kong," "Godzilla," and "Optimus Prime."

Orlando Bloom Returns as Legolas in The Hobbit Trilogy

Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth were thrilled to hear that Orlando Bloom would be returning to his role as Legolas in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy. The character of Legolas was not originally included in Tolkien's novel The Hobbit, but Jackson decided to include him in the films as a nod to fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

At the announcement of Bloom's return, Jackson jokingly commented on the actor's ageless appearance, saying, "I look older — and he doesn't! I guess that's why he makes such a wonderful elf." While it is true that Bloom does not look significantly older in the films, the events of The Hobbit take place over half a century before the events of Lord of the Rings. To address this discrepancy, a blue glow was added to Bloom's eyes and an ethereal aura around his face to emphasize his elven nature.

Elves in Middle-earth are depicted as ageless, so the addition of these special effects is a subtle way of addressing the age difference between the two trilogies. However, it's worth noting that there was at least one other reason for de-aging Bloom in the films. Lee Pace played Thranduil, Legolas's father, in The Hobbit trilogy, but in reality, Bloom is actually two years older than Pace.

In conclusion, the return of Orlando Bloom as Legolas in The Hobbit trilogy was a much-anticipated event for fans of Middle-earth. Jackson's creative decision to include the character in the films was a nod to fans of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and a way to connect the two sets of films. The special effects used to de-age Bloom and emphasize his elven nature serve as a testament to the filmmakers' attention to detail and commitment to staying true to the source material.