“All practical”, “no CGI”, the war is still ongoing. However, it is fascinating that the Oscars don’t seem to make such distinction (well, almost...). Practical or digital? Those are encapsulated under the same category “Best visual effects”.

This year’s nominations include two films heavily marketed as using "only" practical effects, but we already have some breakdowns of all the scenes where VFX (and CG—for those making the distinction) are used. And it works! Both practical and digital effects have evolved a lot since their inception and it’s thanks to both of them that we have great movies (and some flops, of course!).
On the other hand, we also have two very different takes on motion-captured apes performances, and 2024's most beloved sci-fi epic. Here’s the breakdown of this year’s nominees:
ALIEN: ROMULUS – FEDE ALVAREZ
Touted as a film relying entirely on practical effects, Alien: Romulus was a return to old-school filmmaking techniques. While this claim holds weight, we’re glad to see behind-the-scenes footage revealing how CGI was also used to bring some of the film's most gruesome creatures and scenes to life —along with a few other things (asteroid belts, spaceships, floating acid, etc.).
Practically speaking? Plenty was done in-camera, including our favorite: the swimming facehugger, specifically designed to leap from the water towards its prey.
According to IMDb, 23 companies contributed to the film's effects, covering everything from concept art and previs to practical effects, miniatures, and digital work. It’s exciting to see filmmakers putting in the effort to revive the practical side of effects, despite the cost and complexity. However, the way the movie has been marketed—as though CGI is the “evil sibling”—feels unnecessary.
“We went all the way to create creatures with (...) the philosophy of the old movies but with technology of today, to create something that people don’t see on screen everyday”, director Fede Alvarez told the Hollywood Reporter.
WICKED - JON M. CHU
Much like the Romulus campaign, Wicked has been marketed as "real" and "tangible", boasting impressive feats like planting nine million tulips. And, again, this is true—they built immense, magical sets and went all-in on practical elements. But let’s not ignore the significant digital contributions that helped bring the movie to life.
Fortunately, we’re starting to see breakdowns and behind-the-scenes footage from Framestore, showcasing the amount of work of thousands of artists from both the practical and digital realms.
This transparency is refreshing—especially when compared to Barbie’s infamous behind-the-scenes “grey screens”, which sparked online debates about the studios’ fakeness and their reluctance to reveal just how much VFX was actually used.
DUNE: PART TWO – DENIS VILLENEUVE
No surprises here—Denis Villeneuve’s epic sequel once again delivered jaw-dropping visuals. From massive sandworms to the sprawling deserts of Arrakis, the film has lots of incredible and epic scenes. A mix of techniques were used, but we already covered the ones we liked the most in this article.

KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES – WES BALL
Motion capture continues to evolve and innovate, and this film is the ultimate proof. With its hyper-realistic ape characters, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes showcases how CG has reached new levels, enabling to create emotion and believable characters.
While CG-heavy movies are (mostly) frowned upon today, the Planet of the Apes franchise has managed to sidestep this stigma. Even though we know those apes don’t exist, we remain fully invested in the story. The integration of visual effects doesn’t detract from the film—it elevates it and the artistry is undeniable.
“Through those three apes’ films that technology [mocap] improved, became robust. We were able to take it outside in the rain or in the snow”, Eric Winquist, VFX supervisor
BETTER MAN – MICHAEL GRACEY
“We usually do stunts and fights, and then we were thrown into dancing apes”, Emma Cross, Weta FX motion capture.
Weta FX were the ones that took on the challenge of creating a singing, dancing ape—a task a bit outside their usual expertise. This required them to innovate and adapt their workflow to make it work.
“We had to make a lot of motion studies there, to sort of work out how you convincingly make all that sound and all that energy and all that breath come out of this CG character”, Dave Clayton, Weta FX Previs & Animation supervisor
The decision to transform Robbie Williams into an ape wasn’t arbitrary. According to the director, it reflected how Williams sees himself, placing the biopic in the realm of magic realism. This creative choice brought a new layer of depth to the storytelling, offering audiences something we haven’t really seen before.
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Which of these movies do you think should win the Oscar for Best Visual Effects? Or is there another film you believe should have made the list? Let us know!
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