Final answer:
The advent of Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) revolutionized film, allowing for the creation of sophisticated effects and experiences such as weightlessness and immersive 3-D worlds. Films like Apollo 13, Gravity, and Avatar exemplify the potential of CGI in enhancing storytelling and viewer engagement.
Step-by-step explanation:
The advent of Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) is what allowed film to 'take off,' akin to the invention of flight. CGI has revolutionized the way films are produced, creating sequences and characters that were once impossible or highly impractical to achieve with traditional methods. For instance, in the film Apollo 13, scenes depicting astronauts in weightlessness were filmed in a falling airplane to short-lived effect, but recent movies like Gravity and The Martian have used sophisticated CGI to simulate zero-gravity with greater control and duration. The leap in technology also ushered in the era of 3-D films, enriching the viewer experience. Avatar, the highest-grossing film of its time, is a testament to the impact of CGI, featuring groundbreaking special effects that immersed audiences in its fantastical world in ways previously unimagined.
This innovation in filmmaking runs parallel to other technological strides from the 1920s, such as the mass production of automobiles and advancements in aircraft technology that made transportation more accessible and advanced a global economy. Such technological progress, including cinema's usage of thin-film interference for anti-reflective glass, as in the film Gone with the Wind, has led to a spectrum of research and industrial applications beyond entertainment.