Extraordinary Animals In The Womb aired last year, using advances in scanning and imaging technology to trace the gestational paths of animals outside the human family. The documentary footage is actually a combination of digital photography, scans, and computer-generated models. The filmmakers took detailed scans of the animal's wombs, then had the model makers recreate every blood vessel and whisker. The resulting images, while not direct photographs, are, according to the researchers, accurate representations of what goes on inside these creatures' wombs.

You can read more about the documentary at the Daily Mail.

Stunning photographs of animals inside womb [This Blog Rules via Maurissa Tancharoen]

If only Fox News started doing things like this, I think I'd finally be able to sit through Shepard Smith. [Thanks, OMG! Ponies!]

That's what Ed Ulbrich, Executive VP of Production at Digital Domain told me about designing the 100% digital head seen in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button—a challenge he justly refers to as the "Holy Grail" of special effects imaging.

In case you were interested in a few more specifics regarding the process, Ulbrich's TED talk from a few months back is quite revealing. Despite the ludicrously complicated methodology (conveniently abbreviated during TED), Ulbrich can't deny that human recreation will democratize like every other in the special effects industry, like morphing.

"In 1991 when I saw Terminator 2, it blew my mind. It made me want to be in this business. It was a miracle," Ulbrich said. "Now, I have a 5-year-old daughter who has a little program on the Mac that can take two photos and morph them. It becomes just another arrow in your quiver."

The movie is out today on Blu-ray and DVD. More from our talk with Ulbrich to come later.

This particular rendering was made through Google SketchUp, Google's 3D modeling software. Measurements were taken of a $10,000 stack of $100 bills (just half an inch thick!) and pretty much multiplied from there using simple geometry. In that trillion dollar shot, each pallet holds $100 million...and the pallets are double stacked.

As for that red blob on the left? It's a human. [PageTutor via BoingBoing]

MTV's comment boards are full of questionably-literate folks demanding to know how that silver ball flew around the stage, but nobody seems to have an answer yet. It probably isn't CGI, since MTV blew their entire special effects budget on digital sparklies. That, and it'd be tricky to place a hat on top of an imaginary ball. Simple string work is probably out, too— the ball's movements are way too smooth for any marionette action. It's not a remote controlled vehicle, because that's ridiculous. My guess is it's a combination of strings for when they're handling the ball, and CGI for when it's swooping around the ceiling, but we may never know. Anybody have any guesses? [MTV, thanks Luke!]

It's one thing to make robots or aliens or whatever look "real," but it's something entirely different to completely generate an actors face and place it on another actors body and have it look completely seamless. This video, which shows some behind-the-scenes footage of how they took Brad Pitt's face and placed it, aged up, on a smaller actor's body. While Iron Man might seem like the natural choice for Best Visual Effects at the Oscars, Benjamin Button is the film that used the most impressive effects. I'll take realism over flashiness any day of the week. [Rope of Silicon via io9]

Of course the well-deserving staples show up in the list (Star Wars, Tron and Jurassic Park), but there was one in particular that I didn't know about, and it may be the most convincing moment on the list.

In Total Recall, there's a brief moment when a secretary changes the colors of her nails with the tap of a wand. How did they do it? The illusion was created through rotoscoping, a layered matte animation in use since 1915.

Since you're not doing anything at work today, hit the link and enjoy the whole list. And no, there was no mention of that other effect from Total Recall in the top 50. [Den of Geek via OhGizmo!]

I'm not sure if Emily has quite crossed the uncanny valley, but one thing's for sure. Dating sims are about to get a whole lot more interesting.

If only these models didn't look like they were wearing dentures. [timesonline via neatorama and technabob]

Now that's one remarkable piece of artwork—showing that the holy grail has been reached: computer-generated imagery of the human face that's indistinguishable from reality. – Charlie White

Making of the Korean Actress Song Hye Kyo [CG Arena]