New computer animation techniques raise the bar for other film studios and usually make the movies that it appears in very successful. A recent hit, The Matrix, trilogy, is famous for having the characters suspended in the air and fighting in slow motion. After the films came out, other movies like Spiderman and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow have used those techniques, hoping that it would enhance the movie. However, the world of special effects is always evolving, especially in the area of computers. Soon, another one will replace techniques that are seen as new and exciting today. For example, claymation, animation using clay figures, was used in King Kong and many movies after that. However, over time, that technique is seen as outdated and has been replaced by puppets and animatronics, since they look more realistic. Puppets and robots are still used today, but have been pushed aside by computer animation. Someday, another technique will replace CGI and will be considered outdated.

Computer animation is a very useful tool in films because it allows directors much more freedom on what to put in their movies. This is especially true in fantasy and science fiction movies. A recent example is the Lord of the Rings trilogy. CGI allows the director to include dragons, monstrous armies of trolls and other fantasy creatures that would have been very difficult to include otherwise. Since the story relies on these fantasy creatures, it is essential for them to look realistic and blend with the human cast; otherwise, the illusion of humans and non-humans living in the same world would be shattered. If the creatures look fake, it would draw attention to the fact that it is fake. The CGI creatures in the Lord of the Rings trilogy blend so well with the real human actors, that it makes the world of Middle Earth real. Before the use of CGI became a popular special effects technique, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings was made into several animated movies because it would have been very difficult to have included all of the creatures that are in the books in a live-action film. Back then, the best way was to animate it, since in the world of animation, anything that can be drawn, can come to life.