How Would Today’s Movies Look Like In CGA Colors?
Got this idea when working on a list of wallpapers processed in Photoshop to look like 80s 4-bit colors computer graphics also known as the CGA colors effect: Video Game Wallpapers In CGA Colors
What would movies look like if played on an old 80s CGA graphics adapter?
Being a treky, I took a short trailer video of Star Trek Beyond and processed it in After Effects and Photoshop, and this is what I ended up with.
A Bit Of History On CGA
CGA were the first graphics card adapters with colors for PC.
It’s true, they only had 16 colors, but they were a huge step in computer graphics. CGA was introduced in 1981 by IBM and they were a hit.
The distinctive look of CGA graphics were:
- low resolution (even though, for that time the resolution was considered high). The technology offered two modes 320x200px or 640x200px
- 16 colors palette
Emblematic for CGA computer graphics was the black — magenta — cyan — white palette which created a distinctive look.
Of course, as technology evolved, computers moved on to higher resolutions and higher number of colors.
However, there’s still a nostalgia, especially in video game aficionados for the old look.
Things like pixel art is coming back in game design.
See Minecraft for example.
The pixel art look of the entire game is clearly well below the capabilities of modern computers. Despite that, the game has a huge fan pool especially for the pixelated, clean look of the game.
Can CGA Make A Comeback In Graphics Design?
Probably not.
But, I think that the CGA colors effect can sometimes be a useful design tool.
Using a couple of Photoshop actions I’ve processed a few movie wallpapers to get them in CGA colors.
The technique involves reducing the resolution, enhancing the contours and applying a gradient map with black, magenta, cyan and white.
I’ve used a free Photoshop action and a Premium Photoshop action:
- 80s Retro Poster Generator For Photoshop — this Photoshop action is free to download
- Pixel Art Generator For Photoshop — this action is a premium action from GraphicRiver
Let’s take a look at how the wallpaper of Solo-A Star Wars Story and other recent movies would look like with the CGA effect.
Solo — A Star Wars Story Wallpaper In CGA Colors
Avengers Infinity War Poster With CGA Effect
Black Panther Animated GIF With CGA Colors
Mission: Impossible - Fallout
Deadpool 2
