CGI
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Computer-generated imagery |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Arts & Entertainment, Technology & Computing |
CGI has two meanings. It stands for Computer-generated imagery (film, television and theater) or Common Gateway Interface (Internet & web).
Meanings of CGI at a glance
| # | CGI stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer-generated imagery | Arts & Entertainment › Film, Television and Theater |
| 2 | Common Gateway Interface | Technology & Computing › Internet & Web |
1. Computer-generated imagery
Arts & Entertainment · Film, Television and Theater Abbreviations
Images created with computer graphics software, used in films, television, advertising and games for creatures, environments, crowds and effects that would be impossible or too costly to film. CGI can be fully animated or blended with live-action footage.
Example: The dinosaurs combine animatronics for close-ups with CGI for the running shots.
Early landmarks include Westworld (1973), Tron (1982), the water creature in The Abyss (1989) and the photorealistic dinosaurs of Jurassic Park (1993). Toy Story (1995) was the first fully computer-animated feature film. Critics use "CGI" loosely for any digital effect, although CGI is only one part of visual effects work. Pronounced as letters.
2. Common Gateway Interface
Technology & Computing · Internet & Web Abbreviations
An early standard way for a web server to run an external program, such as a Perl or C script, and send its output to the browser as a web page. It made the first dynamic web features possible, including forms, hit counters and guestbooks.
Example: The 1990s site still processes its contact form with a Perl script in the cgi-bin folder.
Developed at NCSA in 1993 and later documented in RFC 3875 (2004). Launching a new process for every request was slow, so CGI gave way to FastCGI, server modules such as mod_php, and application servers. In film and games CGI means computer-generated imagery, by far the more common meaning.
Related abbreviations
More film, television and theater abbreviations
- AVOD – Advertising-based video on demand
- BAFTA – British Academy of Film and Television Arts
- BBFC – British Board of Film Classification
- BTS – Behind the scenes
- CU – Close-up
- DCEU – DC Extended Universe
- DCU – DC Universe
- DIT – Digital imaging technician
See all 63 film, television and theater abbreviations →