Are you a fan of sci-fi and fantasy films? Visual effects add an interesting twist of creativity in movies and series.
Visual effects (VFX) are a process of creating, altering, and enhancing live action in a film. Filmmakers take advantage of these effects to shoot impractical, impossible, dangerous, and expensive scenes. Movies use VFX and live footage to create realistic characters, objects, and surroundings on sets. Visual effects are such a vital part of storytelling that the Oscars have a special category award for them. Movies like the Golden Compass (2007) and The Life of Pi (2012), used VFX to create beautiful award-winning films you can watch on sites like The Pirate Bay.
A Comparison of VFX, CGI, and Special Effects
Special effects like makeup and prosthetics are added on sets directly during live shoots. On the other hand, VFX is added after the production of a movie because the effects weren’t shot on the set of the film.
Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) refers to effects created on computers that moviemakers add to VFX during live camera shots. Notably, special effects complement CGI and VFX because they create a virtual image of a movie’s main elements.
The History of Visual Effects In Movies
Louis Aime Le Prince, a French inventor is credited as the first person to use visual effects. He created the first motion picture camera and shot the first motion picture on film. Later,
George Méliès, another French filmmaker invented stop-motion pictures and double exposure techniques for films. He also pioneered the use of contraptions, imps, and wayward body forms on characters.
In the 1930s, movie producers used optical composting to add depth as a visual effect to 2D images. King Kong’s filmmakers used fur, glass, rubber, latex, etc to build the gorilla character in the movie. They used stop paintings, stop motion work, and rear projection in this ground-breaking film.
The film industry used these optical effects on movies until the ’50s when computers took over. 2D images like puppetry and claymation evolved into 3D pictures. As digital technology grew, realistic visual effects in films became the norm. The introduction of the digital camera in the ‘60s allowed movie makers to digitally manipulate images with optical effects. The result was photorealistic visual effects that created the foundation of what visual artists use today. Finally, in the 2000s, digital visual effects evolved into CGI technology.
How VFX Artists Work
Currently, visual artists use storyboarding, design, camera tracking, lighting, simulation, and rendering techniques. After these steps, the artists use digital composting to create visual effects for movies. VFX software like Rotoscopy combines images to make seamless characters or objects. VFX needs hardware like a green screen or background to make this blending possible. They use green screens to create visual effects and blue screens to hide any distractions like objects and people.
How Visual Effects Influence Movies
VFX makes films entertaining and memorable
Human beings are highly visual and engaging films keep them hooked. VFX creates fantasies that build an emotional connection with audiences. For instance, characters who possess powers make movie lovers relish the feeling of extreme power and immortality. The effects used in such movies leave an entertaining and lasting impression.
VFX builds and strengthens brands
VFX artists use specific color grades and designs to match movie companies and their brands. Marvel movies and other blockbusters are known for their characters and visualizations. Their VFX choices cement a brand’s production company and make movie enthusiasts look forward to future films. Marketers also take advantage of these brands to sell their characters’ merchandise.
VFX gives an overview of your film ideas
Moviemakers use VFX to get a glimpse into their concepts and tease their fanbase. Their fans’ reception of movie trailers reduces the cost of spending lots of money on an entire production. VFX also allows artists to add and change a film’s visual elements.
Conclusion
Film experts traced visual effects to a French innovator who created the first motion camera. His films evolved to the digital composting we see in movies today. VFX allows cinematographers to tell their creative stories and fantasies through post-production edits. VFX artists can create new characters, environments, objects, etc, and remove unwanted content. VFX plays a key role in making blockbusters and action-packed television series.
