Visual effects - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/Visual_effects

Visual effects
Visual effects (abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context
of a live action shot in film making.

Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage (special effects) and generated imagery (digital effects)
to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, expensive, impractical, time consuming or
impossible to capture on film. Visual effects using computer-generated imagery (CGI) have recently become
accessible to the independent filmmaker with the introduction of affordable and easy-to-use animation and
compositing software.

Contents
Timing
Categories
Types
See also
Further reading
External links

Timing
Visual effects are often integral to a movie's story and appeal. Although most visual effects work is completed
during post-production, it usually must be carefully planned and choreographed in pre-production and production.
Visual effects primarily executed in post-production with the use of multiple tools and technologies such as graphic
design, modeling, animation and similar software, while special effects such as explosions and car chases are made
on set. A visual effects supervisor is usually involved with the production from an early stage to work closely with
production and the film's director design, guide and lead the teams required to achieve the desired effects.

Many studios are specialized in the field of visual effects areas, among which: Digital Domain, DreamWorks
Animation, Framestore, Weta Digital, Industrial Light & Magic, and Moving Picture Company.

Categories
Visual effects primarily divides into two groups of:

1. Special effects: It covers any visual effects that take place in live action, e.g. on set explosions or stunt
performances.
2. Digital effects (commonly shortened to digital FX or FX): It covers the various processes by which imagery is
created or manipulated with or from photographic assets. Digital Effects often involve the integration of still
photography and computer-generated imagery (CGI) to create environments which look realistic but would be
dangerous, costly, or impossible to capture in camera. FX is usually associated with the still photography world
in contrast to visual effects which is associated with motion film production. Digital FX also divides into
different subgroups of professions such as:

Matte paintings and stills: digital or traditional paintings or photographs which serve as background plates for

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3D characters, particle effects, digital sets, backgrounds.

Motion capture (Mo-Cap for short): The process of recording the movements of objects and or people. In a
session of motion capture, the subject whose motion is being captured is recorded and sampled many times
per second by different scanners placed all over the environment. There are different types of systems that
read the actor's movement. One of which is the optical method that uses tracking cameras that lock onto
specialized markers placed over the actor's motion capture suit. The other type of method is called the non-
optical method where instead of capturing the markers location in space, it recorders and measures the inertia
and mechanical motion in the area. This type of motion capture doesn’t just apply to the body, but can be used
to track the facial movements and expressions of an actor and transfer them to a 3d model later on in the
pipeline. The same type of concept of using markers to track motion is used, but more often than not, the
actor's face will have painted dots on their face rather than ball shaped markers. Not only is the actor's
movements recorded in this process, but the movement of the camera is also recorded, which allows editors
to use this data to enhance the environment the motion captured set is imagined in. Once all of this is
captured, the motion captured data is mapped to a virtual skeleton using software such as Autodesk's
MotionBuilder or other software of choice.
Modelling: Creating 3D models of props or characters using specialised software.
Animation: Assign movements for any objects and characters in 2D or 3D.
Compositing: Combining visual elements from different sources to create the illusion that all those elements
are parts of the same scene.

Types
VFX can be categorized into:

Simulation FX
Animation
Modelling
Matte painting
Compositing

See also
Animation
Match moving
Bluescreen/greenscreen
Compositing
Computer-generated imagery
Front projection effect
Interactive video compositing
Matte painting
Physical effects, another category of special effects
Optics#Visual effects
Rear projection effect
Special effects
VFX Creative Director
Visual Effects Society

Further reading
The VES Handbook of Visual Effects: Industry Standard VFX Practices and Procedures, Jeffrey A. Okun &
Susan Zwerman, Publisher: Focal Press 2010
T. Porter and T. Duff, "Compositing Digital Images", Proceedings of SIGGRAPH '84, 18 (1984).

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The Art and Science of Digital Compositing (ISBN 0-12-133960-2)

McClean, Shilo T. (2007). Digital Storytelling: The Narrative Power of Visual Effects in Film. The MIT Press.
ISBN 0-262-13465-9.
Mark Cotta Vaz; Craig Barron: The Invisible Art: The Legends of Movie Matte Painting. San Francisco, Cal.:
Chronicle Books, 2002; ISBN 0-8118-3136-1
Peter Ellenshaw; Ellenshaw Under Glass – Going to the Matte for Disney (http://www.ellenshaw.com
/bk_Under_Glass.htm)
Richard Rickitt: Special Effects: The History and Technique. Billboard Books; 2nd edition, 2007;
ISBN 0-8230-8408-6.
Patel, Mayur (2009). The Digital Visual Effects Studio: The Artists and Their Work Revealed.
ISBN 1-4486-6547-7.

External links
WikiFX (https://wiki-fx.net/) Check out thousands of VFX Breakdowns and learn all the secrets behind your
favorite movies and TV series | wiki-fx.net
Visual Effects News (http://www.animationboss.net/category/vfx-breakdown/) Animation boss
Take Five Minutes to Watch 100 Years of Visual Effects (https://gizmodo.com/5347365/take-five-minutes-to-
watch-100-years-of-visual-effects?autoplay=true) by Rosa Golijan – Gizmodo.com – August 27, 2009

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This page was last edited on 16 February 2019, at 05:00 (UTC).

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