The Different Types of Visuals Effects in Movies
Directors have all the tools available to them to create
magnificent visual effects to provide the audience with a visually pleasing
movie. With the help from 3Ddesign companies, they are able to create photo-realistic characters and
settings.
The audience has gotten so used to seeing visual effects,
grander then the next one that their expectation from movies and the visual
effects department has increased. Even though movies try to push the boundaries
from time to time, seeing a movie actually do that is quite rare.
For now, movies stick to using three renowned visual effects
techniques, CGI or digital animation, matte paintings, live action effects, and
motion capture effects.
The Four Different Types of Visual Effect Techniques Employed by Movies
Normally, you will see visual effects added to the movie
during the post-production stage. There are some visual effects such as a car
explosion, which are created while the actors and director are on set.
Whether visual effects are created during production or
pre-production stage, the director at both times needs to carefully plan and
execute each visual effect. Here is a
list of the four most commonly used visual effects in movies:
1. CGI or Digital Animation
Digital animation includes particle effects, modeling
(creating a 3D structure using a visual effect program), ray tracing, and CGI
or computer generated imagery. These types of visual effects can be placed either
in the shot or by itself. The titles you see when the movie begins or ends are
created using digital animation.
2. Matte Paintings
Matte paintings go through 3D rendering to create the visual effect. This is
a very old technique, which also goes by the name of in-camera visual effects.
Today, directors hire 3Drendering companies to create the background of the scene. If directors
did not use this technique, it would cost them a lot of money. Can you imagine
the director building an entire roman empire? To avoid going over budget, they
use this technique to build cities and structures that would otherwise be
impossible, not to mention expensive to make.
3. Live Action Visual Effects
Live action visual effects use a blue or green chrome key screen
to film scenes. The 3D artist during the pre-production stage adds the
background and other elements to the scene.
4. Visual Effects Software
Another common and inexpensive way to add effects to the
movie is through visual effects software.
5. Motion Capture
Motion capture or Mo-cap is a visual effects process, which
was used in Avatar. It records the
movement and facial expressions of the actors in the movie. Tiny dots are
placed on the actor’s face, which then capture all the motion. It can also
capture the movement of the props in the film.
Which visual effects impressed you the most? Visual effects
have always been the reason most people anticipate going to the theater to
watch a film.
