Becky: Research into Special Effects.

Special effects are traditionally divided into two categories, optical effects and mechanical effects. With the increasing amount of digital film-making, it is easier to recognize the distinct difference between special effects and visual effects. Visual effects refer to the actual digital post production (raw footage) where as special effects refer to the mechanical effect and change to the film e.g. combining each individual shots together to make a scene which flows and works in sync together.

Since the 1990s, computer generated imagery (CGI) had evolved and improved special effects technologies. CGI gives film-makers greater control and allows many effects to be accomplished more safely and convincingly.

 The most common use of CGI has been to create photographically realistic images of fantasy creations. Images could be created in a computer using the techniques of animated cartoons or model animation which results in films such as ‘Toy Story’ and ‘Chicken run’.

In 1993, computer input devices were used to create the realistic dinosaurs in the famous film directed by Steven Spielberg's, Jurassic Park.

 Special effects (SFX) are used to enhance normal visual effects. Also they are often ‘invisible’; the audiences are unaware that what they are seeing is a special effect. This makes what they are watching e.g. film, feel more realistic, these effects are often used in historical movies, as most commonly the architecture and other surroundings of the chosen era is no longer around this present day. As well as this, special effects are commonly used in space programs/films as the surroundings and situations in them can not be created successfully and realistically in a natural way.

(www.cinemateca.org/movies/special_effects.htm)

 Here are some special effects that are used today:

• Zoom in/out,

• Animation,

• Pace change,

• Inserting specific objects such as animals into the background,

• Create locations,

• Cuts, fading and dissolving,

• Sound adjustments,

• Change in Backgrounds,

• 3D Image Fonts,

• 3D effects e.g. shooting star,

• Overdubbing sounds and picture-in-picture effects,

• Gamma functions (change curves and brightness of objects),

• Create soundtracks and sounds,

• Add additional sounds and songs.

The version I will be using (Magix Movie Edit Pro 11) includes the majority of these special effects. I will be using these special effects to transform the raw data into complex footage.