Difference Between Special VFX and Visual Effect

3 Stages of Special VFX and Visual Effect in Filmmaking

In Special VFX and Visual Effect there are 3 stages to film-making: Pre-production, Production and Post-production.

Many filmmakers are in a perpetual pre-production stage. Pre-production is the stage where you try and convince everyone that your film (Make a 3D Animation Movie) is about to start shooting. It’s the nerve-wracking stage where you wait for financial commitments to materialize in your bank, and for cast and crew to agree that they will definitely turn up.

During production everything happens at once. The actors, lights, camera, props, schedule, film stock, egos, temper tantrums, and all the rest. Production, although typically presented as being fun and joyous.

Post-production, somehow, is the part of the process that intimidates people most. Remember, it is not difficult. Production is massively difficult. Post-production is not, as long as you take it step by step. Your first phone call will probably be to your cinematographer who, although he/she hates you, will be able to introduce you to several good editors.

There are mainly two types of effects uses in post production.

Special effects(sfx) are practical (props, make-up, animatronics, pyrotechnical, etc.), made on set during production.

VFX are digital, made on a computer in post production.

Many people think that Special effects (SFX) and visual effects (VFX) are the same thing but when you look into it you can see that it is not.

SFX is when things are recorded on scene but VFX are done in the computer. It varies from one film to another weather the filmmakers use SFX or VFX. It often depends on the budget that the movie gets.In Special VFX and Visual Effect there are 3 stages to film-making: Pre-production, Production and Post-production.

Often explosions in movies are computer edited but if the movie is expensive and has a high budget, the filmmakers use real explosions if it is possible, that was the case in Batman: The Dark Knight, where a hospital was blown to pieces. SFX cost significantly more than VFX though the programs for VFX can be very expensive. It is not always possible to blow up buildings because they are in the middle of cities.

Batman: The Dark Knight

In some movies or disaster movies like they are called famous buildings are blown up and of course, that has to be computer edited. A good example of this is in the movie clover field where the statue of liberty in New York is destroyed. SFX don´t always stand alone, sometimes SFX are used to make something very realistic under and then VFX are used emphasize things that SFX can’t do, that’s an example were VFX and SFX are used together.

In Special VFX and Visual Effect, there are 3 stages to film-making: Pre-production, Production and Post-production.

Clover field

Good example of this is when the octopus in Pirates of the Caribbean grabs a pirate with his tentacles; if you look at the unedited version you see that a rope grabs the pirate and when it is edited the rope looks like a tentacle.

SFX are not only explosions though they are a popular example, they are often connected to stunts and other scenes that effect the environment. Because when for example a car blows up it is destroyed in real life but when a car explosion is edited the car is obviously ok in real life.

“Blood pockets” are a SFX, the blood pockets are put into peoples clothes, so when people get shot in movies the blood pocket explodes so it looks like a real shooting and then you don´t have to computer edit the blood.

To simplify SFX are all scenes that are recorded on set and it is not necessary to computer edit them at all. But VFX are scenes that are necessary to record on set and then computer edit.

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