Special effects

Which is visual?Which is manual?What does it do?

Optical effects

Mechanical effects

Special effects – not to be confused with visual effects.

Visual – digitally changed

Special- mechanically changed whilst on set.

The different types of special effects.

Optical effects occur when the camera uses a technique, i.e. a multitude of frames to present an special image / shot.

Mechanical effect – usually occurs through a live shooting, i.e. a car chasing scene, a stunt man, prosthetic make up usually helps here.

Computer technology

Has allowed us to use (CGI) computer generated imagery. The computer has basically taken over the role of both optical and mechanical.

How special effects were used?

The worksheet shows a list of some types of SFX that are used.

Hannibal 2001 brains for dinner.Write about the effect used here and type of shot.

watch 6 short scenes from various films, write, OE, ME or CGI for each.

Films OE ME CGI

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

BOTH

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978) - The spores spread.

The trick was used to bring to life the plant-based alien life form. The expansion of the tendrils is a reverse-effect along with the constancy of the zoom,

FILMS 1. Quantum of Solace car chase (full

scene 2. Spiderman 2 Train Scene 3. The Piano - The Scent of Love (Michael

Nyman) 4. The day after tomorrow 5. The Piano - The Scent of Love (Michael

Nyman) Battleship Potemkin - Sergei Eisenstein

Metropolis – Fritz Lang 1926

Watch this scene from Metropolis, predict what the special effect is and how it was used?

Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. Fritz Lang's SF masterpiece has a number of SFX

shots, for e.g. the use of hanging miniatures, miniature sets and a makeshift method of compositing known as the "Schufftan Process", which involved removing strategic areas of silvering from a mirror and projecting 'live' footage onto the other side.

The film is best known for the model work, of which this shot is a particularly fine example. Note that the cars and vans of Lang's future city move at varying speeds and even veer a little to the left or right. Also, the use of bright sunlight captures the scale of a grand metropolis.

Metropolis 1926 view down onto main street

Watch part of this to show how special effects was used.

Metropolis_special effects ( 43 seconds)

Comparing two Special Effect scenes

Before Matrix, Blade Runner, Star Wars and space odyssey, there was Frtiz Lang’s political Metropolis, the first

Sci – Fi film.

Metropolis - Race / Eternal Garden - 3 of 25

Matrix Reloaded Famous Fight Scene

Using the worksheet.

What do you see? How is the special effect used in

these films? In which film is special effects used

in a simple way, in which film is it used easily?

H/W King Kong V’s Jurassic Park How were they

made? How are they

made now?

Sci – fi films – Prediction (optional) Close encounters of the

Third kind. E.T Star wars How were the space ships

made? How was E.T made? TECHNIQUE With Close Encounter “lens

flare” was used. (A technique where light is reflected in to the camera’s lens to show a blurred and flickering object, thus the UFO.

Starter; Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982) -

The Genesis project. How is CGI used here? Excalibur (1981) - Sword withdrawal How is the sword used as a prop for special

effects? Forrest Gump (1994) - Picking up Lt.

Dan Taylor. How are special effects used here to show

Lt Dan’s stumps?

Your chosen filmWatch a scene from your chosen film.

Write about the type of special effect that is used.

where the special effects is used. What effect it gives. What techniques are used.

Are paintings, still images, models, camera with wide screen lens to show panoramic, camera on roll to show movement used