Researched by Heejin Kim

Special Effects


Dictionary Definition of Special Effects

 

A visual effect added to a movie or a taped television show during processing

An effect used to produce scenes that cannot be achieved by normal techniques. (Especially on film)

 

Special Effects

 

The purpose behind using special effects is to raise the impact or level of interest of an image or to produce images that only exist due to the use of such effects for motion pictures, image making, text transformation, changing background, shading, line styles, patterns, multiple, plot symbols, spot light sources and ect. Which means it suggests that the images are intended to entertain viewers rather than serve more serious artistic and professional looks. These graphic special effects are used in architecture, web design, graphic design, electronic games, films, television, simulators for any training, and molecular modeling.

-        Architecture: (CADD), the production of drawings, specifications, parts lists, and other design-related elements using special graphics- and calculations-intensive computer programs. Used in such fields as architecture, electronics, and aerospace, naval, and automotive engineering, CAD systems originally merely automated drafting but now often include three-dimensional modeling.

-        Web design / Graphic design: common graphic softwares such as Illustrator, Photoshop, Image Ready, Image Mixer, Flash, and so on. 

-        Electronic games: device or computer software that provides entertainment.  Most of their appeal comes from the computer program that synchronizes flashing lights and a variety of sounds with the action portrayed on a graphic display.

-        Simulators: complete with a replica of an aircraft's cockpit, simulates an aircraft's rolling, pitching, and yawing motions. A computer coordinates the instrument readings, the training personกฏs control inputs, and the position of the simulator, information about the aircraft's characteristics, and information about the terrain over which it is supposed to be flying.

-        Molecular modeling: the computer simulation, by various means, of chemical structures or processes. Special computer-graphics programs can display three-dimensional images of molecular structures and chemical processes, showing the distances and angles of chemical bonds and the modifications that result when atoms or groups of atoms are introduced or substituted.

 

Special Effects In Movie

 

In motion pictures, cinematographic techniques that create illusions in the audience's minds. Two common examples are the use of rear-screen projections, in which previously photographed material is projected behind the actors, and the filming of miniature objects in such a way that they look life-size. Disaster films, horror movies, and science-fiction movies are three genres that often depend on elaborate special effects. Such effects were used dramatically in the Star Wars movie trilogy, in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, Water world and Sphere.

 

Special Effects In Photograph

 

-  A precise definition of what comes under the heading of special effects is difficult to give because some manifestation of a special effect can be found in most photographs. Although one can safely assume that "special effects" are not involved when the resulting photograph closely resembles the scene being photographed, when it is as accurate a record of the original scene as a two dimensional representation of a three dimensional scene allows, if it is an instantaneous and sharp record, if it was not manipulated after the image was recorded, and if it appears to be natural and unmanipulated, even in this case certain special effects could have been used by the photographer to achieve this look of naturalness and spontaneity.

-  It can be classified according to a variety of criteria. Some occur prior to the making of the photograph. Others are used during photography and yet a third class of special effect is that which is accomplished by modifying the original image after the initial photograph is recorded. They could also be classified based on the procedures used or the technology involved. The techniques can be optical, chemical, physical, photographic, electronic, or combinations of these methods.

-  A special effect that is used so frequently that it becomes commonplace tends to no longer be considered a special effect. Not only has this technology allowed for improved quality in creating traditional effects but also it has made possible the creation of images that were totally impossible in the past. In spite of this, however, because computer generated special effects require expensive computer equipment and computer skills, there use by photographers is limited. Only special effects produced by standard methods by still photographers will be considered here.

 

 

Special Effects are both an art and a science. The "science" part involves the complete understanding of how the audio-visual sensory parts of our body and brain perceive the world around us, while the "art" part involves the strategic use of this information to fool the sensory system.

 

Special Effects is the best example of an IMAX crossover film to date--one that will have wide audience appeal in both the education and entertainment marketplaces.


Special Effects received exceptional backing from numerous
Hollywood studios and archives, which allowed a treasure trove of footage and artifacts to appear in the film. In fact, Special Effects have been designated as an official project of the Motion Picture Centennial, an international celebration of the first 100 years of cinema.

 

 

 

Links

 

http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/WD-SVG-19990211/filters.html

http://www.tmann.com/gfx/

http://www.webreference.com/graphics/

http://www.cybmotion.com/index.html