The 50 Most Frequently Asked Questions On

Movie Special Effects

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Copyright 2012 Daniel Sudhakar. All Rights Reserved.
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1. What is meant by the term !ovie Spe"ial #$$e"ts%&
The specific techni#ues that filmmakers use to make audiences see
and believe something that really isn,t there are termed as -.ovie
/pecial Effects,. !or e0ample* we know that dinosaurs don,t e0ist
anywhere on earth today &at least we assume they don,t'* and yet we
see a variety of dinosaurs parading onscreen in movies like 1urassic
2ark and 3ing 3ong. (ow how do the filmmakers show things on
screen that don,t e0ist at present in reality4 5e know that humans
don,t fly or crawl up walls* and yet we see our superheroes doing
those very things on a movie screen. 6ow do they manage to take
such shots and make them look so convincing4 5ell* the e0act
techni#ues that are employed to bring such magic onto the movie
screen are what are termed as -.ovie /pecial Effects,.
2. What are the various types o$ movie spe"ial e$$e"ts&
There is a wide range of effects that is used in the industry today. )ou
have makeup effects* +7 or computer generated imagery*
compositing* puppetry and animatronics* motion control* miniature 8
model making* matte paintings &both traditional and digital'*
pyrotechnics* stunt effects* sound effects and a lot of other effects
techni#ues. )ou also have a number of obsolete techni#ues like front 8
back pro9ection* cel animation* clay animation* stop-motion : go-
motion animation which are seldom used today. The list keeps growing
as time goes by* and sometimes older techni#ues give way to newer
and more sophisticated ones.
'. Whi"h is the most popular and (idely used e$$e"ts
te"hni)ue&
Effects techni#ues are usually used in combination for any given shot*
and are seldom used in isolation. %nd there is no effect that can be
singled out as the most used techni#ue. But the one !0 techni#ue that
can come close to being labeled as the -most widely used, is
"ompositing. +ompositing is the techni#ue whereby two shots are
superimposed one over the other to form a composite shot. This
techni#ue has been used for more than half a century and has
survived all technological innovations.
*. Whi"h is the best (ay to learn movie spe"ial e$$e"ts&
%s mentioned earlier* there is a wide range of effects that is used in
the industry today. )ou have to first see which particular !0 techni#ue
suits your taste* knowledge and skill. 5hich is the one techni#ue that
you would want to focus on and become a master of4 ;nce you
determine that* you can find books and (ebsites that shed more
light on the topic. )ou can also search for a $ilm s"hool that offers a
course on your particular field of interest.
+. ,o( does one get into the spe"ial e$$e"ts industry&
The !0 industry is one of the most competitive arenas in the entire film
industry. Techni#ues keep changing and evolving at a rapid pace. The
techni#ues used in other disciplines like acting* script-writing or
directing don,t change as rapidly as the ones in the !0 industry. To
e0cel in this industry* you have to be constantly improvising and
keeping up-to-date with the evolving technologies almost on an annual
basis. This is not intended to scare you* but the truth has to be
mentioned nevertheless. 2eople who cannot ride the cutting edge of
technology will find enormous pressure 9ust to survive in this industry.
That being said* there is a lot of scope for talented people who e0cel in
their work and would love to constantly learn new things on the 9ob. 7f
you e0cel in any particular discipline of special effects* one of the first
things to do is create a portfolio of your work on +D or D<D and try to
send it to !0 houses around the country. )ou can also post samples of
your work on the 5eb. The more you make yourself known* the better
the chances of someone in the industry spotting you. )ou can also
apply for internship programs offered by many studios. Enrolling in a
course in a $ilm s"hool might also put you in touch with people in the
industry. 7f you are talented and if you are persistent* you can get into
the industry eventually.
-. .s there a di$$eren"e bet(een the terms spe"ial e$$e"ts% and
visual e$$e"ts%&
5hile these terms are more often used synonymously* there is indeed
a subtle difference between them. 5hile the term -special effects,
covers the entire gamut of techni#ues employed in the !0 industry* the
term -visual effects, refers to those specific !0 that fall into the -optical,
category. !or instance* computer animation would come under -visual
effects, while puppetry* pyrotechnics or miniature 8 model making
wouldn,t. 7n general* !0 that are more mechanical in nature would not
be classified under -visual effects,* while those that are more optical
would come under that category.
/. .s there a se)uen"e in (hi"h 01 are done in a movie&
!or more practical reasons* !0 techni#ues are split into 2re-production*
;n-production* and 2ost-production !0. %ll the !0 that need to be done
before principal shooting begins* are completed first. !or instance*
miniature 8 model making* set creation* props* makeup and all other
!0 that have to be done before the filming begins* would come under
this category. !0 that are employed on the set during the shoot are
done ne0t. 2yrotechnics and various weather !0* motion control* stunt
!0* animatronics and a host of other things that are done in real time
as the cameras roll would come under this category. !inally* !0 that
are done after the actors and shooting crew pack up and leave are
done last. +7* compositing* sound !0 and everything else that is done
with and to the film reel on hand would come under this last category.
This way of se#uencing the !0 helps the technical crew divide the 9ob
and work out a time schedule. !or instance* all the 2re-production !0
have to be given priority and work on them have to start first* whereas
2ost-production !0 and the crew re#uired for that 9ob can be brought
in much later. 7n fact* until filming is over and the film reel made
available* the 2ost-production team will not have anything to work on.
/o* this method of segregating the !0 work into 2re-production* ;n-set
and 2ost-production !0 helps filmmakers logistically plan and utili=e
their resources to the ma0imum.
2. What is meant by 0ront or 3a"k 4ro5e"tion&
This is a techni#ue used for combining live action with e0isting
footage. The footage is pro9ected on a translucent screen and the live
action is enacted in front of the screen* and both together are captured
on camera. The position of the pro9ector before or behind the screen
determines whether it is front or back pro9ection.
!or instance* to take a shot of a car cruising on a highway using back
pro9ection* you can park a car inside a studio* and position it 9ust in
front of a pro9ection screen. % live footage of the highway is pro9ected
onto the screen from a pro9ector placed behind the screen. The car* its
occupants and the footage are then filmed together by positioning a
camera in front of the car. The resultant footage looks as if the car is
cruising on the highway.
This techni#ue was used almost till the >?,s and was later replaced by
the more sophisticated techni#ue of compositing. 7t was used most
often when conversation between the actors in the car had to be
recorded without much e0ternal disturbance. By taking the entire shot
inside a studio* the filmmaker had more control over the environment
and could record a sound track with much more clarity than if it were
done outdoors on a real highway. Though it made things simpler for
filmmakers* it was at the e0pense of realism.
6. What are 3lue S"reen and 7reen S"reen& What are they used
$or&
/uppose you have an e0isting footage of some e0otic location like the
rand +anyon. )ou now want to superimpose an actor over that
footage* so that it looks as if the actor is on location* at the canyon.
)ou can film the actor inside a studio and merge this shot with the
rand +anyon footage.
(ow the space surrounding the actor has to be transparent for the
mountains to show through. To create this transparent area* you can
film the actor in front of a screen that is either blue or green in color.
That is the reason why these are called Blue or reen /creen shots.
;nce the shot is filmed* the blue or green regions of the film can be
erased and made transparent so that the background detail can show
through.
10. What is Compositing& What is it used $or&
7n @A* we saw the use of front 8 back pro9ection. The same effect can
be achieved by means of compositing* but with much greater clarity
and realism to the shot. +ompositing is the techni#ue whereby two
shots are superimposed one over the other to form a composite shot.
The two shots can be merged together optically through an optical
printer or digitally using composing software.
1ust as in back pro9ection* the car is stationary inside the studio. But
the screen behind the car is not a pro9ection screen onto which the
background footage is screened as in the back pro9ection techni#ue*
but rather a plain blue or green screen.
The floor on which the car is parked can also be blue or green so that
the entire car is surrounded by this uniform color. !rom the camera,s
perspective* the shot looks like this.
The background scenery footage is not mi0ed live while the car is
being filmed. The background footage is kept separate and looks like
this.
%fter the filming is completed* during the post-production phase* the
two footages are composited together either optically or digitally after
erasing the blue8green portion of the foreground footage* and the final
scene looks like this.
% lot of care has to be taken while filming the car inside the studio.
The direction and intensity of the lighting has to match that of the
scenery footage as closely as possible to make the composite shot look
real. The camera angles and the focal length of the lenses also have to
match perfectly to get the correct perspective. 7f done accurately*
audiences simply won,t be able to distinguish between a composite !B
shot and a normal shot of a car at the actual location. 7n fact in most
movies* special effects shots like these go unnoticed. They look so real
that audiences don,t reali=e that they are viewing an !0 shot.
11. What is Animation&
7f we analy=e a strip of film reel* we would find that each consecutive
frame of the reel would depict progressive stages of movement of the
characters* fro=en in time. These frames of film had been captured
using a movie camera. But that need not be the case always. 7nstead
of using real life sub9ects before the camera* drawings and paintings
depicting progressive action can also be captured using a movie
camera* one frame at a time. 5hen this reel is pro9ected onto the
movie screen* the drawings and paintings magically come alive. %ll
cartoon movies use this particular techni#ue. /ince these drawings and
paintings are made on celluloid film* it is termed as -+el, animation
12. What is 2D animation&
%ny drawing or painting that one does on a plain surface* like a paper
or canvas* lies on a flat surface that has only two dimension i.e. length
and breadth. The third dimension of depth that we e0perience in real
life has to be depicted using perspective* where closer ob9ects are
drawn bigger and ob9ects further away are drawn smaller.
% sense of depth can also be brought about by adding shadows and
subtle shading to the characters. %nimation that is done primarily
using flat surfaces* relying on special shading techni#ues and
perspective to bring about the sense of depth* is known as CD
animation.
1'. What is Clay Animation&
/ometimes clay models and puppets are used instead of pictures* to
create animated movies. The models have to be positioned and posed
depicting progressive action and shot one frame at a time using a
movie camera. This techni#ue is known as stop-motion animation. ;ne
of the drawbacks of this techni#ue is that the film looks a little 9erky.
To overcome this problem* the models are moved at the precise time
of film e0posure to introduce a slight motion blur in the frame to
smoothen the action. This techni#ue is known as go-motion animation.
2hil Tippet pioneered this techni#ue while filming DThe Empire /trikes
BackE.
1*. What is 'D Animation&
FD animation uses all the three dimensions of space i.e. length*
breadth and depth. 7t doesn,t depend on a flat surface as does CD
animation. 7n fact* +lay %nimation is a form of FD animation since it is
created in real FD space. This creates an enhanced sense of realism
due to natural shadows* real shading and true depth in the scene. FD
animation can also be created using a computer.
1+. What is Computer Animation&
%nimation is a labor-intensive process. /ome of the processes in the
animation pipeline are a little repetitive and mechanical in nature.
These processes have now been relegated to a computer* thereby
relieving the artists to concentrate on the artistic aspects of animation.
This kind of animation is known as +omputer %nimation* where the
computer aids the artists in the animation process pipeline. Both CD as
well as FD animation can be done using computers.
1-. What is 4uppetry&
The art of animating puppets is known as puppetry. 2uppets find a
wide range of application in !0 shots. They are normally controlled
using wires and rods manipulated by off-screen puppeteers. /imple
puppets can be articulated by a single person* but comple0 ones might
need more than one puppeteer to animate them convincingly.
/ome puppets are so elaborately built that it would take an entire
team of puppeteers to bring the puppet to life. ;ne person might be
assigned to each limb* one might work on facial e0pressions* one on
the eyelids* another on breathing movements and so on.
1/. What is Animatroni"s&
%nimatronics is another kind of puppetry. But instead of using wires
and rods to animate the puppet* servo motors are used in the 9oints to
move the puppets and elaborate electronic circuits or computers are
used to control them. This method of using electronics for animation is
termed as animatronics. The puppets can be filmed live as well as
using stop-motion techni#ues. !amous e0amples of !0 movies
featuring puppets are %liens* 3ing 3ong &GH>I'* +lose Encounters of
the Third 3ind and E.T. all created by +arlo "ambaldi.
7n fact for 3ing 3ong* "ambaldi created a life-si=e arm of 3ong that
was electronically activated* but manually controlled by five
technicians* one for each giant fingerJ Bob .attey was another great
animatronic puppet maker who created the life-si=e animatronic s#uid
for C?*??? Keagues $nder The /ea* and the shark for 1aws. The
current reigning wi=ard in this art form is /tan 5inston who created
the T-"e0 and other animatronic dinosaurs for 1urassic 2ark.
12. What is !otion Control&
5hen compositing one shot over another* the camera movement in
both shots has to be precisely identical to make the composite shot
look realistic. %ny discrepancy in the movement would make the shot
look fake. To synchroni=e the movements of both cameras* a computer
controlled rig is used to move the cameras with pinpoint precision. This
techni#ue is known as motion control and was pioneered by 1ohn
Dykstra for /tar 5ars Episode 7< in the late >?,s.
16. What is Rotos"oping&
This involves the tracing of shapes and figures from live action footage
for a variety of reasons. The earliest application of rotoscoping was
tracing live actors, body movements from live footage to create
cartoon character movements. +reating lifelike movement solely
depending on the animators, skill was e0tremely difficult. "otoscoping
provided a means of translating a live actor,s body movement onto a
cartoon character. "otoscoping is also used for creating hold-out
mattes for digital compositing.
20. What are !atte 4aintings and (here are they used&
.atte paintings are an alternative to miniatures. The entire
background for the scene is painted on a rectangular piece of glass*
and forms the backdrop for the live action shot. These paintings are
very elaborate and look e0tremely lifelike. The foreground action is
shot against a blank screen either blue or green in color. Then the
matte painting alone is shot with a separate camera. Both the shots
are then combined by compositing them together.
Earlier* matte paintings used to be done manually by artists on glass.
The painting being a still image re#uired the camera shooting it to stay
stationary as well. (owadays* matte paintings are done in FD using
computers. /ince they are FD environments* the cameras are free to
move inside these environments and the shots have no space
limitations whatsoever.
21. Apart $rom !ath and S"ien"e8 (hat other sub5e"t is
involved in movie spe"ial e$$e"ts&
+hemistry plays a huge role in many different disciplines of /pecial
Effects. 7n fact +hemistry is involved to a large e0tent in .akeup
effects. /pecial chemicals are used to create synthetic skin* fake blood*
fake body parts and many other props used for special effects. .any of
these techni#ues are used for effects used in horror movie.
22. ,o( are !akeup 01 used in movies&
.akeup has been around from the earliest days of theatre. The theatre
artists often used a lot of makeup to make the facial e0pressions look
more dramatic. The same tradition followed once motion picture came
into the scene. /ome movies re#uired special kinds of makeup than
the rest. 7n fact a lot of monster and horror movies have relied on
special makeup effects to a very great e0tent. Back in the old days
they had to rely on 9ust powder and grease paint for makeup !0. But
now* the art of !0 makeup has advanced to a very high degree of
realism with the use of foam* li#uid late0 and other special materials.
2'. ,o( are hair8 $ur and other te1tures "reated by makeup
artists&
.ost often* real or artificial hair and furs are used and sewn one strand
at a time into the base to create realistic looking te0tures. The process
is very time-consuming and painstaking. E0tremely skilled artists are
employed to create life-like te0tures for most of these makeup effects.
2*. Can the same hair and $ur e$$e"ts be generated using
"omputers&
+omputer software packages have become so sophisticated that hair*
fur and a number of other te0tures can be simulated with life-like
realism. +omputers software can also make the hair and fur move
realistically in relation to the body,s movement* the impact of wind and
various other physical parameters.
2+. What is 4yrote"hni"s& What is it used $or&
2yrotechnics is the art of creating fireworks in a controlled
environment. 7t is more of a science that makes use of materials that
are capable of undergoing self-contained and self-sustained
e0othermic chemical reactions that produce spectacular firework
displays. +hemistry once again plays a huge role here. %part from
fireworks* pyrotechnics are also used to create smoke* fog and even
certain sound effects.
2-. What are Stunt 01&
%ction movies rely on outrageous stunts. .ost of them can be very
dangerous or even prove fatal if something goes wrong. /tunt men of
the bygone days literally risked their lives while performing their
stunts.
(owadays* even though the stunts are e#ually dangerous* they are
more scientifically coordinated and the outcomes are relatively more
predictable. /tunt coordinators nowadays use computer-controlled rigs
and harnesses to guide the action of the actors* so that every
movement is precisely controlled and e0ecuted as planned.
/uch advancements have raised the limits of comple0ity of the stunts
dramatically and brought about thrilling and outrageous stunts onto
the movie screen. /tunt !0 coupled with visual !0 have spawned a new
breed of movies like the .atri0 and the /piderman series.
2/. What are Sound 01&
The background sounds that we hear in a movie can be as simple as
footsteps created by !oley artists or the e0tremely synthesi=ed sounds
like those of the light sabers used in /tar 5ars.
!0 technicians use synthesi=ers and mi0ers to concoct their own
sounds. They also mi0 them with natural sounds recorded live* to
make the !0 sound more real. /ound !0 have gained a lot of
importance as they keep pace with the visual effects they compliment.
22. What are !iniatures 9 !odels used $or&
+reating full-scale models for filming can be #uite e0pensive and time-
consuming. .oreover* the comple0ity of the pro9ect goes up
dramatically. /ometimes the script might need an alien landscape that
is hundreds of acres wide. +reating such a huge set would be #uite
impossible. The best alternative is creating miniatures and filming
them from a close-up angle to make them look life-si=e. /paceships*
alien creatures* alien landscapes and cityscapes can all be built easily
using this techni#ue.
26. ,o( are people made to look smaller on the s"reen than
they really are&
7n the movie DKittle .anE* .arlon 5ayans plays +alvin /imms* a dwarf
9ust C ft I inches tall. /ince .arlon 5ayans is not a dwarf in real life*
special effects techni#ues had to be used to help him play the role of a
dwarf.
Two actors eventually had to play the role. The scenes were first
filmed with Kinden 2orco* a nine-year-old >L cm &C ft I in' tall dwarf
actor interacting with the other actors in the set. Kater* .arlon 5ayans
alone was shot against a green screen wearing a green skin-tight suit.
5hen the green was removed* only .arlon 5ayans, head remained in
the shot. 7n post-production* 2orcoMs head was replaced with .arlon,s
from the green screen shots. 2orcoMs body was also painted brown to
match .arlonMs face.
5hile computer technology enables us to erase and replace heads
today* such conveniences were not available even two decades ago.
!ilmmakers had to rely on another techni#ue known as !orced
2erspective to shrink or enlarge actors on screen.
'0. What is 0or"ed 4erspe"tive& Where is it used&
!orced perspective is an ingenious techni#ue used to create the illusion
of large space within a confined area. ;b9ects seem to look smaller as
they recede into the background. % si0 foot tall person standing a few
feet from the camera and a huge mountain G? miles away would be
the same height due to perspective. To recreate this scene inside a
small studio* you can place a I foot tall painting of a mountain 9ust
behind the person* and make the artificial set seem to e0tend for G?
miles.
'1. ,o( is 0or"ed 4erspe"tive used to shrink or enlarge a"tors&
!orced perspective can create the illusion of different si=e based on the
distance of a sub9ect from the camera. % person standing close to the
camera will look larger than life* while a person standing very far away
will look like a miniature. 5atch this video to understand more about
!orced 2erspective and how it can be used to shrink or enlarge actors
on screen.
7f you wish to watch more videos like this* subscribe to the /pecial
Effects <ideo /eries.
'2. ,o( are a"tors made to $ly on s"reen&
5hile a number of movies re#uire actors to fly or float in the air* it is
not possible to create a =ero-gravity environment inside a studio to
shoot such scenes. .ost often* actors are suspended from the ceiling
using wirework. E0tremely thin but strong wires are attached to a body
harness which holds the actors, body in midair. There are sophisticated
Digital 5inch /ystems using pulleys and wires that can make the actor
move through the air precisely following a predetermined path. .ovies
like /uperman* .atri0 and other space movies which have numerous
flying shots use such wire rigs to simulate flight. .any of these
systems are nowadays controlled using computers. The use of
computer-controlled rigs enables technicians to make the rig repeat
the same motion accurately on every single take. This can prove very
helpful in certain shots where precise movement of the rig is re#uired
time after time. 5atch this video to understand how these rigs work.
''. What is !otion Capture& What is it used $or&
.otion capture is the process of recording the movement of an actor
or any moving ob9ect* and translating that movement to a digital
character created inside a computer. $sing this process* a +
character created using computer software can be made to move in
sync with a live actor,s movements. 7n other words* the live actor,s
body movement is captured and then transferred onto the +
character. %part from body movement* even facial e0pressions can be
captured and transferred onto + characters. 7n this case* the process
is known as performance capture. .ovies like %vatar used both motion
capture as well as performance capture e0tensively to animate the
real* life-like* central characters of the movie. 5atch this wonderful
video that sheds more light on the sub9ect.
7f you wish to watch more videos like this* subscribe to the /pecial
Effects <ideo /eries.
'*. ,o( does a $ilmmaker "hoose bet(een C7.8 old s"hool
te"hni)ues or a "ombination o$ both to shoot a parti"ular
Spe"ial #$$e"ts shot&
% number of factors can influence a filmmaker,s decision on the effects
techni#ue to be used for a particular shot. !irst of all* the director or
his effects team would want to use a techni#ue that they are
comfortable with. Budget considerations would play an important role
in the decision. Time constraints could impose restrictions and make
them favor one techni#ue over the other. /afety concerns* feasibility
and the overall result of the techni#ues involved would also influence
the decision. /o there could be a number of factors that persuade or
force a filmmaker to choose a particular techni#ue for a specific shot.
'+. ,o( do you make something appear $rom no(here8 out o$
the blue&
%s early as the late GA??s* a !renchman by the name of eorge
.elies* often called the !ather of /pecial Effects* invented the stop edit
or the 9ump cut. $sing this techni#ue* it is possible to make things
appear out of nowhere* or to make them vanish into this air. 5atch
this video to see how this techni#ue works.
'-. ,o( does 'D (ork&
5e see the world around us in three dimensions N namely height*
width and depth. % movie screen however has only height and width.
7t lacks the third dimension of depth. "egular movies therefore look
flat. !ilmmakers have come up with ingenious ways to introduce depth
on a flat screen.
5e see the third dimension of depth because of the way in which our
eyes and mind work. Every normal human being has a pair of eyes
separated by a distance of about IL mm. The different vantage point
of each eye makes it see a slightly different version of the same scene
that the other eye is seeing.
To understand this effect* place an open book about three feet away
from you and then hold a pencil vertically about two inches in front of
your nose. 5hen you close your right eye and see with your left* you
will see the pencil in front of the right page of the book. 5hen you
close your left eye and see with your right* you will see the pencil in
front of the left page of the book. This shows that each eye sees a
slightly different picture of the same scene.

Keft Eye 7mage "ight Eye 7mage
Both these images are fed to the visual corte0 of the brain* which
analyses these subtle differences in the left and right images and then
gives us the perception of depth. /o* it is the brain that helps us to
perceive the world around us in FD.
7f we can artificially feed each eye with a separate image with these
subtle differences* then the brain will interpret it correctly and give us
the impression of seeing a FD image.
'/. ,o( are 'D movies made&
/ince each eye has to see a different image* two cameras are used to
shoot a FD movie. The camera lenses are placed about IL mm apart
to mimic the distance between our eyes. 7n the movie theatre* these
two separate images are pro9ected onto the movie screen. Through a
number of different techni#ues like using polari=ed or anaglyph
glasses* each eye is made to see only the image pro9ected by its
corresponding pro9ector. This gives the perception of depth while
watching a FD movie.
'2. Can regular movies be "onverted to 'D&
)es* regular movies can indeed be converted to a FD format. 6owever*
the conversion process is cumbersome* time-consuming and
e0pensive. %fter the FD success of %vatar* a number of filmmakers are
9umping on the FD bandwagon. Even older CD movies are now being
converted to FD. 2opular movies like /tar 5ars are now being
converted to a FD format for re-release.
'6. ,o( are bla"k:and:(hite movies "onverted to "olor&
There are a good number of old classics that people love to watch all
over again. But many of them have been shot in black-and-white.
.any studios have made the effort to have them converted to full color
films. This is a laborious process which involves going frame-by-frame
over the entire movie and coloring each frame one at a time.

+omputers have helped speedup the process considerably. .ost static
scenes have very less change in detail from one frame to the ne0t.
%rtists can color one frame and let the computer use those colors to fill
up other similar frames in the shot. .oreover* the black-and-white
frames also have all the brightness and contrast details. The artists
only need to choose the appropriate color to fill different areas of the
frame.
%lthough the work that needs to be done on a single frame is
considerably reduced* thanks to the computer* the number of frames
for the entire movie can be enormous. .otion picture is filmed at the
rate of CO frames per second. ;ne minute of film contains GOO?
frames. %n hour of film contains AI*O?? frames. /ome old movies run
for more than two hours. The number of frames would appropriately
increase. That is what makes coloring these movies e0tremely time-
consuming.
*0. What are ;on:linear editing systems&
Before the entry of computers into the movie making industry* editing
was done using film reels and magnetic tapes. /ince the scenes were
recorded in se#uence on film or tape* you had to run through the reel
to get to a particular se#uence. These systems gave access to the
shots in a linear fashion.
5hen computers entered the post-production arena* the shots could
be digiti=ed and stored on computer hard drives. 7t was now possible
to 9ump to any shot stored inside the computer without having to go
through the other shots in se#uence as in a reel. These systems were
therefore called as non-linear editing systems. The difference between
linear and non-linear editing systems is analogous to how we get to a
particular song in a cassette tape and an K2 record.
*1. ,o( to setup an 01 Studio at home&
% few years back* e0pensive hardware and software were re#uired to
produce decent !0 work. .ost of the !0 were carried out on high-end
graphics machines like /7 workstations. (ow* most of the software
have been ported to the 2+ environment* and hence the cost of setting
up a 6ome !0 /tudio is within almost everyone,s reach.
% 5indows 2+ or .ac with good processing power* sufficient "%. and
large amounts of storage space is an absolute must for your 6ome !0
/tudio. % FD animation software like .aya or FD/ .a0 can be used for
the animation work. %n !0 software like %dobe %fterEffects*
+ommotion or +ombustion can be used for post-production !0. %nd
!inal +ut 2ro or %dobe 2remiere can be used for editing. )ou would
also need a blue 8 green screen studio* a good D< camera for filming
your shots and some basic lighting e#uipment. The rest is up to you to
learn how to put these tools to effective use* write some outrageous !0
scripts and start making your own !0 shots. 5ith these tools* you are
more than e#uipped to churn out good #uality !0 films that would
make everyone sit up and take notice.
*2. ,o( to build a 7reen S"reen Studio&
There are a number of vendors that sell green screen e#uipment.
reen screens come in a variety of formats. )ou have green paper*
green cloth and even green paint from which you can create the green
background needed for your studio. 5atch this video to learn more
about green screens.
!or more green screen videos click here - /pecial Effects <ideo /eries.
*'. ,o( to light green s"reens $or the best e$$e"t&
reen screens should be lit evenly with two spot lights from either side
of the screen. Each light needs to be about two or three feet away
from the edge of the screen and about the same distance in front of
the screen. The two light beams should overlap slightly along the
center of the green screen to light it evenly. The screen should not
have any dark or light spots* but must look like a single patch of green
when viewed through the camera. The green screen itself should be
void of any creases or folds for a clean image.
**. Are there any pre"autions to be taken (hile shooting a
green s"reen shot&
.ost amateurs make the mistake of placing the actor too close to the
green screen. This will make their shadow fall on the green screen*
making it difficult to remove later in post production. The actor or
foreground sub9ects need to be at least L feet in front of the green
screen to prevent their shadow from falling on the green screen.
%ctors should also avoid wearing dresses that are green in color or
have green patches in them. These green portions will be later erased
and become holes through which the background will become visible.
$nless this is the effect that you are looking for* you need to ensure
that your actors do not wear green clothing.
6owever* you can achieve interesting effects by wearing green clothes
to make yourself partially or fully invisible. % small variation to this is
wearing green patches in specific portions of your body to make
certain parts of the body invisible. !or instance* if you wish to have a
regular actor play the part of an amputee with a hand or leg missing*
you can make them wear a green glove or sock to make that limb
invisible. The glove or sock will perfectly blend with the green screen
behind them and render it totally invisible in the shot.
*+. ,o( to light an a"tor in a green s"reen studio&
)ou need to have separate lighting for your green screen and your
actor. The green screen has to be lit evenly as described earlier* with
two e#uidistant lights. !or the foreground sub9ect* you can use a
three-point lighting system.
%s the name suggest* in a three-point lighting system* you use three
separate lights to illuminate your sub9ect. To ensure that these lights
do not interfere with your green screen lighting* you need to place
your sub9ect about L feet in front of the green screen. $se a main light
to illuminate the sub9ect from one side. This is known as the key light
and is placed to the side of the actor and a little in front of them. The
key light illuminates one side of the actor and casts shadows on the
other side. )ou then need to use a fill light on the other side of the
actor to fill in the dark areas created by the shadows. The fill light
needs to be less intense when compared to the key light. )ou can use
a diffuser to reduce its intensity.
!inally* you use a backlight behind and above the actor to provide a
bright lining or halo around the sub9ect to separate them from the
background. The three-point lighting system will provide a clean and
professional look to all your indoor shots.
*-. ,o( to remove the green area $rom the $ootage using
so$t(are&
.ost editing and special effects software have special filters that can
remove the green areas in the shot and isolate the sub9ect in the
foreground. Editing software like %dobe 2remiere 2ro and Effects
software like %dobe %fter Effects have powerful chromakey filters that
help you remove the green areas in your footage. The software have a
number of parameters and settings which you can tweak to get rid of
the green areas in your footage. The process will be much easier if you
light your green screen evenly and keep it devoid of shadows.
*/. What are the best "ameras to use $or homemade spe"ial
e$$e"ts&
The 2anasonic FD +amcorder 6igh Definition 6D+-/DT>L? is a great
camcorder to use for taking effects shots. %part from shooting regular
footage* you can use this camera to shoot in FD as well.
7f you are on a budget* you can go for the Toshiba +amileo /F? !ull
6D +amcorder which is a great* low-priced video camera which still
produces great shots. 5atch a video of these two nice cameras here.
*2. Whi"h is the best "omputer $or editing8 "ompositing8
animation and visual e$$e"ts&
The 62 PO?? Desktop 5orkstation is one of the best 2+s for graphics
and post-production work. 7ts architecture is designed to power multi-
tasking* and help you accomplish more with your time and money. )ou
can run more tasks* processes* and applications simultaneously with
the 62 5orkstation PO?? since it comes with the latest processors*
memory* graphics* and storage technologies.
7f you are a .ac lover* then the .ac 2ro &model .+LI?KK8%' is a great
choice. 7t is powered by a single hyper-threaded C.A 6= @uad-+ore
7ntel Beon Q(ehalemQ series processor with a Turbo Boost feature that
automatically boosts the processor clock speed based on workload. 7t
also features the %T7 "adeon 6D L>>? graphics processor with G B of
DD"L memory. 7tMs outfitted with G TB of hard drive storage and F
B of G?II .6= DD"F "%. that are well-e#uipped to handle large
volumes of graphics data. The interior provides easy access to all
components within the .ac 2ro for hassle-free e0pansion and upgrade
capability--up to GI B of "%. and four hard drive bays for up to A TB
of storage under the hood. 7t comes standard with a GA0 /uperDrive
&which you can use to burn D<DR"8"5 and +D-"8"5 discs'. )ou can
also add a second writing /uperDrive to the .ac 2ro. 7t also comes
with the .ac ;/ B /now Keopard operating system as well as the iKife
software suite* which includes the latest versions of i2hoto* i.ovie* and
arageBand.
*6. Are there any lo( "ost spe"ial e$$e"ts so$t(are that "an be
used to a"hieve the same e$$e"ts as in "ommer"ial versions&
There is an e0cellent software known as 6it!ilm. 7t is an editing*
compositing and effects software all rolled into one powerful package.
7t has some advanced features that are mostly found only in
e0pensive* commercial effects packages. 7t is e0tremely affordable by
the average home movie enthusiast. %nd yet* you can create awesome
effects shots with this package. 5atch this video to see the power of
6it!ilm in action.
+0. ,o( do . be"ome a spe"ial e$$e"ts $ilmmaker&
There are a few basic things that you should know before you start
learning movie special effects. )ou need to know the various special
effects terms* what they mean and what can be achieved by using
each techni#ue. !or a total beginner* a simple video course on special
effects would be an ideal starting place. 7f you are a beginner* you can
subscribe to the /pecial Effects <ideo /eries and learn special effects
by watching these e0tremely interesting and informative videos.
Subscribe to the Special Effects ideo Series
Copyright 2012 Daniel Sudhakar. All Rights Reserved.
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