How are Visual Effects and Special Effects different?

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How Are Visual Effects and Special Effects
Different?
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Index

• What is Visual Effect ?
• What is a Special Effect ?
• How Are Visual Effects and Special Effects
  Different?
• Differences Between Visual Effects and Special
  Effects

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What is Visual Effect (VFX)?
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• Visual effects are the process by which imagery
  is created outside the context of a live action
  shot in filmmaking.
• VFX are made in post-production, using the power
  of a computer.
• If you create a computer model of a spaceship and
  fly it across the background of a scene, thats
  VFX.

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• If you green screen an actor to make it look like
  hes falling from a plane, that is done using
  VFX.
• These days, VFX is cheaper than SFX so often
  explosions, spurting blood and muzzle-flashes are
  done as VFX.

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What is a Special Effect (SFX)?
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• Special effects are illusions or visual tricks
  used in the film, television, movies, video game
  and simulator industries to simulate the
  imaginary events in a virtual world.
• SFX are done in camera, that is to say they
  really, physically happen.
• If you drop a match in a petrol can and record
  the explosion, thats is SFX.

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• If you build a prosthetic arm, then attach it to
  an actor then have it ripped off and blood spurt
  out, thats is SFX.
• So are firing blanks, gunshot wounds, stabbing
  people etc.

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How Are Visual Effects and Special Effects
Different?
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• Visual effects (VFX) industry is responsible for
  making you say "Wow!"How did they do that?!" or
  "I want to run with dinosaurs!.
• That's also one of the reasons why movies talk so
  long to make and cost as much as they do.

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• Simply put, visual effects is a blanket term
  relating to any method that makes it possible to
  create an effect or scene that could not
  otherwise be produced using regular photographic
  techniques.
• While this site most commonly refers to 3D
  computer graphics for films, games, and
  advertising, miniature and real-world model
  building as count as VFX techniques.

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• However, they don't require the digital
  assistance, but they still count.

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Differences Between Visual Effects and Special
Effects
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• Think about Special Effects as the parent of all
  the effects that is visual effects and sound.
• It is important to clarify which effects you are
  talking about since special effects can involve
  sound editing and sound recording techniques.

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Thank You