5DM031: VFX vs SFX

As part of our module's learning into creative compositing, I've looked into the collaboration of special effects and visual effects in films and other media productions. In most cases, people believe both are the same thing because of the names representing them.
From this post I will show and talk about what they are and what differences they have against each other in stages of production.
I will also talk about which one of these two processes are my favourite.
SFX (Special effects)
special effects is a live action process that happens during under the camera. In terms of specialist artists this is mainly the use of make up and prosthetic which helps get the actors get into the full roles of the characters they are playing. Whether if they are being performed in different scenarios of action and horror or they are taking the such roles of creatures and aliens that can be possible to produce by production artists rather than using CGI. For technical special effects, production staff would use mechanical props, scenery setup for the environment they want the story to be set in; scale models for such productions in animation mostly stop motion or objects; animatronics which would include animals, plants and creatures like the robotics used to represent a T-rex in Jurassic park; pyrothechnic for explosion effects or fires and atmospheric effects like use of fog, rain, smoke from fires, snow etc. Lighting and costumes designs are also used in productions as special effects. All this helps create a clear quality of storytelling for setting, history, characters and the scenarios each part of special effects is used in especially when combined with VFX.

The reason why they would want to use this sort of medium is they want to create a sense of realism and not rely the performances on fake visual effects. They also want to make things more extreme for the performances and production stages to feel more shocking and real like they would do in gory horror films, car crashes and chase scenes and bring creatures from legends, myths, theories and our nightmares to life.

Good examples that uses special effects include ''The walking dead'', ''Game of Thrones'' , Alien'' and some aspects from the ''Lord of the ring'' films.

 

Here is a YouTube link to some of the best practical special effects, chosen by the WatchMojo channel: WARNING!!!! Contains elements of Gore and Horror.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZoQdkJF4DE

VFX (Visual effects)
visual effects is a process where it happens after the main filming and uses imagery to be manipulated out of context of a live action camera shoot within the post-production stage. This is known as CGI (Computer generated image) which involves forms of modelling, graphical design and animation from the 3D aspect. To adapt this to live action special effects, actors and props, they would use green and blue screens to be made on the desktop later on to blend with the live action performances. This is most cases for landmarks for unrealistic locations like alien environments (''Avatar'', 2009)and big figurines like monsters and creatures aswell as shrinking down the actors to make them into the characters compared and composited with normal live action performed actors. A clear example of this is from the Hobbits and dwarves of their small stature from ''the Lord of the rings'' (2001-2003) and the ''The Hobbit'' (2012-2014) films. For producing characters in CGI, they would need to use the method of motion capture to get the performances, poses and movements right to use as reference as they rotoscope, model and animate them especially when key framing the actors which is the same when they use green screens for normal performances with special effects. They would also use visual effects for texturing and lighting footage that's already filmed to get better quality and it enables to blend any other filming elements.

The reason they would want to use this process is because in most cases of their storytelling and the world they've set their productions in, they would need to create objects, settings, landmarks and characters that couldn't be done using special effects make up and other realistic props. This can be the same as special effects in terms of bringing things that aren't real to life but in this case, the viewing audiences know they have been made on a desktop with good CGI software like dragons, spaceships etc. Another reason is that if done in front of a camera, it would be expensive for the company; dangerous for the actors and production staff; impractical and impossible to film.

Here are YouTube links to the best CGI through striking imagery and landmarks, chosen by the channel WatchMojo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxHX2PB5osM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WikszYku6A

For my personal use, my favourite approach would be using special effects because I feel its more practical to produce rather than sitting most the time on a desktop and you get to bring the characters to life, realistically and flesh them out to their fullest potential. I also like how you are able to use a range of different equipment and crafting tools to create the perfect setting and figurines to visually tell a clear story.