A Visual Effects Film

Let’s now analyze the differences that a film with complex visual effects would have compared to the previous example.

During preproduction, the production team would need to think about what visual effects to use, how they’re going to be filmed, and what will be required to create them. Generally, the visual effects team works very closely with the director during preproduction to see what’s possible, what’s not possible, and how the effects will be achieved. (Usually, almost anything is possible in visual effects; it just may be way too expensive for a particular film’s budget.)

During production, the visual effects team may need to film some shots in special ways, using green screens or using markers or puppets the actors can interact with so that later the team can add an animated character to that scene. Lighting in the sets has to be measured and recorded, so the team can simulate it later in the 3D world to make it match the lighting on the real set. Some effects like explosions may need to be filmed separately so they can later be integrated with the footage of the actors.

After the movie has been filmed, it’s time to begin the postproduction stage, but because this film involves visual effects, the line between production and postproduction tends to blur and sometimes these stages actually overlap. The visual effects artists probably work on some shots even before production begins so that during filming, all the different elements that comprise a scene will fit together seamlessly.

The visual effects team has its own preproduction, production, and postproduction stages. They plan the specific effects and determine how a shot will be accomplished; then they proceed to production and work to create the elements of the visual effects, and finally combine those elements, adjusting colors, shapes, textures, and so forth.