BSA227, VFX history and research, 13 July, 2016

motion graphics: any graphic has animation in any way
Special effects: usually refers to effects done during filming or in camera/on set such as pyro/rain/wind/flying rigs etc.
Visual Effects: computer enhanced imagery which is added in post production
composting: digital manipulated combo of at least two source images to produce integrated result

Early history:
Execution of Mary Queen of Scots (1895) stop-motion to replace actor with fake body to be beheaded
The Great Train Robbery 1903
uses matte blacks (painted black on glass so you couldn't see part of what was being filmed (window area was blacked out and train footage filmed separately

A Trip to the Moon George Melies 1902-05
used stop motion and stop film techniques
California Missions Norman Dawn 1907
first use of matte painting backgrounds on glass plates
King Kong 1933
use of miniatures and back projects and stop motion

Thief of Baghdad=Percy Day 1940
advances in multilayered matte painting

Close Encounters of the Third Kind 1977
camera movement and front projection move forward and live action motion control/first cgi projection Triple I?l?
Empire Strikes Back 1980
advances in computer generated imagery

Looker

Tron 1982
digital effects

Young Sherlock Holmes 1985
first fully animated 3D character

Last Starfighter 1985?
first fluid dynamics/first photorealist animal/first digital scanning

Willow 1988
First morphs

Terminator 2 1991
CG Leading Man


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What can be shot in camera and what can't?  Story isn't vital to the one minute of film- but let the effects serve the story as well.
animator storyboards, filmie shoots it, animator starts adding effects, filmie does colour correction, etc.

Eye of the Storm by Lovett

Making of Eye of the Storm

This was very interesting- besides being a beautiful video, the behind the scenes shows how they achieved such crisp details on the costume and goggles by taping everything off with it's own colour of neon tape that popped under black lights.  They shot it in a day and then spent the rest of the time doing special effects.

Chalk Warfare
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1LEFtWk-08