Most movies are full of special effects. These are visual tricks that give the illusion that everything in a scene is real. 

A giant hurricane, an angry T-rex or wrinkles erased: they can be incredible or very discreet.

They’ve been used since the beginning of cinema, at the end of the 19th century, especially by the French director and magician Georges Méliès.

How are these special effects made? 

They begin on the film set… 

… with the help of make-up, models or fans, for example. 

There are also a lot of digital visual effects! By filming an actor in front of a plain colored background…

… you can then replace this background by computer chroma keying any decor.

Also, a set can be produced with a real part and another one realized on software.

Plants, extras or digital animals can be integrated.

And, to create the characters of Avatar, the actors were equipped with sensors to record their body movements and reproduce them on their synthetic double.

Advertising films also use special effects, to change the color of a product, make an animal speak or add extras.

Whether they are used in realistic or ultra-spectacular scenes, special effects are more and more impressive. This is also the magic of movies!