Motion control photography
Motion control photography is a technique used in still and motion photography that enables precise control of, and optionally also allows repetition of, camera movements. It can be used to facilitate special effects photography. The process can involve filming several elements using the same camera motion, and then compositing the elements into a single image. Other effects are often used along with motion control, such as chroma key to aid the compositing. Motion control camera rigs are also used in still photography with or without compositing; for example in long exposures of moving vehicles. Today's computer technology allows the programmed camera movement to be processed, such as having the move scaled up or down for different sized elements. Common applications of this process include shooting with miniatures, either to composite several miniatures or to composite miniatures with full-scale elements.
Motion control camera dolly with Canon DSLR camera
Special effects are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game, amusement park and simulator industries to simulate the imagined events in a story or virtual world. It used to be called SFX but this short form has also expanded to include “sound effects” as well.
A special effect of a miniature person from the 1952 film The Seven Deadly Sins
A period drama set in Vienna uses a green screen as a backdrop, to allow a background to be added during post-production.
Godzilla co-creator Eiji Tsuburaya is one of the most influential individuals in the history of special effects.
An actor behind-the-scenes with pre-scored "bullet holes" on his costume and squibs blowing open fake blood packets for a gunshot wound stunt.