Prosthetic makeup, which may also be referred to as special make-up effects or FX prosthesis, is the process of using prosthetic sculpting, molding, and casting techniques to create advanced cosmetic effects. Prosthetic makeup draws a straight lineage from the Stagecraft of theater and can be observed at the birth of science fiction cinema with Le Voyage dans La Lune, a 1902 French adventure short film directed by pioneer of special effects Georges Méliès.
A portrayal of Frankenstein's monster using prosthetic makeup
Prosthetics being applied to actor Roddy McDowall for the 1968 film Planet of the Apes
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.