A
Look
at
Special
Effects
Animation
Techniques
There
are
numerous
different
special
effects
animation
techniques.
The
specific
needs
of
the
film
involved
will
determine
which
is
the
most
effective
in
any
given
situation.
Here
are
several
of
the
more
common
being
taught
or
used:
Virtual
Cinematography
This
is
an
emerging
special
effects
animation
technique.
In
this
technique,
objects
are
photographed.
The
images
are
input
into
computer
animation
software,
and
rebuilt
in
a
virtual
3D
form.
Once
the
object
is
rendered
in
this
3D
environment
it
can
be
filmed
from
any
angle.
Match
Moving
This
special
effects
animation
technique
involves
the
flow
of
perspective.
It
involves
the
careful
measurement
and
mapping
of
the
path
a
camera
takes
when
filming
an
object
or
scene
in
the
real
world.
This
information
is
then
fed
into
the
3D
engine
so
that
the
filming
of
the
rendered
version
of
the
object
can
follow
the
same
path.
This
results
in
an
accurate
representation.
Morphing
This
term,
so
recently
new
has
become
a
catch
word
that
the
public
has
eagerly
adopted.
It
refers
to
the
special
effects
animation
technique
that
slowly
and
seamlessly
changes
one
image
into
another.
In
the
early
days,
morphing
required
long
periods
of
statuary
stillness
from
actors
and
backgrounds.
Today
improved
techniques
can
fade
layers
of
one
image
into
another.
Wire
Removal
This
simple
special
effects
animation
technique
involves
using
thin
cables
or
wires
to
suspend
and
move
objects
or
actors.
The
wires
are
then
edited
out
in
a
computer
process.
Earlier
science
fiction
movies
or
television
shows
made
good
use
of
this
method.
Motion
Control
Photography
First
making
its
debut
in
“Star
Wars
Episode
IV:
A
New
Hope”
this
handy
trick
creates
the
illusion
of
massive
size
by
passing
a
camera
across
a
model
very
slowly.
