From the first surviving motion picture ever created, The Horse in Motion created in 1878 (Heads Up Boys’ Life), to the Hollywood movies you see on screens today, films have developed substantially. It is to the point where when we see a dozen spaceships takeoff in one movie, it doesn’t feel all too strange. This is because of the advancements made in the field of special effects. As Nuts Computer Graphics puts it: “The special effects (commonly abbreviated as SFX) are all realized ‘on set’, they happen in reality, in a physical and tangible way,” (Nuts Computer Graphics).

Special effects, also known as practical effects, are the filming effects that happen physically while filming. There are multiple techniques of practical effects. They can easily make creatures look realistic and alive, they can also transform an actor. Realistic masks, makeup, and costumes are used to portray actors differently. They can either make the actor look like a completely different human, add some touches and details, or make them look like a whole other species; ranging from a dog to an extraterrestrial godlike creature. They can also transform into things that are technically not living like a robot. Chewbacca from Star Wars is an actor in a 3 piece costume; it consists of a mask, a bodysuit, and feet (Smith). In Star Wars and many other movies, there are guns and rifles. When a character gets shot Squibs are often used to propel red liquids to look like blood. Squibs are small explosives that aren’t just used during filming, but also military. While bodysuits, costumes, and masks are great for creating special characters, it is also possible to make a character or creature that does not portray an actor differently. The Muppets are a popular example of Puppetry, their puppets are mostly hand puppets, but puppets can also be controlled by strings.  Even though they are dependent on a puppeteer, it does not physically change the actor. Sometimes puppets aren’t good enough and the anatomy of the human in a suit cannot be physically changed. A great way to combat these issues is through animatronics. Animatronics make a creature look alive. Animatronics is the mechanical parts inside of models to make them move. They can make a huge creature’s jaw move or have a small creature in the background make slight movements.

Special effects can also be used to manipulate the environment. If the weather is not right during the time of shooting the scene, it can be changed to some degree. It might be supposed to rain during a sunny day sprinklers can be installed above the scene to imitate rain. But special effects can be used for more major changes. If the scene is supposed to be set in the air, aerial rigging is used to make an actor seem to fly. If you have ever seen a Michael Bay movie you will have seen the works of pyrotechnics. Pyrotechnics is everything related to fire, but when heard it is often associated with explosions. It is an umbrella term that covers more than just violent explosions, it can be used for more than blowing up a whole gas station; even a small puff of smoke is classified as pyrotechnics (Marshall). For example, every step that a huge creature takes makes the trees around it fall over because of small explosions. Although not so large of changes, if needed props are not added, it could completely ruin a scene; imagine a sword fight with no swords! If a character is holding something, like a weapon, or an item is in the scene it will be much easier (and won’t look utterly horrible) for the actor to act with it physically. That is why movies use props, also known as properties. Going back to the topic of explosions, have you ever wondered how they blew up the White House in Independence day? The answer is miniatures. Miniatures are scaled models, shot in a specific way to make them look large.

In November of 2018, I was lucky enough to visit the Warner Brothers’ Making of Harry Potter tour during my visit to London. I was able to see the actual sets, props, and special effects they used while filming the movies. To my amazement, almost all the effects were practical effects or grounded on special effects with a touch of visual effects, effects done after hand digitally (Nuts Computer Graphics). There were some very interesting visual effects techniques they used, for example, there was a platform that you were asked to stand on, and using motion cameras they would make a model of Dobby, one of the house elf characters, mirror your movements. But that was not what I found the most interesting. As I moved from room to room I could see many different types of special effects. In the first room we entered, there was already a plethora of special effects examples. The Great Hall, the dining room and announcement room, was filled with props and a little bit of pyrotechnics. Fake food was laid on plates all over the table and there was also a flaming Christmas pudding on each of the four tables. As I moved on I could see the costumes used by the teachers and all the props and animatronics used, such as hundreds of fake potions ingredients and a self-stirring cauldron. There was a room dedicated the Forbidden Forest, where there was an animatronic of Buckbeak the hippogriff, a half eagle half horse, and of Acromantulas, huge spiders, that were lowered down and brought up using string that was imitating their silk. In a room filled with props and costumes, there were plenty of lifelike masks for the goblins and props had been made for the mandrakes, plants that resemble babies and let out a deafening screech when pulled out of their soil. But there was more animatronics to be seen. In the props room, there was a baby Voldemort, the main antagonist in the scene when a potion is made to give him a new body, that made slight movements of his arms and legs. The room next to the props room held the animatronic head of the basilisk, a giant snake. At the end of the whole tour, I was able to see an astonishing miniature model of Hogwarts, the school, that they used for aerial shots.

Special effects are what truly make movies special. Their uses and techniques can add small touches to the films or be a key element. Although visual effects are great, I think that special effects are the best.