| 'Special Effects' covers a wide range of disciplines and | | | | can be startlingly low-tech too, depending on budget. |
| techniques, and for the beginner who wants to get | | | | Cables attached to manually operated levers can be |
| into the industry it can be daunting to see the many | | | | very versatile and useful for all kinds of creations, |
| areas of work that special effects encompasses. | | | | such as Nimba Creations original T-rex head and neck |
| We've broken down the main areas to explain them | | | | animatronic made for a live show in 1997.Prosthetics |
| in plain terms and illustrate the main points.Special | | | | Prosthetics and prosthetic makeup's are a very |
| Effects | | | | popular area of the Special Effects industry, and |
| Special Effects (also known as FX, F/X, Special FX | | | | requires skilled sculptors, mould makers and artists to |
| and SFX) have been used in films ever since film | | | | create appliances to transform people into creatures |
| making began. Today, people generally apply the | | | | and characters, as well as produce bruises, scars and |
| term to anything seen on screen that is not as it | | | | mutilations on actors. A vital process of prosthetics is |
| would be in real life like animatronics, props, | | | | life casting, where moulds are taken of the body to |
| prosthetics and models, and other artificially | | | | produce custom made appliances to fit a specific |
| generated elements such as wind, rain and snow | | | | actor or even to produce fake limbs such as severed |
| (when machines are used to produce it). It is also | | | | heads - these limbs can also be classed under props. |
| often applied to computer generated imagery (or | | | | Nimba sells pre-made lifecast's for sculpting directly |
| CGI), although each of these areas have there own | | | | onto which eliminates the life casting process.Props & |
| terminology which is recognized within the industry to | | | | models |
| differentiate between them. Here's a brief rundown | | | | Regular props such as chairs and books aren't |
| of the elements:Physical Effects | | | | classed as special effects unless they do something |
| Nimba Creations was hired to construct a 'fall apart | | | | out of the ordinary or there is actually no such item |
| car' for a TV commercial - a car which would drop to | | | | in existence, such as a futuristic weaponry. A chair |
| pieces, leak oil and let off steam on cue. This comes | | | | which breaks safely and easily on impact is a classic |
| under the heading of 'Physical Effects' - an item that | | | | prop used in movie fight scenes which falls under the |
| is constructed that will carry out specific physical | | | | heading of special effects, but of course it also |
| functions. This can be a grey area as physical effects | | | | covers more exciting items. Props can often cross |
| can often be classed as animatronics or props but if | | | | with animatronics if the item needs to also perform a |
| you imagine rigs that will, for example, throw around | | | | certain function, like for example the puzzle box from |
| large objects in a controlled way on cue (such as the | | | | Hellraiser.Miniatures |
| car falling through the tree in Jurassic Park) these will | | | | Miniature building entails creating scaled down |
| generally be classed as Physical Effects.Visual Effects | | | | versions of objects and buildings to replace full size |
| CGI / Digital effects | | | | items in a shot. This can either be because there is |
| Any animation or effect that is created within a | | | | some sort of explosion or damage which has to |
| computer will fall under these headings. These days, | | | | occur which is not viable in real life (or on full scale), |
| computers are used to great effect to draw | | | | or simply because a location doesn't exist and building |
| together many elements of 'effects shots' in films | | | | a miniature version is far more cost effective (and |
| (like many of the amazing scenes in the Lord of the | | | | easier to film) on a smaller scale. A recent example |
| Rings trilogy) and so they often deal with props and | | | | of wonderful use of miniatures is in Peter Jackson's |
| models to complete the final effects seen on screen, | | | | Lord of the Rings. Beautiful miniatures like that of |
| but the digitisation and animation of all these real | | | | Rivendell are a perfect example of the great skill |
| elements (and many that are fabricated within the | | | | needed to create convincing miniature sets.Special |
| computer themselves) are commonly referred to as | | | | Costumes |
| CGI or Computer Generated Imagery.Atmospherics | | | | 'Special' costumes are anything that is worn by an |
| This is the name applied to artificial snow, wind and | | | | actor which is more than a straight forward outfit. |
| rain. Companies who deal in atmospherics supply | | | | Tom Lauten (Nimba's Projects Director) built many |
| specialised machinery to create these natural | | | | special costumes for Games Workshop. Complex |
| elements when they are dictated by scripts. Getting | | | | costumes had to portray Space Marine characters |
| a scene in a film or TV show requires many takes | | | | from the Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 |
| and applying these elements artificially insures that | | | | series, and had to be made from foam, fibre glass |
| the amount and direction of wind, rain and snow is | | | | and plastics. Elements of prop building and |
| consistent between takes and different camera | | | | animatronics are often part of producing special |
| angles.Pyrotechnics | | | | costumes.Set Pieces |
| Pyrotechnics is perhaps the area of effects which | | | | Regular sets aren't regarded as special effects, but |
| leaves the least room for error, as it involves fire and | | | | many set pieces that are created can fall into the |
| explosions. Pyrotechnicians are highly skilled, licensed | | | | category. Polystyrene sculpting is often used to |
| professionals who utilise explosives (and a range of | | | | create oversize set pieces such as the many large |
| other items such as primer cord) to create controlled | | | | stone statues seen in Tomb Raider.That covers the |
| fires on cue for films and TV shows. While it's OK to | | | | basics of special effects and the different skills and |
| create your own props or prosthetics, never attempt | | | | disciplines it encompasses. At our website ( you can |
| to become a pyrotechnician by experimenting in your | | | | go Behind the Scenes to see us creating some of |
| own home - the consequences could be fatal. The | | | | our favourite pieces including a full size Tyrannosaurus |
| National Film & Television School do training courses | | | | Rex, & you can also learn how to begin a Special |
| to learn this and other disciplines.Special Effects | | | | Effects career by downloading our exclusive guide, |
| 'proper' and the areas that Nimba Creations | | | | 'How to get into Special Effects'.Siobhan Hall is a |
| Specialises in.Animatronics | | | | Director of UK Special Effects company Nimba |
| In Special Effects, an animatronic is any model, prop | | | | Creations Ltd., which creates props, animatronics, |
| or prosthetic which moves using cables, servos and | | | | prosthetics and creatures for films and TV. She |
| piston-driven mechanisms. The way animatronics are | | | | recently spent 5 months in New Zealand working on |
| created and animated is endless, and it's seen as | | | | two Academy Award winning films, King Kong and |
| very high tech area of the special effects industry as | | | | The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe at Weta |
| a good knowledge of pneumatics, hydraulics, | | | | Workshop (Lord of the Rings) and this year her |
| electronics, computers, motors and mechanisms are | | | | company goes into production on their own shows. |
| all important elements of the industry. However, they | | | | |