Maleficent was one of the most successful movies of 2014, and it certainly would have suffered without its warrior trees and mystical forest creatures. And when I say “everyone,” I mean even the tiger that was generated entirely by computer generated imagery.

Life of Pi (2012)ĭirector Ang Lee famously thanked everyone but the visual effects artist when he accepted his Best Director Oscar at the 85th Academy Awards. Now that Alice Through the Looking Glass is set to premiere in 2016, be prepared for another landscape full of realized imagination. When you look at the behind-the-scenes production of Alice in Wonderland, it’s astounding how little was actually there on the set. Mad Max: Fury Road was one of the best movies of the year, and the non-stop thrill ride was thoroughly enhanced by explosions, sandstorms, and a whole lot of chrome. Here are some of the most impressive moments of transformation that prove visual effects are truly an art form. Without them, our favorite movies wouldn’t be escapist fantasies, they’d be stuck on the ground in reality. Which is why it’s so baffling that visual effects artists rarely get the credit they deserve.

Though movies like Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakensare bringing back a love practical effects, you’d still be hard-pressed to find a big, visually stunning tentpoles without some effects magic. With spectacular blockbusters dominating the movie scene these days, a filmmaker’s ability to properly use special effects is essential.

Adobe after effects keylight 1.2