Buzz
Today, visual effects in films often stir up complaints, and it’s easy to understand why. We’ve grown so accustomed to CGI and 3D visuals that their obvious use can feel rather cheap. VFX artists themselves often think a successful effect is one that goes unnoticed, which is unfortunate considering the immense effort that goes into creating something we now take for granted.
However, things were very different in the past. While we may criticize the fake appearance of CGI and over-the-top effects today, in earlier times, 3D graphics were either unconvincing or simply didn’t exist. Back then, the idea of realistic effects required a great deal of suspension of disbelief. Despite this, many of these techniques have aged incredibly well, often not looking realistic but never looking bad. Since these methods were both creative and fascinating, let’s take a look at the ten most noteworthy ones.
10. Puppets
Puppets in film may not immediately come to mind when we think of convincing special effects. While they’re often associated with more stylized films like The Dark Crystal, puppets are surprisingly versatile! Although their use has diminished with the rise of CGI, puppetry played a crucial role in creating some of the most iconic effects and characters in movie history.
From Yoda in the original Star Wars trilogy to numerous shots of dinosaurs, including the T-Rex in Jurassic Park and even the Pale Man in Pan’s Labyrinth, a 2000s film, this technique proves it can accomplish far more than just The Muppets, with the right resources and direction.
Master puppeteers' precise control, the unique texture and usability of finely crafted puppets, and the physical presence of a tangible object all combine to create an experience that can be far more immersive and convincing than what old children’s shows may lead you to believe.
9. Green/Blue Screen
Green screens, and by extension blue screens, are now a fundamental part of modern filmmaking. Jokes about movies being filmed on entirely green sets have become common, and with good reason, considering the widespread use of this technology in the past decade. What’s often overlooked, though, is how long this method has been in use. While it reached its peak in the 2010s, chroma key screens have been a part of filmmaking for almost a century!
The technique in use today is quite similar to how it was employed in the 1930s—layering multiple visual elements together. Before green and blue screens, however, double exposure was used in photography as early as the 1860s and in films by 1903, in Edwin S. Porter’s The Great Train Robbery. By the 1930s, blue screen technology—specifically blue, since green wouldn’t dominate for a few more years—had undergone substantial development and appeared in films such as the 1933 classic King Kong. By the time of the original Star Wars trilogy, this technique was fully modernized and gaining significant popularity.
The chroma key screen, once predominantly blue, may now be green, both of which are favored due to their distance from human skin tones. This technique, often considered a hallmark of modern filmmaking, has remained largely unchanged throughout the history of cinema, maintaining its fundamental principles even as motion pictures evolved.
8. Forced Perspective
A deceptively straightforward method, forced perspective has been in use as long as photography itself, or even longer, possibly by painters before film was even a thing. The concept is simple: objects that are farther away appear smaller, while objects that are closer seem larger.
That’s essentially the entire idea, yet the application of this technique is far more intricate and widespread than it initially appears. From the hobbits in The Lord of the Rings being small in contrast to the towering Gandalf, to the 1959 Disney classic Darby O'Gill and the Little People, forced perspective has been cleverly used for decades—if not centuries—by skillfully constructed sets and subtle optical illusions. It’s a brilliant method for creating size contrasts without relying on complex effects.
The magic of forced perspective isn’t confined to the disparity between large and small characters. When combined with practical effects like miniatures, props, or even puppetry, it can make a giant appear to demolish a city or snatch the moon, all without the need for modern digital effects. Although less commonly used today, it remains an ingenious and valuable technique in the toolkit of special effects artists.
7. Paintings
Though rarely associated with special effects, paintings have played a crucial role in cinema for as long as films have been made, often without the audience even noticing. More than just fine art or a hobby, real paintings have provided the backdrop for some of the most unforgettable movie scenes. With immense attention to detail, artists’ work often blends so seamlessly into the film that viewers might never even realize it's there.
One of the most famous examples of paintings used as effects comes from Star Wars, a film that set the stage for many of the special effects techniques we now take for granted. Paintings are no exception. Even in the digital age, matte shots remain incredibly popular. The primary change has been the medium: from glass panels painted with acrylics to modern 3D renders and digital art, this technique evolved while still retaining its core essence.
The renowned company Industrial Light & Magic, which worked on films like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Star Wars, wasn’t the first to incorporate paintings into filmmaking. The pioneering filmmaker Georges Méliès, whose work we’ll dive into more later, was already using painted backgrounds in the early 1900s.
6. Costumes
Fashion has had a significant impact on film. While stunning clothing doesn’t quite create the illusion of the fantastical, it’s not our focus today. Before CGI brought monsters and creatures to life, the task was often entrusted to costume designers and actors donning the costumes themselves.
Although these costumes may not always be the most convincing, they possess a charm that often ages better than CGI. Even in a wide array of cheesy films with strange creature designs, actors wearing meticulously crafted suits were responsible for bringing creature effects to life in many iconic movies.
Famous examples include Ishirō Honda’s Godzilla and the xenomorph from *Alien*, where the terrifying creature was brought to life by the remarkably tall actor Bolaji Badejo. While elaborate creature costumes might seem cheesy today, their impact on film history is undeniable.
5. Miniatures
Often overlooked, miniatures have played a much larger role than just serving in tabletop games or display cabinets. When combined with forced perspective, small figurines have been essential to the appearance of many classic films we still cherish today.
Georges Méliès, previously mentioned in this list, is often credited as the director who pioneered numerous filmmaking techniques still in use, decades or even a century after his groundbreaking work.
Miniatures played a crucial role in the visual style of his renowned film, A Trip to the Moon from 1902, a movie that at the time was considered a revolutionary demonstration of early special effects. The use of miniatures in this film paved the way for their incorporation in iconic movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey’s space station and the spaceships of Star Wars.
4. Rotoscoping
Rotoscoping, the technique of tracing over images, typically film frames, is a long-established method that remains a cornerstone of modern filmmaking. What makes this technique particularly intriguing is that it was one of the first to allow an artist to directly manipulate and interact with live-action footage.
Prior to the digital era, a film frame would be projected onto a glass surface and traced by hand. This technique was employed in the animation of early Disney classics like Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, and Fantasia, and was also famously used in the creation of Star Wars lightsabers, as well as alongside primitive CGI in films like Tron.
It wasn’t until the 1990s that rotoscoping evolved into a digital process, transforming from a tool of the late 19th century into a game-changer that reshaped the film industry forever.
3. Creative Resourcefulness
Any list of impressive and innovative film effects must acknowledge humanity’s boundless ingenuity. The truth is, every great film and its effects owe much to the creativity behind them, regardless of the specific techniques used. Some effects are so uniquely imaginative that no single label could ever encompass them.
From Stanley Kubrick’s ingeniously crafted, real-life rotating set in 2001: A Space Odyssey to the practical perspective tricks used in The Lord of the Rings to make different fantastical humanoids believable, creativity has always been at the core. It’s even evident in the horrific artistry of The Thing, where everything from makeup to sculptures, and even mayonnaise and strawberry jam, contributed to the terrifying effects that nearly drove creator Rob Bottin to exhaustion and a hospital stay. And this is just the beginning of the list.
As remarkable as established techniques may be, film effects are brought to life through the artistic brilliance and resourcefulness of the people who create them. By utilizing obscure materials, everyday objects, and anything within their reach, they craft extraordinary depictions of things that exist only in the imagination.
2. Animatronics
A timeless and dazzling technique, animatronics continues to impress even in the era of CGI. These effects have left a lasting impact on blockbuster cinema, and many fans still advocate for their use over 3D digital renders.
The concept of using scientifically and artistically designed robots that move in real time is remarkable. However, the true achievement lies in the exceptional skill of the creators, whose work surpasses even that imagination.
Animatronics played a key role in making Jurassic Park’s visuals unforgettable, still holding up today. The use of animatronic dinosaurs was a deliberate and effective choice in the film’s production. No discussion of animatronics would be complete without acknowledging John Carpenter’s The Thing from 1982. The creature effects in that film are chilling, raw, and expertly crafted. Though the film is now over 40 years old, its fans still revere the style and atmosphere, which was notably absent in the film’s modern remake, which many consider a failure. The CGI visuals simply couldn’t capture the original’s haunting intensity.
1. Stop Motion
Stop motion remains a beloved, albeit niche, animation technique today. Entire films can be crafted through the meticulous, time-intensive process of adjusting models frame by frame, snapping a picture after each adjustment, and then merging those images to create the illusion of motion.
Despite the considerable manual effort and creative skill involved, stop motion animation is an accessible and timeless art form. It is no surprise that this technique was once employed for various special effects before CGI took over as the primary method.
One of the most iconic examples of stop motion used for special effects is the Terminator from The Terminator. While not the smoothest, the technique was incredibly effective in conveying the menacing movements of the robotic antagonist, leaving a lasting impact on audiences.
