Key words

Colour grading - Changing colour, contrast or exposure of the footage to create a different mood.

Glitch - used to distort image / futuristic effect

Transitions - blend between scenes

Motion graphics - moving animated graphics

Film burn - old Polaroid / retro effects

Film grain - Where to footage looks pixelated / grainy to create an 'old' looking effect.

Glare -How light reflects off  textures

Lens Flare - How the camera captures the light and alters the scene.

Distortion - How effects such as lines or static can be created through editing to create a distorted effect

Blend mode - How graphics // layers are blended into one another.

Lo1 - Uses of VFX to enhance audience engagement.

VFX

• Increases visual appeal
• Increases likelihood to watch again, as adverts can be more cinematic 
• VFX can technically create camera angels that would be too costly / risky to create in real life
• Keeping up to date with effects allows companies to keep up to date with audiences expectations 
• Hyper realistic ideas of products are them more desirable 
• Can contextualise the product  in a world that does not exist / no longer exists 
• can save advertisers money

How have VFX enhanced film and TV products?

Visual effects are used to enhance TV and film by typically adding effects that portray hyper realism. For example: explosions or 'fantasy' locations /creatures. Visual effects of this category are typically be created using CGI, 3D models and digital composting. The use of visual effects have had a large impact in the TV and film industry regarding the expanding range of genres and expectations that we have for visuals in this day and age. For example, in the 1920's, we didn't have the digital technology that we did now, meaning films were much more unrealistic and could only go so for in visuals and narrative. In the film Safety Last (1923) there's a scene where Harold Lloyd is hanging off of a a clock on a large high up building, you can see the street below (which is real) however, beneath Harold, not in the scene, there's a mattress for him to fall on to, as shown in the image below. When safety first was made, it wasn't feasible to insert a fake background using rear projection or a green screen as they weren't commonly used plus were newly introduced meaning the fund for them was more expensive, so they used a trick perspective. Overall, this example shows that visual effects have enhanced TV and film visuals over the years as despite this trick perspective working, they didn't have the technology to create digital backgrounds to an advanced or hyper realistic extent, limiting the creativity of films and TV since props and mattes weren't as advanced in comparison to elements such as 3D models and CGI digital composting. 

Visual effects have also enhanced TV and film as in this day and age we can now digitally edit more or less anything into a scene, meaning the creativity and narrative in films is limitless. Effects such as rotoscoping have allowed producers to even bring the deceased back to life in films. For example in fast and furious, Paul walker, who died in 2016, was shown in driving a car. This was done by editing his face using rotoscoping onto his brother, who was actually sat in the car during filming. This sort of technology has enhanced film and TV as it creates hyper realistic scenarios and therefore instantly makes the audience want to view the product as the world never thought they'd see Paul Walker acting again therefore making the audio visual / VFX seem a miracle. 

Visual effects are used in every type of genre however they have specifically helped enhance certain genres such as action and adventure. This is because we can now digitally edit in things such as structures blowing up or falling down, which, we obliviously would not be able to follow through with in real life. For example, in the film final destination, north bay bridge, a real life structure located in San Francisco is shown falling apart during major construction with cars and people still on it. This is a real bridge which through editing was made to look as though the whole thing was destroyed, bring genres such as action and adventure to a whole new level, and therefore raising our expectations of future products, as technology only advances. I suspect that this scene was created by editors creating multiple 3D models of different elements such as cars, lorries, people and parts of the bridge, using digital composting to place them all to together, making it look as though real life objects were falling off the bridge. Green / blue screens are placed in certain areas where larger parts of the would be breaking so that these visuals can created using CGI in editing as it isn't ethical to break an actual bridge.

How have VFX enhanced music promos. 

Travis Scott - HIGHEST IN THE ROOM

This music video includes clear and advanced special effect running throughout it's entirety. For example, at the end of the video, we see Travis stood on what seems to be a metal beam belonging to construction site, where he breathes out a cloud of smoke into the shape of a woman and the view of the city behind him, as shown in the image to the right. To create this scene Travis will have been stood on a beam placed before a green screen. During editing in software such as Adobe Effects and Blended, visual effects such as a 3D model of the clouds and the particular woman shaped cloud will have been created as they are moving around. CGI visuals of the city will have also been edited into the background through composting. Finally colour grading will have been used to create the cool toned, dark atmosphere denoted in the scene.

The use of visual effects in this music video allow there to be a clear narrative, reflecting theories such as Tzvetam Todorovs (1997) which is where there's an equilibrium, disrupted by disequilibrium, action is took against the disequilibrium and then there's a new state of equilibrium. Since, in this video, Travis is in his own element before he gets kidnapped and then fights a CGI robot and free's himself. Levi Strausses theory of good vs evil is also reflected in the narrative. 3D effects such as the clouds of women reinforce the fact that he see's himself as a god as he created them. 

In comparison to music videos made in the 80's such as 'never going to give you up' and 'bohemian rhapsody', that use basic visual effects to extent of slow motion and fade transitions, this music video demonstrates a great advance in technology. Travis's music video alone already has 84 million views and only came out on October 3rd 2019 as the hyper realistic visual effects create audience engagement.

How have VFX have enhanced adverts

This is the new Christmas John Lewis / Waitrose advert which has a narrative set in a winter BC era, the location is of a small village with a main character of a small freindly dragon and a young girl who is always unintentionally ruining Christmas related decorations and ornaments with his ability to breathe fire, however at the end he uses his ability to breathe fire over a Christmas pudding. This narrative reflect theories such as Pam cooks (1985)  - enigma resolution (a solved problem) and narrative closure (when we have a definite ending). 

The dragon in this advert will have created using a mobcap and motion tracking when filming and then importing it into Adobe After Effects and composting a 3D model made in Blended onto the raw live action footage. Additionally they could have used rotoscoping to create the dragon character. During other scenes such as where the decorations set on fire special effects such as pyrotechnics will have been used in order to give a more realistic affect since the rest of the video is real life footage. During scenes that have a depth of field blur VFX are used on the dragon or other characters in other to create a realistic point-of-view denotation. Lastly colour grading is used in order to enhance both warm and cool tones to reinforce the cold winter weather and contrast of warmth / fire inside and Christmas elements.   

How VFX have enhanced have indents

These sky idents all demonstrate an apocolyptic setting where a car will be being blown through a storm and hits the number either 1,2 or 3, which I'm guessing will be used as indents for all three different sky channels (Sky one, Sky two, Sky three). The ident shows a diner / gas station being ripped apart by a hyper realistic, dooming storm and there appears to be no people or social activity. This makes me think that the ident will be used before more horror based shows such as The Walking Dead. Alternatively it could be used to simply demonstrate the budget and extent of VFX that Sky have, showing professionalism and representing them a being a high-quality channel which makes people typically want to watch it as they want to be viewing content of the best quality.

This ident will have been created completely throughout editing using software such as Adobe Affects or Blended. VFX such as a virtual camera and a tracking motion will have been used to demonstrate the 3D models of the gas station sigh, diner sign and car flying forwards the camera and large numbers that end up exploding towards the end of the ident. Colour grading will have been used to enhance the florescent colour coming from the numbers against the dull, dark stormy background.

How VFX have enhanced animation 

In this part of the scene Frozen Elsa its fighting protagonist and Anna saves her by completely freezing and therefore acting as barrier before the protagonist so that his sword doesn't hit Elsa. To show this action, a blue textured effect rises up her body made by CGI effects which have been created by highlighting certain areas of the body in order to make the 3D model demonstrate being frozen.

How VFX have enhanced online advertising 

These three images demonstrate different games that have bee created by a brand called Voodoo games. These games are basic and made for younger, teenage audiences, meaning they're often recommended to digital natives through Web 2.0  different platforms such as Instagram. The games allow you to interact with them through the advert and give them a trial, they also have hyper links that take you to the app store, often the visual are overly enhanced with sound effects and extra that aren't actually in the game in order to get the audience to download the game.

This game will have been created using 2D animated motion graphics in software such as Adobe After Effects or animated software, using Adobe Premier to add sound effects and enhancing CGI in order to create little videos as adverts for their campaign.

Idents (Thing shown before.a TV programme e.g. MTV clips)

What is the purpose of an Ident and how can visual effects assist the brand of a channel or product?

Idents can be used in order to reinforce the programmes target audience by showing people of the same age in the ident. They can be used to create atmosphere and try represent the programme by including conventions of the genre or they can try to appeal to the audience by including elements which attract the target audience such as showing stereotypical hobbies or interests of theirs. For example channel 4 caters to both kids and adults in regards to which programmes they play and at what time, e.g. they'd play programmes suitable for children pre-watershed (before 9pm). Therefore, the ident included both kids and adults who live in an 'average' looking town order to represent the target audience and make them feel as though they are watching the right channel.

A lot of channel 4's diners include visual effects in which demonstrate the fact that they're up to date with the latest technologies and effects which will be appealing to a digital native audience. The indents typically are comfy themed too reinforcing the strongest genre of their platform - comedy programmes.

ITV2 Indents 

ITV2 has a primary user demographic of people aged 16-35 as they're able to successfully reach digital natives through flagship shows such as i'm a celebrity get me out of here. The channel retained a gender neutral audience and representation. It reaches 28% of this age bracket in an average week, which is 4.1 million viewers. These indents demonstrate visuals such as rock candy and hot dogs which are stereotypical elements that appeal to a younger C2DE target audience due to them being cheap luxuries, therefore connoting that their channel is suitable and made to be watched by younger, working class audiences. However, the indents also demonstrate visuals such as tennis balls and posh looking cups of tea, which are elements that would typically appeal to ABC1 older audiences a they have the money to participate in sports such as tennis and will buy luxury vintage products. Overall these indents demonstrate that ITV2 streams content suitable for a 16-35 year old target demographic as the indents show content relateable to people of different ages and hobbies. I think this is because ITV airs large Flagship shows that reach both a large primary and secondary audience.

These idents will have made in software such as Adobe Affects or Blended using 3D motion graphics and editing in text with CGI images. Demonstrating the channels advanced editing skills and high budget. Showing professionalism and appealing to their target audience since digital native and social media migrants have high expectations and standards for content denoted on popular channels. These idents show the brands creativity and represent the different amount of genres and shows that the channel streams since each ident contrasts greatly from the other.  

Tamara Juice commercial 

This Tamara juice advert has clearly been created dominantly through visual effects. 3D models of the juice cartons an fruit have been made in editing software such as 3D slash, these objects are seen transforming into the juice and moving around the screen in a way that looks like it's dancing as it's twirling and swaying around. Towards the end of the video all of the cartons get made back up by the juice in order to denote all of the products together. CGI text is placed at the end of the video showing the brand name. All elements have been digitally composted together through composting software such as Maya or Flame.

The use of visual effects connote that the advert is directed towards a female audience due to the way the liquid moves with a gentle motion. The main house style colours are pink which is a colour associated with females due to traditional female stereotypes. I think that the product is aimed at an ABC1 primary audience due to the fact that these special effects give a high quality and professional denotation as they will have been hard to do meaning a crew will have been hired and paid to make them.

Special VS visual effects

Special effects

• Special effects are physical, such as make up, props, stunt props, costumes, models and pyrotechnics / real explosions. 
• For example, special effects will have been used during Robert Englund transformation when turning into Freddy Krueger, since SFX makeup was used to make his skin looked textured and almost burnt looking. Helping reinforce his evil, unhumanly character. 
• A mechanised prop is a prop that has mechanics in it, meaning it will typically move. For example, the JAWS shark prop had a mouth that opened. Creating a more realistic scene as the shark is actually moving rather than staying still like a stereotypical prop. This would have especially been more realistic looking back in the 90's since other digital effects weren't as developed.

Visual effects

• Typically made digitally, such as CGI and green screens. However, mattes also fall under this category. 
• For example, visual effects such as green screens will have been used when creating scenes in Spiderman such as when he's climbing up the side of a building. This is important as it not only helps keep the actors safe but it creates even more realistic dentitions due to editors being able to perfect frame the scene in regards to angels and positing. Helping give a more visually appealing, tense scene, as visuals can be edited to be more dramatic, such as having higher, scarier buildings - which is conventional to the action and advection genre. 

Graph 

Lo1 - Understand how effects are used in the production of audio visual media

Visual effects graph