History and Practice of Special Effects

Since the birth of motion pictures, special and visual effects have always represented a fundamental creative element of filmmaking, defining it in more ways than one. After all, “cinema” in and of itself is literally a “special effect”. The course intends to explore the history of the development of this art form since the very beginning – just photographic tricks to fool the eye – all the way to the most sophisticated and highly spectacular digital special effects dominating the world of cinema today. It is a comprehensive journey detailing all the steps, in some cases giant leaps, that have influenced the way motion pictures have been made, expanding the creative opportunities of writers and directors to almost limitless horizons.