World of Japanese Special effects (Tokusatsu)

Difference between Special effects and Visual effects?

Special effects are visual tricks used in the theatre, film, television, video game and simulator industries to simulate the imagined events in a story or a virtual world. Special effects are traditionally divided into different types of special effects are mechanical effects and optical effects. With the emergence of digital film-making, a distinction between special effects and visual effects has grown, with the latter referring to digital post-production and mechanical effects (also called practical or physical effects) are usually accomplished during live-action shooting. This includes the use of mechanised props, scenery, scale models, animatronics, pyrotechnics and atmospheric effects: creating physical wind, rain, fog, snow, clouds, making a car appear to drive by itself and blow up a building, etc. Mechanical effects are also often incorporated into set design and makeup. For example, prosthetic makeup can be used to make an actor look like a non-human creature. Optical effects is a technique in which images or film frames are created photographically using multiple exposures, matted in post-production using an optical printer. An optical effect might be used to place actors or sets against a different background. Optical effects are not being used in the movie industry, VFX have replaced Optical effects for post-production development. Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action footage or CG elements to create realistic imagery is called VFX.VFX involves the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery that looks realistic but would be dangerous, expensive, impractical, time-consuming or impossible to capture on film. Visual effects using computer-generated imagery or CGI have more recently become accessible to independent filmmakers with the introduction of affordable and relatively easy-to-use animation and compositing software. Since 1984,computer-generated imagery (CGI) has come to the forefront of special effects technologies. It gives filmmakers greater control and allows many effects to be accomplished more safely and convincingly and-as technology improves-at lower costs. As a result, many optical and mechanical effects techniques have been superseded by CGI.