“If you didn’t notice the visual effects in the movie, it doesn’t mean there weren’t any visual effects in the movie.”
“Sometimes the real thing is not what you need. You have to tell a story, and real life – and real life physics – are not on your side.” Todd Vaziri, Compositing Supervisor and Artist at ILM, reveals a bunch of ‘invisible’ visual effects (and shares more on his blog), from various Star Wars instalments and other films, in scenes you may not have realised even contained any (via Vanity Fair):
Takeaways from Todd’s presentation:
- it’s often small details (eg reflections) which ‘sell’ the shot
- start small (“gross movement”), then expand
- practical effects contained in the original footage give VFX artists more to work with, and contribute to more convincing and engaging results
- real world physics may not be right for the story, and may need to be “tricked” in order to generate more desired results from the simulation…
- … which is no different than the many other cheats involved in film production
Todd’s essential ingredients to timeless visual effects:
- Vision
- Stick to the plan
- Sufficient time and resources
- Taste and talent
Try It Yourself
Todd mentions rotoscoping – and the tools available in software like After Effects and DaVinci Resolve become more powerful every day. Try it yourself:
Further Viewing
Other kinds of invisible VFX include augmentations and enhancements, such as those hidden in the films of director Park Chan-wook (via All The Right Movies)…
A compilation of the transitions of South Korean director PARK CHAN-WOOK. Some great fimmaking here… pic.twitter.com/2dSlHgikxF
— All The Right Movies (@ATRightMovies) April 22, 2026
… set extensions and location creations you’d never even suspect in the films of director David Fincher…
… and graphics on screens in movies and series: