FX 101

There are many resources on the Net which go into great explainations about the history of visual effects, various techniques commonly used, and behind the scenes of various films (explaining the FX used). Below you will find a list of links to such sites.

History ....various sites that deal with the history of film or VFX:

• History of Special FX (stage up until the start early days of film)
  
  
• NOVA Online special Effects History & Education site (geared at teachers & students)
  
  
• A Great History of Film with some cool links to silent films on the Net
  
  
• Another good resource on the History of Film
  
  
• History of Special Effects
  
  
• The Revolution Of Special Effects In Movies
  
  
• Visual FX Milestones
  
  
• Another Timeline of Cinema History
  
  
• Student's thesis site on Special Effects, history, technology, and ILM (good timelines of history)
  
  
• GREAT site on Technology and film (i.e. special effects history)
  

General FX Articles ....a few general FX article links:

• Visual Effects Tips For Production - For those planning a project using visual effects, read this article as it has a lot of common sense tips that filmmakers should know before starting filming.
  
  
• Types of Special Effects
  
  
• The Art & Science of Visual Effects
  
  
• How Blue Screens Work
  
  
• How Steadicam works

Other FX Items of Interest for the beginner on This Site

Great FX Artists ....a few links to those people who have been significant in special FX history:

Good VFX Books ....a few books of note on various special effects subjects

Good VFX Periodicals ....a few magazines and other periodicals of note on various special effects & film subjects