7. Special Effects

The first film to use special effects was …

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The terrifying giant gorilla towered above the urban buildings because …

• the buildings were small models

• King Kong was a fur puppet less than 50 cm high

• the technical staff built a huge model of the gorilla

To make the gorilla’s movement real…

• technicians used  special digital effects

• actors hid inside huge body parts

• they recorded a real gorilla

Audiences were captivated by Steven Spielberg’s film E.T. when …

• the kids were flying in the air on their skateboards

• Elliott and the alien were illuminated by a giant-size moon

• the bright pink heart made E.T. seem almost human

In 2009 James Cameron won 3 Academy Awards, one for Best Visual Effects with the science fiction film Avatar …

• but he had written the script 2 years before

• using 14 digital cameras to record the movement of actors

• using high fidelity techniques that captured facial expressions that expressed higher degrees of emotion

Answer explanation

He wrote the script 15 years before in 1994.

140 digital camaras captured the movements of the actors.

In the fantasy film Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows-Part2, the directors…

• softened Dobby’s skin to make him seem happier

•   filmed the duel between Harry and Voldemort against a green screen

• built the ruins of the falling castle with big stones

At the IMAX cinema the spectators feel immersed in the action because…

• the screen is massive, much smaller than a regular one

• the cinema is shaped as a steep stadium for a perfect view of the screen

•   viewers wear headphones

Answer explanation

Viewers wear glasses with polarizing filters and can hear a drop of water like an explosion thanks to the surround speakers behind the screen.