Visual Effects (VFX) refers to the creation or manipulation of imagery outside of live-action filming, encompassing any element of a final image or video that could not be captured in camera during production. VFX includes everything from subtle enhancements like sky replacements and wire removal to fully synthetic environments, creatures, and action sequences built entirely in digital space.

The discipline spans a broad range of techniques including compositing (combining multiple visual layers into a single seamless image), CGI (generating three-dimensional environments, objects, and characters), motion capture (translating human performance into digital character animation), particle and simulation systems (generating realistic fire, water, smoke, and cloth behavior), and matte painting (creating large-scale environments through digital illustration). VFX work is typically the last major production stage before color grading and final delivery, requiring close coordination with cinematography, production design, and editorial to ensure that live-action elements and digital additions integrate convincingly. Major VFX productions involve hundreds of artists working across specialist departments over months or years.

AI generation is increasingly integrated into VFX pipelines both as a tool for generating source material and as a method for specific tasks like rotoscoping, background generation, and texture synthesis. For independent creators and smaller productions, AI video generation enables VFX-quality results - synthetic environments, impossible camera moves, fantastical subjects - that would previously have required large teams and significant budgets, making ambitious visual storytelling more accessible across all production scales.