Since the advent of film, practical effects have been used to create optical illusions and fantastical realities that have delighted creators and audiences alike. And despite the advancement of computers and CGI that have made relying on visual effects a customary standard, many filmmakers today still choose practical effects to bring their visions to life.
They are instrumental in fantasy and sci-fi genres by bringing imaginative worlds to life through sets, costumes, and props. In horror films, practical effects are the unsung heroes responsible for making us recoil from gruesome gore and horrific monsters.
Yet practical effects can also be employed to create visually breathtaking shots that inspire and impress. Following the renowned examples in films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and the Star Wars trilogy, these recent instances of practical effects attest to their lasting influence in cinema and storytelling.
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7 Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
A24
A24’s highest grossing film, Everything Everywhere All At Once, examines complex themes of nihilism and absurdism across a smorgasbord of film genres. Each scene is impossible to predict, especially as the main character, Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh), discovers her ability to tap into parallel universities, exploring her doppelgangers’ consciousness.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
Surprisingly, one of the film’s most conceptual moments is accomplished completely with practical effects. Directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert and visual effects artist Zak Stoltz sat down with WIRED to explain how they created the first verse-jumping scene with the combination of an open camera shutter, slow-motion acting, and a hidden leaf blower. The result is a stunning tunnel of streaked lines pulling the audience in as we witness and experience Evelyn’s (and our) first encounter with the multiverse.
6 The Shape of Water (2017)
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Before big-budget action movies started delving into underwater shots, Guillermo del Toro set the bar with his opening scene from The Shape of Water. Preceding his work in Pinocchio, del Toro captures the eerie weightlessness of submerged objects using puppeteers to control the movement of every prop.
In this shot, actress Sally Hawkins and various pieces of bedroom furniture are suspended on wires before being carefully lowered as if sinking to the bottom of a river. In order to imitate refracted beams of sunlight, Del Toro uses smoke and overhead projections to create the texture of a watery immersion. The effect is instantaneously magical and transformative.
5 1917 (2019)
Universal Pictures
Another 2019 film that cleverly utilized lighting was Sam Mendes’s World War II movie 1917. Following the experiences of two British soldiers venturing into enemy lines, Mendes wanted to create an ongoing “one shot” effect that captured the trek across battle terrain as a continuous journey. To achieve this, the film required a combination of practical and visual effects.
In one of the film’s most challenging sequences, Lance Corporal Schofield (George MacKay) runs through the streets of a burning city at night. Rather than make adjustments with a computer, the crew used practical lighting to illuminate the set with flares. They timed exactly how long it would take and used rigging to keep the flares traveling. Cinematographer Roger Deakins also created enormous stackable banks of lights to pulse at different rates to mimic the look of fire. The result is a momentous sequence where Schofield runs in and out of the shadows that shield him from enemy fire and swallow him into darkness.
4 Tenet (2020)
Warner Bros. Pictures
A list of stunning practical effects in film is incomplete without Christopher Nolan. Given his use of in-camera work on films like Inception and The Dark Knight, it is no surprise that he continued those techniques in Tenet and the upcoming Oppenheimer.
Already famous for flipping an eighteen-wheeler truck on the set of Batman, Nolan upped the ante in Tenet, where he bought and crashed a real Boeing 747. Though he originally planned to execute the scene using miniatures and visual effects, after running the numbers, it became clear that it would be more efficient to shoot the real thing. Combined with a heart-racing soundtrack and close-up camera angles, the sequence is horrifyingly gripping to watch as the plane sweeps aside streetlamps and tramples cars underfoot.
3 The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)
When Joel Coen made his solo debut in 2021, he chose Shakespeare’s formidable play, Macbeth, as his first directorial project without his brother. His film, The Tragedy of Macbeth, received critical acclaim for its direction, performances, and striking black-and-white cinematography.
Coen insisted on shooting entirely on sound stages to create the impression of being untethered from reality. Cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel and Production Designer Stefan Dechant continued that artifice, ensuring each shot was highly geometric and architectural. As much as possible, the production team utilized the stage on the Warner lot, using matte painting to fill in the backdrops. Delbonnel deliberately lit scenes to create shapes and tension, even adding painted shadow lines into the set.
2 The French Dispatch (2021)
Searchlight Pictures
Many examples of practical effects involve using puppets and miniature models–a filmmaking technique mastered by Wes Anderson. His recent film, The French Dispatch, featured approximately 130 sets, many of which involved models of cityscapes, street lanes, and the interior of a cargo plane.
When the team shot in real locations, they maintained an air of illusion by adding painted trompe l’oeil backdrops. Though most filmmakers implement practical effects to create believability, Anderson uses them to evoke nostalgia and transport his audience to a fanciful world of his making. As a direct contrast to shooting in green screen rooms or volumes, the tableaux vivant and hand-made sets of The French Dispatch create a storybook atmosphere consistent with the whimsy and charm across all of Anderson’s filmography.
1 Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
Skydance
If you need proof that practical effects are still in demand today, look no further than Top Gun: Maverick, one of 2022’s highest-grossing films. A sequel to the 1986 action drama, the film explores a new generation of test pilots now under the tutelage of Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise).
The process for capturing realistic aerial sequences began with training the actors, who went through a three-month rigorous Navy-approved boot camp. Afterward, it took a team of experts made up of naval aviators, camera crew, and of course, Tom Cruise, to figure out how to place the cameras outside and inside the jet. Their dedication and extensive planning paid off, as the actors and crew captured stunning footage of snow-top mountains, misty clouds, and dusty spirals using a cockpit camera lens.
