The importance of special effects

[ravenclawlady]

Original Yahoo! HPFG Header:
No: HPFGUIDX C7615
From: ravenclawlady
Subject: The importance of special effects
Date: 8/23/00 1:55 am  (ET)

I'm somewhere between Ebony and Vicki in my opinion on special
effects. What I'd like to see is (are?) effects that blend seamlessly into
the story, and move it forward, rather than a blatant display of "Hey,
look what movie making modern technology can do!" Does that make sense?

Two examples that come to mind are "Forrest Gump" and "Pleasantville". I
remember watching "Forrest Gump," and wondering in passing how they did
a few thing, but being too caught up in the story to realize they were
"special effects". I was quite surprised when it won the Academy Award
for special effect, because I usually equate the term with sci fi.

For "Pleasantville," I remember reading some trivia that it had a larger
special effects budget than the combined budget of three much more
blatant films (I've forgotten which ones). When I watched it, however,
I never once thought about what steps they had to take to combine color
with black and white in almost every scene.

Well, enough rambling. I short, that's what I'd like to see in the HP
movie(s). I want the effects to convince me that they are casting spells,
or battling, or playing quidditch, etc. But I don't want them to overpower
the story.

Melanie