MEDIA & TECHNOLOGY

John P. Fulton used stop-motion photography to show how the character turns into the Wolf Man. Filmmakers use special effects such as this to trick viewers. This is one of many special effects techniques.

• 1 Explore the Topic Look through books and articles to explore the topic of special effects. Check out resources on the Internet, too.

  Internet InsideNG.com

  • See how special effects are used in some films.

  • Get a historic view of special effects in filmmaking.

  Look for techniques such as

  • • optical effects, including double exposures, skip frames, and blue screens

  • • animation and scale modeling

  • • computer graphics.

  Preview the text. Scan the descriptions. Make a list of techniques that interest you.

• 2 Narrow Your Topic Choose one technique to focus on. Focus on a specific part of it. Collect interesting facts and details to include in a report.

• 3 Write a Report Tell what you learned. Include pictures or graphics.

• 4 Share Your Information Present your report to the class. Remember to

  • • speak so everyone can hear

  • • display the graphics to help listeners focus

  • • answer people’s questions about your report.

A special effects artist helps make a movie about dinosaurs.