Miniature effect

A filmmaking technique that uses a small-scale physical model to represent a larger object, setting, or event on screen.

Forced perspective: An optical technique that makes objects appear larger, smaller, or farther apart by controlling their relative positions and viewpoints. Careful alignment can make a miniature blend convincingly with full-sized scenery.
Star Wars: A science-fiction film franchise created by George Lucas, beginning with the 1977 film. Its spacecraft battles made detailed miniatures a defining part of the original trilogy’s visual effects.
Full-scale set: A physical film set built at approximately the size of the depicted environment. Unlike a miniature, it places performers and cameras among full-sized scenery.
Georges Méliès: A French filmmaker and illusionist whose films pioneered theatrical staging and visual effects. His early trick films used practical staging and models to depict transformations and impossible events.
Miniature (model): A small-scale representation of a real or imagined object, structure, or environment. The filmed effect begins with a miniature built to represent a larger subject.
Motion control photography: A filmmaking technique that repeats precisely programmed camera movements across multiple takes. Repeatable camera moves let miniature and live-action elements share a composite.
Blade Runner: A 1982 science-fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, set in a rain-soaked future Los Angeles. Miniature cityscapes helped give its Los Angeles skyline density and depth.
Stop motion: An animation technique that creates movement by photographing objects in successive adjusted positions. Stop motion animates models frame by frame; miniature effects usually film models continuously.
The Lost World (1925 film): A 1925 silent adventure film featuring stop-motion dinosaurs created by Willis O’Brien. Its creature work demonstrated how small-scale figures could share the screen with live actors.
Model making: The craft of constructing physical representations of objects, structures, or environments. Material choice and surface detail determine how convincingly a model reads on camera.

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