VFX VS CGI: What's Their Difference and How to Add Them to Videos

In the world of video production, understanding "VFX and CGI" is essential for creators seeking captivating visuals. While both tools add impressive effects to videos, they differ in technique and application. In this article, we’ll delve into the core differences between VFX and CGI, guiding you through their unique techniques and how to integrate them into your own projects. Plus, we'll take a look at how you can experiment with VFX and CGI within the video editor CapCut!

VFX vs CGI: What's the difference

To bring videos and films to life, creators often rely on visual effects like VFX and CGI, but each serves a unique role in the production process. Understanding the differences between VFX and CGI can help you choose the right tool for achieving realistic environments, striking action sequences, or imaginative characters. In the following sections, we’ll dive into the technical distinctions between VFX and CGI, explore their most common applications, and reveal their unique impacts on video production.

What is VFX (Visual Effects)

Visual Effects, commonly known as VFX, involve manipulating or creating imagery outside the context of live-action filming. VFX is widely used to produce scenes or elements that may be impractical, dangerous, or impossible to capture during filming. From epic fantasy landscapes to complex action scenes, VFX allows filmmakers to expand their visual storytelling beyond the limitations of real-world filming conditions.

Types of VFX

• Matte painting
• Matte painting uses digital or traditional paintings to create realistic backgrounds. These backgrounds are either static or enhanced with CGI to add elements like movement, transforming an otherwise stationary scene into a dynamic environment.
• Compositing
• Compositing combines multiple layers of images or footage to form a cohesive scene. This technique is often used to seamlessly integrate live-action and CGI, adding background details, characters, or effects like explosions and weather.
• Rotoscoping
• Rotoscoping involves tracing specific elements within footage, frame by frame, to isolate or edit them. It’s often used to replace backgrounds or insert digital characters into scenes, allowing precise control over their movement and appearance.
• Motion capture
• It records human movement and uses it to animate digital characters realistically. This technique is especially useful for creating lifelike animations in digital creatures or avatars, often combining the physical performance of actors with CGI.

Features of VFX

• Realism and enhancement
• VFX helps create realistic yet imaginative scenes, blending digital elements with live-action to enhance the believability of fantasy or sci-fi sequences.
• Integration with live-action
• VFX is often used to seamlessly merge CGI and live-action footage, making scenes more immersive and dynamic.
• Post-production intensive
• VFX involves intensive post-production work, including layering, editing, and color grading, to ensure all effects blend naturally with filmed footage.

What is CGI (Computer Generated Imagery)

Computer-generated imagery, or CGI, involves creating images and animations using computer software. Unlike VFX, CGI does not require live-action footage and can be used to create entire digital scenes, characters, or objects from scratch. CGI has grown increasingly sophisticated, enabling the creation of lifelike virtual worlds, realistic creatures, and complex animations.

Types of CGI

• 3D animation
• 3D animation involves building models in a three-dimensional space and animating them. It’s widely used to create dynamic scenes, characters, and objects that look realistic from multiple angles.
• 2D animation
• This is often used for stylized effects or simpler animations, as seen in cartoons or illustrations. It’s popular in more artistic, animated formats where a unique style is preferred over realism.
• Digital characters
• CGI frequently creates digital characters with lifelike features and movements. These characters may be entirely fictional (like dragons or aliens) or realistic renderings of human actors.
• Simulations
• Simulations produce natural effects like fire, water, and smoke. These effects are often created algorithmically, generating complex particle interactions that look realistic without physical elements.

Features of CGI

• Customization and flexibility
• CGI allows for customizing characters, settings, and objects, with full control over each element’s appearance and movement.
• Enhanced realism or style
• CGI enables creators to produce lifelike creatures and environments or design more abstract, stylized worlds, such as those in animations and video games.
• Reliance on software
• CGI is generated entirely through computer software, making it distinct from traditional filmmaking or VFX techniques that combine digital elements with live-action.

Comparison of VFX and CGI





Now that you've explored the differences between CGI and VFX, let's look at common applications for both.

Common applications of VFX and CGI

1. Films and television

• VFX: VFX is a staple in modern cinema, where it enhances scenes by adding elements that can’t be physically filmed, such as explosions, space environments, and mythical creatures. In TV, VFX is often used for fantasy and sci-fi series, where visual effects like dragons or supernatural powers bring the storyline to life.
• CGI: CGI creates entire digital worlds, lifelike animals, or complex simulations. Famous examples include the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park and the 3D characters in Avatar. CGI allows filmmakers to create realistic or fantastical characters and settings that would be impossible to achieve with live-action alone.
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2. Business advertisements

• VFX: VFX enhances advertising by adding dynamic elements to product demonstrations or by creating a specific atmosphere, like a bustling city scene or dreamlike setting. It is especially valuable for ads that require high-energy visuals or unique brand storytelling.
• CGI: CGI is often employed to create animated products, objects, or even virtual characters in advertisements. For example, car commercials frequently use CGI to show vehicles in motion or present close-up parts, highlighting features without the need for physical filming setups.
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3. VR and AR

• VFX: In augmented reality (AR), VFX adds digital effects to real-time environments, creating interactive and immersive experiences. VFX in virtual reality (VR) enhances realism by blending live-action footage with virtual elements, helping users feel more connected to the virtual environment.
• CGI: CGI powers much of the visual content in VR and AR. CGI-created environments, objects, and characters enable users to interact with a digital world as if it were real.
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4. Games

• VFX: VFX enhances in-game cinematics, weather effects, explosions, and transitions. VFX artists create particle effects for spells, combat, and explosions, making gameplay dynamic and visually engaging. This adds to the game's immersive quality, especially in high-action sequences.
• CGI: CGI is fundamental in game design, where characters, landscapes, and objects are modeled and animated in 3D. CGI brings detailed character designs, realistic or stylized environments, and interactive objects into the gameplay. Games like The Last of Us or Assassin’s Creed rely heavily on CGI for lifelike graphics and environments, creating highly interactive and visually stunning experiences.
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With their powerful applications across media, VFX and CGI profoundly shape storytelling, visual appeal, and audience engagement in videos and films. Next, we’ll explore how these technologies impact the cinematic experience, bringing stories and characters to life like never before.

The impacts of VFX and CGI on videos/films

• Enhanced storytelling and visual appeal: VFX and CGI profoundly impact storytelling and visual appeal in videos and films. They enable filmmakers to create stunning worlds and characters that extend beyond the limits of reality, making sci-fi, fantasy, and action genres more immersive and captivating.
• Cost-effective production: One significant advantage of VFX and CGI is its cost-effectiveness in production. By digitally creating entire scenes or characters, filmmakers can save on the expenses of physical sets and locations.
• Increased viewer engagement: Realistic VFX and CGI elements have the power to engage viewers more deeply, drawing them into the narrative and creating memorable cinematic moments.
• Creative flexibility and experimentation: VFX and CGI offer filmmakers creative flexibility, allowing them to design scenes or elements that would be impossible to realize in real life.

Now that we’ve examined the impacts of VFX and CGI on videos and films, let’s look at how these technologies can be applied in the video editor CapCut. In this section, we’ll explore the features that allow you to incorporate visual effects and CGI into your projects, helping you effortlessly create captivating and professional-quality videos.

Explore VFX and CGI in the video editor CapCut

CapCut is a powerful video editing tool that allows adding VFX and CGI to your videos, transforming ordinary footage into visually stunning content. Using CapCut to add VFX and CGI is efficient and enjoyable. The software offers a variety of pre-built effects, filters, and animations that can be easily customized, allowing you to enhance your videos without needing advanced technical skills.

Ready to take your video editing to the next level? Download CapCut today and start creating captivating videos with VFX and CGI that will engage and impress your audience!

Key features

• Plenty of VFX effects: CapCut provides a vast library of video and body effects, allowing users to enhance their videos easily.
• AI avatars: CapCut allows users to use AI avatars, adding a unique touch to your videos. These virtual characters can enhance your content for social media, marketing, or entertainment, making your message more engaging and relatable.
• AI stylize: The AI stylize feature enables you to apply artistic styles to your videos effortlessly. This tool transforms footage into stunning visuals, mimicking various creative techniques and giving your videos a distinctive look.

How to add VFX to videos easily

Step
1. Import media
2. In the main window, click the option of "Import." You can select media from any previous project created with CapCut or choose media from CapCut's cloud storage. You can also use the drag-and-drop option.
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Step
4. Add free VFX
5. Once you upload media, drag the toolbar to the "Effects" option. Select your desired VFX effect theme and the particular visual effect to add to the video. You can adjust the effect strength, size, or speed. Or rotate the effect. For detailed customization, add masks to the video.
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Step
7. Export and share
8. Once you have added all desired visual effects to the video, click the "Export" button. You can share the edited video on TikTok and YouTube. Before exporting, you can choose the frame rate, frame, resolution, and quality.
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How to add CGI to videos with clicks

Step
1. Add AI avatars
2. Click on "AI avatars," then browse and choose your preferred AI character. Select one of them and select the voice, then add the text you want them to read. Finally, click "Generate". You can adjust the generated audio volume and speed.
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Step
4. Apply AI stylize
5. Click the video on the timeline and move to "AI stylize" on the right-up toolbar. There are five AI effects for choosing. Pick one for your video, and finally click "Generate."
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Conclusion

In summary, the primary difference between VFX and CGI lies in their applications and techniques. VFX enhances live-action footage with digital effects. CGI involves creating entire scenes or characters using computer-generated imagery. Both technologies play crucial roles in modern filmmaking and video production, enriching the viewer's experience and storytelling. By utilizing CapCut, you can effortlessly incorporate VFX and CGI into your videos, elevating video quality and appeal. Whether you're looking to create stunning effects or add unique AI elements, CapCut provides the tools you need to bring your creative vision to life.

Ready to transform your videos? Download CapCut today and start exploring the incredible possibilities of VFX and CGI!

FAQs

1. What are some common examples of VFX and CGI in movies?
2. Common examples of VFX include adding explosions, creating weather effects, or compositing backgrounds in live-action films. CGI is often used to develop entire characters or environments, like the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park or the landscapes in Avatar. Understanding the difference between CGI and VFX helps viewers appreciate how these technologies work together to enhance storytelling.
3. Where can I download the VFX and CGI course?
4. You can find various online platforms offering courses on VFX and CGI. Websites like Udemy, Coursera, and LinkedIn Learning often provide comprehensive courses. When looking for these resources, it’s essential to focus on the CGI and VFX differences to grasp the specific techniques involved in each area. Additionally, CapCut has user-friendly tools to help you practice VFX and CGI in your projects.
5. What is the common mistake when making VFX?
6. A common mistake in creating VFX is over-relying on digital effects without considering the overall coherence of the scene. This often results in visuals that appear unnatural and detract from the story. Understanding the visual effects vs CGI debate can help creators balance practical effects and digital enhancements, ensuring a more authentic viewer experience. CapCut offers tools to refine your VFX work, allowing for better integration with your video content.