Film Language Tag: optical effect

A visual effect traditionally produced on an optical printer, such as a wipe, dissolve, superimposed title, etc. Optical effects can also be produced electronically without using an optical printer, but they are still called optical effects. USAGE: Not all opticals are optical effects; blow-ups and reductions, while produced on an optical printer (and therefore an optical), are not visual effects, and therefore are not optical effects. [See visual effects]. At Kinolab, we treat optical effects as a subcategory of visual effects and use the tag specifically for effects created on an optical printer. Kroon, R. W. A/V a to z: An encyclopedic dictionary of media, entertainment and other Audiovisual terms. McFarland, 2014.