Chapter 5. applying special effects

Special effects are filters that change the appearance of video either to fix underlying problems or to enhance the video artistically. In both roles, they can help make your video much more watchable.

For example, if your video is too dark, perhaps because the lighting was inadequate during shooting, you can use effects to brighten it up before your viewers see it. In addition, you can use artistic special effects to change the pace and appearance of your video to help retain the viewer's interest.

Make no mistake, however; overusing special effects will likely have the reverse impact, like throwing too many different spices into a casserole. However, as you'll see, a dash here and a pinch there really helps make your movie more palatable to your viewers.