Visual Effects Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield Visual Effects facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. What compositing operation places a foreground element over a background using an alpha channel? → Over
2. What is 'face replacement' (face swap) in VFX production? → Digitally replacing a stunt performer's face with an actor's likeness in post-production
3. What does 'grain matching' refer to in compositing? → Adding film grain to CGI elements to match the noise of the live-action plate
4. What does 'set extension' mean in VFX? → Digitally expanding a physical set beyond its real boundaries using CG or matte paintings
5. What is a 'particle system' used for in VFX production? → Simulating large numbers of small elements like sparks, smoke, rain, or confetti
6. What is 'motion blur' in 3D rendering and why is it important for VFX? → The blurring of fast-moving objects that mimics how a real camera captures motion
7. What is 'subsurface scattering' (SSS) used for in VFX rendering? → Simulating how light penetrates and scatters beneath translucent surfaces like skin
8. Why is it important to shoot an on-set 'HDRI' (High Dynamic Range Image) for VFX shots? → To capture the real lighting environment so CGI elements can be lit to match the plate
9. What is the main purpose of visual effects software? → To visualize the effects you want to add to a movie or video.
10. What is a 'proxy' in a 3D VFX workflow? → A lower-resolution stand-in version of an asset used during animation and previsualization
11. What is 'global illumination' in 3D rendering for VFX? → A rendering technique that simulates indirect light bouncing between surfaces
12. the level of light or radiation reflection in a material → reflectivity
13. In node-based compositing, what is a 'grade' or 'color correct' node used for? → Adjusting brightness, contrast, gamma, and color of an image stream
14. Which software is widely regarded as an industry-standard dedicated matchmoving application? → PFTrack
15. Which type of tracking involves following a single point across multiple frames? → 2D point tracking
16. What is a 'render farm' used for in VFX production? → A network of computers that distribute and process rendering jobs in parallel
17. observing the motion of people and objects and sending the sensed data to a program for processing → motion capture
18. In VFX, what is a 'voxel' and why is it used in simulations? → A pixel that exists in a 3D virtual space — a volumetric pixel
19. What is 'image stabilization' in the context of VFX compositing? → Removing unwanted camera shake from footage to create a steady shot
20. What is 'despill' in green/blue screen compositing? → Removing reflected green or blue color from the subject
21. What is 'render management software' used for in a VFX studio? → Distributing, prioritizing, and monitoring render jobs across a render farm
22. Which color space is preferred for high-dynamic-range compositing to preserve linear light values? → Linear light (scene-linear)
23. What is 'previs' (previsualization) in VFX production? → A rough 3D animation created before filming to plan complex VFX sequences and camera work
24. Which node type in a node-based compositor is used to merge two image streams together? → Merge node
25. What is 'color grading' as it applies to the compositing pipeline? → Adjusting the color and tone of composite images to achieve a unified look
26. What is a 'shader' in 3D VFX production? → A program that defines how a surface responds to light
27. What is 'pyro simulation' used for in VFX? → Simulating volumetric fire, smoke, and explosion effects using voxel-based fluid solvers
28. Which of the following does not make up a part of tools for pattern-based motion tracking? → Shape manipulator
29. the method used to create a two-dimensional or three-dimensional image using application programs from a model. → rendering
30. the property of something, like glass, that makes it transparent → transparency