Guide
12 October 2026
CGI, VFX, SFX and computer-generated imagery come up all the time in film and advertising. Here is what each term means, the difference in CGI vs VFX, and how a visual effects shot is made.
Questions
What does VFX stand for?
Visual effects: images created or changed by computer after the shoot.
What is the difference between CGI and VFX?
CGI is imagery created by computer, most often in 3D. VFX is all the digital work done on a film. It includes CGI, but also compositing, rotoscoping and image clean-up.
What does CGI mean?
Computer-generated imagery: an image created by computer.
What was the first fully CGI feature film?
Toy Story (1995) is the first feature film made entirely in CGI. Older films, like Tron (1982), already used a lot of it.
What does a VFX artist do?
They make visual effects. Depending on their specialty, they work on simulation, compositing, modeling, lighting or rotoscoping.