This document discusses the history and use of visual effects in film from the 19th century to present. It outlines key developments like the earliest photographic images in the 1840s, advances in film technology in the 1890s that enabled moving images, and the emergence of visual effects in silent films. The document examines how visual effects were used in early blockbuster films to create elaborate set pieces and advanced special effects. It also provides guidelines for the transparent use of visual effects to enhance rather than distract from the narrative.