Visual Effects (VFX) - on-screen imagery that does not physically exist in real life

Visual effects (VFX) allows filmmakers to create environments, objects, creatures, and people that would otherwise be impractical or impossible to film in the context of a live-action shot. (VFX) is the creation or manipulation of any on-screen imagery that does not physically exist in real life. It is the process by which digital imagery is created to manipulate or enhance real world footage to look realistic. Visual Effects are not just limited to big block buster films, they are commonly seen in television commercials, broadcast series, architecture, advertising and more.
Special Effects (SFX) refers to on-set visual effects techniques; commonly called 'practical effects'. VFX enables filmmakers to create effects that look dangerous, expensive, impractical, time consuming or impossible to capture on film, during post-production

Important Skills to become a VFX artist

Besides software and technology, a solid foundation in the following skills are useful:
Composition and light
Visual Aesthetics
Drawing
Sculpture & Anatomy
Mechanics and Movement
Passion for Film
Real world observation
Communication skills
Photography

Software Used & Curriculum

Commonly used software to create stunning visual effects are:
Autodesk Maya
Autodesk 3DS Max
Adobe After Effects
Nuke
Mocha
Following topics are part of the VFX course syllabus- History of Animation, Introduction to 2D Animation, Video Editing & Compositing, Character Modelling and Rigging, Digital Methodologies: Lighting and Texturing, Media Encoder, Frame Size and Composition, Render Layer.

Key Roles and Departments in VFX

The process of creating visual effects is challenging and very technical. Teams are large and very diverse and could consist of coders, illustrators and managerial and administrative roles. Everyone plays a crucial role. Some of them are
Art Department - Consists of concept artists and illustrators, responsible for translating a Directors vision and a script into visuals that can be shared with the entire team to understand the creative and technical challenges that lie ahead. They create storyboards to photorealistic artworks
Pre-visualisation Artists - Responsible for creating the first 3D representation of the final VFX shot. They use artwork and basic 3D models to create normally low-quality versions of the action sequences. This helps the Director to plan out camera placement and creative and technical requirements.
Asset Department - Virtual assets are created to either match real world objects or create new objects that don't exist or substitute very expensive products.
Research and Development/Technical Team- RnD artists are responsible for building new software and tools to accomplish the tasks that cannot be accomplished manually or are time consuming to complete manually. These roles requires a strong background in computer science and a passion for problem solving.
Animation Team - Anything that moves on film needs to be animated.
Matchmove/Motion Tracking - Without this, there would be no way to incorporate 3D data into live action footage. A virtual camera that moves exactly like the camera in the live action footage is needed. The matchmove artists use the live action video footage and create a virtual camera for all departments to work with.
FX Simulation - To design and create FX animation, procedural simulation, dynamic simulation, and particle and fluid systems. They are responsible for recreating the behaviour of real world elements such as fire, water, explosions, cloth, hair and a whole lot more that most people don't even realise.
Lighting - Are responsible for all lighting effects to the digital scene. The artist takes into consideration the light sources of the live-action plate and applies virtual lighting to mimic the existing illumination within the environment. The goal is to ensure that the VFX and live-action elements blend seamlessly, as though both exist in the same environment.