unusual visual and sound effects beyond the range of normal photography or recording, as simulated fires or earthquakes, explosions, thunder and lightning, miniaturized or enlarged images, or other optical or electronic distortions.
Origin
1940-45
Examples from the web for special effects
Perhaps moviemakers should study a little bit more about this topic instead of studying special effects.
The same applies to over-the-top special effects in movies.
The actors are the stars, not the special effects guys.
Put your effort into the science, not special effects.
No amount of special effects and computer graphics imaging can compensate for good story telling.
The special effects are more impressive, and the action considerably more intense.
That's a life that needs no aerial combat or special effects to spice it up.
So, he used that movie making magic they call special effects.
No acid trips, no homemade special effects, not a curlicue of camp.
We do an awful lot of special effects now, so the shows take even longer to do.
British Dictionary definitions for special effects
special effects
plural noun
1.
(films) techniques used in the production of scenes that cannot be achieved by normal techniques