Zack Snyder’s epic blockbuster film 300 tells the story of the

war between Spartans and Persians. and it owns the most part
of its success to the extended use of special effects. How
important, truly, are special effects in today’s film business?
In 300, King Xerxes and his mighty army of 1 million
Persians, back in 480 B.C. threatened to conquer Greece but
find resistance in the front of King Leonida’s Spartan army at
the pass at Thermopylae. The reason why this historical
incorrect film was crowned with success is the synthetic
settings, props and characters in it. Every single frame was
computer-manipulated to add a no-nonsense cartoonish
texture to the scenes. The difference between this film and the
rest of the computer animated films whose most likely target
audience is young children, is that it is meant to be watched
by more mature audiences and it does in fact include the use
of cameras and actors and body doubles, not to mention the
numerous stunts. The sound effects were equally strong. The
budget was definitely overblown. However it did manage to
beat Alexander and Troy at the box office game in their
opening weeks. Film buffs seem to like technology’s impact
on film-making.
It seems like the producers have realized there is a need for a
change in the film industry and 300 shows it is time they
started cashing in on it. Special effects help realize scenes
which cannot be achieved by normal video cameras or are too
expensive to produce. Technology has come a far way
proving that anything is possible in the virtual reality
environment of computers. If the director cannot catch a night
shot with full moon, he or she can just make one in the
computer. Or they can create rain or snow using special
machines anytime they need it. Not only are those techniques
cost-effective, but they also appeal to more and more fans.
People want to be rid of their black and white realities for
only an hour and half and need to watch something
spectacular and enjoy their time in the theater.
Little did 300 to try to educate people on Greek history. The
director had technology at his disposal and used it in his
advantage to realize his creativity and it is definitely clear
special effects are anything but a threat to the ongoing
existence of film industry.