Visual effects shot directly in-camera — multiple exposures, practical reflections, motion blur without post. What the camera captures is the final shot.
You shoot, the camera captures the effects, and you don't need to embellish anything in post-production. That's the principle: everything that happens optically while the sensor is running is already in the image. No compositing sessions, no render farms — just hands-on craftsmanship on set.
In-camera effects range from classic multiple exposure (several shots on the same frame, previously only possible with film, now achievable with digital cameras via layer modes) to practical reflections created by the strategic placement of reflective surfaces. Motion blur is achieved through real movement in front of the lens with a longer shutter speed — not through post-production motion blur in the computer. Prism refraction, light streaks through grids or gauze in front of the lens, bokeh shapes through physical masks in the aperture — all of this is built in mechanically, and you see the result immediately on the monitor. This gives you control and authenticity that digital simulation often can't achieve.
The practice: You need planning. Don't try to improvise a multiple exposure spontaneously — you must calibrate the exposure values precisely, otherwise the first layer will be overexposed or the second will be barely visible. With digital cameras, this works better than before: you can use live view, display the first shot as an overlay, and register the second shot precisely. For reflections: flags, frosted glass, silver foil — all these materials play a role in the composition. The advantage lies in optical authenticity. A reflected movement looks different from a digitally duplicated one because real light refraction is involved.
Where it gets tricky: Not everything works as elegantly in-camera as it does in a VFX studio. Complex tracking shots with effect layers are often still needed in post-production — but the core, the visual impression, is already in place. Modern DoPs often combine both: they create as much as possible in front of the lens and use digital post-processing only for refinements or the impossible. This saves time, money, and gives you a more direct workflow — what you see is close to what the audience will see later.