matte paintings
Illusory film scenery
Matte paintings are detailed images—originally painted on glass, now typically digital—used in film and television to create backgrounds or extend sets beyond what was physically built.
A castle on a distant hill, a futuristic cityscape, or a period street scene might all be matte paintings composited with live footage.
The technique allows filmmakers to depict environments that would be impossible or prohibitively expensive to construct or visit.
- backdropRear stage scenery
- digitalOf discrete data
- landscapeVisible features of terrain
- illusionMisleading sensory impression
- compositeMade of distinct parts
glass · skyline · vista · horizon · panorama · scenery · fantasy · epic · science fiction · studio · layer · photorealistic · cinematic · depth · forced perspective · extension · miniature · background