front And reAr projection SyStemS for ViSuAl effectS Bill Mesa and John coats In the pre-digital era of visual effects, front projection, rearscreen projection, and “side-screen” projection were processes used for creating large-scale sets and new environments as well as for moving images out the windows of cars and planes. Although the techniques for using these tools have changed a great deal, the mechanics of the tools are basically the same, except for the new digital projection systems. In the past the background plates had to be created prior to on-set shooting, and once the on-set shooting was done, there was no fixing it in post, but it did and still does allow one to shoot many versions of the action with the subjects to give the director a variety of takes from which to choose. Experimentation can be done on the set with lighting and other smoke and debris elements to blend the subjects together. A good example of this is a shot from The Fugitive (1993), in which dust and debris shot from an air cannon landed on top of Harrison Ford just as a train crashed into the hillside. This was done using a front projection system that tied in all of the dust and debris on top of Harrison with the plate for integration of the elements.