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Elysium is a new movie written by Neill Blomkamp, who also made District 9 and was nominated for an Oscar for that film. The film stars Matt Damon and Jodie Foster and tells of a dystopian future where the world’s poor are stuck on Earth and the wealthy get to live on a nearby space station-type world called Elysium. Already from the trailer the film appears to have stunning visual and special effects. These terms are often used interchangeably, but they actually mean two different things. Special effects are almost like illusions created in camera footage, whereas visual effects are created in post-production. Both of these techniques were used in Elysium. A number of the components in the film, including the iconic metal exoskeleton suit that Matt Damon’s character wears, were developed by WETA workshop, which is also responsible for the alien and weapon design from District 9. The film …