Special effects: Who comes up with the ideas?

Question

I know they have 3D computer graphics people that do the actual animating, but when you see something in movies and you're like wooow, that's so cool, HOW DID THEY THINK OF THAT? Who thought of that?

Answer 1

In a workshop we attended, the fella leading the class was special creature effects creator for several movies (doing it the old fashioned way, with rubber, latex, molds and the like and making up the actors) said he gotten many of his ideas by researching animals and insects and either exaggerating their qualities or mixing and matching them with other creatures/insects.

Answer 2

Obviously, whoever writes the screenplay has come up with the idea first. The producers and director will then have a discussion with their Speicial Effects guy and determine what can and can not be achieved and at what cost. Then, ultimately, when they decide what effects are needed for the movie, they leave the creation process totally up to the Special Effects department. Say they need a tornado scene. They'll tell SEs that they need a tornado scene and it will be up to him and his team to figure out how to build it and stay within the budget given for each specific effect.