Okay, been looking into FX lately. Trying to figure out how some things are done. Hoping some of you have some insight.

For example, "A Beautiful Mind", when he sees letters glow on newspapers then they move around and whatnot.

X-Men 2, Nightcrawler's smoke, Cyclops optic blast, etc.

Harry Potter, Chamber of Secrets, the glow that comes from the book that he writes in, then he's sucked into it.

Then, random things like Lightsabers, laser blasts, fire, color changes, etc.

Things like this, how are they done? Are they painted in, frame by frame, using a program like Commotion? Do they have ways of animating them so they don't have to paint each frame? I assume some things have 3D techniques mixed in as well.

Any advice you can provide is appreciated.