There were many contributors to the growth of television and therefore not one single person can claim ownership of the whole process. Its invention and later development spans over along period of like 100 years as noted by Porter and Duff (1988). However its development and later improvement is attributable to Vladimir Zworykin and Philo Farnesworth spanning the late 1880's and late 1980's. They made major contributions both the picture and sound effects.

Visual effects refer to the many processes by which an image can be made to look even better outside the live action shooting. The visual basics used in films and in television are mostly similar. In order to create environments that look real, computer generated images (CGI) and what is captured in the live act is combined to create pictures as explained by Mayur (2009). This is especially used by the huge-capital film producers as it is costly and capital intensive. However the small industry players can use the computer to generate animated films. It is also possible to use a soft ware for compositing to make a film. Though the live part of the film is only possible with CGI, poor quality and easy films can be made that way (Mayur, 2009).

Initial stages of film and television production require live action that is recorded in lenses, film stocks, projectors and cameras. These image sources are combined with sound sources, transmitters and receivers to form the desired final product (Rickitt, 2007). The image source can be a person or an object, the sound source can be someone speaking or the sound of anything, lenses are cameras and screens are monitors of computers or television screens. Television however has a way it transmits its signals differently from films (Shilo, 2007).  Using transmitters from the ground you can be able to receive images from a TV set. The discovery of both influenced the other. The scientist that came across TV was experimenting with making films from cameras. However film was created first and influenced television making.