Zombie said:
...the original visual effect wasn't complete until it was composited. It wasn't some incidental thing, a final element to the effect that can just be polished up in the digital realm. It was the effect.
Well put sir.
On a side note, S_Matt, I love your avatar. It's totally simple, not exactly iconic, but instantly recognizable. I'm thinking of making a print of that image to hang in my office. Squares would just think it's abstract.