What i Want To Do....

I want to use this project to explore different special effects techniques, creating a small portfolio of some which i feel best able to replicate myself. I want to look into the methods used to blend CG into live footage and the various different aspects surrounding this. Due to how my dissertation is about the way in which CGI has in the most replaced original techniques, and the question im asking is are CGI special effects better than original methods. I feel like investigating this area will benefit and allow me to create a more informed body of work.