Ever wondered how Harry Potter flew in that quidditch game? Ever puzzled over King Kong swatting down airplanes? Ever tried to figure out Spider-Man swung from building to building? It’s all done with optical and digital effects, with miniature photography and animation, with pyrotechnics, animatronics, and even sound effects--and Special Effects: The History and Technique offers the definitive history of movie magic plus detailed technical explanations and diagrams. Packed with more than 500 photographs and profiles of such groundbreakers as George Lucas, James Cameron, and Robert Zemeckis, it is sure to appeal to fans of all ages. From A Trip to the Moon to X-Men 3, from The Lost World to War of the Worlds, from the 1933 King Kong to the 2005 King Kong, this stunning book reveals the magic of special effects.