Contents King Kong: One of the most beloved fantasy adventures of all time returns to the big screen in director Peter Jackson's adaptation of the 1933 film classic about a giant ape who reigns over an island of prehistoric beasts, but who falls for a winsome blonde and is transported to civilization for an epic rampage through the streets of New York. Jackson's longtime dream project, and his first film since completing The Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong comes alive through the efforts of Jackson's own Oscar-winning effects companies, Weta Digital and Weta Workshop in New Zealand.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Several generations of children and adults have been captivated by C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia, about four young children who step into an enchanted wardrobe and find themselves in the frozen land of Narnia, inhabited by witches, fauns and other magical beasts. Now, director Andrew Adamson, drawing upon the talents of three top visual effects companies (Industrial Light & Magic, Sony Pictures Imageworks and Rhythm & Hues), brings to film the first installment of the Narnia series, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

The Legend of Zorro: Visual effects supervisor Pete Kozachik dissects the stop-motion animation and visual effects in Tim Burton's The Corpse Bride. Visual effects supervisor Michael Shelton discusses the subtle, but creepy, digital makeup employed in The Exorcism of Emily Rose. And visual effects supervisor Kent Houston talks about exploding trains and other effects in the rollicking sequel, The Legend of Zorro.

Contents Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: Dark Lord Rising: For Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth installment in the film franchise based on J.K. Rowling's acclaimed children's book series, visual effects supervisor Jim Mitchell oversaw the creation of all-new fantasy characters and environments as a teenage Harry tests his mettle in the Triwizard Tournament. Special effects supervisor John Richardson, creature supervisor Nick Dudman, and an international team of visual effects vendors - the largest ever since the series began - joined forces to bring Rowling's increasingly mature themes to fruition. Article by Joe Fordham.

All Sixty: A Cinefex Forum on Effects in Television: In another of its 'roundtable forums,' Cinefex explores the role of makeup and visual effects in episodic television, where the affordability and accessibility of high-end digital tools and viewers' rising expectations have resulted in greater demand for sophisticated imagery. Ten artists currently working in the medium share their insights and views on the subject, elaborating on the unique challenges of practicing their craft in an environment famous for its tight budgets and grueling schedules. Article by Jody Duncan.

TV x 3: Cinefex goes behind the scenes of three of television's most popular effects-driven shows. In ABC TV's Lost, supervisor Kevin Blank relies on a blend of practical and visual effects to unveil the mysteries of a deserted island where survivors of a plane crash find themselves marooned; in the Sci-Fi Channel's resurrected space saga Battlestar Galactica, visual effects supervisor Gary Hutzel and Zoic Studios update the series for modern audiences, delivering all-new ships, space battles and alien planet environments; and in NBC's Surface, visual effects supervisor Mitch Suskin enlists Eden FX to create the fantasy series' strange leviathan sea creatures and an evolving baby sea monster hatchling. Article by Joe Fordham.

OVERVIEWS

The Shaggy Dog: Visual effects supervisor Stephen Rosenbaum expounds on the efforts of Tippett Studio and CIS Hollywood to sell the comic premise of a man morphing into a dog in this remake of the Disney comedy classic, The Shaggy Dog.

Casanova: For the period film Casanova, a comic take on the life and loves of the infamous 18th-century rake, visual effects supervisors Syd Dutton and Bill Taylor of Illusion Arts discuss their methods of turning the clock back 200 years on modern-day Venice.

Zathura: Joe Bauer, visual effects supervisor on Zathura, reveals the seamless meld of practical and digital effects used to depict the bizarre adventures of two young brothers who discover an old board game in their attic that has the power to send them spinning off into the galaxy.

Contents X-Men: The Last Stand: Dark Phoenix Rising: The X-Men and their mutant adversaries once again come to blows -- this time over thorny ethical issues -- in X-Men: The Last Stand, the third installment in the popular film franchise based on the Marvel Comics series. Faced with a breakneck schedule and a heavy slate of effects, visual effects supervisor John Bruno opted for an in-camera approach whenever possible, relying heavily on practical makeups designed and executed by Spectral Motion for lead mutants - several of them new to the story - and special effects by Mike Vezina. Innovative visual effects - some 900 of them mandated by the ambitious storyline, were distributed among ten vendors from around the globe. Article by Jody Duncan.

Superman Returns: A Hero's Return: In Superman Returns, D.C. Comics' venerable superhero returns to the screen after an absence of nearly twenty years. Director Bryan Singer and newcomer Brandon Routh as the 'Man of Steel' breathe fresh life into the series with the help of physical effects supervisor Neil Corbould, stunt coordinator R.A. Rondell and visual effects supervisor Mark Stetson. Lead effects house Sony Pictures Imageworks and a host of other vendors spread across three continents contributed everything from digital set extensions and atmospherics to fully synthetic environments and CG stunt doubles for the film's exhilarating actions scenes. Article by Joe Fordham.

Poseidon: Wipeout: For Poseidon, an update on the classic 1970s disaster film The Poseidon Adventure, director Wolfgang Petersen traded models and in-camera effects for sophisticated digital imagery to tell the tale of a small band of survivors who attempt a perilous climb out of a giant cruise ship overturned by a rogue wave. Visual effects supervisor Boyd Shermis challenged Industrial Light & Magic to push the boundaries of digital model complexity and fluid dynamics in the creation of an all-synthetic ship, rogue wave and ocean environments. Interior scenes of mayhem were the work of Giant Killer Robots, The Moving Picture Company, CIS Hollywood, Hydraulx, and a handful of other vendors. John Frazier handled practical effects. Article by Jody Duncan.

OVERVIEWS

V for Vendetta: Coming off the Matrix films and Batman Begins, visual effects supervisor Dan Glass discusses the challenges of working on the smaller-scale V for Vendetta, a thriller based on an Alan Moore graphic novel about a masked vigilante in a near-future society, chafing under the rigid rule of a fascist regime.

The Da Vinci Code: For the much anticipated film version of The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown's best-selling and controversial thriller steeped in unorthodox religious ideology, visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton reveals the methods used to achieve a seamless blend of effects involving real-life ecclesiastical settings that were off-limits to the film crew, and a series of historical flashbacks key to the movie's complex narrative.

Contents Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: Beneath the Barnacles: In Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, a rousing sequel to the immensely popular original, Curse of the Black Pearl, returning director Gore Verbinski once again joins forces with Industrial Light & Magic and a host of supporting visual effects vendors to deliver all-new adventures on the high seas with Captain Jack Sparrow and his cohorts. ILM visual effects supervisor John Knoll, whose work on the original garnered an Academy Award nomination, this time pushes the boundaries of motion capture and CG animation in depicting a tentacled sea monster and legendary pirate Davy Jones and his crew, hideously mutated by an ancient mariner's curse. Other key contributors include conceptual artist Mark 'Crash' McCreery, makeup supervisor Ve Neill and physical effects supervisors Michael Lantieri and Allen Hall. Article by Joe Fordham.

The Fountain: Celestial Alchemy: Exploring metaphysical themes of life, death and rebirth interwoven in a narrative that spans past, present and future, The Fountain follows one man's quest for the Fountain of Youth and eternal life. Writer/director Darren Aronofsky, who favored a traditional optical approach over CG, called upon visual effects designers Dan Schrecker and Jeremy Dawson to oversee the effects work, which ranged from ancient Mayan battles to a futuristic starship's exploration of uncharted space. Heading up the roster of visual effects vendors was Intelligent Creatures, a Toronto-based company assigned the majority of shots, many of them featuring spectacular cosmic vistas derived from macrophotographic imagery. Zero-gravity rigs and other practical effects were the work of Les Productions de l'Intrigue. Article by Joe Fordham.

Flags of our Fathers: One for All Time: The iconographic photograph of six young soldiers raising the American flag during World War II's bloody battle of Iwo Jima serves as the focal point of Flags of our Fathers, director Clint Eastwood's latest film, based on the bestselling nonfiction book by James Bradley. Production visual effects supervisor Michael Owens and a team of artists at Digital Domain were challenged to re-create the famous battle and flag-raising, as well as views of 1940s-era New York and other period settings for scenes of the surviving soldiers on a cross-country tour to promote the sale of war bonds. Seeking a gritty photorealism, digital artists augmented live-action, shot mostly in Iceland, with everything from CG environments and set extensions, to virtual ships and assorted atmospheric effects. Article by Jody Duncan.

OVERVIEWS

World Trade Center: Visual effects supervisor John Scheele discusses the challenges inherent in simulating the horrific events of September 11, 2001 for Oliver Stone's World Trade Center, a recounting of the nation's worst terrorist attack as seen through the eyes of two New York Port Authority police officers, buried and later rescued from the rubble of the twin towers.

Lady in the Water: For Lady in the Water, a scary bedtime tale adapted to the big screen by writer/director M. Night Shyamalan, creature effects supervisor Mike Elizalde of Spectral Motion and visual effects supervisor Ed Hirsh of Industrial Light & Magic share their approach to the design and creation of the story's array of mythical creatures.

A Scanner Darkly: Lead animator Sterling Allen elaborates on the novel technique of digitally rotoscoping live-action performances to achieve the uniquely stylized, yet realistic look of Richard Linklater's all-animated film, A Scanner Darkly.