Contents Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone: Sleight of Hand: Having singlehandedly captured the fancy of an entire generation of adolescent readers and ignited a pop culture phenomenon, English author J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels - about a novice wizard and his magical adventures at a school for the supernaturally gifted - were ripe for translation to the big screen. With Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Warner Brothers has taken up the gauntlet, presenting the first installment in a highly anticipateed movie series based on the Rowling books. Director Chris Columbus, determined to remain faithful to the source material and its legion of fans, based the production in England and assembled an all-English cast, along with a virtual army of world-class artisans and technicians tasked with producing their own brand of alchemy in the service of the show. Joining forces with special effects supervisor John Richardson and makeup effects artist Nick Dudman as Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Robert Legato, who orchestrated the efforts of eight visual effects facilities on both sides of the ocean, creating everything from wonderous settings to magical creatures to a thrilling aerial tournament played on broomsticks. Article by Joe Fordham

Monsters, Inc.: Monsters in the Closet.

The Fast and the Furious: Street Wars.

Shrek: Jowly Green Giant.

Contents The Time Machine: The Shape of Things to Come: In his remake of the classic tale, The Time Machine, director Simon Wells called upon visual effects supervisor James Price and lead effects house Digital Domain to help bridge a narrative gap that spanned some 800,000 years. While Digital Domain was responsible for many of the movie's signature time travel scenes, practical creature effects were the work of Stan Winston Studio and KNB EFX Group, and special effects supervisor Matt Sweeney oversaw creation of the fabled machine. Article by Joe Francis

Black Hawk Down: Under Fire: Based on a nonfiction account of a 1993 military incident that ooccurred in Mogadishu, Somalia, Black Hawk Down recounts the disastrous mission and daring rescue of an elite force of U. S. Army troops, whose attempts to curb terrorist tactics by a Somali warlord were thwarted when they were ambushed by thousands of his militiamen. Ridley Scott directed the harrowing cinematic reenactment, relying heavily on in-camera effects by special effects supervisor Neil Corbould, and digital enhancements by Mill Film and Asylum Visual Effects. Article by Joe Fordham

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Ring Masters: In a marathon effort that has won raves from critics, recognition from peers and the admiration of legions of moviegoers, New Zealand director Peter Jackson accomplished the seemingly impossible - a faithful, live-action adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, with two more installments to follow. Working with a dedicated crew at Weta, his homegrown effects facility, Jackson relied on Kiwi ingenuity to overcome unimaginable hurdles, executing some 1500 visual effects that included the development of a breakthrough crowd simulation program with 'thinking' characters capable of autonomous behavior.

Contents Spider-Man: Spin City: Following in the footsteps of countless comic book tales immortalized by Hollywood, Spider-Man distinguishes itself as one of the most memorable. Director Sam Raimi brought the popular teen crime fighter to life with help from visual effects supervisor John Dykstra and physical effects supervisor John Frazier, whose efforts enabled actor Toby Maguire to perform such superhuman feats as web-slinging and wall crawling. Though live mechanical means were used whenever possible, leaps into a more fantastic realm were accomplished by Sony Pictures Imageworks. Article by Joe Fordham

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones: Love & War: In Attack of the Clones, the promised second prequel to the Star Wars saga, George Lucas once again called upon the artists at Industrial Light & Magic to push the technological envelope in the service of his vision. The result is a film in which nearly every frame bursts with manufactured imagery, captured entirely on high-definition digital video - a first for the motion picture industry. Among the accomplishments were an all-new CG Yoda, visually stunning miniature and digital environments, and thrilling action sequences involving armies of battle droids. Article by Jody Duncan

Contents Reign of Fire: Burnt Offerings: Flame-spewing dragons awakened from centuries of sleep are imbued with a terrifying reality in Reign of Fire, directed by Rob Bowman. Pushing the envelope on character animation in its design and execution of the dragons was The Secret Lab, responsible for the film's digital and miniature work. Special effects by Dave Gauthier and additional fire effects by Reelistic FX also helped Bowman realize his vision of a charred and smoking post-apocalyptic world overrun by the beasts. Article by Bill Norton

Men In Black 2: Building a Better Pug: Back by popular demand after a five-year hiatus, agents Kay and Jay, secret operatives in a covert alien control agency confront a host of new lifeforms in Men in Black 2. Also returning to the fold were director Barry Sonnenfeld and many of the original film's core creative team, including Industrial Light & Magic and Rick Baker's Cinovation Studio. Their contributions, along with those of Sony Pictures Imageworks and Tippett Studio, ensured that the sequel's trademark aliens would be even more outrageous than the first. Article by Brad Munson

Minority Report: Future Reality: Director Steven Spielberg ventured into the realm of science fiction in Minority Report, a futuristic parable in which the telepathic visions of genetically engineered 'precogs' have made it possible to apprehend murderers before they commit their crimes. Visual effects by Industrial Light & Magic and a host of other vendors, and physical effects by Michael Lantieri lent authenticity to the story, meticulously conveying the technological advances of a society whose efforts to police itself have strayed into questionable moral territory. Article by Joe Fordham