Iain writes: Spotted an article in my local paper (Evening Advertiser) that caught my eye immediately:

“A top scientist is to reveal the secrets behind the magic of Harry Potter. At the Cheltenham Science Festival;, in June, fans of both Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings will have the opportunity to find out how computer technology created the films’ special efforts.

At the festival presentation, sponsored by the Swindon-based British Computer Society, Andrew Fitzgibbon, the winner of the 2006 BCS Needham Award, will present Screen Magic, about the use of computer vision in creating 3D special effects for the film industry. He will illustrate how he uses technology to bend the audiences’ perception of what they are watching.

He is a senior researcher at the Microsoft Research, Cambridge, UK and researches the intersection of computer vision and computer graphics, with excursions into neuroscience, which have allowed him to work on the special effects for Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings among other films.

He will be joined by Andrew Daffy, who will explain the secrets behind the magic of his work which includes the James Bond opening titles and BBC2 tags.”

Link to specific event: cheltenhamfestivals.com

Details on Andrew Fitzgibbon

Details on Andrew Daffy (imdb)