‘It made for an easy read and a lot of chuckling. If you didn’t have respect for physical special effects in films before, you will now.’ - G. F. Willmetts, SFcrowsnest

‘the perfect blend of autobiography and behind-the-scenes storytelling. Making Movie Magic is a magic movie-making book.’ - Brian James Smith, From Sweden With Love

John Richardson is an Oscar-winning special effects supervisor and designer, who has been involved in over 100 movies, including nine James Bond adventures, all eight Harry Potter films, Aliens, Superman, A Bridge Too Far, Straw Dogs, The Omen, Cliffhanger, Far and Away, Willow . . . and many, many more.

In creating the magic that flows through these films – by creating huge explosions, beheading people, producing futuristic gadgets, making a man fly or breathing life into creatures that amaze and haunt us – Richardson has come to hold a unique place in cinema history.

The son of pioneering FX technician Cliff Richardson, he learned his trade at the feet of a master of the craft.

With over five decades of adventures under his belt, and a vast photographic collection of unseen pictures, Richardson now lifts the lid on his exciting and fascinating career of making movie magic.

JOHN RICHARDSON has enjoyed a 58-year career in the film business as an acclaimed special effects technician and supervisor, working on well over 100 films and several of cinema's biggest franchises. He has been Oscar-nominated six times and won for Aliens in 1986.