World News for Students of English

19-11-2021 15:00

Twenty years ago, the popular first Harry Potter movie came to cinemas titled ’Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone‘. The first in eight movies, it introduced fans to the world of wizards, and the movies became one of the most successful series.

Graphic designers Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima worked on the whole series, and they still remember one of their first props. It was Harry’s acceptance letter to Hogwarts School.

21 years ago, people had different technologies, and it was not as usual to use computers for special effects. Therefore, it was more difficult to make the effects look realistic. Designers and special effects artists used sets, props, and models which they built themselves.

The two scenes which worried filmmakers the most were the flying broomsticks and the candles floating in the air. With all the work, the results were great, and both effects looked very realistic.

Difficult words: prop (a thing which actors use in a film or play), acceptance letter (a letter which a person gets from a school, and it says that he can study there), realistic (when something looks as if it were real or true).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.