A sneak preview of the new Harry Potter Studio Tour!
Harry Potter with Buckbeak the Hippogriff.
When I found out I had been invited to a preview of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, to say I was excited is somewhat of an understatement. This was going to be my ultimate muggle moment.
I had the chance to experience first hand the sheer scale and detail that went into the sets, costumes, animatronics, special effects and props used in all eight of the Harry Potter films.
Let the apparition begin…
The The Great Hall.
Set over 150,000 sq ft, the tour houses some of the most memorable moments in cinematic history. First stop was the Great Hall, where we walked on the solid York stone floor laid over 11 years ago and marvelled at the fireplace, that lecturn and the House points hourglasses. Just like in the films, the hall is filled with the solid oak and pine house tables built especially for the films and then aged with axes, chains and, over the years, graffiti carved in by the Hogwarts pupils - an act of vandalism that Production Designer Stuart Craig encouraged to make the set as realistic as possible.
I was tempted to etch in ‘Mark waz ere 2012’ in true schoolboy fashion but the thought of hearing Professor McGonagall howling my name through the crowd was enough to stop me in my tracks.
Beyond the Great Hall, the tour boasts a huge selection of the most detailed and largest sets ever produced in the UK. In Dumbledore’s office, I spotted the 'real' Sword of Gryffindor, the Sorting Hat and Hogwarts headmaster portraits adorning the walls.
One thing I didn’t expect to see was the magic of green screen technology that was used in certain scenes, including the many Quidditch matches. Also on show was Harry Potter’s Nimbus 2000, Draco Malfoy’s Nimbus 2001 and Harry’s special gift from godfather Sirius Black, the Firebolt. I was adrift in a daydream of beaters, bludgers and Boggarts.
After I regained my composure, I noticed a number of never-before-seen video clips featuring interviews with the crew and cast revealing the many secrets behind the film-making process. Watching the films, I fully appreciated the spectacular animatronics and make-up designs that went on behind the scenes in the Creature Effects workshop. So many more of the films' scenes were made using brilliantly, passionately executed props – rather than CGI – than I had anticipated.
The workshop features all the quintessential Harry Potter film creatures including Buckbeak the Hippogriff, Aragog the giant spider, Fawkes the phoenix and the enormous Basilisk head. I have to admit, even I (a brave Gryffindor boy at heart) was a little scared by the authenticity.
Harry Potter sleeping in the fmaous cupboard under the stairs.
When we moved on to what has to be my favourite part of the tour – the Weasley family kitchen – it took all my might not to pull up a pew at the kitchen table. Growing up with the characters, I half expected Harry, Ron or Hermione to waltz through the front door of The Burrow. The set showcases the incredible craftsmanship of the special effect props including Molly Weasley’s self-washing frying pan, knitting needles and chopping boards.
But the most poiginant part of the tour has to be 4 Privet Drive, one of the most famous addresses in the world and where the tale of Harry Potter begins. Oh and I can confirm that the cupboard under the stairs is as small as you thought – poor Harry!
Further along Potter’s trail you find the Gryffindor common room – one of the films’ oldest sets (complete with dust, or is floo powder?) and one of the most loved by fans – and the Gryffindor boys’ dormitory, which includes the original beds made for Harry, Ron, Seamus, Neville and Dean for the first film. Over the course of filming, the production team had to find unique camera angles to hide the fact that the cast had clearly outgrown the beds!
External view of the Warner Bros Studio Tour.
All in all, Warner Bros Studio Tour London provides a unique showcase of the extraordinary British artistry, technology and talent that went into making the most successful film series of all time and a definite must for all Potter fans!
I just wish I had a Time-Turner so I could do it all over again.
Warner Bros Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter opens 31 March 2012. Tickets are priced at £28 for adults, £21 for children and £83 for a family of four. Tickets must be booked in advance via a dedicated website www.wbstudiotour.co.uk or through approved tour operators.
Blogger: Mark Anthony McCulloch, PR Assistant, and writer at the Daily Prophet (we can all dream…)
Northern PR boy. Former arts student and lover of everything English. Enjoys a game of tennis, running, museums, theatre and anything David Attenborough related.
Why Harry Potter is so famous? It's so simple Harry Potter story is extra ordinary and interesting and very difficult what is the climax of the story.
Posted by: Jezreel Ricafort | February 06, 2012 at 08:58 AM
Oh, this is so exciting! A definite priority for my visit to Britain.
Posted by: Abigail Rogers | February 01, 2012 at 05:03 PM