|
MAY 22, 2007 at 2:48 PM
Posted by CHEESER
Source: HPANA
Making a Harry Potter movie is unlike most other films. Meticulous attention to detail is paramount, even when viewers may not see it all in the final product. This is what ran through my mind as I walked around in awe on the set of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Being the first movie set I'd ever visited, everything jumped out at me -- the textures, details, even the mood of places I'd become so comfortable seeing in my mind and on the screen; brand new places that would become additions to the fandom's collective imagination when the film was released; and old, dilapidated set pieces and props banished to the dusty corridors of Leavesden Studios, or worse, left outside to die by sun and rain. After an entire day living and breathing in Harry Potter's universe, I came to an odd realization: it is simultaneously vivid and dull, detailed and fuzzy, awesome but normal.
I'll explain.
Imagine reading some thousands of pages of fiction, colorfully imagining its complex cosmos in your head, filling in the gaps with your own creativity. I'm sure many fans can remember what the Harry Potter books looked like in their imagination before the first film turned it into a visual, semi-tangible reality eight years ago. What the characters looked like, how they sounded, what the Hogwarts Express might have felt like riding as it rocketed towards Hogwarts, the Great Hall and the Forbidden Forest.
Now suspend all of that vibrant imagery and realize you have to place trust of the whole of creation in the hands of filmmakers who will essentially make their own visions the de facto standard. After seeing the first movie (and the others that followed), how difficult is it now to picture Harry Potter as anyone else but Daniel Radcliffe? What about Dumbledore and Michael Gambon (or Richard Harris for the puritans)? Hermione Granger, homely and book smart, portrayed by the increasingly beautiful Emma Watson?
Yet, with the help of creator JK Rowling, moviemakers David Heyman and Chris Columbus managed to oversee the creation of something not far from what millions of fans had already dreamed up in their minds. Alfonso Cuarón and Mike Newell took a shot at it, and under watchful eye, also stayed true to the original vision.
Now entrusted to "3D" (the three d's: producers David Heyman and David Barron, and director David Yates), it quickly became clear as I was led through the hallowed halls of the studio that the ship was still sailing smoothly, and that everyone involved truly cared about the sanctity of their responsibility. (That's even more apparent now that we know Yates will be returning to direct Half-Blood Prince. The actors all said they loved working with him.)
Walking around Leavesden was... let's say, trippy. It reminded me of a giant Home Depot store, with its industrial lighting, high unfinished ceilings and... (turning a corner)... Oh my god! It's 12 Grimmauld Place. That's pretty much what happened, time and again. One minute we were walking in a hallway (which has a posted speed limit of 5mph -- no joke!), the next we had stepped through a door and right into the Great Hall, or outside to an incredible replica of Privet Drive complete with pavement, lamp posts and landscaped lawns.
It was, in the parlance of the fandom, "squeefully" exciting. So, what was I on about, dull and normal? As the day wore on, and as we watched the ninth or tenth take of a scene, it occurred to me the whole thing was normal, and at times maybe a bit dull for those involved. People come to work every day to a place many fans can only dream about visiting. Most of them put in long, tedious hours (I was there just one day and was truly "knackered" by the end).
Still, you will no doubt find me elbowing the person next to me every time we watch Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in the theatre or on DVD, a little too excitedly remarking, "I was right there!" or "I watched them film that scene!" Just because I now know how the trick was done doesn't mean it's not magic.
Stay tuned as we approach the film's release on July 13. Coming soon is a more detailed look at the set, and interviews with two of the three D's (Heyman and Barron), production designer Stuart Craig, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Matthew Lewis and James and Oliver Phelps. I also get left behind in the Great Hall and realize how frighteningly large Leavesden is as I find my way back to the group!
UPDATE: You can read DanRadcliffe.co.uk's teaser report
(Page was with me and Matthew from Veritaserum for the day of our visit). The Leaky Cauldron and MuggleNet visited the set later and have also posted a preview of their report (via podcast).
Reader Comments (89)
Your Thoughts
click to write...
Copyright © 2002-2009 HPANA. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. 
HPANA is an unofficial fan site, in no way affiliated with J.K. Rowling,
Scholastic Books, Bloomsbury Publishing or Warner Bros. Entertainment. All
trademarks and copyrighted material are the property of their respective owners.
About HPANA | Movie 6 | Send a news tip | Contact us | Privacy policy
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1292
loonylupinlover says:
How wonderfully exciting. It is an event of a lifetime to be able to be there and watch and see how things are done. I don't think the magic would ever be taken away just because you saw the behind the scenes. I am sure there are many, many, many fans who would have loved to have been there as well.
Posted May 24, 2007 at 11:45 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1588
Severus' Advocate says:
Interesting.
No, when I read Harry Potter, Harry doesn't look like Daniel just because Daniel portrays Harry in the movies, when I read the books the characters look like themselves, not the actors. Although some of the actors look amazingly like the characters, I thought Richard Harris looked like Dumbledore. Alan Rickman portrayed as Snape isn't too bad, almost the same. Harry or Daniel, looked most like Harry in Prisoner of Azkaban, he's looking less and less like Harry now, with his short cropped hair turning BROWN (BLUE eyes :[) waaah. Harry's always more skinny and runty looking in my head when I read the books, Dan's more buff, I guess. Rupert isn't even close, Emma's too pretty to be Hermione, Evanna is perfect! she looks pretty much like Luna to me! Tonks is OK I guess, and Umbridge is pretty much Umbridge looking to me, although there is an actress - I've don't know her name but I know her to look at and she instantly came to my head when I read Umbridge in Harry Potter. Robbie’s perfect as Hagrid :D and, yeah..they do a damn good job getting the ones they can who look amazingly like the characters, I just think they could help make Dan and Emma look more like Harry and Hermione very easily, with SIMPLE things! contact lensors to make him have green eyes, black hair dye! waa. Untonafy* his muscles haha, he got all muscly for that play and he already wasn't runty enough. BUSH up Emma's hair for gods sake! Her hair was most 'Hermione's hair' in PS. They should have up until GoF given Emma tooth extensions for her two front teeth to make them look buck and big.
Hahah, I know I sound like I'm moaning and stuff, it's just those little things get to me, because especially with easily fixed appearance things...they each have a distinctive thing to their appearance which makes them . Harry's just not Harry without his emerald green eyes.
Hermione's just not Hermione without her untameable busy hair.
Posted May 25, 2007 at 1:14 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1550
the_girl_who_lived89 says:
Punk-Minority : "Harry's just not Harry without his emerald green eyes.
Hermione's just not Hermione without her untameable busy hair. "
I soooo agree with you! I would do everything to be on the set!
Posted May 25, 2007 at 8:22 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1229
Elza Black says:
Wonderful review, I am really looking forward to hearing more and of course seeing the movie.
Posted May 25, 2007 at 9:45 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1392
SiriusFan says:
How jealous am I? Wow! I can't even imagine how awesome it'd be to visit the set and see first hand all the things described in this article, which was very well written I must add.
I just wanted to digress a little and say, that for me, Richard Harris will always be Dumbledore. The image of Dumbledore in my imagination was so similar to Richard Harris' portrayl that it was uncanny. I really loved him in that character and felt he portrayed my Dumbledore perfectly. Gambon's Dumbledore seems odd to me. I don't know if he's too hard or indulgent or what. I just know I still prefer the original and always will. However, for me, the other actors (not just the trio either) make up for the one I don't care for. Anyway, I'm rambling. I enjoyed this article and look forward to future updates.
Posted May 25, 2007 at 12:31 PM EST
Squib
Points: 189
groovy_pumpkin says:
I wouls love to be able to go behind - the - scenes of a Harry Potter movie. It's great that he told us all the details. I can't wait for the movie to come out!
Posted May 25, 2007 at 11:18 PM EST
Witch
Points: 580
*SlytherinEmpress* says:
I would love to go to Leaveston, (along with a million other fans). I think they should do a contest before the seventh movie comes out, a chance for about 5 fans from all around the world to go and see the actors act out the final scenes.
Posted May 29, 2007 at 12:03 PM EST
Witch
Points: 953
im freeeeeeeeee says:
II thats sooo great!! I love how this is only part 1.
Posted May 30, 2007 at 4:04 AM EST
Heiress of Gryffindor
Points: 3537
Nienna Narmolanya says:
He's right - when I read the books, I have a hard time not imagining what the chapter I'm reading will look like in the near future, with the Harry Potter actors. Before I saw the films, lots of the people looked nothing like the actors. I can't remember what they looked like, but they looked nothing like the actors.
One thing about the wardrobe - why is Ginny wearing pants? I think boys should wear pants and girls should wear skirts. I mean, it's only normal. Just like in PoA - the girls wore skirts, and it worked. The boys wore pants, and that worked. Why are they now turning Ginny into a cross-dresser?
Posted May 31, 2007 at 1:33 PM EST
Auror
Points: 2704
LoveMagic says:
It truly sounds like that was an amazing experience and I am sure it would be for any fan. I'm glad that there is a certain appreciation for all of the hard work of everybody involved. There are so many points brought up that I just could not agree with more.
Posted Jun 3, 2007 at 1:20 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 2nd Class
Points: 1763
hufflepuff_babe says:
Thanks for all of the great insight! I'm sure it would be a lot of fun to visit the set.
David Yates does seem like a great director. From the pictures of the cast that I have seen, he seems to have stayed with the apperences that JKR had described in Order. I was unhappy that I imagine Harry as Dan Radcliffe but I still do not imagine Sirius with a moustache so the characters that were cast well by my standards are the ones that I do not tweak when I re-read the series.
Posted Jun 7, 2007 at 2:05 AM EST
Muggle
Points: 16
slytherinxhuni says:
How does anyone get to visit the site of harry potter, it sounds brilliant.
Posted Jun 16, 2007 at 12:07 PM EST
Squib
Points: 111
the prepsta says:
Wow man that sounds great, getting to see how the movie was made, and i agree the first guy who played DD was so much better.
Posted Jun 21, 2007 at 2:16 AM EST
Muggle
Points: 9
emma braxton says:
Can anyone just visit the set or do you need a special pass or something?
Posted Jun 23, 2007 at 3:18 PM EST
Back to top of page