Here we go for the part two of this fantastic pictorial report of Alex Korting on the monumental Harry Potter Studio Tour opening March 31, twenty miles north of London, at Warner Bros studios. All along the tour you will be able to explore the actual sets, see the props, costumes and models from the series and once again discover the magic of these films at the studios where they were created.
Please read the first part HERE if you didn't read it yet.
And we begin by pictures of the awesome Hogwarts Castle model (picture on top and below). Guests can get a 360˚ view of the incredible, hand sculpted 1:24 scale construction that features within the Studio Tour. The Hogwarts castle model is the jewel of the Art Department having been built for the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone™. It took 86 artists and crew members to construct the first version which was then rebuilt and altered many times over for the next seven films. The work was so extensive that if one was to add all the man hours that have gone into building and reworking the model, it would come to over 74 years. The model was used for aerial photography, and was digitally scanned for CGI scenes.
The model, which sits at nearly 50 feet in diameter, has over 2,500 fibre optic lights that simulate lanterns and torches and even gave the illusion of students passing through hallways in the films. To show off the lighting to full effect a day-to-night cycle will take place every four minutes so you can experience its full beauty.
An amazing amount of detail went into the making of the model: all the doors are hinged, real plants are used for landscaping and miniature birds are housed in the Owlery. To make the model appear even more realistic, artists rebuilt miniature versions of the courtyards from Alnwick Castle and Durham Cathedral, where scenes from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone™ were shot.
A video was released shot when the castle was installed in the Studio Tour.
Part of the exhibit is also located outside, where guests can see the scale of the huge, triple decker, purple Knight Bus made famous from Harry’s escapades in London. The Knight Bus was driven into place at the Studio Tour with its fully functioning mechanics and engine.
The Hogwarts bridge, last seen collapsing in flames after Neville and the Death Eaters' chase in Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsTM – Part 2, is just one more part of this incredible tour.
Other elements are also displayed here like the famous chess figures.
As you walk through the tour, you will witness never-before-seen video pieces featuring interviews with the cast and crew, revealing secrets from the making of the films. You will discover the spectacular detail and imagination behind the Creature Effects Workshop, showcasing the animatronics, exquisite make-up designs and iconic creatures from the films. You will come face-to-face with Buckbeak the Hippogriff, the giant and terrifying spider Aragog, Fawkes the phoenix and the giant head of the Basilisk.
And some of the creatures in this Creature shop are in fact AA which comes to life, as you will see in this video showing three of them.
The tour continues with the Diagon Alley set and its famous facades!
Guests then enter in the art department, with fascinating cardboard models.
Guests can also discover great graphic design elements.
And at the end of the Harry Potter Studio Tour, guess what you'll find? A shop! (what a surprise!)
Seriously, don't you think this Harry Potter Studio Tour looks awesome? As i've said in part one, make sure to reserve your tickets in advance on the website HERE as no tickets are sold at the entrance, you MUST reserved by internet. And it's already almost full until the end of April, so, if i was you i'll book two months in advance!
Again, all my thanks to Alex for his great pictorial report, and you can see more shots on his Flickr page (yes, there is more to see!) HERE.
Also, if you're a Harry Potter super-fan you'll be probably happy to know the release September 7 of this stunning and beautiful Harry Potter Wizard's Collection limited edition Blu-ray / DVD Combo + UltraViolet Digital Copy box that you can order through Amazon HERE. This 31-disc set will include everything that's been released in the previous Ultimate Collector's Edition sets - all 8 films on Blu-ray, DVD and UltraViolet Digital Copy plus extras, including the extended versions of Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets and the 2D/3D versions of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Parts 1 and 2. The set will also include 10 hours of "new to disc" bonus content and 5 hours of never-before-seen material. This material includes all new featurettes (The Harry Potters You Never Met, Creating the World of Harry Potter, Pt. 7: Story, Creating the World of Harry Potter, Pt. 8: Growing Up and A Conversation with JK Rowling and Daniel Radcliffe) and there's more that will be announced in the coming weeks on harrypotter.com. This set comes packaged in a 19-pound/foot-wide gift box and includes additional items like a Map of Hogwarts, concept art prints, catalogs of props, posters and more!
All Pictures: copyright Alex Korting
Hogwarts Castle Video: copyright Warner Bros
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