The saga of the boy who lived is loved by children and adults around the world. Over the years of the franchise's existence, the films have completely changed their style and focus. From children's fairy tales, Harry Potter has transformed into a serious movie about good and evil, where there is a place for both love and cruelty.
Perhaps one of the reasons for the colossal popularity of the saga is the stunning landscapes and scenery. They create that same feeling of magic that leaves no one indifferent. However, not all fans of the franchise know where Harry Potter was filmed. Below we will tell you about the most beautiful places that probably everyone dreams of visiting.
Where was Hogwarts, the school of witchcraft and wizardry in the Harry Potter films, filmed?
Hogwarts is the famous school where the boy who lived studied for seven years. In the film adaptations we see a huge medieval building with hundreds of rooms, high ceilings and magical staircases that can change their direction.
In reality, Hogwarts was filmed in several locations. The main inspiration for the creators was the Enik (Alnwick) castle of the 11th century. A huge structure stands on the border of Great Britain and Scotland.
The castle as we saw it on the screenThis place has an extremely rich and tragic story. The fact is that the de Vessy family, which owned the castle for several centuries, was in confrontation with ruling dynasty English kings. As a result, the descendants of Ivo de Vessi continually raised uprisings, which invariably ended in bloodshed.
Nowadays, the castle is inhabited by its owners, so travelers can only visit some sections of it. The ticket price is 12.5 euros.
It was in this place that many of the location shots of Hogwarts were filmed, as well as the famous first flight of the young wizard from the film “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”.
It was in this place that many of the location shots of Hogwarts were filmed, as well as Potter's famous first flight Quidditch competitions from the books were also recreated on the ideal lawns in front of the castle. By the way, an interesting attraction has been invented here for tourists: they can jump on brooms on the lawn in front of Enik, and even take part in a Quidditch match.
Of course, set designers had to rack their brains over how to recreate JK Rowling's fantasies in all their glory on screen. This is why many important parts of the films that took place at Hogwarts were actually filmed away from Enik Castle. Where else can you find familiar corners that have become part of the school of witchcraft and wizardry?
- Oxford University. Numerous cafeteria scenes and receptions from Harry Potter were filmed in the university's dining hall. The staircase scenes were also filmed here. The corridors of Britain's oldest university have also been used on numerous occasions to create key film scenes.
Oxford University - Bodleian Library. It was here that scenes in the library were filmed with the participation of the main book fan of the saga - Hermione and her friends. The library is also located on the territory of the University of Oxford. It stores more than 11 million books, including unique and extremely rare copies. medieval era.
Bodleian Library - Gloucester Cathedral. It is located just two hours from London. The covered galleries of this architectural marvel were often used to recreate the corridors of Hogwarts. The Gryffindor boys' dormitory, scenes with talking portraits - these moments were also filmed here.
Gloucester Cathedral - Leavesden Studio. Unfortunately, the creators could not get by with just location filming in the most beautiful places in Great Britain and Scotland. That is why a huge Hogwarts set, amazing in its scale, was erected within the walls of the Leavesden studio. Now there are excursions around this studio, because it contains unique scenery that recreates the most famous moments from the films.
Hagrid's Hut and the Forbidden Forest
Hagrid's Hut True friend Harry Potter's Rubeus Hagrid lives in a tiny hut, which is located in an incredibly picturesque place among green meadows.
Finding such a magical place was not easy, and so the creators of the paintings went to Scotland, namely to the Glencoe Valley. Many travelers call this place the most extraordinary in Scotland. This is where Hagrid's hut was built. Now, of course, she’s not there, but scenic views preserved.
Finding such a magical place for a forester's hut was not easy forbidden Forest- a place where centaurs, unicorns and other magical creatures live. According to the plot of the film, it is located next to Hogwarts, and students are strictly prohibited from visiting the forest.
forbidden Forest In fact, this magical place is located in Buckinghamshire, 32 kilometers from London. It is not easy for the Black Park to get its gloomy name, because even in the most sunny days It is pitch dark here.
Hogsmeade and the railway leading to Hogwarts
Hogsmeade is a small village located next to Hogwarts, where students usually arrive by train from platform 9 ¾.
The prototype of this place was the village of Gotland and the local railway station, which was significantly transformed thanks to special effects.
The village is located in North Yorkshire, and its population is only 500 people. To the disappointment of frenzied tourists, there is not a hut with funny name and notoriety, nor a grandiose sweet shop.
The same one Railway The same railway along the route of the Hogwarts Express deserves special mention. It was filmed in the UK, and the West Highland Line itself officially holds the status of the most beautiful in the country. The Glenfinnan Valley is actually home to the 21-arch bridge that fans know from the films.
West Highland Line and famous bridge The most interesting thing is that every traveler can feel like a Hogwarts student. To do this, he needs to take a ticket on a real London steam locomotive traveling along the Fort William-Mallaig route from London. Before traveling, you need to consider the following nuances:
- the magical steam locomotive runs along the tourist route only from May to mid-October;
- an adult train ticket will cost 34 euros;
- local carriages were produced back in 1956, so they look authentic, but they also travel slowly;
- in carriage D the atmosphere of the Hogwarts Express is completely recreated. There is even a trolley with a variety of sweets.
Of course, the locomotive travels very slowly, so the tourist has the opportunity to see all the sights.
Diagon Alley
Diagon Alley from the movie It was in this mysterious and noisy place that wizards from all over the country purchased the magical artifacts they needed. Ollivander's shop was located here, as well as shops selling pets, sweets and potions.
Diagon Alley was filmed on the site of London's famous Lindenhall Market. And the Leaky Cauldron bar, through which you could get to Diagon Alley, was filmed in an optical store, also located in this market.
"Diagon Alley" of reality Some scenes associated with this location were recreated on the ancient street of Chamblay in the heart of York.
For the third film, filming of Diagon Alley moved to another market, Borough Market, also located in London. Fortunately, it turned out to be no less picturesque.
Ministry of Magic
If a traveler dreams of finding the real Ministry of Magic, he will be disappointed. The fact is that everything shown on the screen is gigantic and very complex decoration, located at Warner Bros Studio London. Now tourists can visit these sets, see the very fireplaces through which one could get into the ministry, and appreciate the scale of the famous sculpture from the last parts of the film.
And here is the entrance for visitors in the form telephone booth really exists. It is located in St James's on Great Scotland Yard.
It was through this entrance that Harry Potter first entered the Ministry of Magic. Privet Drive and King's Cross Station
Privet Drive is where the wizard spent his entire childhood. Harry Potter's childhood home is actually located on Picket Post Close in Little Whinging. This is where all the scenes that unfolded during the period took place. summer holidays famous wizard.
Anyone can take a photo running into the wall Another important attraction for fans of the saga is King's Cross railway station. It was here that the magical adventures of the heroes invariably began. The station is located in the London station building. There's even a recreation of Platform 9 ¾ inside where you can take a photo with the Harry Potter cart. On the station grounds, next to tracks 9 and 10, there is a souvenir shop where you can purchase numerous artifacts from the films.
Of course, there are many more places where the filming of the saga about the boy with the scar was organized and it is almost impossible to talk about all of them in detail. That is why excursions to the places of the beloved saga are so popular in the UK. The main advantage of such a trip is not beautiful views, but an opportunity to plunge into a fairy tale at least for a few hours.
Nowadays, it is difficult not to meet a person who does not know who Harry Potter is. Wizard, magician, teenager. This young man with glasses has become much more than just another character in another film. The release of a series of books about his adventures was followed by a series of film adaptations. And if true Harry fans, of whom he has an incredible number, can tell everything about him, then do they know how the film “Harry Potter” was filmed? Interesting Facts with film set and the story of the complex production of the franchise - in our article.
Cultural heritage
Out of all seven books and eight films, Harry has become the most popular teenage boy in school. The world was slowly but thoroughly taken over by Pottermania. And once upon a time, its creator JK Rowling asked for a modest sum of $1.5 million for the sale of the rights to the first four books. In addition, she “authorized” herself a percentage of the collection of paintings and participation in their production. Obviously, she made the right decision, not only ensuring a decent future, but also monitoring every step in the filming process.
A world without Harry Potter
Now, with the end of the franchise, passions about who Harry Potter is have noticeably subsided. But fans who have not come to terms with this fact still surf the Internet, collecting any information about the characters and actors. How was Harry Potter filmed? What happened to all the scenery that was built? Where do the tailored suits go? All this, of course, is interesting not only to “Potter” fans, but also to ordinary film fans.
At first there were negotiations
The story of the production of films about the young wizard should begin with the fact that Steven Spielberg initially wanted to be in the director's chair. It took several months to agree with the studio on the details of the upcoming work, and the Hollywood master was not at all intimidated by the colossal volume that he had to face. But Stephen made a number of his own proposals, which both the studio and Rowling refused. Chris Columbus became the number two contender. The daughter of an equally eminent director managed to familiarize herself with the first book, “The Philosopher’s Stone,” and was delighted. This prompted her father to make a decision.
Beginning: script, actors, scenery
The production of the film simultaneously included several stages. The script was approved, the scenery was built, and locations were looked for. Filming “Harry Potter” is not a quick process. Casting agent Susie Figgis, who managed to work on other projects, was entrusted with perhaps the main task - finding the leading actors. It depended on her how the heroes of the fantasy saga would appear and how they would remain in history. JK Rowling also actively took part in the auditions.
The main characters of the Potter series
For Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who played Hermione and Ron, “Harry Potter” served as their television debut. Daniel Radcliffe, who was lucky enough to beat hundreds of competitors, already had acting experience. In 1999, he became young Copperfield in the biographical drama of the same name. And after finishing work in “The Tailor from Panama,” he found himself at the casting of his most important film in his life.
How was Harry Potter filmed with the participation of young actors? At the time of filming, everyone to young stars were eleven years old. But this did not frighten them at all, given the lack of relevant experience. As they admitted later in their numerous interviews, the scenery alone was stunning, not to mention the exciting story, full of magic and enchantment, as well as the scope with which the studio approached the production of the film. Of course, for each of the three actors, “Potter” became a significant milestone in their lives.
Journey to your dream
In the summer of 2000, almost everything was ready to launch a grandiose process with a huge budget of 125 million. How was Harry Potter filmed? If we look at it step by step, then the filming itself started on October 2. As is known, a series story episodes that the viewer sees in the film does not always mean consistency in their filming. But since most of episodes take place in interiors; the first days of filming took place on the pavilions of the Leavesden studio, where the library and hospital were located. Been there since September full swing The construction of the set was underway, and the film crew, including the actors, immediately found themselves in the “prepared” world of Harry Potter.
Evidence of magic
What film fan doesn’t want to be in such pavilions and watch the action with their own eyes? The multi-million army of fans of the young wizard had the opportunity to find individual videos on the Internet posted by the creators of the saga. They told in detail how they filmed Harry Potter. Funny moments certainly happened quite often on set. This relieved the atmosphere of a busy schedule, which included 10-12 hours of continuous work. Constantly being with each other long years strengthened the friendship of the main actors. Fans of the saga still haven’t given up hope of seeing them together again in a film.
With the first popularity of “Harry Potter,” any news about filming was widely circulated in the press. Journalists considered it an honor to tell what was new in the film world of the “bespectacled” wizard, and the paparazzi went to great lengths to get new photos from the filming of “Harry Potter.” Often such shots became a trophy for fans of the saga, waiting for their idols outside the studios and begging for an autograph.
Getting out into nature
JK Rowling asked that the actors cast in the film be English. And also for “Harry Potter” to be filmed in England. And although most episodes of the book allow this to be done, subsequently the filming moved to picturesque Scotland.
In the meantime, following the writer’s orders, the outskirts of London are becoming key place dislocations. After the end of the studio filming, the group goes to Durham and Gloucester, where cathedrals turns into Hogwarts school. Her library became the real library of Oxford University. Where else was the Harry Potter movie filmed?
The appearance of the Australian representative office has turned into the Gringotts wizard bank. The King's Cross Zoo and railway station also appeared in the film. If we turn to the plot, it is from the station on the magic train that Harry Potter sets off on his journey.
Work on “The Philosopher’s Stone” continued until mid-2001 and took total almost a year. The filming of “Harry Potter” was not complete without animatronics. Chris Columbus proposed using specially designed model structures that could move. They played a role magical creatures, and this innovation was used in the filming of other parts.
The magical story of Harry Potter simply obliged us to turn to computer special effects. Thus, the dragon Norbert and the cave troll became the brainchild of animators. In the famous toilet scene, Daniel Radcliffe... did not participate at all! He, hanging on the troll’s neck, was simply drawn on the computer. Definitely, the age of new technologies has played a role!
Given the complexity and scale of production of the entire series of films about Harry Potter, the studios immediately realized that they should not skimp on the budget. This paid off handsomely at the box office. The total revenue from the entire wizard franchise has reached the billion dollar mark.
Other Harry Potter Filming Locations
For seven parts of the franchise, filming locations were not limited to London and its studio pavilions. Harry Potter commits scenic journey in corners of Britain and Scotland.
In “The Chamber of Secrets” the wizard goes in a flying Ford to the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which is striking in its beauty. A real diesel train runs through this valley, framed by meadows. In the summer the steam locomotive is replaced by a more modern Jacobite locomotive. This place is often associated with the film “Harry Potter”.
In order to film landscapes that stretched for miles from Hogwarts, the group traveled to Glencoe. Powerful waterfalls will be remembered from “The Goblet of Fire”, and vast mountains - as a venue for Quidditch matches. By the way, “local” mountains were also filmed in “Highlander” and “Braveheart”.
The interiors of Hogwarts are impressive in their scope. In addition to the soundstages, a certain part was filmed in Durham Cathedral. In the film, he “played” the role of the snowy courtyard from the first part.
Alnwick Castle has preserved almost 700 centuries of history. The interior garden will enchant visitors with its fountains. The castle itself is considered one of the largest houses in the world. In “Harry Potter” it served as the platform on which Madame Hooch flew.
Closer to the people
Historical landmarks - beauty and majesty. Now you know how the film “Harry Potter” was filmed in these amazing places. But the platform also became “ordinary” areas of England, familiar to most Britons. Here are some interesting facts:
- Remember “The Leaky Cauldron”? This is not a bar, but an optical store located in the central market.
- Scenes with the departure of the Hogwarts Express, as well as the Ford Anglia, were filmed at King's Cross Station. The difference in locations was the different platforms and the facade of the station itself, filmed from several sides.
- Remember where Harry discovered the ability to communicate with snakes? In reality, this place was the Reptile House, part of the London Zoo.
- Scenes of Harry and Ron's escape from the troll were filmed in Gloucester Cathedral, the oldest of most beautiful places. Believers have been visiting it for over 1,300 years.
- The beach of the Freshwater coast, located in Wales, is familiar as perfect place for surfing, and its golden sand remembers the building nicknamed “shell”, where Bill and Fleur were located in the story.
Eternal love
The wizard, who grew up before our eyes, delighted viewers with his adventures for ten years. He made you believe in miracles, showed incredible places, reminded of simple things- friendship, support, faith.
The story is over, but the franchise itself will go down in the history of world cinema. Not only Harry Potter, but also other bright, charismatic characters made this franchise an object cultural value and legacy for future generations. Fortunately, loyal fans always have books, films and even behind-the-scenes photos about how Harry Potter was filmed at their fingertips. And this is worth a lot, and this is its own little story.
Most of the scenes that take place in the Harry Potter films were filmed at a film studio called Leavesden. In its place in the past there was a large military airfield, but after World War II it was abandoned - by 2000, when they began to select a location for filming, only one hangar remained.
It was no coincidence that this room was chosen by the producers of a movie about a wizard: the huge spaces and high ceilings made it possible to create excellent scenery for medieval castle, where young magicians studied.
This studio features scenes in the Great Hall where people dine at long tables. The ones suspended above the tables were real - they were held on by fishing lines, which were then removed from the frames using computer graphics. In the same hangar were the bedrooms of the main characters of the films, and the common living room of the Gryffindor faculty.
Today, Leavesden Studios houses a museum dedicated to the filming of the film, with the original sets preserved, complete with actual costumes and props that were used during filming.
Other filming locations
But not all scenes were filmed at the former airfield, because in the Harry Potter films a lot of action takes place outside. So, at the beginning of each film, the Hogwarts Express passes along the real-life Glenfinnan Viaduct, which is located in Scotland. Scenes from the film Goblet of Fire, where Harry Potter had to go through difficult trials at the tournament, were also filmed in Scotland: where else can you find such amazing green landscapes? This is the place of Glencoe - Quidditch matches, magic sports game.
For filming scenes at Hogwarts Castle, one of the beautiful cathedrals in Great Britain was chosen - Durham Cathedral, built in the style of Norman architecture. Its graceful galleries became the courtyards and corridors of a school of witchcraft and wizardry. The abbot's house not far from the cathedral turned into an office and Professor McGonagall.
Hogwarts Library was filmed in Oxford, in the famous Bodleian Library. There is also a theological school there, which became the setting for the school infirmary. One of the most famous places filming location for Harry Potter is located right in London - Leadenhall Market. It has become Diagon Alley, home to magical shops and a bank.
According to the book, the Hogwarts Express train departs from King's Cross Station, so these scenes were filmed in the actual station. Between the ninth and tenth platforms there is a cart built in, and above it is the inscription “Platform 9 ¾”.
Probably every second person has seen films about Harry Potter, which is not at all surprising. Magic world, invented by JK Rowling, is magnificent, you don’t want to part with it, even when you’ve read the last line of the book or the closing credits. Sometimes it becomes very sad that we simple people and magic is inaccessible to us. But I would really like to go on an amazing journey from platform 93⁄4. But the speech in this the article will do not about magic, and not really about cinema. We'll walk through the places where the most famous ones were filmed. best movies about magic and sorcery. Let's look at legendary places like Hogravurts and where it is located in reality.
Taking into account all the possibilities of cinema ( computer graphics, scenery in pavilions and much more) it’s hard to believe that most of the interiors and exteriors that we see in these films are real. For the most part, they are all located in Foggy Albion.
* There are a lot of photos in the article, it may take a little longer to load.
Hogwarts: where is the legendary castle located?
Of course, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was not filmed in one place, it consists of different “parts”. Creating your own architectural masterpiece"Joan Rowling put into it elements of various, quite real, objects:
strange castles;
libraries;
abbeys
Fans of the saga of The Boy Who Lived have found all these places in reality. For example, the very name of the castle is Hogwarts; Potter scholars believe that it is based on the name of the Edinburgh Heriot's school, which the writer often had to walk past. But let's return to Hogwarts, where is it located in reality?
At first it’s hard to believe that magical scenes of the film were filmed among the walls of this gloomy seven-hundred-year-old castle. But that's how it is - Quidditch practice and broom-flying lessons with Madame Trick were filmed in the courtyard of this grandiose fortress.
The castle is residential, it is located in the county of Northubenland, not far from Newcastle. Despite its residential status, excursions are taken there. Moreover, after the release of the film, now everyone in Alnwick can try to control a broom =) True, an ordinary one, not at all magical.
Plus, this place has rich history, a huge number of legends, and maybe even its own poltergeist. And be that as it may, it is definitely worthy of a visit.
So many scenes famous film filmed among the interiors of the most prestigious and oldest educational institution England - in Oxford. True, the producers still had to make efforts to obtain permission to film in such a unique place.
More than one scene of the legendary saga was filmed within the walls of Oxford University. For example:
The place where the most solemn events in the lives of young wizards took place is the Great Hall of Hogwarts. It was filmed in Christ Church, a college dining hall.
The library scenes were filmed at the Bodleian Library - oldest library world, where unique medieval manuscripts are stored.
Magic staircases that change their position are also Oxford.
In addition, many scenes were filmed in its classrooms, corridors and courtyard. Which is not surprising - unique Gothic architecture, in itself, looks magical, where else to shoot a film about wizards?
The ancient Norman Cathedral is also part of the real Hogwarts. Scenes with Moaning Myrtle, Nearly Headless Nick and other poltergeists, the Troll and others were filmed here.
You can wander the corridors of this cathedral endlessly, it is amazing. And although all the ghosts left there after filming, parishioners still believe that the souls of monks live in these dungeons.
By the way, there were some unpleasant events; many overly religious comrades were categorically against filming a film about magic in a sacred place. However, the clergy, who considered that we live in a modern reasonable world, and that extra money wouldn’t hurt, I agreed. As a result, 24 stained glass windows from the 19th century were broken as a sign of protest, which caused significant damage to the monastery.
The famous Chamber of Secrets and the class of transfiguration professor Mac Gonagall are “hidden” in this place. In the courtyard of Durham Cathedral, Harry sent Hedwig on his first flight, and the scene in which Ron vomited slugs was filmed here.
In the vaults of this abbey, located in the county of Wilshire, the classes of potions professor Severus Snape and the defense teacher were filmed. dark forces Quirinus Quirrell.
Professor Flitwick's office was rented in this oldest English school for boys.
WITH Hogwarts castle We seem to have figured it out. The most important thing has been said, now you will know exactly where it is in reality. But Hogwarts also has an adjacent territory, and another place where young wizards were taught.
Harry and Co.'s friend Rubeus Hagrid lived in a very picturesque corner of Scotland, in the Glencoe Valley. For the filming of the film, a house for a forester and a teacher of the care of magical animals was specially built in this place.
On this moment, there is no hut there, but there is plenty of breathtaking scenery!
And one of the most mysterious and gloomy places, full of Dementors, festals, spiders and other unfriendly creatures - the Forbidden Forest was filmed in Black Park in Buckinghamshire.
The name was not chosen in vain; in this place, even on the sunniest day it is not always sunny.
All eight Harry Potter films took ten years to film at Leavesden Studios. During filming, five pavilions were used, and several departments were created at the studio: for animals, for fantastic creatures, visual and special effects production department and others.
It’s always interesting to learn about the filming of a particular film, and today Bugaga will introduce you to some little known facts about the filming process of the film in which " " 
During the filming of the first film, the role of the floating candles in the hall was played by hundreds of real candles, which were suspended on ropes (which were then removed on the computer). However, they regularly burned through the ropes when they fell on tables, so for the filming of subsequent films it was decided to add them using computer graphics.
The long shot of Hogwarts was filmed using a 1:24 scale model of the castle. 86 artists participated in its creation. The basis was a sketch by Stuart Craig, one of the designers who worked on the film. The model came out the size of a large room, which was made using real stone and real plants (for the surrounding landscape). All the details of this model appear more than once in the film: towers, courtyards, playing field and others.
During the filming of the Hogwarts moving staircase scenes, one real staircase and a small model of many staircases were used. The actors were filmed on a single moving staircase, and the rest were added after filming.
The holiday in the film “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” will probably be remembered by many for the tables laden with a variety of dishes. Although most of the "food" was made from colored resin, there were also edible dishes on the tables so that members film crew could pamper yourself.
Harry Potter's room in Gryffindor changes from film to film: set designers filled it with sports posters, prizes for winning competitions - everything that the characters should have liked. But the beds remained the same, so towards the end of filming last movie the grown-up actors were forced to curl up to prevent their legs from dangling.
Dumbledore's office was decorated quite intricately: several hundred books were wrapped in leather bindings, and 48 portraits were hung on the walls." former directors"school of magic. The office in which Dumbledore showed Harry Potter his memories was decorated with more than 800 tiny vials with hand-made labels for each of them.
The classroom where potions lessons were held increased in size from film to film: in order to accommodate new parts, the frames had to be expanded. Glass bottles filled with everything possible: from feathers to bones and offal obtained from local butchers.
Each character began with a sketch. Here, for example, is a sketch of Dobby the Elf.
To make Hagrid look like a giant, they found an understudy for him, 2 m 10 cm tall. He also had two huts: one larger so that Harry and company would be “normal” in size, and the other smaller so that Hagrid would appear huge next to her. .
Hagrid's mask.
Characters like Dobby the Elf were created piecemeal. First, the fragments (“body parts”) were removed separately, and then specialists visual effects We made digital versions of the characters.
Some creatures were created almost completely. For example, the actors who played the goblins from Gringotts Bank were forced to wear masks for hours.
Some monsters moved using special mechanisms. For this giant spider to start moving, it will take not only a mechanism, but also the efforts of 100 people.
To make Ron Weasley's parents' house look untidy, all the walls in it were installed at the wrong angle.
All props used during filming were stored in five huge warehouses, which accommodated 5,000 pieces of furniture, 12,000 books self made, 25,000 printed pages of the Quibbler magazine and 40,000 items from Weasley's store "All kinds of magical pests".
The goblet of fire (more than 1.5 m high) with hand carving was made of elm.
18 cars were used to film Harry and Ron's escape in the film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
Moving portraits are a mix of fragments of real paintings and green screens, subsequently replaced with moving images. The portraits depict all those who worked behind the scenes during the filming of all films.
In order to fill the vast space of the Ministry of Magic with life, the creators needed hundreds of extras. The film crew was also involved.
When Harry goes to the Ministry of Magic in one of the films, he discovers a lot of fortune telling balls there. For filming, the designers created 15,000 luminous balls, but the studio decided to draw this scene on a computer, so they were never used. Now they are shown to tourists.
The "Magic is Power" monument that graced the hall of the Ministry of Magic after Voldemort's rise to power is actually made from hand-painted foam.
The evil Dolores Umbridge's outfits have always been Pink colour, as well as her office at the Ministry of Magic. Decorative plates with cats hang on the walls. Several cat portraits were drawn, which were then added to the painted interior on the computer.
The game of Quidditch is a collaboration between the special effects and visual effects teams. The brooms were suspended in front of a green screen, which the visual effects specialists later replaced with digital image. Several balls (snitches) with wings were made ( different types), but in the end the director chose the golden version.
The animals that participated in the filming were under the care of a specially created team of specialists who trained all the four-legged “actors” who participated in the filming of all eight films. The role of the owl Harry (Hedwig) was played by four different birds, trained in their own special tricks, and the rat Scabbers was played by as many as 12 rodents. The role of Crookshanks, Hermione's pet, was played by four cats, and Fang, Hagrid's mastiff, had as many as nine "understudies".
Voldemort's face is half human, half digital. Ralph Fiennes sacrificed his face so make-up artists could give him temporary vein tattoos. To change the appearance it was also necessary to insert contact lenses, fake eyebrows, teeth and nails were glued on, and digital effects specialists replaced the actor's nose with snake-like slits.
Weasley's shop "All kinds of magical pests" was built over the course of 3 months. Then it was furnished with more than 120 various designer items. Shop magic wands The Ollivander family furnished it with 17,000 specially made cases, each of which was individually marked.
Diagon Alley, where Harry Potter received his wand, has changed from film to film. It was built based on the works of Charles Dickens, but taking into account descriptions from the books about Harry Potter.
