Picture yourself stepping through the doors of Warner Bros. Studio Tour London. It is more than just a tour. It is a portal into the magical world of filmmaking. It’s where the Harry Potter films came to life.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London is not your typical movie studio. It is a carefully curated exhibition. It showcases the artistry and British talent behind the Wizarding World. Here, you can relive the magic through the eyes of the filmmakers.
The Harry Potter film series called Leavesden home for over ten years. As the books came out while the films were in production the crew saved many iconic sets props and costumes. They saved them just in case they needed them later in the series.
After filming wrapped on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in 2010 the crew had a treasure trove. Thousands of intricate and beautifully made artifacts remained. Many wouldn’t have been saved on a typical production.
The team behind Warner Bros. Studio Tour London wanted to preserve and showcase these iconic items. They wanted Harry Potter fans to experience the magic of filmmaking firsthand. Many original cast and crew members returned to reassemble the sets. They also recorded their memories from filming. On March 31 2012 the Studio Tour opened its doors.
Located next to the working film studios where all eight Harry Potter films were made, the Studio Tour is unique. Visitors can explore two soundstages and a backlot. They are filled with original sets animatronic creatures and breathtaking special effects.
Filming began on Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone on Friday September 29 2000. The Great Hall was one of the first sets built. It is a vast and impressive space. It could seat more than 400 children. It became a key set in seven Harry Potter films. The Great Hall does not appear in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Now, it permanently resides at the Studio Tour. Visitors can explore it.
The Great Hall set includes wall-mounted flambeaux. Each one is fully operational. They represent the four houses of Hogwarts Gryffindor Ravenclaw Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Behind the teachers’ table sits an intricate House Point Counter. This mechanism was made for the first film. Each hourglass contains tens of thousands of Indian glass beads. Rumor has it this caused a national bead shortage.
Production for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets began on Monday November 19 2001. That was only three days after the release of the first Harry Potter film.
This film marked the first time the audience met Dobby the house-elf. Rob Bliss in the Art Department at Leavesden Studios conceptualized Dobby’s appearance. Creature Effects Supervisor Nick Dudman and his team created an impressive model. This allowed the cast to react to something on set. The whole process took three months. The final Dobby seen in the films was created using CGI.
The iconic set for Dumbledore’s office was first built for this film. The office is surrounded by a large library of books. These books are mostly telephone directories bound in leather.
Principal photography for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban began at Leavesden Studios on Monday February 24 2003.
One of the most complicated set pieces to create was the Knight Bus. The audience sees the bus drive Harry through the streets of London. Despite its three decks this was not achieved through CGI. The bus was driven to London. This required careful planning. The bus was specially built. It used components from two double-decker buses. This created a triple-decker. Considering the bus’s height the route into London had to be mapped out carefully. Bridges were out of the question.
This film marked the first time the Dementors were introduced. Director Alfonso Cuaron and Producer David Heyman experimented with different methods. They wanted to make it appear as if the Dementors were floating. Initially puppeteers moved large pieces of cloth in a water tank. This created the illusion that the Dementors were floating. However this movement was later created through visual effects.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London is a testament to the power of filmmaking. It preserves the magic and artistry of the Harry Potter series. It allows fans to step into the world they’ve only dreamed of. As you leave remember the countless hours of creativity and craftsmanship. These made the Harry Potter films a global phenomenon.