Task 3 - Harry Potter

1. Task 3
‘Harry Potter’ is a worldwide, historic to present great. The production and marketing
techniques of the films were new and fresh and so they were able to grip their audience.
Production refers to the making of a film. The props, costumes, use of special effects and
CGI.
Marketing however refers to the promotion of a film, after its production. How do people
see the films advertised? What techniques are used by the production company to market
their film? Both of these aspects together; production and marketing have enabled the
Harry Potter brand to be a worldwide $125 million phenomenon.
In order, the books and films are Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001), Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004),
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
(2007), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
– Part 1 (2010), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (2011). In America, Harry
Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001) was called “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's
Stone” because when the book was released they thought that a child would not want to
read a book with the word "philosopher" in the title and, after some discussion, the
American edition was published in September 1998 as ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s
Stone’.
Production
Technology:
There were a range of technologies used in the production of the Harry Potter Brand. All 8
films were digitally recorded on 35 millimetre negative format and printed film format. As a
result, this meant that they could be transcoded to be shown in the IMAX (70mm). Towards
the end of the production series, producers decided to film in HD format so that once again,
the raw footage could be transcoded into an IMAX friendly form as well as a 2K format.
The highest quality technology was used for the production of the films. The top quality
cameras used included Panavision Panaflex Millennium XL, Panavision Panaflex Millennium,
Panavision Panaflex Platinum and Panavision Primo Lenses. 12-Track digital sound was used
to layer the sound heard in the filmto enhance the films verisimilitude.
This was then upgraded for the IMAX which used a separate 6 DTS track (digital theatre
sound). This was used to enhance the cinematic experience of movie goers in theatres.
Green screens, cranes and cable car cameras were also necessary in the production to
ensure that the camerawork was effective in aiding the meaning of shots as well as ensure
that the work was completed to a professional standard.
Animatronics were a huge success in the Harry Potter brand. Its success was so great that
there is a dedicated section in the Harry Potter studio tour, focusing on that element.
Examples of where animatronics are used include when we are able to see footsteps in the

2. snow whilst Harry wears his invisibility cloak. We also see the use of self-stirring pots,
moving chairs and the movement of Voldemort's foetus self.
Animatronics were used instead of CGI simply because the CGI did not look realistic and
animatronics had a larger effect of verisimilitude of the audience. Prosthetics were also
used to enhance the realismof both characters features and the props that they use. In
addition, digital editing was used to for the special effects, to make them look realistic. This
was done by placing dots on people or objects. Following this process, the actor’s faces
would be scanned, meaning it digitally easier to manipulate actor’s faces. Once production
had finished and post production began, digital editing could be used and CGI could be
incorporated so that those objects or people could move in a certain way or their aesthetics
look distorted. The dots enabled the editing to move with both the camerawork and/or the
people who were to be affected by the digital transformation. Ralph Fiennes, is a prime
example of an actor who used this digital editing. His nose is removed and distorted to give
the appearance of slits to represent a snake as he is the heir of Slytherin.
Mise-en-Scene:
It is a well-known fact, that the Harry Potter series used range of locations to emphasise the
realismof the storyline. Some of the locations used included but were not limited to,
London's King's Cross station (Platform 9¾), London Zoo (Dudley Dursley's birthday
celebration), Warner Brothers Studio (The majority of the indoor filming) as well as Alnwick
Castle. (Scotland - Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.) Places such as Alnwick
Castle we used as an inspiration for the Hogwarts Castle - simply due to their appearance.
The cold and stoney building resembled what JK Rowling - the Author of the Harry Potter
series, imagined the magical education centre to look like.
The locations listed above a received dramatic increase in the amount of tourism. Londoners
as well as those from outside of the country come on a regular basis to view, what are now
seen as tourist attractions. Basic viewers through to religious fans gather at the sites or pay
higher prices for professional tours just to see what it is like to walk in the footsteps of Harry
Potter and his peers.
In terms of costumes, all garments worn by the characters were handmade and so took a
long time to make, fit, and alter for each different character. Considering there are 772
characters in the whole of the Harry Potter series - from films 1 to 8, costume design and
production took up precious time and money. Although this took up a large portion of pre-
production, and some of the film's budget, the costumes’ perfection and detail, as well as
the mise-en-scene in general, was a necessity in ensuring that the whole series looked and
felt consistent and realistic.
Make-up and character preparation was also a key stage in the production process. Each
character shown in each shot was carefully prepared and made up to look the part that they
were about to play. A well-known fun fact is that Voldemort’s character; Fiennes spent
around two and half hours every morning in the makeup chair. Makeup artists painted the
actor's face a deathly shade of pale and created everything seen in the final film, including
his eyes and snake-like nose. Because the actor's performance got combined with CGI, he

3. also had to wear those little "dots" on his face that allows the cameras to do motion capture
of his every expression. Fiennes explained in an interview that he “believed it was worth it
to get into character”.
Props are a massive feature that ensure a production looks realistic. Throughout both the
Potter novels and films, the props mentioned and seen have been iconic. Items such as the
‘Sorting Hat’ which sorts new students at Hogwarts into houses based on their personality
and traits, the wands which are individual for each character, as Garrick Ollivander played
by John Hurt says The wand chooses the Wizard”, ‘Marauder’s Map’ which is used for
tracking people's motion around Hogwarts and viewing all of its hidden secret pathways,
giant chess pieces used in one of the tasks to reach ‘The Mirror of Erised’ to claimthe
philosophers stone as well as the newspapers such as ‘The Daily Prophet’ which show
moving images of people or objects, based on an article are all props that are worshipped by
audiences and fans - and can be purchased at the end of one's “Warner Brothers” studio
tour. The props mentioned above, aid the realistic feel of the magical world in the movies
and add to its mystical style. Props are not the only important feature in the Harry Potter
phenomenon. A mini Hogwarts model was built in order to incorporate pans which show a
360° view of the castle. Not many know this, but the Hogwarts Castle itself was not one
building, in fact it was a combination of locations used which fit together perfectly to give
off the idea that it was one location. The miniature Hogwarts which can be found at the
“Warner Brothers Studio” sealed the deal and enabled the audience to see what Hogwarts
looked like from the outside as if it were real.
‘Diagon Alley’ is a fictional high street, which provides all witches and wizards with the
equipment and necessary items that they need to do their jobs properly. Some of the places
that feature on it are ‘Quality Quidditch Supplies’, Gringotts Wizarding Bank’, ‘Ollivanders’
and ‘Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes’ and many others.
The street is a well-known location to all Potter fans and has had such popularity that the
set can still be seen today at the studio tour. The props, mystical locations and mini setups
are not just objects to enhance the verisimilitude of the film and ensure it seems like we, as
the audience have been placed in an alternate magical world, but in fact they are also used
to connect with the audience and open their minds to different worlds and cultures. The
audience are now, due so such demand able to visit these places, hold these object and sit
in those places that they are so fascinated by, that it has meant that the Harry Potter brand
has one of the most active audiences of any series to date even after its been concluded.
When creating a production a range of skills are needed to ensure a films realismand
professionalism. In Harry Potter specifically, a range of skills were needed and these
included Talented writers, costume creators and prop creators and skills like set up for
scenes and acts, fix any technical, electrical or any other problem of the sort, film, act,
direct, produce and edit.
Cast and Crew:
All of the actors used in the Harry Potter series are widely known for their work. They were
well-known on both sides of the Atlantic and respected in their fields of acting both on stage

4. and on screen. This is what a significant part of the allocated budget was spent on. Some of
the actors and actresses featured are, Dame Maggie Smith (Professor Minerva McGonagall),
Richard Harris (Professor Albus Dumbledore/Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.),
Robbie Coltrane (Rubeus Hagrid), Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley), Gary Oldman (Sirius
Black), Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange) and Alan Rickman (Professor Severus
Snape).
The actors mentioned above were ready established actors who would not only boost the
popularity and professionalismof the film through their experience and fan base, but, they
would also expand the brand’s audience. As the majority of the actors were those who
parents, guardians, and family of the primary target audience were used to being seen on
screen and ones they had formed a connection with, the use of them was a marketing
technique that may have helped to entice a secondary audience.
Once you have won over both your UK audiences through the choice of actors, US audiences
will be enticed too due to the traditional British feeling of the brand. It is evident that once
you receive both UK and US audiences, a filmor brand is likely to receive audiences from
the rest of the world.
In contrast, the child actors that were used were completely unknown to the audience that
the Harry Potter brand attracted. This could have gone two different ways, audiences
could’ve disliked the actors and not been able to relate to them, resulting in a distaste for
the brand itself or they could’ve which luckily they did, the audience had been instantly
grasped by the fresh faces, intensifying their love for both the brand and its characters. It is
safe to say the fact that the audience loved the three of possibly most iconic faces and
characters in the wizarding world so much, the brands popularity increased dramatically.
The world now knows Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger)
and Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley). A key use in using new actors who started at such a young
age was that we became familiar with them and their characters as well as their stories. In a
way, as each film was released, not only had we grown up, they had too. As we grew up
with the characters, we were able to connect with them which, this links to ‘Blumler and
Katz’ (1974) ‘Uses and Gratifications theory.’
This theory suggests that media is used to satisfy the needs of the audience. There are four
main needs to satisfy and each media production covers at least one. The four categories
are diversion, personal relationships, personal identity and surveillance. Diversion is where a
film is used as a form of entertainment to distract people from the reality of society.
Personal relationships is where a film uses relationships to create a story and allow people
to be able to relate to characters. Personal identity is similar to personal relationships. The
use of personal identity in filmis to allow the audience to identify with the characters
through their personality, choice of actions and demeanour.
Finally surveillance is sometimes used in films to give audiences an understanding of how
other people protect themselves, even if they are from a different location or group of
people than the audience is used to socialising with.

5. In my opinion the ‘Harry Potter’ saga covers one of these aspects majorly. The personal
identity aspect was hugely covered simply through the use of age of the characters. The
intended target audience for the first film was the same age as the characters in the film,
11-12 years of age. This further enabled audiences to empathize and understand the
characters and the meanings behind their actions. As film after film was released, not only
did the characters age, but the audience did too.
As a result, the audience felt as though the characters were like their friends, those whose
stories and backgrounds were similar to them, and were ones they understood and could
relate too. They directors decided that as soon as one filmhad finished that the filming for
the next filmstarted, this was done so that the characters did not age too much and kept up
with the story and so that the audience could still relate to them.
Not only were the older actors known in Britain, but they were known in America too. The
same actors we used continuously throughout the 8 films, to ensure the films continuity. In
addition it enabled that audiences to form relationships with the actors and their
characters. Sometimes when an actor is replaced with someone new it can put an audience
off, and as a result they can lose pre-built relationships with characters and find it difficult to
make new ones. In extreme circumstances viewers can be put off a production indefinitely.
Richard Harris, unfortunately passed away after the release of the second film, yet still
made a huge impact on the Harry Potter series. His role was taken on by Michael Gambon
who brought his own style of Dumbledore and he saw the role until the end of the movie
production.
Chris Columbus is a very well known director. Columbus is famous for many productions
including ‘Home Alone’ (1990) and the first two Harry Potter films. He specialised in
children's films which is the reason why he only directed the first two productions of the
series. After the second movie the storyline began to get darker and was eventually out of
Columbus’s depth of expertise and so his position moved to producer, as a result, this called
for a change of director. Directors to follow in his Potter footsteps included Alfonso Cuarón
who was approached for the role of director for ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’
(2004). He was initially nervous about directing the instalment since he had not read any of
the books or seen the films. After reading the series, he changed his mind and signed on to
direct since he had immediately connected to the story. Cuarón decided not to direct the
fourth instalment, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and saw a new director in the face of
Mike Newell. Then for ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ David Yates took the role
as director and then carries on for the rest of the saga. He became the only director to
direct more than one filmsince Chris Columbus.
JK Rowling is the first name that comes to mind when the Harry Potter brand is mentioned.
As is a common fact that Joanne Rowling, who writes under the pen names J. K. Rowling and
Robert Galbraith, is a British novelist, screenwriter, and producer who is best known for
writing the Harry Potter fantasy series.
In between actors, writers and producers filming and rehearsing, being on set and travelling
up and down the country, they spent their time with the press conducting TV and radio

6. interviews, dropping hints and clues to excite the audience about the upcoming events of
the Potter brand.
Interviews were aired on daytime television so that mothers could see and hear about the
film that took the world by storm. This was done as a marketing technique for the brand and
promotion for the film’s secondary audience, to further extend its popularity and target
markets.
Marketing
Firstly and probably most importantly, the Harry Potter filmseries is a successful product,
which consistently met and exceeded consumer’s expectations. This in turn created brand
loyalty, customers liked it and wanted more, which J.K. Rowling delivered. The stability,
sustainability and security of the films meant consumers became emotionally involved in
them.
This brand loyalty and subsequent emotional connection are fragile and it's critical that
nothing is done to damage the brand or betray consumers' loyalties to it. The media
machine behind the films has been careful to maintain that emotional buy-in from
consumers and to ensure that it still goes strong.
Since the release of the books and films, four Wizarding Worlds of Harry Potter theme parks
have been opened. Two in Florida, one in Hollywood and one in Osaka in Japan. The Warner
Bros Studio Tour - The Making of Harry Potter has welcomed more than 8 million visitors
since it opened outside London in March 2012.
In the process, Rowling, who began writing the books as a single mother living on benefits,
has become hugely wealthy. This year her fortune was valued at a conservative £650m, with
millions given to charities along the way.
The tour was opened as Warner Brothers established a niche gap which has enabled the
Potter fan base to grow and intensify. First time viewers, through to dedicated fans visit the
site each year, which constantly increases the films income. Each year, the studio expands
upon its features. New sections are added to the studio tour and again, this increases the
marketing for the films and the brands income. They continue to add new features as it will
re attract people as it’s something that they haven’t seen before. An example of this is the
recently added ‘Forbidden Forest’, they created a short promotional video for the new
attraction (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ztga7T7KvWA). The video includes a
Hashtag called #FollowTheSpiders, this is done to further increase the amount of viewings it
gets and so it can reach more people.
Harry Potter has used all synergistic techniques possible. These techniques include and
begun with books. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone hit British bookshops on June
26th 1997 with an initial print run of 500 hardback copies. A decade later, as the final book
in the series landed, it was estimated that more than 250,000 fans queued at Waterstones
book shops across the UK, in anticipation of their midnight purchase. Rowling’s publisher
Bloomsbury paid just £2,500 to buy the book. Ten years later, when the company published
the final instalment in the series, the books remain a huge driver of its sales. The Harry

7. Potter series is now published in 79 languages, and more than 450 million copies have been
sold across the world. Word of mouth wasn’t just in the playground. One of the most
remarkable aspects of Harry Potter’s success is its appeal to adults, apparently reminded of
classics of their own childhoods. Book Publishers Bloomsbury quickly acknowledged the
purchasing power of these ‘kidults’ by issuing the Potter series as “adult hardbacks”, with
covers redesigned using photographs rather than drawings. Obviously, following the books,
in the space of 10 years, the Harry Potter films took the world by storm.
Every one to two years, a new film was released to the public. In 2010 “Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows Part 1” was released. To leave the audience in suspension and aid the
marketization process “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” was released in 2011.
What’s clear is that the consumers built the Harry Potter brand and not the companies
promoting it, their buy in, emotional attachment, ownership and advocacy of it has made it
the success it is. The success of Harry Potter is “incredible. “It is the only children’s book to
achieve this kind of success.” - One where over marketization has not occurred and fans are
still as loyal as ever.
Harry Potter was taken to new platforms which included video games which could be played
on PC, PlayStation 2, 3 and 4, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox, Nintendo DS, Microsoft
Windows, GameCube, Game Boy Advance and many more electronic devices and software’s
- including phones. Such games included Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup, Harry Potter
and the Goblet of Fire, Lego Harry Potter: Years 1–4, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery and
Book of Spells. The games appeal to a range of ages, hence the intertextuality of ‘Lego’
through to the use of word and mind games, where those who are able must solve
problems. Intertextuality has also become a feature and addition to Harry Potter
Sound tracks were also produced for audience members to buy. Since the release of the
films, the music has become both iconic and recognisable and renditions can be heard
throughout London and the rest of the world. The music was also produced in written form
so that those who could and wished to, were able to play it for themselves. Audiobooks are
readily available for those who are partially sighted. They can be bought from a range of
stores and aid the brands marketization as it shows that they do not discriminate. The fact
that they have adapted the brand to suit all needs has meant that they have attracted a
larger audience and gained respect.
In June 2016 Harry Potter and the Cursed Child was premiered in the Palace Theatre,
London. In terms of synergy and the brand, they haven’t always played safe, they have also
taken risks. The play, which takes place two decades after the end of the Harry Potter series,
will open in New York in April, 2018, according to the New York Times, (and which opened in
London’s West End in 2016) is performed at the theatre in two parts, showing Harry Potter
as a father of three, an overworked civil servant at the Ministry of Magic. Just as the books
brought more children to reading, The Cursed Child has brought more people to theatre.
The Harry Potter brand has an official website whereby fans can read about upcoming
events and Potter news as well as play online games, buy merchandise or book tickets to

8. visit one of the many tours they offer. The word of mouth and online buzz meant everyone
wanted to see, read and get involved with Harry Potter.
The power of the Internet as a catalyst to build word-of-mouth marketing was critical. Fans
always wanted more of the Harry Potter brand, and the Internet became a place where the
Harry Potter community could socialise, network and experience the brand in their own
way.
In 2007 and 2008 - after the production and release of the films official social media pages
came around. These included social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter. This
allowed fans to have a common communication base, where they could bond and share
their love for the brand.
After the phenomenon began, J.K. Rowling did not have to do much promoting. The fans
took over and created many viral campaigns on her behalf, talking about the excitement
they had over upcoming releases. Harry Potter is often a trending topic on Twitter,
Facebook events and pages are abundant and thousands of bloggers create posts on their
behalf.
These promotions are more genuine because they come from the source, the fans, instead
of the person who makes a profit. The positive reviews and promotions that came straight
from consumers were more valuable than anything coming from the company. J.K. Rowling
recognised that her audience ranged from young children to adults, and she needed to cater
to all of their interests. To do this successfully she used multiple channels to reach her
audiences. In addition to the books and films, the Harry Potter trailers reached millions of
viewers on YouTube. Today, J.K Rowling has almost 11 million followers on Twitter. In the
beginning she was a huge asset to this marketing drive, conducting moonlight readings to
her audiences of eager fans.
Another form of marketization within the Harry Potter brand was the use of cross platform
promotion. Aside from the use of games, which are mentioned above, toys of many forms
were created and sold to promote the brand. Harry Potter lunch boxes, pencil cases, playing
cards, top trumps and trivial pursuit were created in order to attract large audiences and
entice them.
Children and adults watched the films or read the books and then bought the merchandise
that the brand had to offer, which dramatically raised the companies funding. Turning
everyday items that their target audience uses into ones that are Harry Potter specific,
increased the brands hype and allowed them to promote new films.
At the end of the ‘Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour’ the public have the
opportunity to go into a Potter themed shop. There is also a separate shop which is situated
at ‘Platform 9 ¾’ - another Potter attraction.

9. As mentioned above, the shop offers a range and wide selection of props and items that are
available to purchase (https://shop.wbstudiotour.co.uk). Items offered include wizard
wands, special sweet treats like Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, Chocolate Frog, Fizzing
Whizbees and branded broomsticks as well as house themed items of clothing, jewellery
and plush toys. Whether Chinese or Japanese tourists or French teenagers, fresh off the
Eurostar from Paris, fans from every continent visit the shop by platform 9¾ in King's Cross
station which, as all good wizards know, is where Harry Potter and his friends get the
Hogwarts Express to school.
Global audiences were attracted to the Potter brand in a variety of ways. The primary hook
was advertisements. With each film, came a range of adverts which focused on different
characters and elements which were important and key features in the upcoming film.
Placed up and down the UK in different key spots, word got around and people saw the first
film. When the hit was at the height of popularity, word spread to the USA. The USA altered
the advertisements further, to fit the American audience’s needs and interests. Once the
two biggest consumers in the world was hooked, the brand became a worldwide
phenomenon. The films were distributed all over the world and the brands viewing numbers
instantly grew; as a result, the Harry Potter books have now been distributed in over 200
territories, translated into 68 languages and have sold over 400 million copies worldwide.
After a few book releases, J.K. Rowling knew how to reach her audience. She knew the
anticipation of new books or movies, sneak previews and subtle hints made her audience go
wild. In the years to come, she used this knowledge to generate more buzz about anything
relating to Harry Potter.
Websites were also a key feature in marketing the Potter brand. Harry Potter is still
grappling with a digital strategy. In 2012, Rowling, who had retained digital book rights
launched Pottermore to the public as an exclusive retailer of the Harry Potter ebooks and
digital audio books as well as free online content for fans.
Pottermore is J. K. Rowling’s digital publishing, e-commerce, entertainment, and news
company and is a global digital publisher of Harry Potter and the Wizarding World. Like most
tech companies, it has pivoted, and changed its business model. Other retailers can now sell
ebooks and audiobooks and the site is a hub for official news and features.
There are hints that there may be future digital content created with Warner Bros, sold
through the site, yet details are elusive. Overseeing a franchise of this size brings big
pressure and the expectations of a loyal fan base means they have to ensure the quality of
the product is incredibly high.
All Potter websites are kept active and up to date, releasing new and exclusive content on a
regular basis. Leaking bits and pieces of information, holding promotional events, contests
and creating a veil of secrecy around the next product to launch enhanced the buzz and
boosted sales to the highest level possible. With every new release, the team behind the
marketing of Harry Potter got better and better at teasing the audience and at the perpetual
marketing of the Potter brand.

10. Franchises are nothing without fans, of course. And Harry’s have played a huge part in
extending his success. Fan-generated content, fuelled by the growth of the internet,
underpinned the global expansion. Fan sites such as ‘Leaky Cauldron’ and ‘Muggle Net’
helped drive the empire’s publicity machine. Warner Bros, for example, sent the sites stills
of upcoming films, which fuelled the anticipatory buzz.
Due to its production and marketing techniques, Harry Potter became the worldwide
phenomenon that it is today. The series was shown in 4,125 cinemas and aired for a massive
20 weeks (5 months and nearly half a year) which is longer than most productions are
shown for. Due to cinema coverage Warner Brothers received $8.5 billion for the Potter
films it produced, including its prequel which was released in 2017 ‘Fantastic Beasts’. Even
without Fantastic Beasts, Warner Brothers received $7.7 billion for the Harry Potter series
alone. A second film‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ is set to be released this
year.
The Harry Potter universe will always be around, as J.K Rowling said “Whether you come
back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.”