This document summarizes some of the special effects and details that went into making the Harry Potter films. It describes how practical effects were used to create magical elements like Harry receiving his wand, and how computer effects and costumes were utilized for the Invisibility Cloak. It also explains that makeup and masks were extensively used for characters' faces, and that robot heads and multiple actors were sometimes needed for characters like Hagrid due to size differences. The document aims to share behind-the-scenes insights from the films with fans of the Harry Potter series.

1. books on his bookshelves
is a crazy amount but real-
ly, they are just old phone
books covered in leather
and dust! Something else
that is really cool is that in
the second movie when
Harry speaks parseltongue
to the door, the snakes
move by a motor and the
snakes follow a track
where the track leads to
the other side of the circu-
lar door.
“Welcome to the magical
and beautiful, Harry Potter
London Tour! Please if
anyone needs to, go to the
restrooms. And remember
no food on the tours so if
your hungry, eat quick.”
Anyway, back to reality. In
case you were wondering,
the reason for doing this is
actually because there is a
studio in London where
the films were taken
place. You go through all
the places and some sets
are filled with just props
and little knick-knacks
shown in the movie. What
I am about to tell you is
very top secret Harry Pot-
ter business (not really but
go with it).
One little fun fact is that
the Great Hall was made
in 2000, almost 3 years
before the first film was
announced to the public.
Another fun fact is that
there is a little container
that tells you the House
Points and there are little
beads in them, the colors
of the houses in each con-
tainer.
Diagon Alley, one of my
favorite places, is a wizard
street full of shops and
cobble. The mannequin in
front of the Wizard Wheez-
es shop, is actually just
made of white dyed felt.
Now, Dumbledore’s office
is the highest and most
magical floor of Hogwarts.
He is on the top floor be-
cause of his love for the
sky and Astronomy. You
probably think that all the
Remember when Harry
just got his wand and there
was a big scene of light and
smoke? Well, to make it
look so magical, the
filmmakers just slowed
down the film, blew a fan,
made some sparks and
lights come out of the wand
and BAM! You have your-
self the dramatic wand
choosing scene.
Something else quiet in-
teresting is that the Invisi-
bility Cloak is made by a
green screen but there are
several cloaks for many
different scenes and abili-
ties.
The grandfather clock in
the Weasley’s home is
made by a grandfather
clock with spinning and
moving gadgets on the
bottom of the clock, with
scissors as the clock hands
and pictures of the Wea-
T H E M A G I C I N T H E F I L M
Ask questions if you
have any and I will see if
I can answer them. I
might not know every-
thing but I have been
studying.
If you are really interest-
ed, than go check out
the set yourself. Ask
your parents if you can
take a trip to London
and see all the amazing
stuff they have waiting
for you there.
S O M E C O O L S P E C I A L E F F E C T S
T H E M A K I N G O F H A R R Y
P O T T E R
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2. ‘s on the scissor handle.
The Hungarian Horntail
was actually made into a
real size model that is
forty feet long and has a
seventy foot wingspan. It
can belch fire at a dis-
tance of thirty feet. It was-
n’t used a lot except for
the part when Harry Potter
first sees the dragon.
Daniel Radcliff who plays
Harry Potter, did some of
his own stunts. Once, he
had to fall of a wire forty
feet in the air. The Golden
Egg that Harry needed to
get was designed by
Miraphora Mina. If you
didn’t notice all ready, the
outer shell of the egg
has an ancient looking
city engraved on it. To
open the egg, you spin
the small owl head on
the top of the egg and
the shell springs apart.
When Harry goes to the
Prefect bathroom to find
out the egg clue, he is
amazed by all the differ-
ent colored water and
fountains. He also sees a
moving painting of a mer-
maid designed by Adam
Brockbank.
of everyone getting on
their outfit and looking
pretty, but this is one of
the movies that makes
peoples face’s ugly with
makeup.
There is also some ma-
chines in the film. Like
when you see Dobby,
there is a machine and a
mask and all this stuff just
for Dobby. Also, Hagrid’s
This is also something not
really in the category of
Special Effects but this is
still in the category of what
you see on film. Practical-
ly all of the goblins in Harry
Potter wear masks. Then
there is Voldemort’s face
that is pale so that had
some makeup jobs on it
too. But whenever you
think of a movie, you think
head is a big subject. He
has a robot head for some
scenes but we will get into
that topic more, later.
C O N T I N U E D
M A K E U P
Voldemort’s face. I hope
you didn't think that was
his actual nose. They put
a lot of small, colorful dots
on his face, and then later
they did stuff on the com-
puter to make his nose
vanish.
T H E C O S T U M E S
I know you guys might not
think that this is really in
the category of Special
Effects, but a lot of movies
do stuff to the costumes
on the computer like the
Invisibility Cloak. They set
up a green screen and
everything just for the
cloak. I am sure nobody
even notices anything
suspicious in the movies
the first time you saw it.
Another example would be
Page 2T H E M A K I N G O F H A R R Y P O T T E R

3. Hagrid, to me, is one of
the most complicated
person they had to make.
First of all, it is really hard
to find someone so tall
and still gives the image
for Hagrid. So, there are
two actors for Hagrid.
When you see him walking
and you can see all of him,
then they used a really tall
man named Martin Bay-
field who is 6’10”. When
they shoot an up-close
scene, they use Robbie
Coltrane. Robbie is 6’1”
but still, I think, the best
actor for Hagrid. Now for
some reason, after all of
this, the filmmakers made
a Hagrid robot head. They
needed the head for when
they were shooting from
far away but could still see
his face. They just wanted
Hagrid to be spot on, and
he was.
ters in Harry Potter and try
to collect all the little stuff
and information in the
chapter. You can collect
chocolate frogs, and buy
all the supplies you need
for the year at Diagon Al-
ley. I hope you try it out
and get really interested.
If you aren't a Harry Potter
fan but want to be, than I
suggest you read the
I know some Harry Potter
fans are sad to see Harry
Potter leave, but J.K. Rowl-
ing is still making books.
Also, she has made a web-
site called Pottermore.
Inside you can get sorted
into a house by taking a
test and can see what type
of wand you would get.
You go through the chap-
books before seeing the
movies so you understand
better. I hope you en-
joyed!
H A G R I D
E X T R A S
Dumbledore. There was a
lot of members taking part
in Harry Potter and they all
did wonderful in my opin-
ion.
C A S T
Now I just want to throw in
a couple of facts about the
cast. There is never really
a lot of extras in Harry
Potter except for the Di-
agon Alley scene in Harry
Potter and the Sorcerer’s
Stone. But there is a lot of
characters that you know
about. You have the trio
which includes Harry, Ron,
and Hermione. Then you
have some Professors like
Snape, McGonagall, and
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