Last week we reported that Jessie Cave and Oliver Phelps attended an event at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London with Sky Movies HD. Today we have a special report from our UK correspondent, Patrick, who attended the event! He also sent over a bunch of photos that you can view in the gallery! Thank you again, Patrick for attending the event on our behalf! Without further ado, the report:
To celebrate the launch of all Harry Potter films now being available on SKYmoviesHD and On Demand, Sky invited a group of friends and fans to Leavesden to share in a night of magic in the Great Hall itself.
After a trip on the Knight Bus to Warner Brothers Studios, all those invited shared in a quick drinks reception and had the chance to watch the intro films to the tour, before being ushered through the great doors, with the now legendary phrase; Welcome to Hogwarts. But rather than finding the hall lined with the four house table as in the films, or empty as in one would see in the tour, we found the hall full of comfy-looking sofas and beanbags! On every seat was an iPad, the SkyGO app ready with the film of our choice to be streamed in the more than magical setting.
But before we had a chance to get stuck into our Harry Potter watching, special guests Jessie Cave (Lavender Brown) and the George of Fred and George; Oliver Phelps, arrived for a couple of photos and a few quick words. Jessie remarked that the great Hall was a lot cleaner than the last time she filmed there, and Olivier was impressed by the couches! Everyone then joint the stars on the Slytherin Table for a few photos! Yes, that’s right we actually sat on the seat once sat on by the devilishly cunning Snakes! I am deep down a Gryffindor, but I couldn’t help but feel quite at home on the table of Slytherin, maybe it was the blond hair and velvet green shirt I was sporting on the night!
Once back on our beanbags, it was time to pick a film, and for me and my friend it was going to be ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’, and all I can say was that the feeling was surreal and a little trippy! The great hall features quite heavily in the fourth film; the arrival of Beauxbaton and Durmstrang, entries into the goblet of fire, the champion selection, and to be in the same room was bizarre! As Dumbledore’s hand, doused the flames that lit the Hall, I was able to follow the motion with my own eyes as he moved around the room. But it was also a little funny at the same time, instead of satin clad French girls producing blue sparks, we had smiling waiters, bearing beverages and yummy foods, like hotdogs, fish and chips and burgers! Instead of stick whirling Durmstrangs we had a camera man, whipping his lens around!
All those in attendance were gifted with a set of Harry’s famous specs, a chocolate wand from the gift store and their own copy of the interview ‘Being Harry: Daniel Radcliffe’ which aired on Sky on Friday the 9th of November, which was quite a lovely little interview with Dan, and others chatting about him. With our films watched, and our belly’s full it was time to return to the Knight Bus and make our ways home.
All in all, it was a great night; meeting other fans, posing for photos in the famous surrounds and just enjoying the films we all know and love and have readily available to us now thanks to SKYmoviesHD! So a big thanks to guys at SKY and Freud Communication for inviting us along, and a special thanks to our lovely webmiss Megan, for once again letting me enjoy the best the Potter world still has to offer us!
Yesterday Sky Movies along with WB Studio Tour held an event in The Great Hall to celebrate the fact that Sky will be the only channel broadcasting all eight Potter films this holiday season. This morning they have sent over some photos of Jessie Cave and Oliver Phelps at the event as well as a press release. Our correspondent Patrick was there as well, so I’m sure we’ll be getting a report and some photos from him as well, stay tuned!
Sky has also revealed that they will have a lot of behind the scenes footage as well as an interview with Daniel Radcliffe. All the details may be read in the press release below:
Harry Potter™ stars Jessie Cave and Oliver Phelps (Lavender Brown and George Weasley in the films) yesterday attended a special screening of the Harry Potter™ films at the Great Hall set at Leavesden.
To celebrate all eight of the Harry Potter™ films being available on Sky’s set-top box, on the comprehensive TV On Demand service and Sky Go, the award-winning multiplatform TV service, Sky Movies HD hosted a screening event in the famous surroundings, allowing fans to choose their own film from theseries to stream on iPad throughout the evening.
The films are also available to NOW TV customers subscribing to the Sky Movies monthly pass. NOW TV offers easy and flexible access to Sky Movies across PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, YouView, Xbox and selected Android smartphones, with films available to stream instantly. Customers who subscribe to Sky Movies via Virgin Media, UPC and TalkTalk are also able to enjoy the entire Harry Potter™ film series.
In addition to the complete Harry Potter™ box-set, Sky Movies is also offering viewers the opportunity to go behind-the-scenes, onto the sets and red carpet premieres with a range of original Potter related programming. In addition to the original movie trailers and special on-set and premiere reports, viewers will be able to hear from the star of the spellbinding franchise himself in Sky Movies’ brand new, in-depth interview Daniel Radcliffe: Being Harry Potter.
Daniel Radcliffe: Being Harry Potter will premiere on Friday 9th November, exclusively on Sky Movies Showcase HD, alongside all eight Harry Potter™ films, now also available across Sky Movies HD.
As we posted last month, Warner Bros Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter is opening a special section of the tour for one week only starting tomorrow (ending Nov 4)! Today we have been sent some photos of the Death Eaters that were taken yesterday.
Lord Voldemort’s loyal henchmen the Death Eaters descended on Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter yesterday in preparation for Darks Arts Week. For the first time secrets behind the Dark Arts will be revealed to all visitors attending the Studio Tour this half-term holiday. For one week only visitors will learn how the Dark Arts were brought to life in the films, discover how the costumes were developed for the most infamous characters, learn about the make-up techniques used to help the actors get into character and come face-to-face with Death Eaters.
Other special features include a ‘lesson’ in the Potions classroom where the real contents of the potion jars will be explained. Over 500 of the original jars are displayed all with handwritten labels. Some of the few remaining Prophecy orbs will be on show at the Malfoy Manor fireplace with revelations about their use during filming in the Hall of Prophecy
“Launched back in 1997, each year we invite readers of Group Leisure to decide the best destinations, shows, attractions and companies – based on their experiences as a group travel organiser.”
Of the honor, Vice President of WBSTL Sarah Roots said: Having been open for a matter of months it’s a fantastic accolade for Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry POtter to win Best UK Attraction as voted by Group Leisure readers. We are constantly looking for ways to engage our visitors into the behind-the-scenes world of British filmmaking and have received wonderful feedback.
Today we have exciting news for fans planning on visiting Warner Bros Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter at the end of October. They will be sharing secrets behind the Dark Arts from Saturday 27 October to Sunday 4 November. A press release was issued to us this morning with the following information:
SECRETS BEHIND THE DARK ARTS ARE REVEALED AT WARNER BROS. STUDIO TOUR LONDON – THE MAKING OF HARRY POTTER
Special feature for half-term only
Secrets behind the Dark Arts will be revealed for the first time this half-term at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter. For one week only visitors will learn how the Dark Arts were brought to life in the films. Discover how the costumes were developed for the most infamous characters, learn about the make-up techniques used to help the actors get into character and come face-to-face with Death Eaters.
Other special features include a ‘lesson’ in the Potions classroom where the real contents of the potion jars will be explained. Over 500 of the original jars are displayed all with handwritten labels. Some of the few remaining Prophecy orbs will be on show at the Malfoy Manor fireplace with revelations about their use during filming in the Hall of Prophecy.
Dark Art Facts from the Studio Tour
An extra layer of fabric was added to Voldemort’s™ costume every time he became more powerful. During filming for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix™ over 50 meters of silk were used.
Aragog, the giant spider, was covered by hand with yak hair, sisal and hemp from brooms.
The make-up effects used to create the Dark Lord included temporary tattoos for veins, enhanced cheekbones, contact lenses and false eyebrows, fingernails and teeth.
Each werewolf prosthetic was made with real goat hair that was inserted strand-by-strand.
The Prophecy orbs are made of glass and were filled with seed pods, mushrooms, mussels and rubber frogs.
We have just received word that starting this Friday fans visiting Warner Bros Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter will have the opportunity to walk across the Hogwarts Bridge. The bridge is located in the outside area of the tour along with the Knight Bus, Ford Anglia, Privet Drive and Godrics Hollow set pieces. They will also have some more brooms available in the broomstick experience.
This summer the iconic Hogwarts bridge from the Harry Potter film series will be opened up for the public to cross for the very first time. From Friday 31 August 2012 visitors to Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter will be able to walk over the actual bridge that cast members used whilst making one of the best loved film series of all time.
The Hogwarts bridge is one of the few sets used in the films which is not mentioned in the books. It first appeared in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban™ when the director, Alfonso Cuarón, wanted something to connect the Hogwarts set with Hagrid’s hut. It appeared in the later films and a separate section was built for the explosion in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ – Part 2.
The bridge was constructed from wood – with fibreglass used for some of the more intricate portions. This section was the only part of the bridge built to scale. The rest was either built in miniature as part of the Hogwarts model or recreated through CGI (Computer Generated Imagery).
Sarah Roots, Vice President Warner Bros. Studio Tour London, explains: “We are constantly looking at ways to enhance our visitors’ enjoyment of the Studio Tour. There was an incredible demand to be able to cross the iconic Hogwarts Bridge so we are delighted to make this possible.”
In addition to this new development, three extra broom rigs will be added to the hugely popular broomstick experience at the attraction. Visitors get the chance to ride on a broom rig, much like the stars would have done, and using green screen technology they are able to recreate some of the iconic flying sequences from the film series.
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