Harry Potter: Page to Screen

Product Information

The book consists of a detailed chapter on each of the films, characters, costumes, locations, sets, creatures, makeup /digital effects, artifacts and prop making. There are exclusive photographs of the actors and the crew. There's a list of the actors' heights at the start of the franchise, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. There's sketches of Dobby and Kreacher and Quidditch. There are concept arts. There are costumes. There are character references. This book is what happens when someone converts all the behind-the-scenes portion of the DVDs into writings on the printed papers of a hardbound tome. (And the DVD's extra features still can't compete with even half of the book.)

The stories on set designs are really interesting. You can find out how sets are constructed, like Hogswarts and all the different rooms and secret locations. I thought the underwater scene in Goblet of Fire was totally CGI but it turned out that Daniel Radcliffe actually had to swim, while holding his breath, and act in a water tank. And of course, there are details on how that water tank was built, with heaters, bacteria-killing UV lights, and the little things that don't cross our minds.The Bottom Line: A wonderful addition to any diehard Potterhead or avid movie fan's collection - but not an incredibly *necessary* one. I often begrudge movies the fact that they are not like the book, but it's really like comparing apples and oranges-- though similar, they are inherently different. This book is highly recommended to fans of the Harry Potter films. It gives a new sense of appreciation for the film and the people who worked behind the scenes. It's something you'll want to make the magic last a bit longer. The only thing I missed, and would have liked to see was maybe a short interview from JKR herself. Although there are mentions of her collaboration in the book, it would have been nice to read her thoughts on seeing her magical world on the big screen. The Plot: This is basically an encyclopaedia to everything on the Harry Potter films. The first half of the book is the 'story' of the eight films (although Deathly Hallows is combined into one chapter), including getting them made in the first place, before the series was the phenomenon it became. Each film is discussed in terms of how the casting process worked, with commentary from the producers and the actors on what it was like to add each new cast member. The plot is also vaguely discussed in terms of what went into bringing certain scenes (or adding / reducing certain plot points) to life on the big screen - whether it's technical effects, locations, or fun behind-the-scenes anecdotes and photos. There's also a fair bit of discussion and commentary from the three lead actors on what it was like to work with each director / make each film. The second half of the book is more where the encyclopaedia designation comes in. Giant chunks of the book are dedicated to costumes (really, characters), sets, props, and creatures and what went into the design / how they came to life / concept art. It's very photo / caption heavy at this point, with little snippets of information on materials used or hours that went into something.

The books is lavishly illustrated from production images both in front and behind the scenes - it shows a very intimate side to the films and the people who created them which is rarely seen especially on such film considering the huge budgets and massive attention they were drawing. The Good & The Bad: I read another book on a *very* similar topic earlier this year, Harry Potter Film Wizardry. You might ask what the difference between them is, and the surface answers would be size and the fact this book encapsulates the final film, while the other (rushed out for last year's holiday gift-giving season) did not. But on a more realistic level, this is a book for a student of the films, not a fan. You have to have a real interest in production and art direction (which I'd say I somewhat do...but not quite to this degree) to really appreciate the final detail included here. This book has kind of made producer David Heyman one of my heroes. Love how he said he first grew interested in working on Harry Potter because he just generally adored reading so much. SNEAkoscope The Sneakoscope, used to detect untrustworthy or Dark magic, was created for a scene in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban that takes place after Ron and Hermione return from their first trip to Hogsmeade. Sad that Harry couldn’t join them, Ron gives him a Sneakoscope he bought for him at Zonko’s Joke Shop. Unfortunately, this scene ended up on the cutting-room floor.It's fun to see which anecdotes I remember from magazine articles over the years, and which details are entirely new... from everywhere—the best from the universities, the best from the cathedrals—and then slammed them together.” Although designed to look and feel like an enduring institution, Hogwarts has evolved to match the needs of the story over the course of eight films. “The way to go would have been to be able to read right through the seven books when we started,” Craig laughs. “But I think some of these changes and additions have added a level of interest to the films. We’ve moved things around, let things expand, had them develop, or made them disappear altogether.”

Richard Harris actually thought the animatronic Fawkes was a real bird, it looked that lifelike on the set. Hogwarts seen through the trees from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. 8 Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Love the info about Robbie Coltrane and his Hagrid body double. And how his double started practicing his lines just for fun to the point where Coltrane felt "threatened" they'd just use the *real* big guy.Really, really cool behind-the-scenes information about the production of the Harry Potter movies. I learned so much about the Harry Potter universe, the actors, and the way movies are made. Like the fact that Mafalda Hopkirk was played by Sophie Thompson, the younger sister of Emma Thompson, and Bill Weasley was played by Brendan Gleeson's son Domhnall. And that the prop crew bought sixteen Ford Anglias from around the country to use in filming. That most of the amazing props and sets were really physically made, with animatronics to make them move—like the Whomping Willow, the doors to the Chamber of Secrets, Aragog, the basilisk's head and 25 feet of its body, etc. The wizard's chess scene was done entirely in real life—the only effects they added digitally were some extra dust and debris for the explosions. They built those giant pieces and actually blew them up on-set.