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 Sorting Hat from pre-production on Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. 8 MIDDLE The final Sorting Hat 8 ABOVE Steve Kill, a member of the design team, breaks down a group of Sorting Hat props to ready them for filming. Richard Harris actually thought the animatronic Fawkes was a real bird, it looked that lifelike on the set. sorting hat The Sorting Hat was originally to be portrayed using a puppet, but when the filmmakers tested it on camera, that’s exactly what it looked like—a puppet on a child’s head. So the on-screen Sorting Hat was created digitally based on a leather hat made by costume designer Judianna Makovsky. The leather hat was soaked in water, squashed into a cone shape, left overnight to dry, and then further shaped with wires sewn into its lining. When Makovsky first brought the hat to the set, visual effects supervisor Robert Legato asked, “Where does it talk?” Director Chris Columbus looked at Legato and said, “She made the hat. You make it talk.”

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. It was fascinating to read what each actor thought of their own character-- Fiona Shaw had the most keen insights into her character of Mrs. Dursley that has sparked within me a desire to revisit the early HP novels and pay closer attention to the lesser-focused Dursley dynamic between the matriarch and her nephew (that is often overshadowed by the more comic relationship between Dudley and Harry). 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. The first time I saw this, I flipped out. As someone who's obsessed with all things Harry Potter, I just had to get my hands on this massive book. Reading it was even more fun than I thought it would be. It goes through the entire process of making each movie, from selecting the cast to writing the scripts to bringing the incredible magic to life on screen. It's got the big-picture stuff, like the different directors' and producers' visions, as well as the details, like how they made each magical creature. There are tons of interviews and quotes from the cast and crew, plus memorabilia from the sets. Basically, this is the best coffee table book ever if you love Harry Potter.

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. Admittedly, it got a little rote. The first half of the book was definitely the most interesting to me, although even then it veered into really dry territory. The second half had much less substance and was almost distracting with all the photo / captions. I mean really, did you ever really care to know what thought went into Percy Weasley or Crabbe & Goyle's "Looks"? No. All too often, the book felt like it was written for the people on the film, as a way to sing the praises of the very talented designers behind-the-scenes that you probably don't give a second thought about, but would if they weren't doing their jobs as well as they were. Sort of a catch-22. The book consists of a detailed chapter on each of the films, characters, costumes, locations, sets, creatures, makeup /digital effects, artifacts and prop making. Having said that, if you are a fan of the movies or at least fans of the people working in the 8 HP movies, this is the one book you simply must have. If Harry Potter: Film Wizardry by Brian Sibley is the fan's ultimate fun book, this is the budding filmmaker's ultimate textbook on how to make an epic franchise that lasts a whole decade. Whatever shortcomings the films have, you can not deny that a lot of thought went into the making of the films. From casting to scriptwriting to designing sets and characters, this book reveals all of them.

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. At first, I was in love with this book. I am a big fan of the books and then the movies, and I always wondered how they adapted those wonderful books for the big screen. There is just so much information in this book, and it is presented artistically through pictures as well as words. When I finished it, I felt like I knew so much more than I could have ever asked for. However, after a while, I realized that something was missing. The book discussed the changing directors and how they brought their visions to films that became progressively more dark, but the changing composers that brought music to these films are never discussed. Being a musician, I was somewhat disappointed. I would have liked to read about how John Williams was chosen to start the series, why he left, and how he and the others created the music that brought so much feeling to these films.An amazing Christmas gift... no way is this amazing volume going to be merely a coffee table book. I plan to read it cover-to-cover and soak up every amazing little detail that went into making this series. The Bottom Line: A wonderful addition to any diehard Potterhead or avid movie fan's collection - but not an incredibly *necessary* one.

Hogwarts seen through the trees from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. 8 Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Emma Watson (Hermione) had a huge crush on Tom Felton (Draco) during the filming of the first several movies As soon as I got this book, I knew I would have to read it cover to cover to really feel complete. I couldn't just skim, I had to know everything! And it was lovely and so rewarding. I knew a lot of stuff, granted, but that's what comes with being so immersed in this universe for so long.In addition to his role as a Weasley twin, James Phelps also served as an assistant director on the "Half-Blood Prince" set. The book itself is absolutely gorgeous. The biggest and heaviest book I own by far, and it's one of those books that you will look over again and again for years to come. It would have been nice to have a ribbon bookmark included for the book though, just as a useful crowning glory. 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.