After a very long break, I've decided to get back to my series of posts with photos from "The Making of Harry Potter" tour in London. First we did costumes. Then props. Last time, sets. This time, animatronics."Animatronics?" you ask? Yep, the electronic devices which are used to create animation when CGI is not used. "Moving Models." OK, well sometimes the models were not obviously capable of motion, but they were more than just make-up on an actor, and they were also not computer generated. Let's get started and you'll see what I mean.
The Head of the Basilisk
Harry has to fight this monster in the second movie. The head looms above the heads of visitors (with other scary creatures!)
Dumbledore's Cursed Hand (s)
Here is an example of animatronics which were clearly used rather than using make-up alone. Note the progression of the curse from left to right.
The Monster Book of Monsters (and Dobby)
I took this photo of the famously living textbooks, and it wasn't until I saw the photo later than I got spooked by seeing Dobby staring at me so intently over the stack. His head in the animatronics shop shows that Dobby was not simply CGI. Though he was famously played by a little ball in filming some scenes, a physical manifestation was needed at times.
The Werewolf Apparatus
Even more clearly than Dumbledore's hand, this display shows how animatronics were used by actors. The photo is not quite what I would have liked, but even with the flash reflection, you can see the apparatus which sat on top of an actor's shoulders to make the tall werewolf come to life.
Hagrid's Head
One of the eeriest moments I had on the tour was when I saw Robbie Coltrane's severed head hanging on the wall. I am not sure when they needed this, but it was incredibly lifelike.
The Floating Friends?
Though I didn't directly think about it when watching the movie, I would have guessed that the friends found floating in the lake in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" would have been the actual actors, made up. Not so, it appears. There is Hermione, looking very petrified and ready to float. Then again, was Draco floating there? I don't think so. So, why did the filmakers need a version of him? Maye they just didn't like him? Well, the display is cool, anyway.
Dying Voldemort
I've already talked about some creepy things in this part of the tour. None were creepier than this. In the final film, we see this wretched form as Harry talks with his mentor between worlds. Now, this figure is icky on its own. To make it even better, there is a button you can push on the display case, and when you do, the thing moves. So cool!
Buckbeak
The biggest moving animatronic in the tour, though, is the hippogriff, Buckbeak. One of the DVD extras I enjoyed from "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban" showed how the filmmakers brought this mythical creature to the screen. In the tour, you could see Buckbeak in action. And it was timed to react to a video tour which was going on throughout the animatronics exhibit, narrated by Warwick Davis.
Anything Else?
Well, sure. But I don't want to spoil it for you. You should go see this if you get the chance.
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