This is a long overdue post that I've been meaning to write but causing my cheeks to blush because I'm telling the world how dorky I can be! I'm a Harry Potter fan and had always wanted to go to the Harry Potter studio tour in London. Technically, the tour isn't located in central London but a short commuter train ride to Leavesden. If you have an Oyster card just make sure you top up the card with at least £10 quid.
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| Drinking Butterbeer |
Lights, camera, action! There's a certain magic to how films are made and usually what the viewer sees in the movie theater is the work of many people behind the scenes as well as on screen. I used to moonlight as an extra for film and TV and those jobs were always an interesting experience because you're held on set waiting for your turn for so many hours. The hours spent waiting and watching everyone work towards setting the scene just right and filming it from multiple different angles is time consuming an laborious! Its such a wonder how movies are made in less than a year's time! With movies as huge as the Harry Potter series, its remarkable what was achieved in such a small time frame from the costumes, hair, make up, props, to the filming, editing, digital effects, soundtrack, etc.
Perhaps it is magic after all...
Accio!
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| Room under the staircase for the house at Privet drive |
The tour is mostly self-guided and starts off with an introduction from one of the staff members who will lead you into the Great Hall where a lot of the scenes at Hogwarts was shot. The entire experience lasts 3-4 hours depending on how long you want to linger looking and trying out some of the interactive props on display.
In the middle of the tour, there's a small cafe selling butter beer (see above), Bertie Bott's jelly beans, Chocolate frogs, and other Harry Potter themed snacks. I opted for a small glass of butter beer. It tasted similar to root beer but with a caramel smooth twist to it. The froth looks like something out of a Looney Toons set because it wasn't like beer froth. It remained unchanged in the cup. Which means that this drink looks great behind a lens! I liked the taste of it too and wish that one could purchase butter beer at regular stores.
The magic of the Harry Potter movies are demystified on the tour but it still is amazing how the cast and crew put together so much work and detail to make all of us around the world fall into the world of Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, of wizards and witches, of good vs evil.
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I went to visit the HP studios with my best friend about a year ago and we loved it so much. To be honest with you, the part I loved the most, was the beer. Oh that beeeeer! I've been looking online for the recipe but never quite managed to replicate it.
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to feel part of the movies wasn't it? We also loved the owls around. Such great place, worth every penny.
Big budget Movies have so much details going into them with the sets, costumes, hair, make up, location, and all the post production as well. Its the magic of it all! Especially Harry Potter series... I really want to see the play though!!!
DeleteI've been to the one in Orlando and would love to visit the one in London as well! As a Potter nerd I feel I gotta catch them all haha ;)
ReplyDeleteOh I would love to go to the theme park in Orlando! The studio tour is fantastic if you're a big Potterhead
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