Check out these animals facts images:
The Making of Harry Potter 29-05-2012
Image by Karen Roe
Birds & Animals
The soundstages and backlot of Leavesden were home to a veritable zoo of animals. For ten years this crew of trainers (and dog walkers) spent their time training more than 250 animal actors including the characters of Hedwig, Crookshanks, Mrs Norris, Scabbers, Fang and even one pygmy hippopotamus. The decade-long production schedule of the films gave the animal trainers the unique opportunity of watching their animal actors grow, mature and learn many new tricks during their long careers.
People the world-over have been enchanted by the Harry Potter films for nearly a decade. The wonderful special effects and amazing creatures have made this iconic series beloved to both young and old - and now, for the first time, the doors are going to be opened for everyone at the studio where it first began. You'll have the chance to go behind-the-scenes and see many things the camera never showed. From breathtakingly detailed sets to stunning costumes, props and animatronics, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London provides a unique showcase of the extraordinary British artistry, technology and talent that went into making the most successful film series of all time. Secrets will be revealed.
Warner Bros. Studio Tour London provides an amazing new opportunity to explore the magic of the Harry Potter films - the most successful film series of all time. This unique walking tour takes you behind-the-scenes and showcases a huge array of beautiful sets, costumes and props. It also reveals some closely guarded secrets, including facts about the special effects and animatronics that made these films so hugely popular all over the world.
Here are just some of the things you can expect to see and do:
- Step inside and discover the actual Great Hall.
- Explore Dumbledore’s office and discover never-before-seen treasures.
- Step onto the famous cobbles of Diagon Alley, featuring the shop fronts of Ollivanders wand shop, Flourish and Blotts, the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, Gringotts Wizarding Bank and Eeylops Owl Emporium.
- See iconic props from the films, including Harry’s Nimbus 2000 and Hagrid’s motorcycle.
- Learn how creatures were brought to life with green screen effects, animatronics and life-sized models.
- Rediscover other memorable sets from the film series, including the Gryffindor common room, the boys’ dormitory, Hagrid’s hut, Potion’s classroom and Professor Umbridge’s office at the Ministry of Magic.
Located just 20 miles from the heart of London at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, the very place where it all began and where all eight of the Harry Potter films were brought to life. The Studio Tour is accessible to everyone and promises to be a truly memorable experience - whether you’re an avid Harry Potter fan, an all-round movie buff or you just want to try something that’s a little bit different.
The tour is estimated to take approximately three hours (I was in there for 5 hours!), however, as the tour is mostly self guided, you are free to explore the attraction at your own pace. During this time you will be able to see many of the best-loved sets and exhibits from the films. Unique and precious items from the films will also be on display, alongside some exciting hands-on interactive exhibits that will make you feel like you’re actually there.
The magic also continues in the Gift Shop, which is full of exciting souvenirs and official merchandise, designed to create an everlasting memory of your day at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London.
Hogwarts Castle Model - Get a 360 degree view of the incredible, hand sculpted 1:24 scale construction that features within the Studio Tour. The Hogwarts castle model is the jewel of the Art Department having been built for the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It took 86 artists and crew members to construct the first version which was then rebuilt and altered many times over for the next seven films. The work was so extensive that if one was to add all the man hours that have gone into building and reworking the model, it would come to over 74 years. The model was used for aerial photography, and was digitally scanned for CGI scenes.
The model, which sits at nearly 50 feet in diameter, has over 2,500 fibre optic lights that simulate lanterns and torches and even gave the illusion of students passing through hallways in the films. To show off the lighting to full effect a day-to-night cycle will take place every four minutes so you can experience its full beauty.
An amazing amount of detail went into the making of the model: all the doors are hinged, real plants are used for landscaping and miniature birds are housed in the Owlery. To make the model appear even more realistic, artists rebuilt miniature versions of the courtyards from Alnwick Castle and Durham Cathedral, where scenes from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone were shot.
Zilant
Image by Sergey Yeliseev
This place, which fact is well known to all inhabitants of that land, was the snakes' nest from ancient times. This nest was inhabited by different snakes, but among them was one snake, huge and terrible, with two heads: one head was a snake's head, and the other one was the oxen head. With its one head the snake ate up people, animals and cattle and with the other one it ate grass. Some snakes of different species laid by it and lived together with it. People could not live close to that place because of the snake's whistling and stench.
Tsar Sain studied that place many days, and walked around it in admiration, but could not find a way to oust the snake from its nest to found there a town, large, strong and glorious. And then a wizard came. I, he said, will kill the snake and clean the place. The tsar was glad and promised to reward him richly if he did it. The wizard used his magic and witchery to gather all snakes, from little to big ones, around the big snake into one huge pile and drew a line around them, so that not a snake could sneak across it. And he killed them all with demonic action. And then he covered them all from ail sides with hay, reed grass and wood, dry wattle, pouring sulphur and tar on them, and then set a fire and burned them in fire.
Having cleaned the place like that, tsar Sain established the town of Kazan, The town of Kazan still stands there, seen and known by all people.
