OOTP set report in French magazine

In the latest edition of French magazine "Sud Pep's," there is a report on the Order of the Phoenix movie set which features interesting blurbs on the sets and various scenes being shot.

One crew member explained that because the props have to be used over and over, only very durable ones are purchased; as such, nothing is ever thrown away. Also, like the last name of the owner, the interior of Grimmauld Place is described as completely black.

Finally, the article details a poignant scene in which Harry is sitting alone and crying with the wind in his face, presumably shortly after Sirius' demise. In relation to this scene, a reliable source has informed us that Dan listened to depressing music for several days to prepare himself emotionally for this and for a number of other scenes. Thanks to UHP for the tip!

Click below for a translation, thanks to Pruneau!

"Title: On the Harry Potter set Radcliffe: "my favourite film"

Caption: Some of the stars study between scenes!

Visiting the Harry Potter set feels like going to Disneyland for the first time: you keep your eyes wide open and your mouth gaping when you see how huge it all is. And yet, Leavesden studios aren't much to look at: thousands of square metres of impersonal warehouses in the middle of an average countryside, an hour's drive away from London. When you enter them, they are actually disappointing: the glue and paint smells have nothing to do with the magic of the movies which sent us into raptures these last four [sic] years. You do need a lot of carpenters, painters and workmen of all kinds to transform the common raw materials into the magnificent sets and terrifying creatures that J.K. Rowling [sic] invented!

The whole place is so big that some people cycle from one set to another. Some even use a golf car... It's 10am, everyone is already in place and two shooting teams are getting busy at the same time. Fortunately, Rupert Grint is available: "There's a relaxation room for when we have to wait. Since I've stopped school and don't need to study, I spend my free time playing ping-pong." The little redhead of the first film has grown into a beanpole, but the same can't be said of Daniel Radcliffe: he's only five foot three. Unlike his schoolmates, the hero didn't have any free time for us. We had to wait until the evening, when the shooting stopped, to get to talk with him.

"My favourite film is the one we're shooting right now. The Harry Potter universe is not at all childish anymore." We were also lucky enough to talk with ravishing Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), the youngest of the trio, but also the most reasonable. Between scenes, she revises her lessons, and is cautious about her future career. Sirius Black's House The sets range for grandiose to bare. In the fifth episode, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", the young wizard visits his godfather's family house. Just like his surname, Sirius Black's house is completely... black!

But the most stunning part when you go in is that everything is real: forks, chandeliers, dust... "Since the sets might be needed again in another episode, we only use high quality materials, and never throw anything away; all the set elements from the previous movies are stored in numbered boxes." Next door, there are large spaces covered with blue fitted carpet: it's the blue key, used as a background for CGI. Quidditch matches are filmed there, for example.

The actors sit on mechanically-driven broomsticks, and the Quidditch stands are added later on by computer. 90% shot in the studio Surprisingly, 90% of the scenes in the Harry Potter movies are filmed in the studio. For instance, we saw the shooting of a scene set in the countryside surrounding Hogwarts, entirely filmed indoors. Daniel Radcliffe, sitting on a mound, has just learned that one of his loved ones is dead. The wind blowing in his hear, tears flow out of his eyes. The scene is heartrending... but shot indoors, in an annex to the studio which looks like a bunker! It hardly matters: on the big screen, it will seem 100% real!

Magali Veronesi Translation: Pruneau from la Gazette du Sorcier.

Posted by Ciaran on Oct 10th | 132 Comments