Event Report: Warner Bros. Studio Tour London Wand Week 2014
This Wand Week was a special one indeed. The focus seemed to be on how wands were designed. Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter ran a contest for fans to design their own wand. The winning wand was a beautiful creation with leaves on the handle and a colorful phoenix feather entirely wrapping it, which would then be made a reality.
As I watched one of the wand designers carve this creation, I started chatting with another one of the staff about how the design for each character’s wand was decided on. He told me that the film directors (starting with Alfonso Cuarón, who decided that each character should have a personalized wand) would meet with the design team and determine what kind of character they were dealing with; for example, the twins are fun-loving, Voldemort’s has a strong connection to death, etc. The design team would then come up with a drawing they thought fit that character.
This design was submitted to J.K. Rowling, who would approve of the wand or send it back for redesigning. This staff member (who was very helpful and insightful) also noted that the trio (Harry, Ron, and Hermione) were all given very organic-looking wands to symbolize their purity. Harry’s looks as if it has just been carved from a tree; in fact, it looks like it is growing from the handle. Ron’s is similar but is cut rougher, with more distinct divots. Hermione’s is the most put-together, daintily carved with vines. Each of these wands obviously reflects its owner’s character!
As I watched the crafting of the winning wand, it was clear just how much time and effort went into creating the beautiful detail of every wand for the films. Once again, it shows the detail and care that went into the making of these films.
