 For the past seven years Leavesden Studios has brought to life a saga that had only been a part of the collective imagination of millions of fans, fascinated by a little boy wizard with a lightening bolt scar. It is here, in this converted Rolls Royce aircraft factory, that the magical and mysterious world of Harry Potter comes to life. On September 22nd, 2006, I, had the incredible opportunity to tour the sound-stages at Leavesden, just outside of London, and was given exclusive access to many of the film's stars.
The whole experience was an insightful first-hand glimpse into the hard work that goes into crafting the world's biggest movie franchise. The first thing that I have to believe strikes a person is just how big it all is. It is a small city with thousands of workers, all devoted to one thing: Harry Potter. What an inspiring playground this must be for an actor.
The first place they took us upon arrival was the great hall, and it is as big as it looks on screen, no blue screen or computer animation. My eyes were as wide as Harry's when he first walked through those BIG double doors. The level of detail that can never be fully appreciated on screen that these sets exhibit is a testament to the level of respect and love that all those who work on these films have for this world.
There is a lot of history on this set, dating back to when principal photography began on Sorcerer's Stone. Inscriptions and messages are carved all over the long tables, written by the countless number of extras and actors that have occupied this set over the course of seven years of celluloid.
At the front of the hall there are four very large glass containers filled with beads of various colors representing the four houses of Hogwarts. This is something that has never been properly seen in the cinema, yet it is a very complicated working contraption used to measure how many house points have been accumulated or lack there of during a school year. We were also given the distinct of honor of getting to sit in Professor Dumbledore's chair at the headmasters table. Modeled after the cafeteria at Oxford's Christ Church College, this set is truly an experience in and of itself.
Dumbledore's office is another real highlight, where we took turns sitting at his desk, rummaging through our favorite headmaster's personal affects, and even depositing a thought or two in his pensive. The set sits atop two different levels and comes complete with an animatronic Fawks the Phoenix. In the back of the room on the upper level there is an actual working telescope that you can sit in, makes you wonder what Dumbledore might see when he looks through that lens. It is also of note to mention that all those dusty old books that adorn the endless levels of shelving are actually dressed up British phone directories.
Many of the most exciting and breathtaking sets are those I visited from the very latest Harry Potter feature The Order of the Phoenix. By now, many of you have seen the scene in the trailer which depicts thousands of wizards scurrying through an underground network of tunnels as far and as high as the eye can see. This is the Ministry of Magic, and walking through it, I'm reminded of the London tube system, upon which the design is actually based.
It is huge, spanning a full aircraft hanger, and it is in this very set where Dumbledore and Voldemort have their big face off. It is without a doubt the biggest space that I have ever walked into. It is just gorgeous and it's hard to believe that at the end of the day this set will be demolished to make way for a new one. This set depicts the ministry at work, the magical burocracy's daily business, and as a result there are literally hundreds of windows each offering a glimpse of a wizard at work. The walls are made of bright, colorful tile that accentuates the gigantic golden-tapped fountains scattered throughout the underground ministry. It is not just simply a set, it is a marvel of engineering and architecture. It's difficult to imagine that much can be added to this, but I can only anticipate that it will be even more breath-taking after the digital wizards of "Industrial, Light, and Magic" get their hands on it.
This is not all of the Ministry of Magic that I had a chance to see, following our walk through this set we were taken to the trial court where Harry Potter is brought under charges for the underage use of magic. The set, like so many of the others, is large in scale and features towering marble columns with spectator seating that resembles the coliseum from Gladiator.
It was eerily quiet and we could hear our footsteps reverberating off the walls, an intimidating space indeed. Following this I delved deep into the Department of Mysteries, which is a golden room featuring a maze of doors, one which leads to the Hall of Prophecies. I only caught this room at a brief glance but it was stacked wall to wall with shelving filled with very large colorful orbs, no doubt to be animated in post production. We were told that the set would be far more expansive and spanning, as far as the eye can see, in the final film (check out the trailer).
The Room of Requirement is a fantastic space where Dumbledore's Army, led by Harry himself, will practice their skills. It is a difficult set to describe, but is a mixture of both classic gothic and modern architecture, seamlessly blending elements of both together. Can't wait to see how this design is used in the film.
Nothing prepared me for walking up the creaking steps at Number 12 Grimmauld Place and facing the portrait of Mrs. Black herself. This is an extraordinarily detailed set, that is built just like a house with all the rooms interconnected (which is unusual, as most film or TV sets are entirely separated). It is very atmospheric, we got to walk though it in the dark. It brings back memories of the Shrieking Shack. Everything is very compact, the kitchen (which includes the dining area) is a very narrow space overflowing with pots and pans, as well as the occasional bit of produce.
Ron and Harry's room in particular is small and filled with all sorts of cob-webbed clutter. One of the best parts of this set is this big wall to wall tapestry that was actually designed by J.K. Rowling that contains the Black family tree. There is some great information here that left many of us pre-occupied in thought for the rest of the day, but I'll let you discover that for yourself when you see the film this July. However, I will say that Harry has a relative named Charles Potter.
 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix began principal photography in the early months of 2006, which meant that I was lucky enough to be on set at an exciting time, when much of the climatic action in the Department of Mysteries was being filmed. I am of course talking about the Veil scene. We glimpsed Luscious Malfoy facing off with Dumbledore's Army, and in particular, Sirius Black dueling with Bellatrix Lestrange.
The filming of a Harry Potter movie is an incredible thing to witness, while many of the effects are to be added later, it was captivating to watch Gary Oldman dodge and roll around while wielding his wand to carefully choreographed movements and pulses of light illuminating his face with each magical spell. It takes hours and many takes to get just a few minutes of useable footage.
More than a few times we got choked up with laughter when Gary Oldman messed up his wand choreography or Jason Isaac's forgot a line. At the end of the day it was nothing short of inspiring to see these professionals at work. Sure it looks like a lot of fun, I have no doubt that it is, but it is very hard work as well, and seeing this creative team, and these young actors in particular in action during the long hours of a filming day, only increases my respect for them.
Harry Potter fans should not worry. If the scenes we saw being filmed are any indication, this film will definitely do justice to its source material, and the performances by all those involved appear to have matured and evolved with this fifth installment in the series.
One of the great things about Leavesden Studios is the adventure it is to just walk around. At every corner, nook, and cranny, there are props of all sorts from the five films. Once I found myself passing a Blue Ford Angela on the way to the Loo. Archways and torches with that big Hogwart's crest adorn the hallways, there are statues, dementors, costumes, wands, goblets, time turners, golden nuts—endless pieces of sets lying all over the place. Everything you could possibly imagine, they save.
Perhaps one of the best parts of Leavesden Studios is the room where we conducted the interviews. Wall to wall, there were storyboard illustrations from The Order of the Phoenix. We got to see concept designs for Azkaban prison, Professor Umbridge's wardrobe, The Room of Requirement, etc. Keep an eye on Umbridge's costumes during the film, as she gets angrier throughout the story her wardrobe becomes a darker shade of pink.
The most exciting thing was getting to see the final moments of the veil scene (and Sirius Black) illustrated frame by frame. That final battle will be the most intense and visual action sequence ever put to film. What they have in mind for the Veil room will defy the imagination of every singe Harry Potter fan in the cinema. The veil is an archway that floats in the very center of the Ministry of Magic, suspended thousands of feet in the air. The way the scene will play out is picture perfect. There were many design models for creatures such as the Thestrals, even a full size visual FX model of a Dementor.
We got to chat with many of the films cast including: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Gary Oldman, Evanna Lynch, and Producer David Barron. It was great listening to these actors discuss their progression throughout the five films, and you could really get a sense of the close, personal chemistry that they share.
INTERVIEWS
 Daniel Radcliffe
ACED: How do you think Harry's evolution as a character in the Harry Potter series, has helped you to play non-Harry Potter roles?
Daniel: Well I mean...obviously...I think Harry changes in each film, so much so that it almost feels like playing a different character each time out. I think it's less the playing of Harry himself than just actually being on a film set and experiencing such intense filming for ten months..has..I think..hopefully..set me in good stead for working on other films.
I've learned about the film process so much with people I know and am really good friends with, and so I'm never afraid to ask questions about anything for fear of looking stupid or anything like that, cause they all know I'm stupid, It's no secret. I think that's the main advantage. I don't think having played Harry will affect how I will play other characters in the future.
ACED: I remember when you were preparing for Prisoner of Azkaban you said you watched "400 Blows," and then for Goblet of Fire you watched "North by Northwest." So, I was wondering if there was a particular genre that Director David Yates got you into?
Daniel: There was one specific moment in this film where Snape is not torturing Harry, but when he does the legitimacy spell to get inside of his mind. He gave me a few films to watch, see he wanted the scene to be like electro-shock therapy, he wanted that sort of moment where Snape suddenly gets into Harry's mind. Therefore he gave me "Angel at my Table," which was an Australian film, which is harrowing, a very, very brutal film. David also gave me "1984," and there's a scene when John Hurt's character gets tortured in Vietnam and he's strapped to the table, that I got much inspiration from. I also read the book which I don't think the film is as good as, but it is very well done.
ACED: How do you connect with the character of Harry Potter? You've really grown up with much of this alter ego following you along the way. What aspects of yourself do interject into Harry? How do you make it your own?
Daniel: Harry is growing into a young man, and he's developing all these emotions that he needs to learn to be in control of. Everyone growing up goes through these changes, and thats why it connects with boys world-wide.
 Emma Watson
ACED: Each film gets more and more intense, does that change or alter your preparation at all before you get in front of the lens?
Emma: I'd like to say that it does, but I actually think I've gotten progressively worse. On this film Dan, Rupert, and myself in particular just can't stop laughing. It's awful, we've ruined how many millions of pounds of film stock?! There's just something about this film, I'd like to say we've really been working hard to get into character and all that, but we've really just been endlessly laughing.
ACED: Are you excited that Hermione actually gets to see some action in this installment?
Emma: YES! Oh my god! Seriously! There's only a certain amount of looking concerned at the edge of a scene that I can do. It was really nice, it brought me back to the first film, I was like "YES!." We've just started the final sequence, and I've got dirt on my face and blood, I'm running around. Yes. This is definitely the place I want Hermione to be. It's really really nice to get back to the action, it's great.
ACED: Who would win in a duel between yourself, Dan, and Rupert?
Emma: Between our characters? Or Ourselves?
ACED: Yourselves.
Emma: A tricky one...umm..If I say me it's going to sound really arrogant, so it's going to have to be one of the boys. Then if I pick eather one of them, then I'm going to be in trouble with the other one. So basically I just can't win, therefore..I have decided it would be a draw.
ACED: Let me ask you..how many kids do you think Ron and Hermione will have?
Emma: (Laughter) ummmmm. Well I don't know...Weasleys do have big families. I'm not sure how Hermione will feel about that (Laughter).
 Gary Oldman
ACED: Sirius Black is a character with many convictions regarding his perspective on life, and I was wondering how you have grown as an individual after looking through Sirius's eye's and views of the world? Has your character changed in the real world as a result of his fictional experiences?
Gary: No. (laughter) It's a part, fiction, not real. I know what your trying to say though, I mean in this one I have an interesting line that I say to Harry when he's being contaminated by this sort of power, by Voldemort, and Harry says "Maybe I'm being like him, maybe I'm becoming bad." My character then says to him "You are a good person, and when it comes to the bad, there is dark and light in everyone, and we have to make the choice, it is up to us."
It's the constant struggle between what will you choose, and that is what defines us as human beings. I think that is great, I believe that, and it is a great thing for kids and teenagers to hear. I mean I say it's fiction and that it isn't real, but I do not believe that it is fraud. There's a lot here that she (J.K. Rowling) has written that is very deep stuff, there is very deep stuff in these books about family and loss and all of that. But it's ultimately a role and it's really made my fan-base younger, my audience. So it's things like that where I do draw inspiration and words of wisdom from Sirius.
ACED: You mean you didn't have four year-olds coming up to you for your other work?
Gary: (Laughter) Not really! No. I never get from the kids "I saw you in Hannibal!"
 Evanna Lynch
ACED: If you could spend a term at Hogwarts as yourself, who would you befriend and why?
Evanna: Luna of course. And Harry would be mine.
Producer David Barron-
ACED: Obviously these films are in pre-production years in advance of actual filming. Therefore would J.K. Rowling give you an idea for something in Seven (Deathly Hallows) that you might start sketching or designing now?
David: Absolutely not. All she does is she will come in and meet with us to discuss the script before filming begins, and when we're pretty much happy with a script, it goes to Jo, where she will have a look and roll her eyes over it.
She'll let us know if we've taken a mis-step or removed something that will cause a problem later on down the road. Director David Yates has been with us since the beginning and he is very good at reading Jo and interpreting the books. But yea..if we do something that takes the story out of whack, David's good at saying "Wait a minute, I've just spoken with Jo and I don't think she's going to like that." But most importantly, Jo, and us as filmmakers, get on really well with each other.
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I've seen it 6 times. And I was so pleased