Richard Harris actually thought the animatronic Fawkes was a real bird, it looked that lifelike on the set. Admittedly, it got a little rote. The first half of the book was definitely the most interesting to me, although even then it veered into really dry territory. The second half had much less substance and was almost distracting with all the photo / captions. I mean really, did you ever really care to know what thought went into Percy Weasley or Crabbe & Goyle's "Looks"? No. All too often, the book felt like it was written for the people on the film, as a way to sing the praises of the very talented designers behind-the-scenes that you probably don't give a second thought about, but would if they weren't doing their jobs as well as they were. Sort of a catch-22.

The book is sumptuously illustrated with stills photography and concept art. You could get your fill without reading a word, but coupled with insights this is an astonishingly detailed accounts of the passion, talent and effort poured into the series. 5 stars." --Empire The Good & The Bad: I read another book on a *very* similar topic earlier this year, Harry Potter Film Wizardry. You might ask what the difference between them is, and the surface answers would be size and the fact this book encapsulates the final film, while the other (rushed out for last year's holiday gift-giving season) did not. But on a more realistic level, this is a book for a student of the films, not a fan. You have to have a real interest in production and art direction (which I'd say I somewhat do...but not quite to this degree) to really appreciate the final detail included here. You read about how the children were like deers in the headlight on their first day of filming. There were extensive laughing, constant looking into the camera. As you read along towards the last film, you know how much they have grown as actors.

Customer reviews

How I Came To Read This Book: I believe I first saw it in Entertainment Weekly and thought it'd be a good fit for my blog, so I requested a review copy. To call this a labour of love is like calling the Taj Mahal a shed... A coffee-table volume worthy of the most successful movie series of all time." --Heat

Emma Watson (Hermione) had a huge crush on Tom Felton (Draco) during the filming of the first several movies As soon as I got this book, I knew I would have to read it cover to cover to really feel complete. I couldn't just skim, I had to know everything! And it was lovely and so rewarding. I knew a lot of stuff, granted, but that's what comes with being so immersed in this universe for so long. Funny to hear actress Clemence Poesy talk about her character Fleur. She says she enjoyed playing the role, but that Fleur was just like all the girls she hated in high school. Lol At the beginning, there was discussion of animating the films instead of using real people (how different that would have been!)The books is lavishly illustrated from production images both in front and behind the scenes - it shows a very intimate side to the films and the people who created them which is rarely seen especially on such film considering the huge budgets and massive attention they were drawing. There are exclusive photographs of the actors and the crew. There's a list of the actors' heights at the start of the franchise, in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. There's sketches of Dobby and Kreacher and Quidditch. There are concept arts. There are costumes. There are character references. This book is what happens when someone converts all the behind-the-scenes portion of the DVDs into writings on the printed papers of a hardbound tome. (And the DVD's extra features still can't compete with even half of the book.) The book consists of a detailed chapter on each of the films, characters, costumes, locations, sets, creatures, makeup /digital effects, artifacts and prop making.

This book has kind of made producer David Heyman one of my heroes. Love how he said he first grew interested in working on Harry Potter because he just generally adored reading so much. Really, really cool behind-the-scenes information about the production of the Harry Potter movies. I learned so much about the Harry Potter universe, the actors, and the way movies are made. Like the fact that Mafalda Hopkirk was played by Sophie Thompson, the younger sister of Emma Thompson, and Bill Weasley was played by Brendan Gleeson's son Domhnall. And that the prop crew bought sixteen Ford Anglias from around the country to use in filming. That most of the amazing props and sets were really physically made, with animatronics to make them move—like the Whomping Willow, the doors to the Chamber of Secrets, Aragog, the basilisk's head and 25 feet of its body, etc. The wizard's chess scene was done entirely in real life—the only effects they added digitally were some extra dust and debris for the explosions. They built those giant pieces and actually blew them up on-set.

At first, I was in love with this book. I am a big fan of the books and then the movies, and I always wondered how they adapted those wonderful books for the big screen. There is just so much information in this book, and it is presented artistically through pictures as well as words. When I finished it, I felt like I knew so much more than I could have ever asked for. However, after a while, I realized that something was missing. The book discussed the changing directors and how they brought their visions to films that became progressively more dark, but the changing composers that brought music to these films are never discussed. Being a musician, I was somewhat disappointed. I would have liked to read about how John Williams was chosen to start the series, why he left, and how he and the others created the music that brought so much feeling to these films. Seven additional volumes detailing the Harry Potter creative team’s ten years of extensive efforts: There are three parts to the book. The first is "The Making of Harry Potter" and covers the complete film making process of all the seven Harry Potter titles. The second is "The Art of Harry Potter" and that covers the characters, locations, creatures and artifacts. The third is the epilogue. It took me several days to finish reading. The stories on set designs are really interesting. You can find out how sets are constructed, like Hogswarts and all the different rooms and secret locations. I thought the underwater scene in Goblet of Fire was totally CGI but it turned out that Daniel Radcliffe actually had to swim, while holding his breath, and act in a water tank. And of course, there are details on how that water tank was built, with heaters, bacteria-killing UV lights, and the little things that don't cross our minds.

Love the info about Robbie Coltrane and his Hagrid body double. And how his double started practicing his lines just for fun to the point where Coltrane felt "threatened" they'd just use the *real* big guy. Anyone interested in this field of fantasy art should invest in this beautiful, rich source of inspiration. 5 out of 5." --Imagine FXThe first time I saw this, I flipped out. As someone who's obsessed with all things Harry Potter, I just had to get my hands on this massive book. Reading it was even more fun than I thought it would be. It goes through the entire process of making each movie, from selecting the cast to writing the scripts to bringing the incredible magic to life on screen. It's got the big-picture stuff, like the different directors' and producers' visions, as well as the details, like how they made each magical creature. There are tons of interviews and quotes from the cast and crew, plus memorabilia from the sets. Basically, this is the best coffee table book ever if you love Harry Potter. The book itself is absolutely gorgeous. The biggest and heaviest book I own by far, and it's one of those books that you will look over again and again for years to come. It would have been nice to have a ribbon bookmark included for the book though, just as a useful crowning glory. It's fun to see which anecdotes I remember from magazine articles over the years, and which details are entirely new...