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Harry Potter Producer Cringes at Films’ Early Visual Effects
British film producer David Heyman says that he cringes when he looks at some of the visual effects in the early Harry Potter films.
Speaking on a panel at the British Embassy’s Creative Content Summit, he said Tuesday: “The visual effects industry developed substantially over the 11 to 12 years of making the films. I look at some of the first film [made in 2001] and want to cringe. Then I look at later films and I’m really proud of them.”
He explained that in the first films, around two-thirds of the effects were done in the United States; however, by the final three films [made between 2009 and 2011], between 90 percent and 95 percent of the visual effects were done in the United Kingdom. This was partly because of the consistency of the 2,500-strong team that worked on Harry Potter. This provided an “apprentice system” for many U.K.-based staff members, giving them an opportunity to “learn from the best” and rise up the ranks to move into post-production or become art directors.
He went on to say that for the first film there was so much merchandising that it was “shocking.” He said that he knew that Warner Bros. had gone “too far” when he saw Harry Potter toilet paper. However, since then, Warner Bros. has reined it in and produced a “really elevated, high-range program.”
Josh Berger, managing director of Warner Bros. U.K., Ireland and Spain added: “The obsession with quality in the execution which was established at the very beginning in the books, films and — eventually — in the merchandising.”
Berger explained that J.K. Rowling was directly involved in almost every aspect of the brand development, including the Orlando theme park — The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (run by NBC Universal) — merchandise, and the Leavesdon studio tour.
“The theme park in Orlando has really transformed the theme park business in Florida,” Berger said. “The FT has written very cogently on this. It’s bringing people to Orlando who otherwise wouldn’t go there — attendances are remarkably up. It’s been good for the whole region.”
“Culturally it is so British, yet thematically what it was about was universal.”
Heyman added: “Universal spent a fortune on the park and worked on the detail with Stuart Craig (the Harry Potter series production designer). In focusing on the quality of the creative endeavor and not just financials, they set a standard that they are now carrying on.”
Heyman was thankful that the movie franchise retained the Britishness of the books, after some movie execs initially considered moving the story to the United States with “cheerleaders and the likes” but he said “that never rang true.”
“Culturally it is so British, yet thematically what it was about was universal,” Heyman said.
Rupert Grint, the actor who plays Ron Weasley in the films, was also on the panel. He admitted that at the end of shooting the movies, he took Harry Potter’s house number (4 Privet Drive). “It’s kind of a special thing because it was a set that was always there. Although you can buy them from B&Q and other DIY stores.”
Speaking on a panel at the British Embassy’s Creative Content Summit, he said Tuesday: “The visual effects industry developed substantially over the 11 to 12 years of making the films. I look at some of the first film [made in 2001] and want to cringe. Then I look at later films and I’m really proud of them.”
He explained that in the first films, around two-thirds of the effects were done in the United States; however, by the final three films [made between 2009 and 2011], between 90 percent and 95 percent of the visual effects were done in the United Kingdom. This was partly because of the consistency of the 2,500-strong team that worked on Harry Potter. This provided an “apprentice system” for many U.K.-based staff members, giving them an opportunity to “learn from the best” and rise up the ranks to move into post-production or become art directors.
He went on to say that for the first film there was so much merchandising that it was “shocking.” He said that he knew that Warner Bros. had gone “too far” when he saw Harry Potter toilet paper. However, since then, Warner Bros. has reined it in and produced a “really elevated, high-range program.”
Josh Berger, managing director of Warner Bros. U.K., Ireland and Spain added: “The obsession with quality in the execution which was established at the very beginning in the books, films and — eventually — in the merchandising.”
Berger explained that J.K. Rowling was directly involved in almost every aspect of the brand development, including the Orlando theme park — The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (run by NBC Universal) — merchandise, and the Leavesdon studio tour.
“The theme park in Orlando has really transformed the theme park business in Florida,” Berger said. “The FT has written very cogently on this. It’s bringing people to Orlando who otherwise wouldn’t go there — attendances are remarkably up. It’s been good for the whole region.”
“Culturally it is so British, yet thematically what it was about was universal.”
Heyman added: “Universal spent a fortune on the park and worked on the detail with Stuart Craig (the Harry Potter series production designer). In focusing on the quality of the creative endeavor and not just financials, they set a standard that they are now carrying on.”
Heyman was thankful that the movie franchise retained the Britishness of the books, after some movie execs initially considered moving the story to the United States with “cheerleaders and the likes” but he said “that never rang true.”
“Culturally it is so British, yet thematically what it was about was universal,” Heyman said.
Rupert Grint, the actor who plays Ron Weasley in the films, was also on the panel. He admitted that at the end of shooting the movies, he took Harry Potter’s house number (4 Privet Drive). “It’s kind of a special thing because it was a set that was always there. Although you can buy them from B&Q and other DIY stores.”
Comments
And there are still some spots of bad effects in the later films as well, like Grawp. That just...went wrong.
Lord Stafford.
Actually, about the VFX of the movies... I just have one issue: I cringe everytime Grawp appears.
Look at this.
By the way, the merpeople were NOT what I expected.
Lord Stafford.
Lord Stafford.
Lord Stafford.
And there's been faulty effects in the films, but every film has them. For every faulty effect there are thousands of fantastic frames with each effect carried out expertly and very well done. Examples include the Basilisk, CoS spiders, Inferi, the dragons, Nagini, the Ministry of Magic, Quidditch in the later films, the 7 Potters...need I say more?
Pottermore user name: SilverQuest212
Another puppy effect and I mean It,
puppy. Is in GOF when Dumbledore
unveils the goblet in the Great Hall. It
looks really fake I always facepalm at
that shot. But I'm ok with most of the
effects in PS CoS and PoA. I love PoA
Dementors, better than the DH ones IMO.