Making Magic

Greetings Blogging World!

One of my lifelong goals has been fulfilled. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating. Or maybe I'm not. What am i so excited about you ask? Well I got to hear the words every child of the nineties yearns to hear...

"Welcome to Hogwarts."

Scaled-Down Model of the Entire Hogwarts Castle - Used for filming aerial views

Yes ladies and gentlemen, I visited THE Warner Brothers Studios where all eight of the Harry Potter films were shot, and I was in heaven. Actually being in the same places that the cast once stood was an amazing experience for me. Especially considering the first part of the "tour" was walking through the doors to the Great Hall, one of the sets that is still in full existence. Watching the movies, you never realize just how much detail was put into each set - ESPECIALLY the Great Hall. The floor was real stone, not laminate or a temporary installation, the long tables had graffiti-esque carvings like you'd see in a real school hall, and most interesting, there was no ceiling on set. I'd never really thought about it while watching the films, but the amount of CGI involved in the Great Hall is astounding!

The Great Hall, Sans Ceiling

Anyway, the entire facility was coated, top to bottom, with various parts of sets, props, and costumes that the actors themselves used. Special effects tricks were revealed (you'd never look at Quidditch the same again) and partial sets were put up throughout the entire tour (remember the fireplaces at the Ministry of Magic? Yeah, those things are incredible).  My little Muggle eyes were ecstatic to see the real invisibility cloak, Dumbledore's Office, Diagon Alley, and even the animatronic form of Dobby! It took a lot of self-control not to nick him out of his spot and take him home.

(I was later told I should have smashed the case, given him a sock, and asked him to teleport you both out...if only I'd thought of that then)

Needless to say, I absolutely LOVED the trip to Warner Brothers Studios. Being such a Potter fan basically guaranteed that I'd have a spectacular time. But I was also thoroughly taken by a small portion of the tour at the end. Some of the last few exhibits before the final Hogwarts Castle featured the painstakingly tedious work of the set and prop designers. There were exquisite paper models of each major building, interior, or scene and breathtaking hand-draftings of the same. Excuse me, but I think I may have experienced a designgasm. 

Excuse me for being a total dork.

The Dream Studio

Having worked on plenty a bristol-board model myself, I can't even imagine how many long nights were spent, paper cuts were suffered through, and expletives were said during the process of cutting, gluing, and shaping the miniature sets. Don't get me wrong, model-making is one of my absolute favorite parts of the design process. But what gets me even more is something one of my friends read while on the tour. Apparently, if you combined the total manpower put into the large Hogwarts model into one theoretical person, it would have taken 72 years to complete. Let's just let that sink in for a moment...

...yeah, that's incredible. 

And that's just part of the work that came before the movies could even begin to be realized. After experiencing this tour, you really might think that there's no way the films could have been completed without a bit of magic!

Some of my favorites from the technical department:

Scaled-Down Model of Hogsmeade: One of my favorites.

Technical Drawings

Close-Up of the Hogwarts Courtyard

& Last but certainly not least, Hagrid's Hut

U.K. English Word of the Week: "Nick" meaning to steal something

Adventures & Misadventures

It's been just over two weeks since I touched down in London town and I couldn't be more thrilled to be here (still)! London is everything I love about New York City minus a lot of the things I could do without. The Tube is so much more efficient and easy to navigate, the people are generally more pleasant, and you can find almost anything your little heart desires down any number of hidden side streets. So far, my only big complaint is that so many stores close so early - this American girl is used to her 24-hour access to late night snacks and emergency art supply runs.

It's been quite the experience so far though. Not even two weeks in and I managed to get "chatted up" by a local chap (although I politely declined an invitation to coffee...so you can relax mom and dad) and I had my identity stolen. Actually, two of my best friends and I were all the victims here. Someone scanned our card numbers somehow and went on a little Christian Dior shopping spree. (Let's hope they at least got something good!) Despite not having access to my checking account for a little while, all the money spent has been returned and everything's being taken care of!

Even without access to any sort of real funds, I've been having a wonderful time exploring the area and getting my bearings academically. My mom and stepdad actually took a short holiday in London as well so I got quite a few delicious "free" meals and enjoyed a few drinks with them at the pubs (which is still an idea I'm getting used to). Prior to their arrival I was able to go on a school-sponsored trip to Stonehenge and Salisbury, where we saw an amazing gothic cathedral - my architecturally inspired side went nuts when we saw it!

Interior of Salisbury Cathedral

Freezing my bum off at Stonehenge

I also was able to experience London's famous East End Markets this weekend. Although we only strolled through three, it was exciting to see everything from local produce and flowers to handicrafts and clothing for sale. Plus, it's the only place in London I know of where you can get a punnet of vegetables for only a pound. Being a girl on a college budget, the sound of that price is purely joyful. I'm looking forward to going back to the market this weekend to see more of the amazing street art and to take advantage of the plethora of local goods.

Flower Market in the East End

Delicious Patisserie at the Brick Lane Market

I also went on an open-top bus tour of the various parts of the city and was able to see all of London in a very small amount of time. We drove past parliament and Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, and the London Eye. It was nice to travel through the city above ground instead of on the Underground for once. I'm finally starting to realize where things are in relation to one-another.

Academically, this semester is really going to be an interesting and unique challenge. Having an entirely new cast of professors has put me firmly out of my comfort zone which I know will only help me as a designer. Plus, they're encouraging an entirely different way of thinking from what I'm used to back in the states. Right now, we're starting out on a project looking at business and personal ethics and how we can address those issues in a multidisciplinary design project. It's completely abstract and analytical thinking which is both intimidating and exciting. But let's be honest, the majority of my feelings about everything right now comes down to intimidation and excitement (mostly the latter though!)   (:

As if the other pictures weren't enough:

The quintessential "Big Ben" shot.

Street Art near Brick Lane

Brick Lane Markets

Pleasant Notes written in the East End

View of Parliament from the London Eye

Until next time!


U.K. English Word of the Week: "Chatted Up" meaning hit on