The Art Department
The Art Department
Learn all about how the amazing and mesmerizing wizarding world was created. From technical drawings to scale models witness the art and effort from behind the scenes.
The Hogwarts Castle
The extremely detailed model of Hogwarts castle is the art department’s crown jewel. or Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, a team of 86 artists and crew workers created the first rendition of Hogwarts castle. The model’s every courtyard, tower, and turret were filmed and modified with digital effects to provide unforgettably accurate vistas of the magical school for the first film, Harry Potter, and the Philosopher’s Stone.
Footage from this painstakingly constructed model was blended with digital effects to create breathtakingly realistic views of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry’s facade. Artists recreated miniature reproductions of courtyards from Alnwick Castle and Durham Cathedral, where sequences from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone were shot, to make Hogwarts appear even more genuine.
The terrain of Hogwarts was influenced by the Scottish Highlands. Model makers used around 2,500 fiber optic lights to create the illusion of lanterns and torches, as well as students strolling along the corridors. Genuine gravel was used for rockwork and boulders, as well as real plants for landscaping and trees.
Technical Drawings
Every setting, object, and character in the Harry Potter movies were designed by dozens of concept artists, illustrators, and art directors. Each design went through a series of iterations as it was adjusted and perfected. The Art Department, led by Production Designer Stuart Craig, created 588 sets for the Harry Potter films in total.
White Card Models
The Art Department produced a white card model of the sets and locations throughout the filming process before the actual set construction began. These models aided the director and production designer in determining camera angles and size and scale. To arrange shots and camera movement, filmmakers fitted a tiny camera known into the model for the perfect vantage.
The Graphic Designs
Thousands of props were designed and created by the Art Department to help bring the visual world of Harry Potter to life on screen. MinaLima, a graphic design team, created a variety of props, including Potion’s textbooks, wizarding confectionery wrappers, and Quibbler issues. The graphic design duo had developed over 40 editions of The Daily Prophet, the wizarding world daily, by the end of the Harry Potter film series. Each copy was wrinkled by immersing it in diluted coffee and allowing it to dry before ironing it out.