April 2015
Theatrical Make-up leave UCB for Hogwarts
Read time: approx 1 mins
Theatrical Special Effects, Hair and Media Make-up students swapped their make-up brushes for magic wands for their visit to Warner Brothers Studio’s The Making of Harry Potter Tour.
The students saw all the different elements that made up the backstage production of the successful film franchise. From special effects and costumes to sets and props. Three of the students even took the trip to the next level by dressing up as Dobbie, Bellatrix LeStrange and Hermione Granger as they took the tour, posing for photographs by other visitors.
The tour was filled with iconic elements of the films, from small props such as potion bottles and gold Galleons to the real entrance of the Chamber of Secrets. Students also got to see how the Hogwarts Great Hall’s magical ceiling was created and take a stroll through memorable sets such as the perfect Privet Drive, the cobbles of Diagon Alley and admire the well-worn furniture in the Gryffindor common room.
The Harry Potter tour gave the students some real life experience of the backstage operations involved when making a huge production. Many of the students were also shocked to discover that there were only 20 make-up artists managing a cast of 800. The students learned a lot of interesting behind-the-scenes elements that they could apply to their studies. This included maintaining continuity and taking a look at animatronics by examining the robotic structure of Aragog – Hagrid’s 18-foot spider. Everyone said that they really enjoyed exploring the magical world of Harry Potter and look forward to putting the techniques they saw into practice themselves.