behind the scenes of harry potter and gof

from weekly reader.com

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to visit Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry or to hang out with Harry Potter himself? Well, Weekly Reader took an exclusive tour of Hogwarts and got to meet the boy wizard. We also met some of his new friends from the upcoming movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, based on the bestselling book by author J. K. Rowling.

In the Harry Potter books, the Hogwarts Express drops young wizards off in Hogsmeade, a quaint English village several hours by train from London. (Trust us, you won't find it on a map!) The real-life "home" of Harry Potter is the city of Watford, just north of London. Most filming for all Harry Potter movies takes place at Leavesden Studios inside a large complex that was an airplane factory during World War II (1939–1945).

The studio buzzes with activity. At first glance, the main area looks like a home improvement warehouse. Forklifts move and store props and parts of movie sets no longer needed for filming. One area has a 7-foot-high replica of the outside of Hogwarts' Great Hall. Along one wall of the studio is a bicycle rack. It's not a prop. The studio is so large that crew members often ride bikes from one set to another!

A Tour of the Set

Visitors step inside a reception area that resembles a small Harry Potter museum. There are costumes and props on each wall. In one corner is the hooded uniform worn by Harry during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament–in which he must outwit a Hungarian Horntail dragon. Across the room sits dozens of trophies, including the glass and copper Triwizard Cup and the 4-foot-high Goblet of Fire, carved from wood. Don't touch!

A tour of the Harry Potter movie sets begins at D Stage, where a sign says "Deep Water." The studio has a tank filled with a million gallons of water. The 20-foot-deep pool was built specially for the Triwizard Tournament's underwater scenes in The Goblet of Fire. Next door, in C Stage, visitors enter the Hogwarts' impressive library. The wooden shelves are lined with 7,500 books with titles like Predicting the Unpredictable and House Elves and Self-Hatred. Truth be told, many of the oversized volumes are old telephone books with fake covers. Shhhh!

Not far away are sets of the Gryffindor common room and a rolling meadow (with real grass) that served as the Portkey to the World Quidditch Cup. Then there is Professor Dumbledore's office. Visitors peer into the mystical Pensieve stone basin for storing thoughts, but alas, it is empty. The largest set is the Great Hall, guarded by 16 gargoyles, or sculptures of ugly winged creatures, on the walls. Other sets include the Hogwarts owlery, the Weasley family's extravagant tent at the Quidditch World Cup, the gloomy upstairs room in the Riddle House, and the eerie graveyard where the movie's most dramatic scene takes place.

Lights! Camera! Action!

On this particular afternoon, Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) is preparing to film a key scene with Katie Leung (Cho Chang) in the owlery. Crew members adjust the lighting and test the sound. When everything is ready and the camera is rolling, director Mike Newell shouts "Action!"

On-camera, Cho breaks the news to Harry that she already has a date to the Yule Ball. Off-camera, animal trainers perched on ladders and scaffolding direct live owls to swoop behind Leung, as if they are arriving at Hogwarts. Although the scene is being shot indoors in front of a large green screen, there will be snowy mountain scenery behind Leung in the final cut. The scene, which might last 30 seconds on film, takes more than two hours to shoot from various angles.

You will have to wait a while longer to see the complete movie in theaters. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire opens on November 18, a week before Thanksgiving. However, diehard Harry Potter fans are already lining up to buy the sixth book in the series. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will be released to bookstores on July 16.

Meet Daniel Radcliffe
(Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)


Daniel Radcliffe has become a household name around the world since the release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone almost four years ago. He is now synonymous with Harry Potter, the character created by author J. K. Rowling. Radcliffe, now 15, recently completed filming Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. As filming for the movie was wrapping up, Radcliffe spoke with Weekly Reader.

How would you describe Harry these days?
He's grown up quite a bit. He's becoming slightly more aggressive. In this story [Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire], everything is being taken away, and it's out of his hands. Harry struggles to get a grip on the situation.

How has being Harry Potter changed your life?
I do get recognized in public. This one guy saw me near a [subway] station and burst out, "Hey, everyone! Look!" It would have been OK with me if he hadn't yelled. The other thing that has changed is that I'm not in school as I'd normally be. [He attends school on the set.]

Do you still enjoy portraying Harry Potter?
Yes, it gets easier, but each film presents new challenges.

How do you get along with other cast members?
Me and Emma [Watson] are like brother and sister. We don't have huge fights, but we do have altercations. Rupert [Grint] I don't really know. I don't spend that much time with him. Emma and I spend a lot more time together.

What is it like working with director Mike Newell and the new cast members, such as Katie Leung?
Working with Mike Newell has been fantastic. We don't see that much of each other when we're not filming. Katie is a completely, really, really natural actor–and she's really cool.

Are you shy, like you are with Cho Chang, in real life?
I'm quite shy, but I'd like to think that I'm not. I don't have a girlfriend, but I try. Sometimes I find myself not knowing what to say to [girls]. I don't understand girls yet, but I'm trying to.

Which scenes did you most enjoy filming in The Goblet of Fire?
The underwater scenes were the most interesting and the most fun. I had two ear infections from being underwater so much. Mike told us, "Don't try to actually speak your lines underwater. Just move your mouth."

Do you have one favorite scene?
I did enjoy the graveyard scene in an intense kind of way. Remembering all the scenes does become a blur. There's also another scene in the bathroom in a hot tub that I enjoyed.

If you could have one magical power of Harry's, what would it be?
That I could do everything with the wand, like cast spells.

What will life be like for you after Harry Potter?
I want to continue to be an actor and maybe be a director. If I could direct one really great film, then I'd never want to direct again. I have a certain confidence about my acting now.

Meet Katie Leung
(Cho Chang in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)

Katie Leung had never even acted in a school play before she was cast as Cho Chang, a Hogwarts student and Harry Potter's "crush" in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Leung, who turns 18 in August, was born in Scotland to Chinese parents. She sat down for an interview with Weekly Reader between shooting scenes.


Tell us about the unusual casting process.
My dad was watching [television] one day and he saw an ad for my character. It was weird because it fitted me perfectly. It said you have to be 16, you have to have long dark hair, and you have to be [Asian]. He suggested I go down and try out for the part, and I was like, "Oh, I'm not sure" because I'd never done any acting before. He was like, "It's in London." So I'm thinking, "London means shopping. OK, let's go down!" And then we got there and we see the length of the [line], and I was like, "No way. I'm going to go shopping." But my dad insisted that I stay, so I ended up standing there for four hours before I finally got in. They took a picture of me and said that they'd call me back. So I was only there for five minutes. They called me two weeks later and said I should come in for a drama workshop. So I did improvisation for a drama teacher. A few weeks after that, I got called back for a screen test. I was in the last five or six. We went from there, and then I got the part.

Were you nervous?
Yes, I was so nervous. I got to meet the director when I was doing the drama workshop, and it was just like "Wow. I can't believe I'm here." I didn't really take anything in until after I got the part. I was like "I can't believe it."

Have you seen the Harry Potter movies?
I've seen all of them, and they're all great. I had read the first two books and my character wasn't in them, so I didn't really know what kind of character Cho Chang was until I got the part. Then I started reading the fourth and fifth books. Then I got to know what she was like.

Did you first meet Dan [Radcliffe], Emma [Watson], and Rupert [Grint] on set or beforehand?
The first time I met them I was actually doing a drama workshop with them. That was really intimidating and everything because the first time I met them I had to improvise and do some drama and act. It was like, "Oh my god, I'm around all these great actors." But it was really cool afterwards and we spoke and got to know each other.

What is Daniel like in real life?
He's so well-mannered. Everything he says is like "How are you?" When we're on set, you know, he cares about you. "Are you all right?" and "Can I get you water?" and stuff like that.

Was that your favorite scene?
I've got lots of favorite scenes.... But my most favorite would be probably the [Yule] Ball scene because we all got to dress up. It was great. We got to put on makeup and everything.

Was it a lot like a real school dance?
Yes, it was, but even better because it's Harry Potter obviously

How did your friends react when they found out you were going to be in this movie?
They couldn't believe it. Well, obviously, when I got the part, I wasn't really allowed to say anything until it was official. That was really hard actually for three months, and when I actually told them, they just couldn't believe it. They were really supportive and really proud of me.

Cho Chang is pretty athletic, right, because she plays Quidditch?
Yes, [but] that's definitely not me.

What are your other interests?
I love music. I like jazz. I play the piano. I started when I was young but had to give it up. I want to start back. I also like to play guitar.

Is there any creature from the movie that you really liked?
I really liked the owls. I got to work with some owls in the film. I think they're really intelligent animals, and they're really cute as well. It definitely would be cool to have an owl as a pet.

What do you think about Cho and Harry's chances in the long run?
If I was writing the next book, I'd definitely make her a nicer person than she was in the fifth book. She gets kind of annoying, and she cries all the time. I definitely would make her more likable.

Do you have a boyfriend?
In real life? No.

What advice would you give to a girl about having a crush on someone?
I guess to pretend you don't like the guy, and then eventually he'll come running to you. That's always good.

If you could have one magical power, which one would you want to have?
I think to read boys' minds.

Meet Stanislav Ianevs
(Viktor Krum in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)

Until a year ago, Stanislav Ianevski was a Bulgarian teenager studying at an international boarding school in London. He was best known for his athletic skills in several sports. Then his life took a dramatic turn when he was cast as Viktor Krum, a Bulgarian Quidditch star in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Ianevski turns 20 this month. He recently spoke with Weekly Reader about his role and his newfound fame.

Tell us about the audition process.
I keep saying it's a little fairytale. What happened is that we have registration at school. I was late for my afternoon registration, which is quite normal for me. And at that time, the casting director was in the main area of school, and I was rushing there to sign off for being late. She saw me and she heard me, and she said "I want this boy to come and audition." So the head of drama at the time came and approached me, asked for my name, and then he said "I will catch up with you later." I was quite scared. I thought I was in trouble again or something. So I went into the lab, which is on the other side of the school, and (the drama coach) found me and took me to a small room. He told me "I'll make you a big movie star" in sort of a joke way. And I said, "OK. Right." He said, yes, there was Harry Potter auditioning going on in the school, which I was aware of, but since I didn't do drama in school I obviously didn't think I would be there. So I went, and I was kept the longest. Fiona Weir, the casting director, was really nice. We had a chat and everything, and then she wanted me to go to a workshop. The first one I couldn't go to because of school. The second one I was definitely going to go to, but I had an exam that day so I missed it again. So it looked as if I didn't bother. I thought all my chances had gone by. I calmed down and didn't think I was going to get any phone calls. But I did get another phone call, and they were quite angry with me. They were like "Do you know how important this is for you? This is you future. We want you to come to the studio." So I went there and I auditioned again and got the part.

Did you have to be quiet about getting the part at first?
Yes, we had to be quiet at the beginning at school.

Did your friends forgive you for that?
Yes. The thing is, they knew that I was auditioning. The headmaster at school found out as well, and then he announced it in a school assembly, which wasn't supposed to happen. I was quite shocked. He announced it in a very special way and no one pretty much understood. He said, "Oh, yes, Stan has become a captain of a Bulgarian Quidditch team." Everyone was looking at me, and I was sitting there and rolling my eyes.

Were you much of a Harry Potter fan before?
My younger sister was more of a fan than I was. At the time when Harry Potter first came out, Lord of the Rings came out as well. My sister was wanting to go to Harry Potter, but then I said with all the people here, let's go to Lord of the Rings. But then as soon as I got the part, I started to develop an interest. I watched all the films, I read the books, and I found out that my impressions were quite wrong.

Tell us about your character.
Viktor is very athletic and he's also very focused on what he is supposed to do. In this [Triwizard] tournament, he's focused; he just goes straight toward the target. He wants to definitely win. [His coach] Igor Karkaroff is always on his back supporting him and directing him to "Be strong. You have to win, you have to win." So he's doing his best, although he doesn't seem to be coming in first all the time. He doesn't really talk much. He's more of a physical being he's described in the book as. As well as being sort of cold, he's also very warm because he develops feelings for Hermione and then he's really friendly within the Durmstrang group.

What was your favorite scene?
The maze is definitely my favorite sequence. It was the first thing I did as well. It was the first action scene, and it was a learning process with all the effects.

What was the most challenging part of your role as Viktor?
Definitely learning all the things connected with water. I had to learn this dive when Krum dives off his ship when they arrive, and that was quite challenging. I was trained specially for that. I had never dived before, and I think I have gone quite far.

Do you want to continue acting?
I definitely want to continue. I think this is a great job.

Meet Robert Pattinson
(Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)

Robert Pattinson is one of the few newcomers to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with previous acting experience. He plays all-round nice guy Cedric Diggory, one of two Hogwarts students chosen to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. Harry Potter fans understand why Cedric won't be returning for future Harry Potter films, but we won't spoil the secret. Pattinson, whose 19th birthday is May 13, spoke with Weekly Reader on the set of the movie.

How did this role come about?
It's not very interesting. Basically I did an audition.

Was it an open-call audition, like some of the others?
No, it wasn't an open call. I basically started acting professionally about two years now. I was doing another film last Christmas [2003], and just before I left for that, I met [director] Mike Newell. I don't know how my agent managed to get that. I was the first person to be seen for any part because I was leaving. The day I came back, I got a call back. I got the part about a week later.

Were you a big Harry Potter fan before getting the part?
I can't say I was. I wasn't not a fan. I hadn't read any of the books or anything. I read The Goblet of Fire when I was doing the other film, and I really liked that. I got through it in about two days. I'd say I'm a pretty big fan now.

How old were you when you knew you wanted to become an actor?
I still haven't really decided to be an actor. I started doing plays, like amateur plays, when I was about 15 or 16.

Are there any other performers in the family?
My sister is in a band. She's a singer. She's a songwriter now.

Would you rather play a bad guy?
It's quite fun being right all the time and having everyone genuinely respecting you because you spend your entire life doing the right thing rather than taking the easy way out.

Are you much different from your character in real life?
Not hugely. When I read the book, I was like, yeah, I could see myself doing this. He's probably more polite than I am most of the time. He has his moments of being annoying, but he's just kind of an average guy but, on the whole, he does the right thing, so I suppose he's quite similar to me.

What scene have you enjoyed the most?
I really liked the maze scene. The entire maze was made with these high–really, really tall–massive hedges, and they're all hydraulically operated. You could actually get squeezed in by these hedges and you could be chased around. That was genuinely scary.

Have you clicked with anyone on the set? Who do you hang out with?
I started on the same day as Stan, who's [Viktor] Krum. I'm pretty close friends with him now. I'm pretty close friends with the twins, Ron's brothers. Everyone's really nice. I get along with everyone because it's such a long time between shooting. You're forced to get to know people.

What are the girls like?
The girls are great.

What is Emma Watson like in real life?
She's really, really cool. She seems so much older than she is.

Are there any actors you really admire?
Jack Nicholson, definitely. I aspire to be Jack Nicholson. I love every single mannerism. I used to try and be him in virtually everything I did, I don't know why. I watched One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest when I was about 13, and I dressed like him. I tried to do his accent. I did everything like him. I think it's kind of stuck with me.

Thanks for the Info, Mish! 😊

[quote=Dan's Interview]Me and Emma [Watson] are like brother and sister.[/quote]

Good! Its confirmed then! 😆

[quote=Katie's Interview]Is there any creature from the movie that you really liked?
I really liked the owls. I got to work with some owls in the film. I think they're really intelligent animals, and they're really cute as well. It definitely would be cool to have an owl as a pet. [/quote]

I think she should read JKR's strict warning on how Owls do not make good pets! 😆

Originally posted by: MysticaMagic

Thanks for the Info, Mish! 😊

[quote=Dan's Interview]Me and Emma [Watson] are like brother and sister.[/quote]

Good! Its confirmed then! 😆

Great!!no more rumours......😆

thanks for the info

by the way.......... where did u get the info from...... it's really gr8.........

cum on u can get me.............. plz

i got the info from mugglenet.com . it is there in the snitch seeker.com too😊

misha

thanks a lot misha u really rock...........

c how nicely i lie ................ 😆