Muggle Monday (11): Review: Harry Potter: Film Wizardry by Brian Sibley

It's time for Muggle Monday, in which I post a quote, a video, or a significant piece of news from the Harry Potter franchise. This is somewhat inspired by the Mundane Monday posts by The Mundie Moms.

But let's be real as to why I made up this meme: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.


This week, I'm posting my completely unbiased review of Harry Potter: Film Wizardry, by Brian Sibley. With just about a month left until Deathly Hallows Part 2, I felt this was the perfect opportunity to become better acquainted with this behind-the-scenes look into the Harry Potter film franchise.

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: October 6, 2010

Pages: 160

Source: Bought

Rating: 5 Stars - Super Crazy Awesome!

Immerse yourself in the world of the spectacular Harry Potter film series, and learn why Yule Ball ice sculptures never melt, where Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts are really "minted," how to get a Hippogriff to work with actors, the inspiration behind Hogwarts castle, and why Dementors move the way they do. Written and designed in collation with the cast and crew that brought J. K. Rowling's celebrated novels to the silver screen, Harry Potter: Film Wizardry delivers an enchanting interactive experience, transporting readers to the wizarding world by sharing film-making secrets, unpublished photography and artwork, and exclusive stories from the stars. Full of removable facsimile reproductions of props and paper ephemera from the movies, this collectible volume offers a privileged look at the Harry Potter films and the talented group of Muggles that has made true movie magic.

This is not the only movie companion guide written by Brian Sibley. He is also the author of a companion guide for The Lord of the Rings. And I can see why Warner Brothers would have wanted to hire him for the job. Sibley has written a fully comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the Harry Potter films. Harry Potter: Film Wizardry gives an insider view of the amount of work that has taken place at Leavesden Studios (where the majority of scenes in the movies have been filmed) over the years by thousands of crew members. I really felt that I got a full appreciation of the scale of the movies, the attention to detail, and what goes into making the sets, creatures, and props. How Stuart Craig, the production designer for all of the movies, has never received an Oscar for his work in the movies is beyond me. I can't even begin to list the interesting tidbits I learned in this book. There are simply too many of them! Of special note are the interludes by producer David Heyman, the man responsible for bringing J.K. Rowling's books to the big screen and doing so respectfully, as a true fan of the books himself. Harry Potter: Film Wizardry is a must read for any Harry Potter super fan!