BBC One Show and Warwick Davis show close-up look at WB Studio Tour

by · March 6, 2012

The BBC’s The One Show takes a full tour of the WB Studio Tour: The Making of Harry Potter alongside special tour guide Warwick Davis – the actor who portrayed Professor Filius Flitwick and the Gringott’s Bank Teller Griphook.

Warwick leads the BBC through the iconic film sets such as Dumbledore’s Office, the Great Hall, Potions Classrom, Diagon Alley, and the creature and effects shop. During the tour, Warwick sits down for a chat with Stuart Craig:

Warwick Davis: Working on the Harry Potter films really allowed me to indulge my inner geek. In between filming, I’d spend hours exploring the special effects workshops and the incredible sets. Sets such as: Professor Dumbledore’s office, Hagrid’s hut, Snape’s potion classroom and, of course, Hogwarts Great Hall. All of this was created by a dedicated team of British designers and craftspeople who spent a decade bringing the fantastical world of Harry Potter to life. And it was production designer Stuart Craig who created all these amazing locations that me and my fellow actors got to work in.

Stuart Craig: There’s some great skill in the sets, great craft skills. In the 10-year span of these movies, obviously digital computer skills became more and more important as we went on, but also old, craft skills, and traditions were kept alive.

Davis: What set or design are you most proud of here?

Craig: Dumbledore’s office. I like the three little towers, hanging one off the other. I like the fact that it is bordering on complete fantasy, architecturally almost defying gravity and is impossible. But also, the props in it. The books – they’re actually yellow pages, a lot of them, just given a fake vellum cover. So I like those little tricks.

Davis: Now one of the things when you walk in [the Great Hall set] is this beautiful stone floor that you have. Tell us about that.

Craig: This is a real Yorkstone floor. It served the films for 10 years. It’s going to serve this studio tour for, hopefully, another several years.

Are you planning to attend the WB Studio Tour this year? What set are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments below.

Thanks to Leaky for the tip!.