So Much More Than A Bedtime Story
This past weekend I basically died and went to nerd heaven. I walked through the actual Hogwart's Great Hall, flew over the castle on a broom, bowed to Buckbeak, drank butterbeer, and stood outside Godricks Hollow. In short, I got to experience the actual sets, costumes, props, masks and monsters used in the Harry Potter films. Now I realize that not everyone will have as intense a response as me (i.e. tearing up as I walked through the doors to the Great Hall). However, it did make me realize how important the film industry can be. I remember getting lost in the world of the Harry Potter books when I was a kid - and lets be honest I still do today. But the movies made that world come to life. They gave us a place to go to experience the magic of Harry Potter outside of our imaginations and it wouldn't have been possible without the hundreds of cast and crew.
Some people might go through the tour and feel as though the magic of the films has been ruined as you get to see the tips and tricks the film makers used to create the Potter world. To me it made everything even more tangible. It made me feel like I was actually part of that world (which is definitely the point of the whole tour). But most of all it made me feel extremely excited about the industry I want to be a part of. It's all about telling stories that people can connect to. It could be a global story like Harry Potter, but it doesn't have to be. It's a huge responsibility to take a story that so many people loved and do it justice, because everyone imagines it differently. There is so much detail in every scene; nothing is an accident. What they created and what others continue to create everyday is absolutely beautiful.
You learn so much about a person from the stories they tell you. Some of my favorite moments on this trip have been listening to people talk about their everyday experiences. They can produce the best conversations that make you think, laugh, and cry. There are thousands and thousands of untold stories and I can't imagine anything better than being a part of bringing those to life on screen.
The gates to Hogwarts