The summary of ‘Every Change Made to Hogwarts During The Harry Potter Films’

The video explores the evolution of Hogwarts Castle in the Harry Potter film series. Design decisions by Stuart Craig and other directors transformed the castle's layout, such as adding herbology greenhouses and altering Quidditch training grounds. The series saw various changes, including the introduction of new locations like the clocktower courtyard under director Alfonso Cuarón. Digital modeling in Deathly Hallows allowed for enhanced details like battle damage and expansions to the entrance courtyard. The speaker also hints at future content on Hogwarts locations in the game Hogwarts Legacy and aspirations to rename the channel to Hogwarts Expert.

00:00:00

In this segment of the video, the Hogwarts expert discusses the changes made to Hogwarts Castle for the Harry Potter films. The team had to translate J.K. Rowling’s map of the wizarding world into something visually appealing on screen. Stuart Craig led the design team, using real-world locations like cathedrals and castles in England as inspiration. A floor plan and miniature model were created based on these designs. Throughout the films, the castle underwent many changes, with different areas being altered by various directors. An example is the addition of the herbology greenhouses in Chamber of Secrets, which were not present in Philosopher’s Stone. The layout of the quidditch training grounds also saw significant changes throughout the film series.

00:03:00

In this segment of the video, it is explained that the Quidditch training ground at Hogwarts undergoes significant changes throughout the Harry Potter film series. Initially, Oliver Wood explains Quidditch to Harry in a specific location, but the training ground is later halved in size around the “Goblet of Fire.” In “Half-Blood Prince,” a mountainous region replaces part of the original Quidditch training ground, featuring ruins and a Stonehenge-like structure. The tower from the Quidditch training ground is removed, creating a more open space. The presence and location of the Whomping Willow also change in the films. “Prisoner of Azkaban” marks a significant shift in the series, with director Alfonso Cuarón bringing a new vision that emphasizes expanding Hogwarts to ground it in a real-world feel. This leads to the addition of new locations like the clocktower courtyard, wooden bridge, and sundial garden, requiring the miniature of Hogwarts to be expanded by about 40 percent for the film. Hagrid’s hut is relocated to a large hill in Scotland for a more expansive cinematic scope.

00:06:00

In this part of the video, the Gryffindor common room entrance is discussed. It was moved in the first two films but changed multiple times throughout the series. A new tower, the Dark Tower, was added for Sirius’s prison, altering the castle layout. The Defense Against the Dark Arts Tower remained consistent until the addition of the Astronomy Tower, leading to changes in the castle architecture. The Transfiguration courtyard and entrance courtyards were also altered across the films. The Chamber of Reception at the great hall’s entrance changed locations and appearances in different films, with notable changes in Goblet of Fire and Deathly Hallows.

00:09:00

In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the digital modeling of Hogwarts for the Harry Potter films. They highlight how the use of a 3D model provided more flexibility and allowed for changes like adding battle damage. Specific changes made for the final film, Deathly Hallows, include expanding the entrance courtyard, redesigning the boathouse, the grand staircase towers interior, and adding statues outside the Great Hall. These modifications aimed to enhance the castle for the final battle scenes. The speaker mentions that while there were minor changes, they mainly focused on the significant layout alterations in this discussion. The speaker hints at a future video comparing Hogwarts locations in the upcoming game, Hogwarts Legacy. They also mention their goal of reaching 1,000 subscribers for monetization and possibly renaming the channel to Hogwarts Expert.