Harry Potter: A History of Magic
Framestore has been a part of J.K. Rowling’s magical world since the earliest days of the Harry Potter film franchise. London’s VFX scene was booming as Philosopher’s Stone went into production, with Framestore at its fore; the resulting VFX were truly ambitious, calling for new tools and techniques, and setting new standards for the industry.
No stranger to the weight of responsibility entrenched in bringing much-loved literature to the screen, Framestore worked side-by-side with the directors of all eight films, crafting key characters, otherworldly environments, and of course, magical effects. Buckbeak the Hippogriff and Dobby the House Elf are some of Framestore’s most-loved creations, with Dobby’s death sequence still held as a standout in emotive animation performance. Many of the franchise’s key settings, such as the Triwizard Tournament’s watery underworld, and the dream-like void Harry finds himself in at the crux of the finale, were Framestore creations in their entirety.
‘The Tale of Three Brothers’ sequence, in Deathly Hallows (Part 1), was a unique opportunity for Framestore’s wider field of artists to create an intricate piece of standalone animation within the film narrative. Inspired by traditional eastern puppet theatre, the haunting sepia-toned silhouettes and shadows involved over six months of work, and is still celebrated for its innovative approach.
With such rich experience in the wizarding world, it felt right for Framestore to rejoin the crew as creative partner on Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, and then again for Crimes of Grindelwald and The Secrets of Dumbledore. With key creative personnel at the heart of the project - overall VFX Supervisor, Christian Manz - plus a talented in-house Art Department dedicated to concepting the starring creatures, the creative studio was ideally positioned to make magic.
The franchise has taken us even further than film - to other realms, in fact - in an accompanying virtual reality experience, which allows users to engage with Newt’s suitcase of dazzling characters in new ways. The first release of the experience helped launch the Google Daydream headset, and went on to win multiple awards for its innovative application of the IP to a new medium.
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