At the start of last week, Year 7 pupils visited the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour to learn more about the making of Harry Potter, as part of their work on adventure and fantasy writing. Here, English teacher Mrs Hallam provides an account of the trip:
Remember, remember the fifteenth of November: wizardry, witchcraft and wands!
On a wet and windy November morning 39 excited Year 7 writers set out to explore the magic of Harry Potter, investigating links between the world of Hogwarts and the unexpected adventures of a Hobbit named Bilbo.
A lesson in the world of Harry Potter started our day as we learned about the work behind the scenes of a film: how to hook an audience, build character, and create plot twists and turns in order to write our own quest/adventure stories upon our return to school. Randomly chosen objects (held only once white gloves were donned) inspired student ideas and plot development whilst Mrs Krause and Mr Fuller (first ever visit to Warner Studios!) marvelled at models of goblins’ hands and a detailed model of Hagrid’s house: high small windows to see out, but not in; cages for injured creatures hanging from the ceiling (small secretive houses where he hid baby fantastic creatures?); a trap door (what secrets lurked beneath his house?). We posed and answered questions to gain a deeper insight into Hagrid’s world and character and started to think about developing characters and settings for our stories (overseen by the wise nods of approval of Mrs Hallam, Mr Alcock and Mr Miller).
As discussion reached fever-pitch, a plot twist: we had to sell our ideas and pitch a plot to the Warner Studio staff.
Finally, 39 writers and their five teachers were released into the world of HP where we explored sets, gathering descriptive language, imagery and plot twists. Forbidden forests, regal Buckbeak, Dumbledore’s study, enormous fearsome creatures, the glamour of the Ministry of Magic, broomsticks and flying cars began to mix and meld, boil and bubble in the cauldrons of our minds (metaphor, Miss?), building ideas and plots for our writing.
Eventually our adventure drew to a close, once we had taught Dobby to ‘Floss’, raced up Diagon Alley, trembled in fear at the Ukrainian Ironbelly destroying Gringotts and taken the obligatory broomstick photo.
Learning to write proved to be quite magical!
