Wizarding World - Diagon Alley Discussion - Part 2

[DragonSlayer]

Really? Watch the scene with the CGI Neville on the broom or the CGI Harry on top of the troll and tell me those VFX look fine. The Gringotts facade in that film makes me wince. The walkthrough on the website is just as good, if not better.

Ok, that was a lie, it's not fine - but the acting cannot escape either if we're talking things wrong with Philosopher's Stone!

Sooooo according to Orlando Informer Diagon is getting its certificate of occupancy today...wouldn't that mean Mr. Dragon would be now perched? If so you should be able to see him if you stand next to the merch cart in Battery Park on the right hand side of the roofed seating area when facing Diagon... JUST. SAYING.

Oooooohh! Can't wait to see this.

 

[Ajstriker26]

[video=youtube;9rzNzHat33Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rzNzHat33Y&feature=youtu.be[/video]

There's some new concept art in this video, one of which I assume to be the Carkitt Market area

 

[fryoj]

Sooooo according to Orlando Informer Diagon is getting its certificate of occupancy today...wouldn't that mean Mr. Dragon would be now perched? If so you should be able to see him if you stand next to the merch cart in Battery Park on the right hand side of the roofed seating area when facing Diagon... JUST. SAYING.

A Certificate of occupancy would have to do with the building department giving approval to use the buildings. That really should have nothing to do with the dragon unless the building department insisted on it being up before giving the cert. Possible, but since there is clearly still work to be done on the project, I'm guessing they are giving the occupancy permit at 90% or whatever their minimum threshold is.

 

[Nick]

So, has this site abandoned any idea of putting up a helicopter soon?

Call WESH and make up some story giving them a reason to flyover.

 

[floridakid]

A Certificate of occupancy would have to do with the building department giving approval to use the buildings. That really should have nothing to do with the dragon unless the building department insisted on it being up before giving the cert. Possible, but since there is clearly still work to be done on the project, I'm guessing they are giving the occupancy permit at 90% or whatever their minimum threshold is.

The Certificate of Occupancy could also have been filed to get some OJT for line cooks or anyone working within Diagon.

 

[soyouthinkyouknow]

Gilmore was recently added to that list. That means he's on site. That means things must be getting close or are getting approved. Some select TMs are also getting a walkthrough of Diagon tonight after work.

eta: I think its pretty rotten of them to charge TMs for Butterbeer at this event.

Alan Gilmore has been living in the US for the last 2 years. He's worked onsite daily. His presence at this event, while exciting, is unfortunately irrelevant to the opening.

 

[mbrou24]

Ok, that was a lie, it's not fine - but the acting cannot escape either if we're talking things wrong with Philosopher's Stone!



Oooooohh! Can't wait to see this.

The movie is also well over 10 years old which is a good excuse for the vfx

 

[soyouthinkyouknow]

If somebody could leak a parts list or shop drawings of one of those, I'll love them forever.

Parts list no, vendor yes. Rumor in the street is Advanced Animation in Vermont made them. UO loves to work with them so it makes sense they would do these guys.

 

[thrillseeker_97]

[video=youtube;9rzNzHat33Y]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rzNzHat33Y&feature=youtu.be[/video]

There's some new concept art in this video, one of which I assume to be the Carkitt Market area

Awesome video, thanks so much for sharing the link!

 

[Jymmymack]

The movie is also well over 10 years old which is a good excuse for the vfx

Nah, not really. Chamber of Secrets was a year later and the VFX were MUCH better. It was all decision making. In CoS, they didn't use close-ups of CGI humans. Just watch the Quidditch scenes from PS and compare them to the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor match in CoS which was MUCH more complex than anything in PS and still looked a million times better. More time and dedication, better decisions.

 

[illumination]

Mugglenet has posted that the opening date is mid June according to a Loews hotel chairman: http://www.mugglenet.com/2014/05/diagon-alley-to-open-mid-june-according-to-loews-hotels-chairman-plus-first-look-video-inside-gringotts-bank/

Personally I wonder if the official date won't be until after June 21st (the first day of summer) but with soft openings weeks before then.

 

[Stephen Dalloway]

Nah, not really. Chamber of Secrets was a year later and the VFX were MUCH better. It was all decision making. In CoS, they didn't use close-ups of CGI humans. Just watch the Quidditch scenes from PS and compare them to the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor match in CoS which was MUCH more complex than anything in PS and still looked a million times better. More time and dedication, better decisions.

If I'm not mistaken, they said in some documentary that in the first movie they shot the entire film and only then moved on to the visual effects, which caused them to rush everything to try and get it ready by the set time. Because they were so displeased with the results, in the next movies they would shot a scene and start working on it while others were still being shot, so they would have the time to dedicate enough attention to everything.

 

[Jymmymack]

If I'm not mistaken, they said in some documentary that in the first movie they shot the entire film and only then moved on to the visual effects, which caused them to rush everything to try and get it ready by the set time. Because they were so displeased with the results, in the next movies they would shot a scene and start working on it while others were still being shot, so they would have the time to dedicate enough attention to everything.

Exactly. Which, as I said, was poor decision making. And the extra time paid off.

 

[Teebin]

So, not one soul went to Universal Studios today? There wasn't a single picture posted on twitter or OU today. Aren't the employees of this website paid $28 per hour to be on call to take pictures?

 

[bluejay]

anyone heard from the event at hogsmeade that happened tonight?

 

[dreamcat]

Its funny you guys knew about tonights event when many TMs had no clue about it. Anyway, I went to it tonight. Only a few new things were told, the creative team are very dedicated, and you guys are going to be blown away with the detail levels. They are more prepared in some aspects for this new open but are STILL not sure about how everything will work (ie park hours not matching and the train). I can answer some questions but of course not as much as you would like.

 

[ReelJustice]

Interactive wands were confirmed.

 

[GGGhost]

Previously unreleased concept art. Posted on Instagram by user emanuelpaige. http://instagram.com/emanuelpaige

Diagon Alley:

Carkitt Market:

Borgin and Burkes:

Knockturn Alley:

 

[Felipe]

Whoa! Welcome back, dreamcat! It's been a while! Great to see you around again! Well, do tell whatever you feel you can :thumbs:

Those are NICE! Thanks for the heads up, GGGhost, and thanks for posting them @emanuelpaige!

 

[TheLastAshen]

Thanks for the concept art, GGGhost! That conept of the spired fountain under the glass roof is one of the ones I saw months ago that I couldn't figure out when they had an early preview upstairs in Port Of Entry!

- - - Updated - - -

Also, I don't understand why this video of the Hogwarts Express is just now getting attention when it's been on Universal's Wizarding World interactive site.