Warner Bros.: Building Visitor-Centric Movie Magic for Wizarding World Lovers

Client profile

The Making of Harry Potter is a behind the scenes visitor experience at Warner Bros. studios in London, UK. The guided tour showcases the sets, props and costumes used in the making of the films.

Challenge – maintaining the movie magic for diverse audiences

Visitors to The Making of Harry Potter walk in Harry Potter’s footsteps to explore the wonders of the wizarding world.

Fans are transported into the world of Harry Potter with iconic sets like the Great Hall, Diagon Alley and the Hogwarts Express, along with props, costumes, special effects and even a cafe selling Butterbeer.

Since the stories in the books and movies defied demographics, the exhibition’s attendees are similarly varied. Visitors include young children and teens through to adults. Many fans arrive dressed up in costume, eager to learn more about the movies and their productions.

The exhibition needed a strong production concept to provide depth of information, retain the magic of the world created by J.K. Rowling and engage visitors of all ages, coming from different countries.

Solution – an immersive, audience-centric tour experience using video and a strong cast

Antenna International was chosen to deliver an interpretive tour, thanks to their extensive experience in creating tours that delight children, teens and adults alike. The challenge for Antenna and Warner Bros was to appeal to visitors interested in the logistics of the film’s production, while still retaining a sense of magic and excitement.

The multimedia guide heavily utilises video combining exclusive behind the scenes footage with insights from the producers, designers and artists whose visions gave life to the stories that so many readers have enjoyed. The audio guided tour is narrated by the familiar voice of Tom Felton, the actor who played Draco Malfoy.

The touchscreen multimedia tour guide has been produced on Antenna’s cased iPod player. It is available in nine different languages reflecting the international popularity of the movies.

Antenna also provide onsite staff services to distribute devices and help fans of all ages enjoy the best possible visitor experience.

Result – wizarding world fan love the immersive experience

Antenna has proved themselves to be an integral part of the exhibition, through the provision of devices and age-appropriate content, and the ongoing support of on-site staff. Visitors from all over the world have expressed their love not only of the immersive exhibition experience but the audio-tour and staff as well:

“…We were impressed by the quality of the audio guides. In many places, these are little more than devices that read the signs for you. Here they are iPod Touches that not only have a default narration (by Draco Malfoy) but also have additional video content that is well worth spending time on.” Visitor, 2017
“we liked listening to the audio guide, it really felt as if we were in Hogwarts.” Visitor, 2017
“The items in the exhibition are truly things fans want to see and the audio tour made my day…Fabulous experience and the staff were delightful!” Visitor, Germany, 2017