Making Half an Owl Cage
When Harry pushed through the barrier at Platform 9¾ he entered a new, magical world. While we are trying to simulate that magical world for…
Author Archives: Eric Albertson
Real-Life Quidditch Team in San Jose
One of J. K. Rowling’s most unique inventions in the Harry Potter series is Quidditch—the sport where players fly on broomsticks, try to score goals…
Magical Painters
As Halloween approaches there are some details that need an artist’s touch. On our final Community Painting day, several skilled individuals arrived to help us…
Educational Decrees
Madam Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge (who would later assume the titles of Hogwarts High Inquisitor and Headmistress) enacted many educational decrees during her time at Hogwarts. One…
Making Magical Moving Portraits
One of the things that Harry and his friends marvel at when they first arrive at Hogwarts are the painted portraits that appear to move…
How to Make Your Own Butterbeer
We got to sample butterbeer at Harry Potter World at Universal Studios in Southern California. We loved it and wanted to incorporate it into this…
Building Hagrid’s Hut
We wanted to make sure that the house of the Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts (and sometimes teacher of Care of Magical Creatures),…
Wizarding Signs
Signage is apparently still an important part of the wizarding world. There are some iconic signs from Harry Potter that we wanted to create for…
How to Make Hogwarts’ Front Door
This year, I wanted to make the entrance to Hogwarts Castle feel extra special. Normally, I would have created a flat, painted cardboard version, but this year…
Video: Production Update 10-9-16
Here is a production update video for the first week of October. In it, I show the model of the Halloween house, the structures for…