I remember the first time I ever set foot inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood. Just a quick stroll through the cobblestone streets of Hogsmeade village and suddenly I felt like a Hogwarts student. To this day, I still think the wizarding world is one of the most immersive lands in the theme park. And when the sun sets and the castle is transformed before my very eyes during The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle… Well, I get chills every time.
From “The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle” to “Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle” (my personal favorite), each projection light show is a celebration of the different elements that make the “Harry Potter” films so special. And when they announced that “Hogwarts Always” would be making its Universal Studios Hollywood debut for Universal Fan Fest Nights, I was beyond excited. And even better news? The show is running this summer as well, from June 28 through August 10!
“There’s a massive fan base that has an expectation when you say there’s a new piece of content that’s dedicated to the wizarding world,” says Mike Aiello, senior director of entertainment and creative development at Universal Destinations and Experiences. “We’re essentially caretakers of this brand and how it’s presented in our parks, and that means something.”
Eager to get a glimpse of the behind-the-scenes process, I sat down with Mike to talk about how a Hogwarts light show is created. Here’s everything I learned about how “Hogwarts Always” came to be.
Thinking of a Nighttime Spectacular
Universal Orlando Resort has been Mike Aiello’s home for almost 30 years. As a massive “Harry Potter” fan (and a fellow Ravenclaw), he was extremely excited when Universal Orlando Resort first announced The Wizarding World of Harry Potter would be coming to its theme parks. “I will never forget when our senior vice president came into the room and asked, ‘Who’s read the books?’ And at the time, I was the only guy in the room that had read them all,” Mike says.
Mike was among the masterminds behind the entertainment in the wizarding world, conjuring up shows like the Triwizard Spirit Rally and the Frog Choir, which were concepts developed for the opening of Hogsmeade village. He now leads all of the creative development teams for different Universal Orlando Resort shows and entertainment offerings, including the Hogwarts castle light shows.
“Doing these projection shows has been a dream.” Mike says. “It is literally magic how all of it happens.”
It all began with “The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle”, the first light show developed for the grand opening of The Wizarding World in Universal Orlando Resort in June of 2010. The show celebrated the four Hogwarts houses (Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff) and was such a success that it soon led to the development of the seasonal versions of the light show: “The Magic of Christmas at Hogwarts Castle” and “Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle.”
Our Journey Begins
When Universal Orlando Resort began looking for new light show concepts, Mike began to imagine what kind of story he wanted to tell. “For me, creatively but especially with the light shows, everything starts with music,” he says. “So, I began the process very early by just creating a scratch track.”
He took music from the films’ soundtracks and pieced them together, imagining potential elements for a story that might go with each musical beat.
The story Mike wanted to tell began taking shape when he asked himself, what are the defining moments of a Hogwarts student’s journey? For Harry Potter, it was definitely receiving his acceptance letter, buying his school supplies at Diagon Alley, and then discovering Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross station. In the early development stages, the creative team behind “Hogwarts Always” sketched out how these moments would look on the castle, relying heavily on the music to carry them through each sequence.
After a rough sketch of the story was developed, Mike’s team created elaborate, more detailed concept art to better define what the show would look like. This then turned into storyboards, which the team made sure matched the feelings that arose when listening to Mike’s scratch track.
“These Nighttime shows are so much about feeling and less about mechanics.” Mike says. “It’s about seeing if the hairs on our arms are rising.”
Music: An Experience Like No Other
It was important for Mike to get a good musical arrangement for the animators to work with. That’s where the London Symphony Orchestra and musical arranger and composer, William Ross, came along.
Every single Hogwarts light show has been arranged by William and recorded at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London. “I’ll give him the scratch track that I made on a bended knee, saying ‘I’m so sorry for what I’ve done to this as a reference piece.’” Mike laughs. “And then [William] will take that and come back to us with a completely transformed, amazing score that’s 100% better than anything we could come up with.”
Although Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, the “Harry Potter” films, and the light shows all share elements from the same soundtrack, the music feels different each and every time. This is because William has studied the “Harry Potter” films’ musical motifs and has the ability to arrange them so that they feel unique.
The final score was then given to the animators, who breathed life into the storyboard. “The music in all of these shows is so important to the storytelling,” Mike says. “Music being the left leg and the visuals being the right leg — it has to be able to walk.”
Bringing Ideas to Life
The animation team spent eight to ten months turning the storyboards into moving imagery. During this time, the original visuals went through some adjustments, as things started to look different once the drawings were in motion. With the help of Universal’s creative partners at Warner Bros., the creative team finalized each individual sequence, down to the most minute details. For example, toward the end of the show when the Hogwarts crest appears and the magical lights are illuminating the castle, Warner Bros. was able to help the creative team make the Hogwarts crest shine in just the right way.
With the entire show animated and finalized, the team projected it onto the castle for technical rehearsals. Light show rehearsals are held between midnight and five in the morning, the perfect time before the sun begins to rise. It took the creative team (that’s about 60 people), four to five months of
rehearsals to get the show ready for an audience. Because Hogwarts castle and the mountain it stands on are both so textured and elaborate, the team developed different technical methods to help the animation run smoothly over the rocks and towers.
“At the end of the day, you’re out there in rehearsals and watching literally the most amazing magic trick happen in a huge scope right before your eyes,” Mike says. “All of a sudden, you’re going: Oh my gosh! That’s the show.”
Hogwarts Always
After spending two-and-a-half years creating this light show, Mike and his team finally got to sit back and enjoy the wonder of “Hogwarts Always.” From the moment the music permeates the night, to the moment the House Cup is awarded to the house with the most points (it changes every time!), it is difficult not to get emotional. Mike says he gets a little teary eyed whenever he gets the chance to see it.
“I love the fact that at the end of your day, if you’ve really loved the time that you’ve spent in the wizarding world, that you’re getting this wonderful collage of moments that you want to be in.” Mike says.
Come experience the wonder of “Hogwarts Always” for yourself this summer at Universal Studios Hollywood from June 28 through August 10!
Have you had the chance to experience the “Hogwarts Always” castle show? What’s your favorite part of this show?