assorted notes on the trailer frame-by-frame

[Steve Vander Ark]

No: HPFGUIDX 21626

Here's a collection of notes I took as I stepped through the trailer 
frame by frame:

Diagon Alley - note the variety of hats and robes and the way the 
buildings lean in at various angles - and is that Hedwig flying 
overhead? Seems unlikely, since Harry leaves Diagon Alley with her in 
a cage, but there aren't many Snowy owls around. Note the hanging 
balls on the sign on the right - I can't rembember my symbols, but 
isn't that the sign of an apothecary? Or is it a pawnshop?

Eeylops - Is Hedwig the one we zero in on or the one we pass in the 
cage on the left?

ext. Ollivanders - note that there are long thin boxes stacked up 
even in the upstairs windows

how many students in the Great Hall scene? Approximately 250 sitting 
and another 30 coming in as first years. No matter what JK says, 
about 300 students just works right from any standpoint. Can you 
imagine what the Great hall would look like with four times as many 
kids sitting and four times as many kids walking in? The number of 
boats approaching two scenes previous also lends credence to this.

Great Hall, delivery of broomstick - It is apparent that Gryffindor 
is the second table from the right. But in the books it's clearly on 
the far side. Of course, in the books the main entrance is on the 
side of the room, not opposite the teacher's table, so they really 
have it all wrong.

Flying Lesson - 26 students. Madam Hooch wears falconers gauntlets. 
Her eyes are yellow in the book, but apparently they aren't in the 
film. Her whistle is shaped like a feather. Order of students: middle 
of the row is Dean Thomas, Neville, Ron, Harry, Hermione. Opposite 
them are Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle.

Three walking together - Ron is taller than Harry, but not by much. I 
love the look of this scene, especially Ron's tie undone and shirt 
tail hanging out.

Snape scene - this is supposed to be in a dungeon, but there are big 
windows with light coming in. That's too bad...

Dumbledore speaking at Start of Term Feast - We're not seeing lots of 
room for extra teachers here. We see Flitwick, McGonagall, 
Dumbledore, and another female teacher (Sprout? Vector?). If you 
compare this to the wide angle shots of the Great Hall, it is clear 
that there isn't space for the forty or fifty teachers which would be 
required for a student body of a thousand. I know the movie isn't 
canon, but I think it can be counted on to interpret visually what 
JKR wants, since she's given so much input. And I think she 
visualized it like this (as did I) and never really thought about how 
many students that would actually work out to be.

Excellent motion of Quirrell/Voldemort on the ground - just sort of 
gliding without visible legs touching the ground, like a snake. 
Scary. In the close up of Harry a moment later, there is something 
moving behind him. Fang running away?

Golden Snitch - that is simply fabulous. What an incredible effect. 
Watch Harry's eyes - he follows the Snitch perfectly, even though it 
was almost certainly added later in post production.

Petrificus Totalus - will they add some post production rotoscoping 
to that, I hope? I want to see a little sparkle there. Poor Neville. 
I hope that kid didn't really have to fall over like that. That had 
to hurt. Tell me they used a dummy...

Percy leading first years down the corridor - if this is after the 
opening feast, why is there light coming in the windows? So if not, 
when is this scene? And then, is it Percy?

Hogwarts Library - where's the Invisibility Cloak? Or will that be 
added in post production?

I love the way Richard Harris delivers the line "most painful death." 
Very dry. And Harry and Ron's reactions are great.

Quirrell running into the Great Hall - there is lightning, which I 
assume is because of the Enchanted Ceiling? 

That troll is absolutely fantastic. Love the eyes. More lightning, 
you'll notice.

Great Hall - they sit on benches. Never thought about this before. 
I'll have to draw it that way on my map, since it makes perfect sense.

giant chess game - Harry's sweater has been damaged - burned? Is that 
from the Devil Snare? This scene looks far better than I could have 
hoped. 

Explosion on the stone horse - whoever is on that horse is wearing a 
long-sleeved shirt, unbuttoned, over a t-shirt, which I think (if I 
can make it out on the long shot) is what Ron is wearing. So yes, 
that would be his sacrificial move in the chess game.

Another nice effect is when Harry blows past Malfoy in midair at the 
end. Malfoy bounces around a little because of it. Very well done.