The Travelling Camera Club

Tell us about your world! (how I went on a Harry Potter Binge)

I’m a Harry Potter fanboy

I know for most people it isn’t a big deal and most people have been fans of the series for a long time but for me, well I’ve only really been able to call myself a fanboy within the last two weeks.

Up until then I was only ever a causal fan, I like many people had read the books but only till the Goblet of Fire (the books got a lot longer and I just couldn’t cope with reading them) and I’d seen all of the films, some even on their release day but that was more because I love watching films at the cinema.

I’d never been a part of the online community, I’d never listened to Wrock (Wizard Rock, music based around the series), never listened to the podcasts, never been to a convention and I’d never dressed up as a character.

I was a casual fan.

That was until the build up for the release of the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

I don’t really know what happened, maybe it was the constant bombardment of interviews, clips and the madness that exploded on the internet through memes and fan videos but something clicked inside me and I realised it was the last chance to be a fan of Harry Potter when the community was at its hight.

So I decided there and then that I was going to attempt the impossible, read every book and watch every film before the release of the Deathly Hallows Part 2, I had a little over two weeks to do it.

The plan was to read a book then watch the accompanying film, it was pretty much plain sailing for the first three books, they were enjoyable reads but they were short. They took me about two days to read each of them, the Prisoner of Azkaban took longer but was only a slight speed bump, maybe half a days extra work.

Then I got to the Goblet of Fire some what predictably this book rapidly put an end to the optimistic dream of finishing the series before the release of the films. I got half way through but by that time I had one day left before the fated day.

I was forced to give up and just watch the films, the problem was because of my shift patterns I was working the night before its release and I finished work at 11 pm, I watched The Goblet of Fire during the day but the rest of the series was done back to back from 11:30 onwards.

I finished around 6am, I slept for 3 hours then left the house at 10 am and started the journey to Manchester, at 2pm I was going to see the Deathly Hallows Part 2 at the Imax, in 3D. I was exhausted but excited.

Around the start of this blog I mentioned that the fandom had created its own style of music, Wrock, Harry Potter rock. I was pretty obsessed with everything Harry Potter at that moment so I filled my Ipod with as many Wrock songs that I could find and it formed the sound track of my day out.

P.S for those that are interested here’ my play list.

Wizard love - Meekakitty Featuring heyhihello

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjUb4Pr2HnY

Slytherin Night (Tonight Tonight Hot Chelle Rae) - WinterSpringPro

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ovchtYzq4U

Ministry of Magic - Accio Love (Ron and Hermonie)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74IqDKpI6fM&feature=related

Ministry of Magic - House Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7XfxbvclG8&feature=channel_video_title

Ministry of Magic- Lovegood

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR9GtdlwPHc&feature=related

Ministry of Magic – Ascendio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1LnVSXbhXU

Theres a hell of a lot more out there that I haven’t even discovered but those are my favourites.

Why am I telling you all this? And what does it have to do with the photos I’ve taken? I guess I just wanted to tell you that Harry Potter had been the back drop to my day and those photos however devoid of connections to the material, they are snapshots of moments I experienced just before I watched a film I had been obsessing over for weeks.

Hey, its got to count for something right?

P.S this photo was taken inside the cinema moments before the film began, the team at the cinema put in the extra effort to make the experience even better, they had people selling food in the screen , a guy on a microphone pumping up the crowd (he got us to do a Mexican wave) and then they did a charity raffle with Harry Potter prizes.

I’ve never had more fun at a cinema.

These photos were taking in my home town, as an attempt to use up film as a side note on the left you can see the building I get my photos developed.