Nimbus Memories

Nimbus 2003 - A Harry Potter Symposium
July 17-20, 2003
Walt Disney World Swan Hotel, Orlando, Florida

Convention report by Allo and Judy for DanRadcliffe.com, 23rd July 2003.

We were just two of around 600 Harry Potter fans who gathered together, many in full costume,  for some shameless Potter appreciation this past weekend at Nimbus 2003, the first ever Harry Potter symposium.  This event combined serious academic analysis of the Potter phenomenon with some lively fan debate, on topics ranging from Harry Potter as a Popular Culture Icon, through The Effects of Eldred v. Ashcroft on Harry Potter fansites to The Secret Life of Severus Snape!  For a spot of light relief, the organizers also threw in some feasts, games (including, of course, a version of Quidditch), contests and both HP movies for good measure.  Nimbus 2003 was a completely unofficial event and was organized entirely by fans.  Our thoughts?  We think we can safely quote Ron Weasley from the first HP movie when we say, "That was b****y brilliant!" 

Here's a few of our favorite memories of the weekend.

Probably the biggest cause for cheer for the assembled Daniel Radcliffe fans was the featured luncheon on Day 3, when Ari Rapkin, a computer graphics software engineer from Industrial Light and Magic, came to speak on the subject of "Creating Digital Costumes and Environments for Feature Films".  Ms. Rapkin, who is working on the special effects for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, brought with her some raw footage from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (before the CGI elements were added), which showed Dan maneuvering the broom rig for the Quidditch scenes against a bluescreen backdrop and also showed him acting in scenes involving Dobby before the house elf had been digitally inserted into those scenes.  Alas, cameras were not allowed at this lecture but Ms. Rapkin did share a few of the magic tricks behind the movie.  A couple you might be interested in: when Harry grabbed Dobby by the pillowcase to hide him in his bedroom cupboard, Dan actually had to grab a hat off a stick and throw that in the cupboard.  And the wrestling match between Harry and Dobby over the lamp in Harry's bedroom was accomplished by fixing the lamp to a long arm anchored off-camera so that Dan could have a tug-of-war with something!  Ms. Rapkin had high praise for Dan's ability to visualize and focus on the place where Dobby should have been, saying she did not know how he did it.  As for the upcoming Prisoner of Azkaban, she said that from what she's seen so far, the movie will be fabulous!

 
Dan on the broom rig for Quidditch scenes
(photo from Cinefex magazine)

More memories...

Blowing some serious Galleons in the Kumpulsieve Alley shopping emporium!  We tried, but we couldn't resist the new 2004 Harry Potter Heroic Moments calendar...

Going to the legalese lectures and realizing how truly daunting it can be to run a Harry Potter fan site on the Web.  Potter Wars, you are not forgotten... 

Judy, who is a poet and retired theater arts teacher and a staff member on this site, stepping in to lead an impromptu discussion panel on J.K.Rowling's writing style, after the scheduled speaker failed to appear.  Delegates discussed Rowling's use of exposition, character development, vocabulary and her blending of modern and fantasy worlds.  (Note the back of Judy's hand: "I must not tell lies"!)

The RadNet Birthday Party in honor of Judy (who celebrated on the 18th) and Dan (who of course celebrates on the 23rd!), complete with full HPCOS flying car partyware and vanilla icecream and chocolate sauce for dessert!  Sadly, we were too stuffed afterwards to break into Allo's stash of imported Jammie Dodgers...

Defending the transition of Harry to the big screen during a film discussion session entitled "Celluloid Polyjuice: The Filmic Transfiguration of Harry Potter into Infallible Hero"...

The Founders' Feast, an open-air banquet held in the British Pavilion at Epcot, complete with British food.  They even laid on some British weather (Florida style, i.e. a big thunderstorm) - a surefire way to soak your treacle pudding in 10 seconds flat!

Being able to watch both HP movies back-to-back - something we rarely get to do at home.  The "Rocky Horror Show"-style audience par-ti-ci-pa-tion was a new experience though! (Rocky Harry Show?!)

Some outrageous bids at the final morning's auction for HP and Nimbus memorabilia, including a book bag signed by Alan Rickman which went for $450!

Killing a little time at Starabilias in Downtown Disney before the homeward flight and wishing we had $16,500 to drop on Dan's Hogwarts robe and glasses from the first movie!!

And finally, cheers to everyone we met who cheered us when they found out which web site we were from or who told us they found out about the convention from this site or who promised to visit soon!

Thanks and congrats go to the brave team of Nimbus 2003 organizers - you did an awesome job and we'll definitely be back in 2005!

For more detailed reports about this event and for more photos, please check Judy's web site Potter-and-all or the main Nimbus 2003 site.