Surely someone has looked at the Harry Potter films and thought "these could use a lot more ultraviolence," right? Well, that's a rhetorical question, because several people not only had that thought, but decided to take matters into their own hands.
VFX studio Corridor Digital is at it yet again with their alternate takes on popular media. They recently challenged the Disney gods themselves by attempting to make a perfect deepfake Luke Skywalker in The Mandalorian, but now they've set their sights on something a bit more on the gritty (and very much gory) side. Based on a request from one of their own team members, the crew got together and used their special effect prowess to turn Harry Potter into something that would, at the very least, earn a solid R-rating.
Changes range from the obvious to the meme-worthy. For instance, one scene involves poor Neville Longbottom shattering into a million pieces when Hermione hits him with a petrification spell. Meanwhile, another takes an easily forgotten sequence of young photographer Colin Creevey ducking to dodge a quidditch bludger, and then makes it... well, much more memorable. Certainly makes the idea of a quidditch movie that more intriguing, no? That's not to mention the highlight of the video, which features Draco Malfoy contorting an unfortunate Harry Potter into a ball and slam dunking him Jordan-style into a magically-conjured basketball net. (Yes, really.)
Right off the bat, it's clear that the Corridor Crew values the process as much as the finished product. In fact, most of the 23-minute video focuses on exactly how each team member pulls off their respective effects. They clue audiences in on the techniques they use, computer programs they prefer, and even the various shortcuts they employ. Viewers may be surprised to note how they not only utilize motion capture technology at times, but even record their own screams of agony to enhance the immersion. It may be mostly a joke video, but VFX artists, like the talented fan creating their own Halo CGI series, truly take their craft seriously.
This isn't the first time Corridor Digital has pulled off this sort of feat. In fact, making various films R-rated is sort of a hobby of theirs. Marvel and Star Wars have already gotten a similar treatment, with that same equal focus on both technique and result, which sets the Corridor Crew apart from similar VFX-focused channels. Some viewers may be put off by the more educational aspects of their videos, which makes sense if one is more interested in funny gags than how they're made. But hey, people can always just skip ahead.
While young children should very much not watch this video (especially if they want their fantasies of attending Hogwarts to remain untainted), it's still an entertaining view for those in or out of the Harry Potter fandom. Plus, anyone with an interest in the more technical aspect of computer-generated imagery will have something extra to chew on. Just maybe keep a barf bucket close by.
Source: Corridor Crew|YouTube