I have heard that directing the first movie was mostly teaching the three principals how to act.

"Eyes wide, terrified!" was apparently an oft-repeated mantra on set during HP1.

I saw a thing on Biography last week that demonstrated Chris C.'s directing technique for the kids in the first film, at least. He had to keep three cameras running at all times, one for each of the kids, so that he could piece together decent performances from all of them since he knew he couldn't get them to perform at top level on every take. He admitted that the first film was very choppy as a result, because he had to string together the best takes out of, say 10 per scene (on average) to put on screen.

Not only did Columbus get the casting absolutely right, I don't think there would've been a series without the success of his movies which were very young kid friendly.

Maybe so, but MAN does the pacing drag. Both needed a much more ruthless editor to keep the narrative moving forward.

With the first 2 movies, the producers were terrified to leave anything out, which is why they play like books on tape instead of actual movies.

Cuaron made the decision (which carried through the rest of the series) that anything that wasn't from Harry's POV was OUT unless it was absolutely essential to the plot.

IO9 really like Captain America. They did describe it as a war film with superpowers, which gives me teensy pause, since I don't like war films. But I like superpowers, so I'm in.

And the posters there that have seen it are very enthusiastic too. So I'm stoked. I have tickets for 8:30 tonight.

With the first 2 movies, the producers were terrified to leave anything out

They should have cut the Norbert storyline entirely, I have to say. It goes on for chapters in the books, and in the movie it gets all of five minutes, and peters out pretty inconclusively (offstage, even, IIRC).

I really love PoA the film, but I wish Cuaron went a bit more into the backstory of the marauders. That might have interfered with the flow of the story, but I feel like that's an important part of the Potter canon that wasn't very well fleshed out in the movies.

Every single one of them, dead by the end of the series, barely into their 40's.

Lupin.

::sighs romantically and sadly::

barely into their 40's

Not even 40, I don't think. Say James and Lily have Harry at 20, or 22: that makes Remus no more than 39 at DH. So sad.

Which means they cast Snape a leeeeetle too old. I mean, don't get me wrong; I think Alan Rickman was born to play that role. And his makeup makes him look younger than he is (though perhaps not THAT much younger). But it is striking how much older he is -- and appears -- than the character should be.

Which, now that I think about it, applies to Sirius and Lupin. (I don't really remember how Harry's parents look in the movies.)

Again, though, I'm fine with it, because the actors were excellent. It's just interesting.

t edit Ye gods, Rickman is 65. That man is my mother's age.