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Posts: 34 · Joined: Nov 18, 2008 Location: South Korea Posts: 34

Buckbeak was the star f/x -- he had the most screen time (and the most vocal lines Wink

), so they clearly put most effort into him. I loved the way they modeled Buckbeak's movement and agility on a (hungry!) bird-of-prey -- he really makes sense when he's pouncing after food. His wing-flapping motion was near perfect -- they did their homework on big birds like pelicans. His galloping gait was also good, apparently based on horses (in fact, in some scene-fragments I thought they filmed a real horse, and then their f/x staff rendered over it).

Flash of genius: After Hermione lures Buckbeak into the woods with one last dead ferret, he sneaks up behind her, and tries to nibble it out of her grasp. Perfectly a hippogriff -- always thinking with its stomach!

Director's special: Buckbeak as defender, fighting off the werelupin. Neat idea, which cleverly ties up a loose end that the book didn't address. Maybe young Albus Severus's Patronus will be a hippogriff in his honor Very Happy