I’m afraid I don’t have any project updates for you. I’ve been finding my own “new normal” after recent losses, and what creative energy (and free time) I have has been spent on other stuff. That’s not to say that the project is dead, but I can’t make any promises as to when I’ll be resuming work on it.
That being said . . . some really cool new shots of the castle have surfaced, thanks to a talented and generous artist who has helped with the seasonal snow on the miniature at the Studio Tour! She actually started sharing shots on Instagram in late 2019, but I wasn’t aware of them until recently. And she continues to post more photos, including some extremely rare angles and amazing details! Definitely check out @carrielwebb on Insta. (My latest mind-blowing moment came earlier today: apparently, the original sunken quad still exists beneath the raised floor they added in (almost certainly) GOF!
Anyway, I hope 2022 is being decently decent to you so far. Hopefully more Hogwarts stuff to share in the future!
Hogwarts 4D 
That’s totally understandable, Joe – take the time you need.
Holy moly it never occurred to me that the old courtyard would still be part of the model! Amazing find!
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Take your time to do what you gotta do 🙂
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Cariel webb is the best; the quad isn’t so mind blowing, since it only confirms suspicions we already had. I was most baffled by the insane interior details. I’d never thought they’d done any interior work.
Also, glad to see your still around, I hope you’re doing well.
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Saw these the other week, having some new photos is really awesome. As much as I love reading your stuff, I’m glad to see that you are taking a break to adjust, take as much time as you want.
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Hi Joe! Hope everything is ok, I just saw some grate news that I think will help you with the project, an official Hogwarts blueprint book will be published later this year!
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Harry-Potter-The-Blueprints/Insight-Editions/Harry-Potter/9781647226619
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Oh my god…it’s happening! They did one of these for Star Wars and it’s amazing. I hope Hogwarts gets plenty of pages devoted to it!
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Wellp, I am now torn between a book I deeply desire, and giving money to Rowling, who donates money to transphobic causes. I might just split the difference and get a copy off ebay.
I’m glad that this is finally happening though! It better be pretty fat at that price point though
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That was the thought that popped into my mind after my reply…like, oh damn, I’ve really been trying to avoid sending any money her way.
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The used market is a huge boon for that – any money going to her has already gone at that point. It’s why I firmly advise anyone put off their Harry Potter collection to keep it circulating by reselling.
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Merlins Pants!!!!!!!! I was talking to my partner about how its a shame they never made one for HP after I got my SW one. But, yeah sh*t I’ve been doing so well not to send f-all her way since the stuff she’s been putting out.
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I read about the sunken courtyard, yea! Hopefully we get shots of them soon. Would finally sort the debate once and for all 😉
Also, take your time. With these kind of projects you need to take time off to get started again. Make space in your head and do the stuff you like.
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Hey I was reaching out about working together on a game. I’m an Unreal Engine developer with 6 years of experience in unreal engine 4 and now 5. Email me and we can talk more!
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Hey, my condolences for your loss. I hope you are doing better. Have you followed the latest trailer and gameplay reveal of the game Hogwarts Legacy? I find it particularily interesting how the developers reinterpreted the castle. It resembles the movie versions but again they added new features and changed lots of small details. Hogwarts is now covered in ivy and there is a lot more greenery around the castle. There are new walls, geographic changes and a new courtyard behind the bell towers, the design and location of the greenhouses also changed. If you get back to your project it would be great if you could include the castle version of this Game too or maybe make a post about the most striking changes in your blog.
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I sent him a direct message on Instagram.
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According to this new trailer, the castle’s section with the Room of Requirement seems to have moved into the hospital wing / clock tower. I wonder if that has any particular reason or if it’s just because of the exterior shot they wanted to include (1:12 and 2:01)
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I forgot to include the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0iLmZ46bbw
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rip😭
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Joe, how are you now?
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Hanging in. No progress on this project to share, though, sadly.
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In any case you are best!
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Hi Joe, just wanted to drop you a brief note to say hope you’re doing well and we’re thinking of you
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Hi, I hope you doing alright. I just thought I’d link this video I just found, in case you find it helpful one day. A lot well known shots but, a few interesting angles and snaps in there I don’t think I’ve ever seen before at least. Hopefully some stuff that new to you to at any rate.
Good luck with everything anyway
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I’m an idiot and I forgot to link it xD
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Hello Joe, I found your project on google 🙂 and I must tell you did a great job ! I started modeling Hogwarts also as tribute to my childhood, memories and to upcoming Hogwarts Legacy game… I wrote you also message on instagram, but I dont know if you saw it… but anyway I want to contact you privately and tell you about my progress ..looking forward for your reply..
Best regards from Slovakia
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My dear, that lady who dusts the set with snow is back at it…if ever there was a time to ask for unique angles for her to photograph…it is now.
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For the benefit of the project followers not looking at the Instagram: And at last we know what the old Quad’s cloisters look like! A bit battered but holding up surprisingly well for something not maintained for 20 years. And after our debates about whether the tracery was Gloucester, Durham, Lacock… in the end there was no tracery. It was arches like that one piece of Alnwick’s courtyard, redesigned into something like Durham’s cloister dimensions, forming a peristyle cloister. At least I was right about that second story!
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Holy smokes, I would never have bet that this was still down there, what a find (though I guess she always knew it was there). Its odd that the cloisters have such a large section above them, not something I would have expected.
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Hey Joe, hope you’re doing ok. If you’re feeling up for it, I’ve got a little request that would help me out a bunch. Totally up to you of course.
Since the modelling and textures for them is alreay done, would you be willing to overlay the Astronomy Tower base and Dark Tower onto the Philosopher’s Stone version of the castle and take a few shots of the resulting overlap with the Durham transcept, cloisters, and surrounding elements like Transfiguraton classroom and DADA tower? Both orthographic plan view and normal flyover or ground level angles.
It’d help a lot for shuffling things around for my unified map project and physically seeing the overlap is so useful.
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