Funworld July 2011

by Jeremy Schoolfield

Three major entities collaborated on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure: Warner Bros., producer of the Harry Potter film franchise from Warner Bros. Pictures that has grossed more than $6.3 billion at the box office worldwide; Universal Parks & Resorts, home to some of the world’s most popular theme parks; and, of course, the original spell caster herself, author J.K. Rowling, who signed off on every aspect of the Wizarding World, right down to the recipe for Butterbeer. So with all those creative juices flowing, a key member of the Warner Bros. team was Bob Weitkamp, vice president of global themed entertainment for Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP). Weitkamp helped keep everyone communicating and moving in the same direction, and was part of the on-the-ground group from concept to construction that shared in the collective goal to make sure every detail lived up to the project’s high standards. As the steward of extending the experience of the WBCP’s licensed properties into multiple themed entertainment attractions, live events, and theme parks, Weitkamp’s job is to identify the best partners in the business for the studio’s brands, which include the characters of DC Comics, the legendary Looney Tunes, and, of course, Harry Potter, among many other iconic properties. There’s a lot more to it than just signing a contract, though; his team is involved throughout the entire process as Warner Bros.’ intellectual property is conceptualized, translated, and built into a three-dimensional attraction experience. So, as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter approached its first birthday on June 18, Funworld spoke with Weitkamp about what it was like to work on the project, what he’s learned from its first year of operation, and what makes a good licensing partner.

This is a huge question, but what was it like to work on The Wizarding World of Harry Potter?
It was an incredible experience to be part of this project. I loved the Harry Potter brand before I got here. When we were able to find a partner [in Universal Orlando Resort] that understood attention to detail was so important, that was exciting. Their creative team is one of the best in this industry. We also brought in amazing creative talent from the film production team. Academy Award-winning production designer Stuart Craig, who has worked to bring the world of Harry Potter to life in all of the feature films to date, led the creative design for the area to ensure it remained faithful to the look and feel of the films. We believe we have delivered quite an experience.

What role did you play in the process?
There’s no “I” in any of this; it was all a team effort because so many people within the studio touched the brand and were key to making this happen. Our role was to enlist the best in the business, license Universal Orlando Resort to bring the brand to life, and work with them every step of the way, in every element: from design, to construction, to execution. From our senior management to our franchise management team on Harry Potter, so many people within WB were key to ensuring the authenticity we knew we needed. And I cannot say enough about our partners at Universal. They assembled the most dedicated team of experts in the business to guarantee we’d get it right. The great thing about this project was working with some of the most creative people in the world—and people jumped from other projects to come to this one because they wanted to be part of the magic of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

The merchandising operation at Wizarding World became an instant attraction all to itself. Have you ever seen anything like that before?
The merchandise was essential to the whole project, and we understood that if we created authentic items from the books and films, then we would have success. But it far exceeded what we expected, and it’s humbling to see people line up for the stores to get the chocolate frogs and our favorite, Butterbeer. It is amazing to see it, but [it comes back to] attention to detail. We had to ensure that every element—from merchandise, to food service, to the attractions—had a purpose. So it was carefully orchestrated.

Has the merchandise operation at Wizarding World opened your eyes to new ways of presenting retail in future licensing deals?
In the old days, you’d spend a lot of time and money on an attraction and then [guests] exit into a generic store. In this case, every element of the author’s story was part of what we wanted to execute for the guest to experience. So we had to spend more time on the experiential side of these stores, which is unusual because usually people are there to pick up a souvenir and move on, and we wanted the consumer to really experience what the characters in the books and films experienced.

Between Warner Bros., Universal, and J.K. Rowling, whatever ideas managed to get through all three of those entities must have been spot-on.
I can’t tell you how many people joined hands on this project to give support and help guide us through it. It was truly a passion project; people jumped on board and offered a lot of their blood, sweat, and tears to create something that would be second to none.

As we approach the land’s one-year anniversary, can you talk about what it means to the studio to have created something that’s had the entire attractions industry buzzing?
We’re all honored to be a part of it. And to this day, we’re always evaluating what we can do better. If a consumer is waiting to come to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter next year, we want it to be the best experience just like when it opened. It’s all about that authenticity. We had great books and films to work from, so if you’re true to them and do it to the detail people expect, then the consumer will react. Our goal was, and remains, to create an experience that, like the books and films, will stand the test of time.

Is there anything you’ve tweaked over the past year that you’re willing to share?
Well, Ollivander’s Wand Shop has been a big experience for a lot of fans, so we expanded the [adjacent] Dervish and Banges retail facility [to add more retail capacity]; we also added a second Butterbeer cart. It’s more operational things, but we’ll never change anything in the area that will take away from its overall authenticity.

Yes, the Dervish and Banges expansion happened relatively quickly as you reacted to demand for the wands.
That goes back to selecting a good partner that’s willing to work with you and adjust as you need to. Guest service is important to all of us, and we want people to maximize their experiences.

What are you looking for in a licensing partner?
We’re looking for a partner who will keep true to the brand and not try to re-create something that’s already a classic. We always look for the partner who’s top of the class in their particular area. We try to make these long-term partnerships so we can gain their trust; if you stay focused, creative, and true to the brand, it’s going to be a win-win for everybody.

What is Warner Bros.’ goal in creating these branded attractions?
Once a property is executed—when the movies have been released, for example—our goal is to allow fans to continue the experience. The objective is taking an iconic brand and putting it into a situation people can live, touch, breathe, understand, and experience. You can always add steel coasters and don’t necessarily have to theme those, but then there are other areas where you can create a complete family adventure.

We exercise tremendous patience with our properties in the themed entertainment area because we want to make sure it’s a great fit. We want to create a complete story that makes sense for our brand and our fans. When our fans go to a theme park or a live event, we want them to understand this was carefully thought out. We say no more than we say yes.

So, then, what determines whether or not you grant a license to a roller coaster?
“Superman: Escape from Krypton” at Six Flags Magic Mountain is a great example. It goes 100 miles per hour, and obviously an iconic part of Superman is his speed. So it was a great storyline to build off.

And now you have “Green Lantern: First Flight” opening this year at Magic Mountain, as well.
Magic Mountain already has a lot of DC-branded properties, so it was a dual connection. We already have the Gotham City section in the park, and Six Flags found quite a coaster to attach it to. (Editor’s note: “Green Lantern: First Flight” is the first Intamin ZacSpin in North America.) It’s a collaboration of their creative team and ours, and we look for what’s going to work for the brand and enhance the experience.

What does Warner Bros. find so valuable about the attractions industry?
You can create something that’s going to live on. When you watch a movie, you dream about being in it; we’re able to create an attraction people can feel and touch—walk through Hogwarts, for example—and experience some of the things they’ve been dreaming and reading about. It’s become part of the content cycle.

Do you find these theme park experiences enhance the brand further?
Absolutely. That’s why we take a lot of time [in selecting partners]. These can take three to five years to develop, because we want the consumers to experience what they’ve seen on the big screen. It’s a great medium to advance the brand and give it a long life.

Contact Senior Editor Jeremy Schoolfield at jschoolfield@IAAPA.org.