Dressing up for the show

A balanced mix of wizards and muggles alike were in attendance for the premiere of the first half of the seventh installment of the Harry Potter film series Friday morning.

Almost every main character could be found represented in the lines for both concessions and the restrooms in the lobby of Franklin Park 16.

The premiere night turned into more of a late-night social event with Harry Potter trivia in the theaters as well as having all of the theaters open for fans to watch their favorite teenage wizard.

Those who interviewed with the Independent Collegian said what helped turn the premiere into something more were the groups of people dressed up as their favorite characters from the series.

"It adds more excitement before the movie starts, it turns it into an event and less like a movie," said Jon Sander, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering at UT.

Alex Eding, a senior majoring in interpersonal communication at Bowling Green State University, said the overall social experience of going to a movie is enhanced on premiere night because the social aspect of movie-going is enhanced through things such as costume wearing and audience reactions.

"I think the way movie-going is, it is impersonal. When I go to a movie, I don't want to interact with others," he said wearing a wig, fake beard and six inch platform shoes to perfect his Hagrid outfit. "But on a night like tonight, the fandom really comes together and it creates a new experience for everybody."

Assistant Professor of film Matt Yockey studies fans of film and how they watch movies. He said dressing up helps to "express if not facilitate the emotional connection one feels with the film and other fans in the audience who are watching it at the same time."

"The fact that it happens at the theaters is important because it confirms the appeal of film viewing as a social experience. So to dress up in a costume for a particular film and to be a part of that premiere night with other fans underscores the social component of film, but of course in a very specific and idiosyncratic way," he said.

Fans of Harry Potter agreed that the fandom of the series is one of the largest among college students because they have grown up with the series.

"It's something we've grown up with and it stuck with us," said Emily Gardner, a junior majoring in dietetics at Eastern Michigan University. "We were young teenagers when the first book came out and we've experienced it all, we grew up reading all the books and we're not embarrassed to show it."

Athreya Rajan, a freshman majoring in chemical engineering at UT, said he does not expect any diminishing in the popularity of Harry Potter but rather an increase because of the release of the movie and the second part, which is scheduled for the summer of 2011.

"I feel growing up with Harry Potter is encoded it in our DNA; once it's encoded in our DNA, you can't get rid of it and you don't want to get rid of it, so why change it if you like it?" he said.

According to Yockey, the fad of dressing up for events such as conventions and movie premieres took off with the television show "Star Trek." The strong fanbase kept the series alive at conventions by inviting original actors and writers and, of course, dressing up as their favorite characters.

The concept of dressing up to show ones love for a show or movie can be traced to the 1930s with Forrest J. Ackerman, otherwise dubbed as "Nerd Zero." Yockey said at a science fiction convention, Ackerman dressed as a character from the film "Things to Come."

Yockey added the point of dressing up goes beyond explicitly showing off a fan's infatuation with the show or movie, but helps unite the fans together collectively.

"[The value of dressing up] indicates that one, the show is saying something to you and it speaks to you in a particular way, and by dressing up you are confirming that connection, and you are creating a similar connection with other fans," he said. "The whole process involves an expression of collective and individual identity. It's very powerful in that sense."

Fans at the event complemented Yockey's statement. One student, Michelle Morris, a senior majoring in international business and marketing at UT, said dressing up "brings it all together" and makes the midnight showing more enjoyable for the audience.

"[The midnight premiere] brings not only one college, but multiple to one location and we have a pre-event celebration by dressing up and hyping it up," Rajan said.