DF: Digressing a bit, how do you approach the easter egg question, either on the set-top or the ROM side? There is still some debate on how extensive hidden features should be, which I imagine is even tougher when you know a large chunk of your audience is very young?

PH: We do get feedback on them, and most seem to like the excitement of trying to find easter eggs. But our goal is not so much to hide a major feature as easter eggs. If you don't find the easter egg it shouldn't detract from your experience; it's an added bonus if you want to spend the time to try and find it.

DF: Are there any particular challenges or difficulties unique to producing ROM supplemental features versus more traditional extras such as commentaries, documentaries, and the like?

PH: We work with a vendor on the development of the ROM content just like we work with a vendor producing various set top features like documentaries and commentaries. We do have a number of different third parties that usually handle an entire project. On Harry Potter, we worked with Canned Interactive to develop the look, functionality and style of the experience.

The process for creating ROM features in essence isn't much different than traditional set-top features. We give them our ideas and they come to us with their own and we build on that. But what does happen with ROM is the integration of other technologies from third parties. For Potter, we have an Electronic Arts Harry Potter Game Demo, a Lego activity center, trading cards, the One Voice technology, and all these things have to be integrated into the ROM presentation. Typically, we don't integrate as many third parties on the set-top side, which can be a challenge.

DF: I can't speak for all the press, but I do find there is a great deal more mystery when it comes to ROM and web features, as if there is a little room of worker elves at Warner that do it all... (laughter)

PH: I think the technical expertise required (to create ROM and web-enabled features) is tremendous. So you have incredibly experience engineers typically working on the ROM with these companies, so perhaps it's just a smaller field.

DF: Have you found that filmmakers generally embrace ROM and web-based supplements, or has there been much convincing to be done?

PH: On Potter, (director) Chris Columbus has been very open to our ideas and supportive. In general, filmmakers have been excited about the idea, but it is less viewed as two separate things on the Harry Potter DVD than perhaps it has been on any title ever before. It's really not two worlds as much as an integral component of the features. That's how I like to think of it - it's less separated and a part of the entire experience.

DF: Have there been any fears, especially on behalf of the filmmakers, that too interactive of an experience might "ruin the magic," especially with Harry Potter?

PH: No. Harry Potter as a film and a series is also pushing technology. The effects are state of the art, and there is filmmaking magic in nearly every scene. It is part of the film, and on Potter, Chris (Columbus) embraced the technology.

DF: Was there any reason that some of the more traditional features fans have come to expect, such as an audio commentary, were not included on the Harry Potter DVD?

PH: There was a mutual decision made early on with the filmmakers to stay within the world of Harry. So, you won't see the traditional behind-the-scenes dissection. The entire DVD experience keeps you within the world of Harry Potter. The feeling was to make the experience special.

DF: This is a question I've been talking a lot about lately, but do you ever worry that in this day and age of DVD, we're exposing too much of the filmmaking process? That it might be "killing the magic," so to speak?

PH: I think it is a very subjective experience. Some people are very excited about learning how the film was made. I go both ways. With a magical film like Harry Potter, I just don't want it all dissected right after I've seen it.