Petty's Purist LotR Edits [3]

I would have cut the first bit with him putting on the Ring, and Smaug mentioning precious, I would just keep the second time he puts on the Ring. - Figg

And what do I do about the fact the conversation has the Ring effect on it? I cant take that back off. If he isnt seen putting the Ring on it will make no sense.
I would love to get rid of that line and him taking off the Ring, but right now there is no way to do that as the scene is presented by PJ. Its just not possible and for it still to make sense to a viewer.
It would also make Bilbo look a bit stupid, not thinking to put on an invisibilty ring when a dragon is after him.


"Also its missing the reason Smaug is angry, and flies off, theres no reason for him to be angry with Bilbo by himself."

its more or less the same reason as in the book    -

"Barrel-rider! Your feet came from the waterside and up the water you came with-out a doubt. I dont know your smell, but if you are not one of those men of the Lake, you had their help. They shall see me and remember who is the real King under the Mountain!"- Inside Information

Sounds ambitious!- Radaghast

Only one part of it is- two of the effects I can identify- there's an echo effect and there's a bloom lighting effect I'm 99% sure. Those are just a matter of boringly tweaking until I get a close match.
But the sort of tearing at everything effect looks like a displacement layer of some sort- which will take a lot more experimentation, and therefore time, to match up.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:"Also its missing the reason Smaug is angry, and flies off, theres no reason for him to be angry with Bilbo by himself."

its more or less the same reason as in the book  

But in the book, Smaug first leaves the lair to search for the thieves after discovering the cup is missing. The second time, the heads for Lake-town after Bilbo's "Barrel Rider" hint. Doesn't the movie mangle this sequence?

Well PJ replaces Smaug going nuts with rage outside the mountain trying to burn out the dwarves with the whole forge/gold statue debacle- so its either skip him going for the dwarves and have him just follow the hint as I have done- or put the forge sequence back in- and thats not happening.   

Hm, good point.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:I would have cut the first bit with him putting on the Ring, and Smaug mentioning precious, I would just keep the second time he puts on the Ring. - Figg

And what do I do about the fact the conversation has the Ring effect on it? I cant take that back off. If he isnt seen putting the Ring on it will make no sense.
I would love to get rid of that line and him taking off the Ring, but right now there is no way to do that as the scene is presented by PJ. Its just not possible and for it still to make sense to a viewer.
It would also make Bilbo look a bit stupid, not thinking to put on an invisibilty ring when a dragon is after him.

Just do it and think of England.  

Oh sorry, wrong turn of phrase.    

Liked the video though Petty.   

I'll get around to your edit after seeing DoS.   

Thanks Blue- Eru knows what you'll make of the film version of that scene though. Nothing good I'll wager 

And there are few things I would ever do that would prompt me to 'think of England'   

Oh, I have absolutely no expectations Petty. Which might be just as well.  

1st of January looks likely now. So I'll get around to it next year, at the latest.

Having seen the video though, I'm not sold on the design of Smaug. But I've read the plaudits on here. I guees I should let the movie do him justice.

I like the head, I dont like the body, or that he could not be described as reddish gold, or in fact either of those colour at all.
I like that they use a long neck to make him sinuous, but if he had a long body as Tolkien drew him they wouldn't need him to be quite so ludicrously long necked, there are points where it looks like the weight of his head should snap his neck.
And he is way too big. When he leaves the main chamber he has to smash his way through walls to do it, well do that enough and you longer have a mountain above you, you have a mountian on top of you. Never mind being too big to squeeze into the secret passage, this Smaug cant squeeze in anywhere but the ginormous main hall of infinite wealth. The amount of gold and jewels is ridiculous, except where I could avoid it I took out all the really wide shots of the hall Bilbo is in as the amount of wealth in it means if Smaug does die the price of a peanut in ME is about to go to up to about a million gold pieces.

Bluebottle wrote:I'm not sold on the design of Smaug. But I've read the plaudits on here. I guees I should let the movie do him justice.

Me neither (nor the voice). From all the praise, I was expecting to be at least wowed by that, but I was left feeling "meh". If they can't even get the dragon right then, seriously, wtf? But, like you, I'll withhold full judgment for after I've seen the movie.

So, Gandalf recommended Bilbo as Hobbits are quiet & he would make a good thief, only if the victim was deaf, dumb & blind & he had left his guide dog outside. Oh yes, & we MUST make sure the audience hears the tie-in...."my precioussssss", And why doesnt Bilbo's hair move even a tiny bit when Smaug's hot breath is inches away ? Elnett hairspray of course ! duh !

I think Smaug would have been much better even designed as he is had he been a magnificent gold and red. Forget Thranduil, Smaug should be the vain one, absolutely full of himself and how splendid and magnificent he is with is chest of radiant precious jewels- it says everything about him visually as a person.
Smaug should be the bling character not Thrandypants.

And yup Azriel, there are odd incontinences in even major scenes with cgi effects.

And Bilbo has never been quiet in these films, he crunched and snapped his way to the trolls too in AUJ. By hobbits standards he's a clumsy oaf.

Isn't there a line in one of the humorous reviews that pretty much says, "Gandalf choose Bilbo for things all Hobbits do at that age" ?

As I've said countless times, the inner logic of the story really isn't Boyens and Walsh strong point.

That scene also makes Gandalf look pathetic and weak-willed.

Also the aspect of Smaug that fascinated me most in the book wasn't his physical strength or the danger he posed but his intelligence and eloquence. That's the secret behind his character.

Still, I agree. Tolkiens design looks infinitely better than what WETA came up with for DoS.

The dragon is red, not this dish water colour

Don't you have read dish water in your parts Azriel?

You must not have heard about Smaug dishwashing liquid.

New on the market and guaranteed to singe those hardy substances right off.   

Its a baby smaug....ahh.

Yup thats much closer in body shape to Tolkiens illustration.   

it has no eyes or wings!

Yeah well apart from those obviously, it doesnt have a chest of jewels either    but in basic outline shape its similar.

sorry but it still doesnt work. There is no good reason for Smaug to go off and attack Laketown. In your edit Bilbo hasnt actually stolen anything from Smaugs treasure so there is a sense of why is Smaug so angry at Bilbo? You need to show either Bilbo taking something from the dragon hoard, OR show the Dwarves pissing him off. It just doesnt make sense. It doesnt flow properly. You need to add something the Dwarves do to make it look logical. I still think you should cut the first time he puts on the Ring.

I cant remove him putting the Ring on as I cant remove the visual Ring effect from the film or the fact he is clearly wearing it!

And he steals the cup same as he does in the book- thats what he takes that starts the gold landslide that reveals Smaugs eye- Smug then goes on to call him a thief.

And I cant 'add something the Dwarves do to make it look logical' Im recutting an existing film here I am not reshooting the fucking thing!  

Lazy bugger! Get some mates together and shoot some scenes! Show some initiative, goddammit!   

i am with Amarië on this one