News from the set

New Zealand-based Park Road Post Production has selected SGO’s Mistika for the majority of the stereo and DI work onPeter Jackson‘s two-film adaptation ofJ.R.R. Tolkien‘s The Hobbit. Mistika now forms the backbone of Park Road’s stereo 3D infrastructure producing dailies for editorial, finishing and grading

Hobbiton movie set.

Someone in the youtube video above said: 'And it looked just as Tolkien had described it in the book...'

Is there even one scene depicting Tolkien's own (in my opinion) wonderful illustration of The Hill?

I think digital effects could have worked better for this than 'someone ascending a massive Oliphaunt' for example, and I don't know why this wasn't done -- possibly copyright concerns I guess, now that I think about it! if the filmmakers chose to be as exact as I would have liked, maybe (?) that wouldn't be allowed.

Just as Tolkien described...... except for the grass, the trees, the layout of Bag End and the light is wrong. Other than that, yes.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:Just as Tolkien described...... except for the grass, the trees, the layout of Bag End and the light is wrong. Other than that, yes.

Actually, the farm as it appears in that video (and presumably as it appeared when PJ scouted the location) looks considerably more Shire-ish to me. The grass is shorter and looks like a domesticated area (well, it is a farm, after all ). My main complaint with the Shire in the films, which overall I think looked pretty good, was that it was too overgrown and wild looking for neat, orderly Hobbits. In the documentary features for the EEs, PJ said that he deliberately let the grass grow long after building the sets.

Still, I think it looked quite good overall, even though I wish they'd cut the grass. Maybe they could have used the clippings to make Rohan a bit greener.

I always saw the Shire has looking like the rolling green hills of England I am afraid Eldo- and in that case the grass is the wrong shade of green and the wrong type, and the trees are also wrong (a problem also when they came to do Lothlorien as NZ doesn't have thick trunked trees so they had to make prop ones).
The overgrown side is also a problem though, I always got he impression (partly through Sam) that hobbits, like the english, have a thing for neat gardens and properly trimmed lawns. And the light is wrong- I know that sounds weird but really its true, the light at the latititude of nrthern europe is not the same as in NZ. All these little seeming inconsequential factors together just make it feel collectively wrong to me.

I liked the Shire in the films, but that's because I didn't read the books first. That said, I think I like the Shire in the films more. It reminds me of the country, like the Laura Ingles Wilder books about the American Frontier, only greener. That always seemed like the most simple and peaceful life to me.

Luke Evens (Bard)

http://www.hypable.com/the-hobbit/2011/07/29/luke-evans-discusses-the-hobbit/

Andy Serkis (Gollum) talks about motion capture.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_movies_blog/2011/07/exclusive-andy-serkis-talks-about-his-motion-capture-studioschool-and-what-hell-teach-there.html

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=14211849

Stephen Fry and Luke Evans arrive in NZ.

http://www.middleearthnews.net/2011/08/stephen-fry-and-luke-evans-have-arrived.html

Benedict, best known for his portrayal of iconic detective Sherlock Holmes in the BBC One series, will next be seen in Steven Spielberg's War Horse and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy with Colin Firth and Gary Oldman.

He will also be the voices of both Smaug the Dragon and the Necromancer in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit.



Read more: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/film-tv/news/benedict-cumberbatch-finds-a-will-16031178.html#ixzz1Tuw4myXU

Didnt no about him playing The Necromancer

Films to shift into overdrive.

http://www.movies.com/movie-news/hobbit-countdown-overdrive/3888

Nice to hear that filming is going well and about to kick up a notch. I hope that PJ isn't too busy to make more vlogs; I've been enjoying those entirely too much.

I am "torn". Do I or don't I want to see The Hobbit Movie made?

chris63 wrote:He will also be the voices of both Smaug the Dragon and the Necromancer in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit.

Oh gawd!

I guess they will depict him like another Morgoth-Satan type. Horrid idea. Bless Illuvatar:-Jane

Given that they say only that Mr. Cumberatch will provide the voice of the Necromancer, I hold out some hope for him being a mainly offscreen villain and not having a clearly defined appearance. Vagueness and subtlety is what I'm hoping for, though it would probably be quite foolish to hope PJ's comment about "knowing where to stop" on Tintin would restrain him here.

http://www.kristinthompson.net/blog/2011/08/07/christopher-lee-interview-with-some-information-on-the-hobbit/

Eldorion wrote:Given that they say only that Mr. Cumberatch will provide the voice of the Necromancer, I hold out some hope for him being a mainly offscreen villain and not having a clearly defined appearance. Vagueness and subtlety is what I'm hoping for, though it would probably be quite foolish to hope PJ's comment about "knowing where to stop" on Tintin would restrain him here.

You used the word "subtlety" Eldo. Surely, by now, you should know better.

Age is catching up with Mr Lee's body but gladly not his mind. And of course a mention for the best film he was ever in The Wicker Man- did you ever get round to watching it Eldo?

Orwell wrote:You used the word "subtlety" Eldo. Surely, by now, you should know better.

This is what I get for trying to be optimistic around here.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:And of course a mention for the best film he was ever in The Wicker Man- did you ever get round to watching it Eldo?

Sadly not; I hunted down a non-YouTube upload but events conspired to keep me busy. My brother and I have a backlog of movies we wanted to watch together but I do plan on getting to The Wicker Man as soon as I can. I'll be sure to let you know how it was for me when I do!

Me too...

You are banned Orwell from watching anything until you have sat through the megaedit!!

Pettytyrant101 wrote:You are banned Orwell from watching anything until you have sat through the megaedit!!

Damn! I'll try and get another hour in today. My Gawd, I've already watched the first hour and a half - in only two weeks! - what do you really want, Petty, blood from a stone?