Hobbit film sets and such

[Kezmoid]

What was the first scene shot for LotR?

[Primula Baggins]

I believe it was the hobbits hiding from the Black Rider.

[Holbytla]

I never could figure out what they shot and when for any movie. It never seems to rhyme with the flow of the "book".

I guess location has something to do with the process.

[Primula Baggins]

It has a ton to do with it. Building sets costs money, and keeping them standing unused costs money, so SOP is to shoot everything on a particular set at the same time even if scenes are separated by years in movie time. Even on location, getting people and equipment there costs money, so again, as long as the weather and season work, they shoot everything they can at once.

It's actually a job I think I would enjoy, "breaking down" a script and seeing how efficiently the shooting can be done.

[vison]

That is the thing about the LOTR movies that just astounded me. It was an operation on the scale of D-Day.

[Alatar]

Unfortunately, there are times when that approach simply doesn't work. The Grey Havens scene was shot very early, and it lacks a lot because of that. The actors were clearly "acting", whereas that scene would have had far more resonance if shot at the end of Principal Photography and the actors' performances had been allowed to be informed by 18 months of living and working together. Although its rarely mentioned as such, that scene is one of the most disappointing in the entire Trilogy for me. It doesn't help that Bilbo's scale double looks and moves like a dressed up child in that scene.

[axordil]

Well, some of them pulled it off better than others. Part of being a professional movie actor is being able to get what you need on the film on demand, precisely because shooting logistics require it. That doesn't mean I disagree with your point, Alatar--it would have made a difference, I believe. But it shouldn't, ideally.

[Primula Baggins]

What Ax said.

Some of the Mount Doom scenes were also shot quite early—not by plan, but because a location was flooded and they had to shoot aomething inside instead. And I don't think those scenes suffered too much. But I agree that the Grey Havens would have worked better shot last or close to it. Shouldn't have been so, but was.

Still, the principle isn't a bad one. Most films take a month or so to shoot, not a year and a half, so sequence doesn't make a difference.

I did read that in The King's Speech, the director deliberately shot the scene where the King meets the speech therapist first off and it really was when Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush first met on set. He wanted the natural swkwardness of the moment to work for the film. I hear it did.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I disagree about the Grey Havens scene (except for the part about Bilbo's double; that is awful). I'm perfectly happy with the acting in that scene. Even though they had to do it completely over, because it turned out that after they had shot the scene and gotten it just right, it was slightly out of focus (if I am remembering the commentary correctly). So they had to go back and shoot it again.

[Elentári]

In fact they had to shoot it 3 times, V, because the second time Sam wasn't wearing his waistcoat (vest) which he'd removed over the lunchbreak!

[eborr]

Because there was no scouring, I found it difficult to invest any emotion into the Gray Havens, so I actually cared very little whether it was in our out of focus, or whether Sam was intra or infra westcot.

however it did have it's moments, principly the return of colour to Frodo's face when he steps onto the ship, and the music which later segues into the rather lovely Annie Lennox song during the title sequence

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Scenery will make splash in 'Hobbit'

[Alatar]

Hmm. Barrels out of Bond, in Rapids, maybe? Sounds like PJ hasn't lost his flair for the dramatic (or excess as some would call it).

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Well, tying that to our conversation in the other thread, maybe he is ramping up Barrels out of Bond to make it the big climax of Film One.

That works for me.

[axordil]

Although sending barrels for hypothetical reuse makes a lot less sense if the river isn't on the placid side...

[Inanna]

Although sending barrels for hypothetical reuse makes a lot less sense if the river isn't on the placid side...

Ha-ha! That is so true, I didn't think of that at all!

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Sense is what you make of it. Peter Jackson has never let a little lack of logic get in the way of a good visual.

[eborr]

perhaps that will account for the missing barrels in Ithilian

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Miramar Shots

Ringer Spy Mr. Anderson sends along these exclusive pics of The Hobbit sets being built in Miramar, NZ. If you look closely at some of the pictures, you’ll notice that the architecture seems to resemble that of Moria. I’m sure we can all draw our own conclusions, but could this be a flashforward sequence for Moria? Maybe we are getting a peak into the Lonely Moutain? Or maybe it has nothing to do with Dwarves at all! Share your thoughts and click the ‘continue reading’ below for the full gallery.

[SirDennis]

I have a problem with these shots being called "spy" shots. We already know what happens over there when the studio doesn't want certain images displayed publicly.

These set pieces might be for Mirkwood. Something about the fluting and the archway suggests free standing architecture rather than excavated dwelling space.