Cameras roll on 'The Hobbit' films in New Zealand

[American Patriot]

Cameras roll on 'The Hobbit' films in New Zealand

2011-03-24 19:10:00

Cameras started rolling Monday on director Peter Jackson's production of "The Hobbit," following months of delays on the prequel to his Oscar-winning "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.


Hollywood studio funding problems, a threatened actors' boycott and ulcer surgery for Jackson have plagued pre-production on the $500 million, two-movie project.


The director posted a studio news release on his website Monday saying production has commenced in New Zealand on the much-anticipated project.


British actor Martin Freeman will star as hobbit Bilbo Baggins alongside Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett and Orlando Bloom in twin movies of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy novel about a short, hairy-footed hero.


The films are expected to take up to two years to make, with the first timed for release in late 2012.


"The Hobbit" is a prequel to "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy by Tolkien that Jackson helmed to blockbuster film success in 2001-03, winning best-picture and best-director Oscars for the finale.


Jackson underwent surgery last month for a perforated stomach ulcer, pushing back the start of filming at least by several days.


Last October, New Zealand changed labor laws and tipped in extra tax breaks for Hollywood studios MGM and New Line Cinema to ensure the Hobbit films would be made in the country.


The changes mean actors and others working on the films will be hired as contractors not employees. The union had wanted local actors and other production workers to be hired as full-fledged employees on union contracts.


New Zealand received a huge boost to its tourism and film-making industries from "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.


Freeman, whose films include "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" and "Hot Fuzz" but who may be best known from Ricky Gervais' "The Office" television comedy, has said playing Baggins is the role of a lifetime.
___


New Line is a unit of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a consortium of Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Sony Corp., Comcast Corp., DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group.

[catfish]

Finally! I'm kind of glad Jackson is directing this as well. Although I honestly thought that Del Toro was a top notch director and perfect for this project. If you've seen any of his other movies you know what I'm talking about. He has a very strong background in fantasy type films, his interpretation would have been interesting to see.

[Malsua]

Sorry to say but I truly believe that had Del Toro directed it, it would have been a turd.

Let me explain. I really enjoy Del Toro's movies. I have watched pretty much all of his movies that I could find.

His style of directing is not a match for a light adventure tale. His movies are gritty and severe. The joyfulness of the tale of The Hobbit is in that you're never held long in fear of the main character dying a horrific death. Can you think of any main character in a Guillermo del Toro movie that hasn't had that? His movies always have dark undertones that run concurrent with the overt plot. The hobbit is not told in this fashion. Sure, there's a few times where the trolls might eat Bilbo, or the spiders in Mirkwood or the Orcs in Misty might do him in but there's never a feeling of ill about it.

If you haven't read The Hobbit, it is a great story that leaves you on the edge of your seat but it never shows a lurking evil that could pounce at any moment. I suspect if del Toro made the movie, he'd punch it up in places and you'd leave the movie theater with a sense of dread rather than a sense of Joy.

[Backstop]

I read the Hobbitt years ago - ? HS?

Couldn't get into the rest of the series.

[American Patriot]

I think the Hobbit was the best written of the Tolkien books.

The third book in the trilogy for Lord of the Rings (The Return of the King) was the most draggy assed book in history.

[Malsua]

I think the Hobbit was the best written of the Tolkien books.

The third book in the trilogy for Lord of the Rings (The Return of the King) was the most draggy assed book in history.

No, there's plenty of other fiction that fills that role.

The Silmarillion for one. If you can finish that book and have any idea what happened, you're more talented than me. It's like reading all the Begats in the bible.

[American Patriot]

No, there's plenty of other fiction that fills that role.

The Silmarillion for one. If you can finish that book and have any idea what happened, you're more talented than me. It's like reading all the Begats in the bible.

Actually, yeah, I was thinking that right after I hit the save button too.

however, I DID get through the last of the trilogy. I didn't get through Simirilion... maybe half way and choked trying to read it or pronounce names.

Freakin' elves anyway? Why can't they have normal names... they aren't VULCANS damn it.

[MinutemanCO]

Freakin' elves anyway? Why can't they have normal names... they aren't VULCANS damn it.

Now that's funny. "Where's Bob? He and Jack went to shoot a couple orcs near the gate."

[catfish]

Sorry to say but I truly believe that had Del Toro directed it, it would have been a turd.

Let me explain. I really enjoy Del Toro's movies. I have watched pretty much all of his movies that I could find.

His style of directing is not a match for a light adventure tale. His movies are gritty and severe. The joyfulness of the tale of The Hobbit is in that you're never held long in fear of the main character dying a horrific death. Can you think of any main character in a Guillermo del Toro movie that hasn't had that? His movies always have dark undertones that run concurrent with the overt plot. The hobbit is not told in this fashion. Sure, there's a few times where the trolls might eat Bilbo, or the spiders in Mirkwood or the Orcs in Misty might do him in but there's never a feeling of ill about it.

If you haven't read The Hobbit, it is a great story that leaves you on the edge of your seat but it never shows a lurking evil that could pounce at any moment. I suspect if del Toro made the movie, he'd punch it up in places and you'd leave the movie theater with a sense of dread rather than a sense of Joy.

I both agree and disagree with what you said. Yes, del Toro's are often filled with dark imagery and his movies often portray characters going through a traumatic period. But there is an incredible beauty and a sense of better things that exist, whether they be real or imaginary.

Probably my favorite movie of his is "Pan's Labyrinth", I also think its a great example of what you are talking about. That movie was dark and extremely violent, but also filled with a sense of hope. Although the ending was very sad, it was incredibly beautiful and happy as well. He has way bringing beauty out of life's ugly messes. Also of great importance was the art direction of this movie, it had incredible imagery that was often frightening to behold yet filled with so much imagination and detail you are held captivated. This is where I truly felt that the Hobbit would have benefited from del Toro's involvement.

I actually read The Lord of the Rings before I read The Hobbit like I think many others have as well. I found it to be more of a kids book, but that's not really the best description. I loved the book, its still one of my favorites, but I'm not sure about turning into a 2 movie story. I'm worried they will add a bunch of stuff to stretch it out.

I always thought Return of the King was the best, most exciting of the three. For me it was The Two Towers that dragged. Specifically the second half of the book concerning Frodo and Sam's journey into Mordor. It was long, depressing and void of almost any action. The last few times I've read the book I skip that part completely. I always thought the two story should have been intertwined, maybe going back in forth every other chapter rather than splitting into two separate stories in the book. Basically tell the story like they did in the movie.

[American Patriot]

You know what.... I am misremembering. Catfish you're correct, it was indeed the SECOND book that dragged. NOT the last one!

I read those books on a trip somewhere, China maybe, or Denmark. I can't remember. Travel is conducive to reading (in my case) because I'm not a go-out-party person, especially if I'm working on a trip. I'll go get food and then go back to the hotel room and read or swim in the pool.

[American Patriot]

'The Hobbit' Needs a New Dwarf


By Sharon Knolle (Subscribe to Sharon Knolle's posts)
Posted Apr 25th 2011 7:00PM
Filed under: Movie News

1700


'The Hobbit' is missing a dwarf!

British actor Rob Kazinsky ('Eastenders'), who was to play a dwarf named Fili, had to leave the production for personal reasons, as director Peter Jackson posted yesterday on his Facebook page.

While that's bad news for Kazinsky's place in geek film history, fortunately there's no real cause for alarm on the set of the 'Lord of the Rings' prequel, as his role was a minor one and not much filming has yet been completed. It's not nearly as big a deal as, say, when the pivotal role of Aragorn had to be recast for 'The Fellowship of the Rings.'

"Rob has been terrific to work with and his enthusiasm and infectious sense of humour will be missed by all of us," Jackson said. "Rob's departure will not affect ongoing filming of 'The Hobbit,' nor will it impact work done to date, as we had yet to film much of Fili's storyline. At the moment we are shooting scenes featuring Bilbo without the Dwarves, which will give us time to find a new Fili."

The role of Fili's brother, Kili, by the way, is being played by Aidan Turner, aka hot Irish vamp Mitchell on the British series 'Being Human.'

Jackson began shooting 'The Hobbit,' which will be released as two separate films, in New Zealand last month. The film stars Martin Freeman as the young Bilbo Baggins and Ian Holm, who'll briefly reprise his 'Rings' role of a much older Bilbo. Andy Serkis, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen and Cate Blanchett will also return as their characters from the trilogy.

Look for the finished films -- in 3D! -- in 2012 and 2013.

[American Patriot]

New The Hobbit Photos

By Rebecca Murray, About.com Guide July 19, 2011

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Peter Jackson recently released his second video diary from the set of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the much-anticipated 2012 film. And hot on the heels of that video diary comes a few more official photos from the first Hobbit film. This batch features Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins and Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf. The studio also released one more photo of a pair of dwarfs: Fili (played by Dean O'Gorman) and Kili (played by Aidan Turner).
For those of you not up on your dwarfs, here's the scoop on Fili and Kili: "Two of the youngest Dwarves, Fili and Kili have been born into the royal line of Durin and raised under the stern guardianship of their uncle, Thorin Oakensheild. Neither has ever travelled far, nor ever seen the fabled Dwarf City of Erebor. For both, the journey to the Lonely Mountain represents adventure and excitement. Skilled fighters, both brothers set off on their adventure armed with the invincible courage of youth, neither being able to imagine the fate which lies before them."

• The Hobbit photo gallery
• Photos of the dwarfs

[American Patriot]

The Hobbit Video Diary 2 and New Dwarf Photo

By Rebecca Murray, About.com Guide July 12, 2011

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Peter Jackson has finally posted his second video diary from the set of The Hobbit (and he promises more are coming). Jackson's finished up the first block of filming (he's divided the production into 3 blocks for a total of 254 days of shooting), and before taking off for a brief break in which he'll be working behind the scenes of the films, he and Andy Serkis ('Gollum'/2nd Unit Director) discussed what's been going on with the shoot. The new video also provides a look at how locations are scouted and how they plot out shots for upcoming scenes.
Jackson and New Line have also revealed the second Dwarf photo, this time featuring Oin (John Callen) and Gloin (Peter Hambleton):

• The Hobbit Video Diary #2 on Peter Jackson's Facebook page
• The Hobbit Oin and Gloin photo

[American Patriot]

Martin Freeman Photo

By Rebecca Murray, About.com Guide
Martin Freeman in the adventure film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
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Martin Freeman
© New Line Cinema and MGM

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Movie Synopsis: The Hobbit follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.
Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever...Gollum.
Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's 'precious' ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities ... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.
Martin Freeman Photo

By Rebecca Murray, About.com Guide
Martin Freeman in the adventure film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
2 of 5

Previous Next

Martin Freeman
© New Line Cinema and MGM

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Movie Synopsis: The Hobbit follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.
Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever...Gollum.
Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's 'precious' ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities ... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

[American Patriot]

And now for the "Dwarves":



http://www.shockya.com/news/wp-conte...panoramic1.jpg

[Malsua]

While playing LOTRO, It's very cool that while you play in Moria, you run into some of these dwarves via session play. Session play is where you relive a piece of history. During the fall of Moria, one battle in particular "We cannot get out" you play the champion Ori, one of the dwarves charged with defending Moria after the death of Balin.

As the episode procedes, you fight your way to the eastern exit only to encounter a Balrog. Nali' and Loni' fight a doomed battle so that you may escape back to the 21st hall and warn what remains of the host.

Upon retreating, you enter the chamber of Mazarbul and Ori records the last entries of the dwarves who attempted to retake Moria into the book of Mazarbul. (This was the book Gimli flips through in the movies)

Soon after, Mazog, a particularly vile orc leads an unstoppable horde and slays all the dwarves that remain.

[American Patriot]

Jul 30 2012 12:30 PM EDT
'The Hobbit' Officially Announced As A Trilogy

Director Peter Jackson confirms rumors that a third movie has been added to his upcoming adaptation of the beloved fantasy novel.

By Josh Wigler (@RoundHoward)






Peter Jackson has embarked on an unexpected journey indeed, as the filmmaker has revealed that his two-part adaptation of "The Hobbit" has now officially added a third movie.


In a message posted on his Facebook account, Jackson confirmed the rumors that a third "Hobbit" movie is indeed in the offing, with Variety's Josh Dickey asserting that the film will hit theaters in summer 2014 — a departure from the planned December 2013 and 2014 releases for the first two "Hobbit" adventures. A more specific release date is not currently known.


Ian McKellen And Andy Serkis Talk Returning To The World Of 'The Hobbit'





"It is only at the end of a shoot that you finally get the chance to sit down and have a look at the film you have made," Jackson wrote of the decision to expand the "Hobbit" adaptation as a trilogy. "We were really pleased with the way the story was coming together, in particular, the strength of the characters and the cast who have brought them to life. All of which gave rise to a simple question: do we take this chance to tell more of the tale? And the answer from our perspective as the filmmakers, and as fans, was an unreserved 'yes.' "


"We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance," he continued. "The richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, allows us to tell the full story of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and the part he played in the sometimes dangerous, but at all times exciting, history of Middle-earth."


The first portion of the "Hobbit" trilogy, titled "An Unexpected Journey," hits theaters on December 14, 2012.
What do you think of Jackson's decision to turn "The Hobbit" into a trilogy? Sound off in the comments section below!
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

• Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" Photo: Warner Bros.
  

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[American Patriot]

First review of The Hobbit: does it fall short?

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Peter Jackson ahead of the premiere of The Hobbit.






By Geoffrey Macnab

Monday December 10 2012



THERE is a sense of sledgehammers being used to crack nuts in the first part of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy. J.R.R. Tolkein’s short 1937 novel, a prequel to The Lord Of The Rings, has been turned into an enormous Wagnerian epic by Jackson and his collaborators.


For all the sound and fury, not a great deal actually happens in this initial episode. The personable home-loving hobbit Bilbo Baggins (very engagingly played by Martin Freeman) is prised out of his country retreat by Gandalf and the 13 Dwarves and signed up to accompany them on their quest to reclaim their lost kingdom of Erebor.


Much has been made of Jackson’s decision to shoot in groundbreaking 3D 48 frames-per-second. This is twice the traditional frame rate and gives uncannily sharp resolution to the filmmaking. The problem is that, at least in the initial sequences set in Bilbo’s home of Bag End (Middle Earth’s equivalent to the Home Counties), the effect is kitsch and alienating. Watching these super clear but super bland images, you yearn for the contrast and graininess in old fashioned 2D [COLOR=#009900 !important]film[/COLOR].



As The Dwarves plunder Bilbo’s larder and Gandalf (Ian McKellen stroking a very long beard) tries to persuade him to join the mission - which isn’t very clearly explained - The Hobbit moves along with a complete lack of voltage.


The Dwarves are characterised vividly enough, there is one early fight sequence in which we see in flashback the Dwarf Lord Thorin (a growling Richard Armitage) fighting against the Orcs that have laid his family’s kingdon to waste but, overall, the pacing is torpid.


It’s only when Bilbo and co. come up against some hungry but dim-witted trolls with a taste for Dwarves’ flesh that the momentum begins to pick up.
Thankfully, Jackson’s flair for action sequences and bold and complex production design hasn’t deserted him. Huge, snarling dogs and a chase sequence involving a wizard played by Sylvester McCoy being pulled by a sledge of super-nimble rabbits add some bite to the storytelling. The Goblin King (Barry Humphries) is obese and repulsive. He presides over a hellish goblin kingdom that rekindles memories of Hieronymous Bosch paintings. Jackson throws in more and more swooping, swirling camera work.


Familiar old faces - Christopher Lee, Cate Blanchett and Ian Holm among them - are seen fleetingly. However, one of the very best scenes in the film pits Bilbo against Gollum (Andy Serkis) in a game of riddles. In this scene, at least, the balance between menace, tension and humour is perfectly struck. This isn’t a film that builds to a natural conclusion.


With two more installments to come, we are only part of the way into the quest and the ending here is strangely abrupt. You’re not quite sure why the film has taken so long - close to three hours - to deliver relatively little in terms of plot development. There is a suspicion that the producers have cut a sandwich into three that could easily have been served up in two slices.


Even so, audiences are bound to eat it up and come back for more. Jackson’s Tolkein adaptations have almost a cult appeal among their devotees while newcomers looking for cinematic spectacle over the Christmas period won’t feel too badly short-changed either
- Geoffrey Macnab

[American Patriot]

Hobbit Week: A Conversation With Andy Serkis, Creator of Gollum

• By Ethan Gilsdorf
• 12.10.12
• 8:00 AM

• Follow @ethanfreak

Andy Serkis, the preeminent motion capture actor working today, and the unmistakable creator of the character Gollum

When I had a chance to interview Andy Serkis last week, I was still in the midst of a nasty cold. So it seemed appropriate to be speaking with the very incarnation of Gollum just as my own voice was sounding a bit Gollum-y. Not that I tried to challenge Serkis to a Gollum-off. He would have beat me hands down. Phlegm down, too.
Serkis is now recognized as an innovating pioneer of performance capture acting. Once called merely “motion capture,” the process on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is now a more sophisticated technique than what was used on The Lord of the Rings a decade ago.
For the Rings trilogy, which was shot on film, Serkis acted his scenes on a separate sound stage and his digital performance was merged with the live action actors in post-production. With Weta Digital’s more robust “performance capture” system used in The Hobbit, Serkis (as Gollum) and Martin Freeman (as Bilbo) performed the “Riddles in the Dark” scene from beginning to end on the same set. Peter Jackson directed both two live actors, and Serkis’s slinky movements were recorded by his special suit’s sensors. Later, a digital character replaced Serkis, and animators enhanced and tweaked the performance data. But much of Gollum’s movements were, in fact, based on Serkis’s entire performance.
“Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that Gollum wasn’t gone.”
With his portrayal of Gollum in Rings, alongside his roles in King Kong, The Adventures of Tintin and Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Serkis has come to define the art of motion capture performance. A stage actor as well, he’s also directed short films, worked in video games, and has founded his own London-based performance capture studio, The Imaginarium.
Another first for Serkis: He served as second unit director on Jackson’s Hobbit movies. The second unit typically shoots crowd scenes, landscapes, helicopter shots, action or fight scenes and other shots (close ups, pick ups) that usually don’t include the main actors. But for The Hobbit, which required 266 days to shoot all three films, the responsibilities of second unit was about as taxing as the main unit on other films.
I spoke with Serkis while he was in New York City, with other cast and crew from The Hobbit, to promote the film.

Serkis: How are you doing? It’s nice since to speak to you.
Gilsdorf: And great to speak with you. I’m a little sick. My apologies if I cough. I’m going to do my best to ask original questions. I imagine this must be interview 17 of 400 today.
Serkis: We’ve started in Wellington for the world premier and have been on he road since. Middle-earth is a universe I know very well.
Gilsdorf: When you finished with the three films of The Lord of the Rings, did you you just assume you would never return to Middle-earth again?
Serkis: I think even back as far as Lord of the Rings, there was always the chance that The Hobbit would be made, even way back then. Of course at that point, Peter Jackson didn’t probably think at that point that he’d be directing it. But somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that Gollum wasn’t gone. That he’d be still be rearing his head at some point. I thought that it might be done. So coming back it was really exciting when I got the call [telling me I'd get the role again].
“Gollum [has been] absorbed into the public consciousness. …For literally the first few takes, it was just like ‘Wow, I’m actually doing an impersonation of other people’s impersonations.’”
But there’s this very strange phenomenon of Gollum being absorbed into the public consciousness as much as he has from The Lord of the Rings. It has been very weird in that a lot of people had asked me to do Gollum’s voice, I did a lot of parodies, Saturday Night Live [and all that]. The strange thing was turning up on the set on the first day to do the “Riddles in the Dark” with Bilbo, which was the first thing to be shot in the movie, for literally the first few takes, it was just like “Wow, I’m actually doing an impersonation of other people’s impersonations.”
Gilsdorf: It’s as if Gollum is now in the public domain. This iconic character that you created is now entirely beyond your control.
Serkis: That’s right. But the great thing was that I got to act opposite Martin Freeman, and the way that Pete wanted to do the scene was to let it play almost like a piece of theater. We spent two weeks doing that scene, really every single take in its entirety. We shot it from lots and lots of different angles, but it gave Martin a chance to investigate the character of Bilbo. And it was a good thing for the crew and for Pete to start off with a known quantity, a lead character to start off on.
Serkis, performing as Gollum, wearing the performance capture suit (Image: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Gilsdorf: Motion capture at its core is the same, is my understanding, but the folks at Weta had improved it greatly since Lord of the Rings. Knowing the technology had gotten better, was there anything specific that affected the way you performed this time around? Perhaps you articulated your face in a new way because it would get picked up the the senors?
Serkis: No, not really. The technology has evolved obviously. One of the things that it has done is that it enables the actual moment of performance capture to happen on a live-action set, at the same time as the live action cameras are filming the live action actors. Whereas before, on The Lord of the Rings, my performance was filmed on 35 millimeter. And then [animators] had to go back and recreate some of that. Sometimes I’d have to go back and repeat the motion capture part of it. … With the evolution of the performance capture technology, now you can shoot on a live action set all in one hit. So you don’t have to go back and repeat anything. The driving of the digital avatar, facially and physically, all happens at the same time. So there’s no disconnect in the acting choices that you make between yourself and the other actors on the set. It’s all caught in the same moment, so it all feels very connected.
Gilsdorf: I recall in the making of The Lord of the Rings, there was a debate between key-frame animators and the motion capture people as to which would create a better Gollum. Now it seems that people are accepting your performance as the basis for what happens, for what we see on the screen.
“It’s all really about the authorship of the role.”
Serkis: That is the significant shift with performance capture as a whole. It’s all really about the authorship of the role. The big step in Lord of the Rings was, here’s an actor playing a role from page 1 to page 120, it’s the script, and you’re on a set and you’re being directed by a director. It’s not a committee decision arrived at by a team of animators… So really the debate of the authorship of the role is being cleared up in that respect. Now the visual effects teams work very strictly to [the performance]. Basically, the director shoots the scene and only when he’s happy with scene with the actors on the set does he then move on. And then when he’s cutting that whole performance together, he doesn’t actually see me [as CG] until eight months down the line. You cut the movie with my performance in place emotionally to get the structure and the pace and the emotional arc of the character and the journey and so on. … So the visual effects teams .. at Weta … have that understanding that it’s the performance of the actor.
Gilsdorf: So they don’t do too much tweaking of the performance, exaggerating, making the facial expressions more cartoonish, etcetera?
Serkis: That is a directorial choice as well. As a director myself, you can enhance a performance but you can’t change the underlying performance. And if you’re not feeling it on the day, if you’re not getting that performance on the day, then no matter how you adjust it or tweak, you’re not going to improve the actual underlying performance.
Yes, as you can with a live action film, you can put a [key light] in someone’s eyes, or stop them blinking, or do all manner of things to a live action performance. The same could be said for performance capture. It’s an aesthetic choice. For instance, in TinTin … there were moments when Steven Spielberg wanted someone to have their mouths open slightly wider, or [change] their expression. But that’s more of an aesthetic choice.
Serkis as the digital Gollum, in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Image: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Gilsdorf: As the preeminent motion capture actor at this point, do you think more and more films will be made this way? As an actor what is the future here? Do you think young actors should obtain special training in performance capture?
Serkis: In essence, it’s learning a skill, for sure, but the core work an actor does is the exactly the same. But it’s like leaning a skill. It’s like having to learn choreography, if you’re trying to dance in a movie, or learning a dialect. There’s certain rules. There’s a certain getting to understand the technology [which is] part of that skill. But in terms of playing the characters it’s exactly the same.
“Performance capture is a tool that young actors will need in the next 10, 20 years. … It’s not going away..”
For instance, back in the UK now, myself and actually my business partner, we have a performance capture studio called The Imaginarium. That’s been up and running for a year. We are training young actors, we have a troupe of young actors, who are just solid actors, who are just learning how, just going through the process, of playing avatars on the screen. We have a development arm for our studio. We have lots of projects which we are making in house… lots of film and video games… Performance capture is a tool that young actors will need in the next 10, 20 years. It’s on the increase, as you say. It’s not going away. People are no longer afraid of it. On the whole, the up and coming actors actually see it as a potential acting tool.
Gilsdorf: On The Hobbit, you made the transition to directing yourself — you directed the second unit for Peter Jackson. How did you learn that? Was there a fair amount of on the job training?
Serkis: I’ve been writing and wanting to direct for a long time. Back before The Lord of the Rings, I started to make short films. Peter was witness to some of those. Then after we made King Kong, I started to direct performance capture for some video games … and then The Imaginarium was starting to form … I was setting up to direct two or three films that were just coming to fruition really when Peter asked me [to accept the new role on The Hobbit]. Obviously, it was an extraordinary opportunity to work on a huge huge film and the second unit on these kind of films is pretty immense. It’s like another main unit. You have scenes with actors, and stunts, as well as aerials, battle sequences, and so on. We shot for 200 days on the second unit… Also, for me, I’d never shot for 3D before, and the new 48 frames per second technology. It that was part and parcel with the education. But Peter and I had a very open relationship. I would set the scenes up, he would give me notes, he would critique.
Peter Jackson, on the Bag End set (Image: Warner Bros. Pictures)

Gilsdorf: Has Peter changed much over the years? Before Lord of the Rings, he was a relatively unknown niche director of Heavenly Creatures and The Frighteners. Then he turned the film industry in New Zealand on its head, and now he’s a megastar in his own right.
Serkis: He has not changed at all. He really hasn’t. I mean, other than the massive experience he’s had making the Lord of the Rings movies. and being a pioneer and pushing forward and doing things like 48 frames per second. He’s such a source of inspiration for me, he really is, as well as being a great friend. He is just such a compassionate and magnanimous director. It’s not in his nature to change in the sense that fame and fortune popped into his life.
“[Peter Jackson] has not changed at all.”
Gilsdorf: What surprised you the most — either as performer or as a director — being involved in The Hobbit?
Serkis: Something that I learned that I didn’t suspect? Before starting the Lord of the Rings trilogy, my direction in life was as a traditional actor. I was building on film after film project, making choices based on single characters, choosing scripts based on whether they were a great script, etcetera. My whole world has expanded in the fact that now I have a performance capture studio and my desire is to tell stories, but not just from a single character’s point of view. That was really reaffirmed on the back of shooting The Hobbit. That was quite a transitional film for me in that respect. I spent the course of a year and a half not acting and concentrating on directing. It was a journey that I think most actors, most active directors, cannot have. It ended up being a watershed jump for me.
Gilsdorf: I was recently introduced to a recording of Tolkien reading The Lord of the Rings, and there’s Tolkien himself doing his impersonation of the Gollum voice. Had you even heard that and did that influence how you played or voiced Gollum?
“All the motivations of the character were really about notions of addiction, the schizophrenic personality, the way his body was racked and tortured by the thing he loved the most.”
Serkis: J.R.R. Tolkien? It didn’t really influence me. I suppose I was coming to Gollum, when I was creating the character from the first time around, with the notion of addict, of Gollum being an addict. Ravaged completely. I needed to have something real, something real to hook on so he wasn’t just this weird, strange creature. All the motivations of the character were really about notions of addiction, the schizophrenic personality, the way his body was racked and tortured by the thing he loved the most… So his voice is bound into his physicality. He was called Gollum because of the way he sounds, so finding that voice was all about the way he carried his pain and anxiety, and guilt over the killing of his cousin. That’s where the voice really emanates from. And from that physicality that came about, to tie the voice to the body. I was inspired by the action of my cat coughing up a fur ball as well.
Gilsdorf: The Hobbit takes place 60 years before The Lord of the Rings. Gollum is 60 years younger. Did you envision playing a different version of the character because of that?
Serkis: I had to forget everything that was facing him in The Lord of the Rings. He’s not being tortured by Sauron. The Sméagol part of his personality is absolutely thrilled to engage with Bilbo because he’s been on his own for the last 400 years in the Misty Mountains. So to have some company is very exciting. It’s just the Gollum side of his personality is really thinking more pragmatically about getting the next meal.
Gilsdorf: One more, a silly question. In the Led Zeppelin song, “Ramble On,” Robert Plant sings, “’twas in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair, but Gollum and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her, her, her, yeah.” What does Robert Plant mean by that? Any idea?
Serkis: I do know that one. I wish I could … I’ve heard of it. But I have had no idea. I suppose he’s taking about “her, her” — the precious?
Gilsdorf: Yeah, probably some reference to some girl. [Then there's long coughing fit] Sorry about that.
Serkis: I hope you feel better.
Gilsdorf: I do too. Thanks so much. It’s been wonderful speaking with you. I wish you all the best on the success of The Hobbit.
Serkis: Thank you very much.

[Malsua]

High Frame Rate is a must see. I will definitely be going on the the weekend before Christmas.

These two cinemas will be showing in HFR in your town Rick.
The Cinemark Carefree & Imax
Cinemark Tinseltown USA & XD