On this episode of Hobbit in 5, Production finally begins on the Hobbit, TheOneRing.net launches both it’s Hall of Fire Chats and it’s Special Events Calendar, plus the official blog of the Hobbit goes up! We know the name of the show is “Hobbit in 5” but we let the length of this one slide since it’s our tenth! Thanks for watching and supporting us!
Wellington, NZ, March 21, 2011—Production has commenced in Wellington, New Zealand, on “The Hobbit,” filmmaker Peter Jackson’s two film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s widely read masterpiece.
“The Hobbit” is set in Middle-earth 60 years before Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.”
The two films, with screenplays by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson, will be shot consecutively in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo technology. Filming will take place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.
“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. Continue reading “PRODUCTION BEGINS IN NEW ZEALAND ON THE HOBBIT, PETER JACKSON’S TWO FILM EPIC ADAPTATION OF J.R.R. TOLKIEN’S TIMELESS CLASSIC”
Hollywood technology used to bring Gollum to the screen in the Lord of the Rings blockbusters has been used by scientists to understand how kangaroos bounce. Experts have been puzzled as to how the animals – especially when they become larger – are able to attain high speeds without breaking their bones. But by using motion-capture technology, which records and analyses information from markers stuck on to the body, and infrared lights which illuminate the animals, they have been able to track their motion and force. More..
From the folks at WETA: At Weta Collectibles, we of course follow the developments after the devastating earthquake in New Zealand’s second largest city Christchurch with a lump in our throats.
As a way to contribute and support where we can, we are auctioning three unique items on our eBay page and donating all proceeds to the New Zealand Red Cross Earthquake Appeal:
1. A Bag End Collector’s Edition miniature environment, signed by Peter Jackson
2. A Prancing Pony miniature environment, signed by Richard Taylor
3. A custom Dr Grordbort’s Raygun, signed by Greg Broadmore
Please join in the bidding in confidence that the proceeds will be well spent. Every last cent from these auctions will go straight to the New Zealand Red Cross Earthquake appeal. Find out about other ways to contribute to this appeal by going to their website: www.redcross.org.nz
Ataahua sends this in: Dr Sagar, who has worked on Spiderman 2, King Kong and Avatar, began professional life as an engineering PhD, creating an eye surgery simulator that took him to Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While there he worked in a lab that drew in businessmen looking to use digital technology for movies…Dr Sagar pioneered the use of the facial action coding system in motion capture for digital characters, a system originally devised by psychologist Paul Ekman to identify and classify facial expressions. This system has been credited with capturing the subtlety of emotion in the faces of digital characters in Weta blockbusters King Kong and Avatar, which have been widely acclaimed in the movie world. More..
James Gurney, author of Dinotopia, the best-selling fantasy series, has just written in his blog about some sketches he did for the folks at Weta. Simon Haupt of Weta’s digital creature department, gave a gift to the team: copies of Gurney’s latest book: Color and Light. Mr. Gurney personally sketched each of the copies. After the jump, you can also find some very nice comments made about the Weta team.
James Gurney is the best-selling author of the Dinotopia series, which was described by the Los Angeles Daily News as “…in the tradition of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells and J.R.R. Tolkien… a triumph of the imagination.” His blog, Gurney Journey, is one the five most visited art blogs in the world. His two art books, Imaginative Realism and Color and Light are among amazon’s best-sellers in the category. Mr. Gurney has also painted for the National Geographic Magazine.
