Replies

Dump Question - - Your Post #505 of the picture of the fellowship traveling single file across country reminded me of one of the visual effects that really WOWed me, the filming of the Hobbits/Gimli smaller than the rest of the fellowship in the same frame. I know that sometimes the special effects have to film a scene twice if an actor is playing a double role, but did PJ have to film everything with hobbits and dwarves twice to get that effect.

BTW, thanks for pinging me, I have had some trouble keeping up with where you are posting. I got a ping from the New Hobbit Hole today too, so thought maybe the thread had changed again.

Many thanks to all of your "Posters", I love readying you insightful comments--just great for those of us that have only read it recently. I love lurking here! Thanks ALL

Some of the shots like the one above (which is actually a cut scene... not in the film) used children as doubles... others had the hobbits on their knees or had the tall actors raised up on platforms (for shots that didn't show feet). Some, of course, were pure magic!

As for shooting everything twice... some of it, yes. They built two complete replicas of Bag End. One "actual size" where Gandalf appears to be very tall in a house built for hobbits. The other Bag End was built over scale... so that Bilbo and Frodo would seem at home in the hobbit sized environment. The two were blended so seamlessly that no one would ever dream of how difficult it really was.

McKellan said in an interview... [paraphrasing] "there is a scene where I appear to be standing in the doorway at Bag End and Bilbo walks up and takes my hat. He is only 3 feet tall. I don't know how they did that!"