Posted on 05/20/2002 7:14:10 AM PDT by maquiladora
The special effects produced by Oscar-winning Weta Workshop in Wellington for The Lord Of The Rings film trilogy was better than anything ever produced before, says a visiting animation expert from Germany.
Sven Pannicke, executive producer of animation at the Animation Institute in Ludwigsburg, said people were stunned by the quality and quantity of computer animation in The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring.
It was on a scale never before seen and unlikely to be matched anywhere else in the world, he said.
"You could realise the same effects wherever you want, but not at this level. It's too much for any other company I know. So I think they are absolutely standalone."
He said the amount of work that went into the special effects for the trilogy, including set and character creation and computer animation, was staggering.
"The feeling of the people behind the work is that they are absolutely involved with their animation in their minds. You have to be crazy to be involved in such a project. I really love this," he said.
Mr Pannicke was in New Zealand for four days last week, participating in an exhibition of German animation at Dowse Art Museum in Lower Hutt, called Animated Film From Germany.
Mr Pannicke said animation, which takes three main forms – character, stop motion and computer animation – is becoming a global phenomenon.
The short animated films running as part of the exhibition showed how animation could appeal to people because many of them did not have speaking characters, he said.
"It is, for me, the most international film-making. It is very concentrated with the story and the emotion ... you have a very, very strong picture and very strong music."
Mr Pannicke toured Weta Workshop to see how animation was done in New Zealand, and on Friday he visited Massey University to look at the work New Zealand students were producing.
So how DID they do the scene with Gandalf and Bilbo inside the front door in Hobbiton?
I understand how most of the rest was done... small character doubles were used if faces were not shown, and the hobbits were either on their knees or on a lower floor if their feet were not going to be shown. I saw a split screen where Bilbo and Gandalf were in the kitchen (the rattling table is the giveaway when Gandalf bumps it) BUT...
In the scene I am Gandalf is standing at the door and Bilbo walks up and takes his hat and staff. You can see his face and his feet for the whole scene, and he is only 3-4 feet tall. It doesn't LOOK split screen. Is it? Anyone know?
Cave troll was great too, as was the Balrog (even though I wasn't too impressed the 1st time I saw it,).
One of the most awe-inspiring moments for me was when the camera swoops around Saruman standing on Orthanc as he calls a storm to form over the mountains. The huge sky filled with broiling clouds....incredible...my jaw hit the floor like a 20lb weight.
I think the Frodo leaping scene was a small double... not sure... gee, will have to watch it again to be sure!
That's interesting... What failed to impress you about the Balrog the first time around? - I thought he was fantastic! - Great huge fiery demon (wing wings!) I felt the heat and fire when he roared. He was exactly what I pictured in my head. What was your vision of him before the movie?
I feel the need to watch it today! It finally started raining, a nice steady rain, good for the fertilizer. I think a bowl of popcorn and a nice blanket on the couch sounds good...after school is done of course!
I came out of the cinema, overjoyed, but when somebody asked me what the Balrog looked like, I couldn't remember.
After seeing it multiple times now, yes, I agree that it is stunning, but yet not jaw dropping.
Well, even though the movie Balrog is just as the description is in the book, I always had a slightly different vision. I imagined it to be gigantic, a huge, towering demonic figure that would fill the screen. I also expected it to look more physical and less vague and shadowy.
I can't wait to see the newly winged Nazgul in the coming movies.
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