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February 15, 2000 - February 21, 2000

2-21-00

Conversation with a Rohan Warrior!
Xoanon @ 12:29 EST
Super Ringert Spy Xtem was lucky enough to 'interview' an extra who is playing a Rohan Warrior. The warriors, as we know, have started filming at Helms Deep last week, and this week more action will involve them. To protect our 'interviewee' we have had to clip a few words or phrases here and there, enjoy!
Xtem : So hows the filming

RW : wet - damned rain machine....

Xtem : yeah, heard about that. Rained in your parade

RW : well it rained - that is all there is to tell - oh and we ot very wet and cold in the process - not much fun

Xtem : so they didn't give you like waterproof gear under the armour or whatever you wore?

RW : nope - raincoats for over when not filming but that is it.

Xtem : ooo that's loopy. So what did you generally do? Charging moves or what?

RW : stand there mainly - not much movement at all

Xtem : real? So so far the film captured is just basically a bunch of Rohan warriors just standing in the rain? What did they tell you to do? Look mean? Look like your expecting anything?

RW : oh yes there was all that sort of stuff tied in with the action that is supposed to be going on

Xtem : what sort of stuff ?

RW : there is a lot of waiting around with nothing to do - but the food is great and some of the girls in weta are really nice :O)

Xtem :ohhh really? How far from the camera?

RW : I don't know

Xtem : I'll be on the look-out for ya in Two Towers, anything stand out?been on set with the hobbits or
anything?

RW : no - they are not in this

Xtem : oh ok. cos I got info that 2 of them should be at the set starting Monday and Liv Tyler - and Gandalf apparently have already been doing some work there

RW : I haven't heard anything about that.

Xtem: What else have you been doing?

RW : well we have been tested for fight scenes but the stunt guys have done them all so far - to be fair the rohan havent been filmed fighting yet so wait and see

Xtem : tested? in what way?

RW : just sorted into foreground and background level skills

Xtem : what are the hours like?

RW : 6 to 6 usualy

Xtem : wow ... so all night? Right.... so how much longer do you think filming will carry on for that you need to be there for? initially didn't you say 5 weeks?

RW : not sure - still counting on that.

Xtem : righty so what are you doing up at this time...shouldn't you be getting your rest?

RW : i dont know if they need me tomorrow

Xtem : I know someone who did the swords for the Elves...are yours the same...they have like a golden leaf imprint or something?

RW : nope - very different

Xtem : let me guess....very cumbersome and not as "pretty" as the elven stuff? have you seen the elven stuff? have you been on set with any other "tribes"?

RW : the elven stuff is great - no not cumbersome - all the gear is pretty good and comfortable

Xtem : yeah, but like it's not dainty is it

RW : not really - pretty lethal looking

Xtem : yeah, thought so...cool....heavy? (wonders if I need to start working out.... :o)

RW : work on your back and abdominal muscles - you will prob be standing up for a long time and that is what starts to feel it

Xtem : Any tips for any hopefull future extras when they are on the set?

RW : yes - bring a sence of humour - the jokes get pretty bad

Xtem : what kind of "bad"?

RW : droll - the rohan on the first night went thru every quote from monty pythons holy grail

Xtem : ha ha ha....that's good....I'd like that....muahaha...."my favourite colour is blue....no wait...it's yellow....aaaaaaaa"

RW : yes - and the horse jokes - i think i will type up all the rohan puns i came up with and hand them out at the set :O)

Xtem : ha ha ha....then someone from managament or whatever you call it comes along and confiscates it cos they think your trying to incite a rebelion or something

RW : oh they think that already - the urak hai are all pretty dodgy :)

Xtem : uruk hai? are they there already? ohhh man, I want to see this....what are they generally...Samoans?

RW : everything - even some women - it dosent matter once u get the costume on

Xtem : oh ... really...so it's masks and everything

RW : they are great costumes

Xtem : I'm sure they are....wish I could see them

RW : no doubt you will at some point

Xtem : yeah I guess

RW : not sure what the other human outfits are like - cant help u there

Xtem : what are the other humans again? appart from Rohan

RW : easterlings , gondorian - i dont know what others are in the story but there are plenty - dunlendings, variags, rural men, corsairs, beornings etc

Xtem : oh ok...didn't think that Easterlings were men...which means at least I can still show my ugly mug on telly eh?...unless they censor it! mauahahaa

RW : who knows

Xtem : so anything else you've failed to tell me ?

RW : plenty - but confidentiality you know.....

Xtem : ahhh yes...that damnable thing

RW : its cool - keeps things interesting for those not involved

What they've been filming at Helms Deep lately
Xoanon @ 12:06 EST
If you haven't noticed, Helms Deep is currently the centre of all the action. My contacts tell me this set will be used for weeks more, and it'll be the centre of most of the action in the movie as well. Ringer Spy Blinky fills us in on what they've been filming for the past couple of days.

Looks like they are now filming up at the top of the hill, where there appears to be a turret of some kind. The bottom of the hill, where there is the exterior of the castle, with a entrance/drawbridge thing is no longer being lit.

2-20-00

Want to ask PJ a question?
Xoanon @ 14:13 EST
The good folks at New Line Cinema have a great chance for you to ask PJ any questions you want! Read on!

I would like to invite your site to be a member of an exclusive ring for our Peter Jackson Q&A. I would like to ask you to poll your visitors and to submit (2) questions for this first Q&A.

You have the opportunity to ask your visitors to submit their favorite questions for the Q&A using polling to determine the most popular questions.

Because I am extending this invitation to 10 major fan sites I can only take (2) questions for this first chat. I will continue this chat/interview series with Peter throughout production, so there will be many more opportunities for your community to join in.

When Peter answers each question, he will acknowledge TheOneRing.net and the person who asked the question.

We will supply you with the transcribed answers to the answers submitted from your site. We will create an audio recording of Peter Jackson's answers, and ask that you link to the page on the official site where visitors can access the full Q&A through streaming audio.

So send in your questions now! we will post the best ones and get 10 to poll and narrow it down to 2!

CLICK HERE TO ASK PJ A QUESTION!!!

Sil FINALLY Released in Brazil
Xoanon @ 12:29 EST
Tolkien Lecture in Brazil

- Mongvar

Brazil, Sao Paulo city, last month. At 6:30 started at Martins Fontes bookshop the biggest Tolkien event of the last year in Brazil. The

Silmarillion was finally translated and released in the country, and the publisher Martins Fontes decided to make a kind of release party. The place was used at first for all brazilian Tolkien fans meet each other, and it ended in a great convention, with people making many friendships. And at last, but not least, we had the presence of Ronald Eduard Kyrmse.

Ronald is one of the most important Tolkien experts in Brazil. A member of Tolkien Society and it's linguistic group Quendili, Ronald has read almost all released Tolkien books, and just finished reading the History of Middle-Earth Series. He did a very excellent lecture, where he told us about Tolkien's life, and how it influenced his works, and also told how

Tolkien spent his whole life writing The Silmarillion; at the same time he knew he wouldn't never finish the books.

After a long and very nice lecture, Ronald answered the questions from the Tolkiens fans there, a kind of a Q&A, where he proved he was really a Tolkien expert, signing in elvish the books of people who asked him.

A great night for brazilian Tolkien fans, and those who missed it, missed a lot!

Neat functionality...
Calisuri @ 12:16 EST
Ringer Amargasaur just chimed in:

"The map the top of the official site allows you to zoom in and out on it by right clicking and selecting zoom." (On macs hold down the 'control' key)

Just a neat bit of info. Check it out. [ official site ]

2-19-00

More Real Audio Files!!!
Calisuri @ 12:38 EST
Super Spy Aiglos found this bit of news!! We now know that there are two other real audio files.

The first is basically the same as the "live from the set" on the site now.

However, the third is VERY interesting indeed! It is a report from the interior filming at Bag End. Here is an excerpt:

"One that is really tiny, so that when actor Ian McKellen, who plays Gandalf walks inside, he appears to be the height of 8 feet tall, that Gandalf is in the story..."

"Then we have a full scale sized Bag End where the hobbits..(Naming cast)..when they walk in, it appears to be a normal environment."

"Eventually these two images will be merged so that you won't be able to tell that Gandalf and the hobbits where in different environments."

Wow! Check it out here: [ listen ]

Computer Jiggery Pokery
Xoanon @ 11:42 EST
Ringer Spy Dave snot here (don't you love that name?) sent me this computer image, from the official site, all 'fixed up' to get the lines out.

Thanks Dave!

Hidden Images!
Calisuri @ 10:47 EST
So I woke up this morning and ran into Julius (from Dutch affiliate Midden Aarde) in Barlimans. We decided we would look around the official site a bit more, and look what we found! Most of these images are used in the site already, but in a cropped or maniuplated form.

Check them out:



Caught These?
Xoanon @ 00:18 EST
The new New Line site is not 30 minutes old and a super spy contact has gotten me these, apparently they are available online yet we have not seen them yet! enjoy!







Why do they look this way you ask? It's basically the style of the website, if you've noticed, these will probably be in roation right under the front page logo sometime soon. But you caught them here first!

2-18-00

New Official Site Up!
Xoanon @ 23:41 EST
The Official New Line Cinema Site is up! You can now check it out for great stuff! More to come!

Click here to view the new site!

An Epic Tale:

The site is divided into 6 main sections, the first 'An Epic Tale' allows you to sign up for a mailing list where you can be informed on all the latest New Line Cinema news:

In 1997, The Lord of the Rings trilogy was voted Book of the Century. Now the world is about to experience this groundbreaking tale of good and evil brought to life.

This long-awaited screen presentation of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy will be shot exclusively in New Zealand over a period of 18 months, with post-production adding yet another year and a half. At three years in the making, this will be the largest production ever to be mounted in the Southern Hemisphere.

Written by Oscar-nominated screenwriters Peter Jackson & Fran Walsh, with Philippa Boyens and Stephen Sinclair, this technically challenging production will assemble an international cast, utilize over 20,000 days of extras, employ a full crew of over 300 (including award-winning, high-profile technicians from both within and outside of New Zealand), and will feature 1,200 state-of-the-art computer generated effects shots.

Peter Jackson's Wellington-based production company, Wingnut Films Limited, together with the special effects company WETA Limited, have been involved in developing and designing this realization of the Tolkien classic for more than two years. During this time a stunning array of miniatures, creatures, prosthetic effects and armor have been created to bring the grandeur and spectacle of Tolkien's richly evocative Middle-earth to life on the screen.

WETA Limited, New Zealand's leading Special Effects house, continues to focus all of its efforts on this one project. Dedicated to meeting the exacting visual and technical requirements of Director Peter Jackson, WETA Digital is developing its own proprietary programs and using state-of-the-art motion control, blue screen and forced perspective techniques to achieve his vision. The people and creatures who populate Middle-earth, as well as their homes, cities (and lairs) are being conceptualized by WETA Workshop with the guidance of Alan Lee and John Howe. Alan & John are internationally recognized Tolkien artists.

New Zealand is Middle-earth. Geologically a young country, New Zealand is a wild mix of diverse terrain, which brings with it a sense of grandeur and antiquity. Peter Jackson will use the peace and tranquility of New Zealand's rolling pastoral farmland, the rugged beauty of the North Island's volcanic plateaus, and the majesty of the South Island's snow capped Southern Alps to bring the screen his interpretation of how Britain, Tolkien's Middle-earth, might have looked 7,000 years ago.

Since the public announcement by New Line Cinema in August of 1998, international interest in this project has been overwhelming. Internet sites devoted to the trilogy have attracted a record number of hits and thousands of approaches have been received by the production company from people wanting to be involved in the project both behind and in front of the camera.

The second section 'Ask the Director' let's you the fans ask PJ some questions he man answer! (more news on this comming soon!)

Making The Lord of the Rings Trilogy will require 16 months of filming, using the same actors and crew on location in New Zealand.

We will solicit questions from Lord of the Rings fans around the globe here on the official site, as well as through the legions of devoted fan sites. From the questions you submit below, we will select 20 of the most intriguing and give you the opportunity to vote for the top 5. In addition, selected fan sites will be asked to submit two question from their members.

This is your chance to ask Director Peter Jackson about this historic production. These questions will then be posed to Peter Jackson during a live event which you won't want to miss. We'll notify you by e-mail when it's time to vote!

The 3rd section 'The Trilogy Browser' is a link to their download of the browser for LOTR:

Transform your browser into The Shire! With a custom look and function, the official Lord of the Rings Trilogy browser lets you dive deeper into Middle-earth. Custom skins will allow you to change the appearance as often as you like, from Moria to Mathom

The 4th section 'Fans' is all about you guys, the fans!

When J.R.R. Tolkien released The Fellowship of the Ring in 1954, the world responded to its universal themes and fantastical storytelling with the kind of adoration that elevated its creator to a stature nearly as iconic as that of his characters. Tolkien followed with two more volumes, and the Trilogy soon garnered an overwhelmingly devoted world-wide audience rarely encountered with a work of fiction. If Tolkien only knew how the Web would unite the Trilogy's following.

Today, the enormous ring of Trilogy fan sites that keep the flame burning is astoundingly active. As this Official Site reveals the development of the Trilogy films, we encourage exploration of and commentary on those developments on your own sites. We hope to create a gathering place for all the Web's disparate Trilogy communities, highlighting works, commentary, and voices from those sites right here on our own. We extend a hand to all Trilogy sites to come along on this very special journey and consider yourselves an important part of this latest adventure.

We look forward to incorporating selected highlights from the fan community as we expand our site.

The last section 'Communities' is a link to the Neoplanets Official LOTR Club that has been up and around for a while.

But it's the last section 'Live on Set' that really interesting. It features a person live on the set, walking around with a recorder, telling us what's going on that day! Very interesting!

News From Helms Deep
Xoanon @ 12:10 EST
Super Ringer Spy Galadriel scoops us in on some cool factoids about what's been going on on the Helms Deep set:

The Helms Deep set is still full of action. This week the extras playing the Riders of Rohan have arrived, yet no horses have been on the set. Just spearmen and archers.

Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) and Liv Tyler (Arwen) are the only star names on the set, yet they to have not been on the set all week, only their stuntmen.

John Rhys-Davies (Gimli) and Orlando Bloom (Legolas) are sheduled to arrive on set on Monday.

I will get more for you soon

-Galadriel

2-17-00

Yes, More Helms :)
Xoanon @ 21:09 EST
Fellow Ring Master Jonny from www.therealmofthering.cjb.net sends in these small pics from Helms Deep, I've placed them all together into a nice single 'collage' :)


Click on the image to enlarge in our Scrapbook

Eyes on Stalks picked up that.....
Tehanu @ 14:23 EST
Gambolling around Mordor didn't stop me from finding out some snippets of news. The DoC staff at one of the huts I stayed at said that some LOTR filming had already taken place over by the Tukino skifield (no no, don't imagine the Riders of Rohan on snowboards please, it's midsummer here! Though people I talked to who'd been on the summit of Ruapehu above Tukino got snowed on briefly the day before) and DoC had denied them permission to bring in horses, helicopters etc. so they had to do without, presumably. I suspect that although the area I was hiking through was as Mordor-like as you could possibly want, there's no way that DoC would let a film crew anywhere near it unless they were prepared to get there the way we did, on foot.
My miraculous periscope-like vision also detected some other unrelated factoids: It looks like Rosie's role in the films will be a little larger than in the books, perhaps so that there is more sense of her and Sam's relationship before he leaves the Shire.

2-16-00

New Set Pics thanks to Scoop
Xoanon @ 08:58 EST
The good folks at Scoop have sent us these great pics from Helms Deep!


Click on the above images to enlarge

2-15-00

It's Raining...alot
Xoanon @ 13:40 EST
From: Binky

Every morning I drive to work past the Helm's Deep set. It's usually around 5.30am, when it's still dark and they're still filming so I usually sneak a bit of a glance up at the set to see what's happening... The castle area is pretty easily viewed from the road.

This morning (Wednesday 16th) I thought they wouldn't be doing anything as it rained as in RAINED last night in the Hutt area. The heavens opened up about 1.30am and bucketed down and hasn't stopped (although it's now lighter). I drove past at about 5.40am, glanced up to my right and...there's a giant rig spouting tons of water down onto the set in a pretty close facsimilie to heavy rain...

Xoanon here,

If you're wondering why they're making it fake rain when it's really raining, well that's simple, real rain doesn't show up on camera.

What are they using in those 'fake rain makers?' it's water alright (if I'm wrong, someone tell me, never had any real physical SFX training) there is simply more of it. These 'fake rainmakers' look like scaffolding, and for all intents and purposes, it is, water is pumped through and you can make it rain alot, or make a simple drizzle. Filmmakers don't wait for real rain to film any scenes (unless they're broke like me) they make it happen. Chances are 99.99% of the 'real' rain you see in movies is fake...:)

Media Watch: The Evening Post
Xoanon @ 13:31 EST

Click on the image to enlarge

Thanks to Nobody for the tip!


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