• What type of music will be used?
• Who is doing the soundtrack?
• How will the special effects be done?
• What accents will be used?
• How will the hobbits be made to look smaller when they are on horseback?

Jackson has stated that the musical score will be orchestral and classical sounding, having a "Celtic feel without being Celtic." Early reports indicated that Polish composer Wojciech Kilar, most popular for his work on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, or James Horner, the Oscar®-winning composer of Braveheart and Titanic, were the top contenders for the job of scoring the movies, but more recent news has confirmed that Howard Shore will write the musical scores for all three films in the trilogy.  Shore's filmography as a composer includes The Cell, Se7en, Ed Wood, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Silence of the Lambs, and many other films in a wide variety of genres.  Canadian singer Loreena McKennitt was reportedly contacted about working on the film music as well, but it has also recently been confirmed that she will not be involved with the movies. Jackson has indicated that no pre-existing Lord of the Rings music will be used, so that the soundtrack will be completely new and unique.

Howard Shore IMDB listing

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The general assumption is that any soundtracks released will contain only that music which is used in the actual films, and that most or all of it will be orchestral. There has been speculation that a vocal soundtrack may be released, featuring songs that do not come into play in the movies themselves, but as of yet there is no definite word regarding plans for a soundtrack of this nature.

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WETA Limited, a special effects company owned by Peter Jackson, will be producing all of the visual effects for the films. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy will contain approximately 1200 special effects shots, more than any other film in history. Many of the differences in sizes between major characters will be achieved through the use of special effects, while others will rely on film tricks such as forced perspective. In many cases, two sets are constructed, each with identical objects in different sizes. Gollum, a pivotal character in the story, will be completely computer-generated. In addition, special effects technology will be used to increase the scope of the films as a whole, from epic locales to stunning battle sequences. Advance word indicates that the software developed by WETA specifically for use in the Lord of the Rings films is capable of astounding results. Look for some heavy comparisons between WETA’s work on these movies and the work done by that other special effects company, owned by that other famous director, for those other effects-heavy big-budget films.

Examples:

Click on the image to see a larger version

WETA Limited | LOTR Special Effects Page

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Hobbits will reportedly speak in an English accent, leaning towards a rural West-counties dialect. Indications also point to the fact that Hobbits from different parts of the Shire will have their own distinct way of speaking. Dwarves will use more of a Cockney English accent, while the older characters, such as Gandalf, Theoden, and Denethor, will speak in a formal British manner, using much of the same type of language that Tolkien ascribed to them. Elves will have a slight Irish lilt and will also speak in their native tongue from time to time, and the Men in the movies will speak with an American accent.

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Camera trickery will play a large part in making the hobbits look small in proportion to the horses. For horseback scenes, the hobbit actors will ride either extremely large horses or fake horses. For some shots, the horses will be real, but the hobbits themselves will be fake. When edited together, these shots will look seamless and the hobbits will appear to be appropriately small.

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