  Legendary sword master, Bob Anderson, dies
Bob Anderson was a behind-the-scenes name little known to many fans but who had a tremendous impact not only on the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, but on cinema itself. Anderson’s many credits include: Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Princess Bride, Highlander and much more. [Read obit from AP] From thelordoftherings.net: “Bob Anderson, the world’s top sword master who has consulted on such films as Star Wars and trained the legendary Errol Flynn, was also brought in to train the actors in different fencing techniques. An expert in medieval arms, Anderson read the novel and then developed sparring methods based on Tolkien’s descriptions of each culture.” The story of Anderson’s career and background was captured in the documentary, “Reclaiming the Blade.” According to director Daniel McNicoll, Anderson once told him, “You know I don’t feel like I found the sword, I feel like the sword found me.” [Watch 'Reclaiming the Blade' on Netflix] MrCere talks NZ, Weta, Hobbit, trailer on SUVUDUSohaib Awan from the radio show Fictional Frontiers also does a segment on SUVUDU that focuses on fantasy and science fiction books, movies and comics. He spoke with our own MrCere this week about his trip to New Zealand including Weta Workshop and Richard Taylor. They talk Hobbit of course, Hobbit trailer insights and a lot about travel possibilities for anybody. Listen to the segment right here.  Discuss »More about Hobbit Movie, Hobbit Movie FAQ, MrCere in New Zealand, New Zealand, Richard Taylor, Tours, WETA Cave, WETA Workshop FOTR 10th Anniversary Exclusive: An interview with Plan 910 years have passed since the release of the first of the films in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and fans will surely recall Frodo’s “chicken dance” at Bilbo’s Birthday party, Merry and Pippin singing in the Green Dragon Inn, Frodo and Sam watching the Wood-elves leaving Middle-earth, and Éowyn singing a dirge at the burial of her cousin Théodred. The songs and the music for all these scenes, termed “diegetic” or “cultural” music, were composed and performed by Plan 9 (consisting of David Donaldson, Stephen Roche, and Janet Roddick) together with David Long, who also collaborated with them on certain aspects of the sound design for the Dead Marshes, the Ents, and the One Ring. In celebration of the The Fellowship of the Ring’s 10th Anniversary, TheOneRing.net brings you an exclusive interview with Plan 9.  "The Elvish Impersonators" (from L to R: David Long, Steve Roche, Janet Roddick, David Donaldson) working on The Lord of the Rings in December 2002 Join us as we talk to them about how they came on board Peter Jackson’s crew working on the three films, and how they approached composing, performing, and selecting instruments that would lend credibility to the fictional cultures that inhabited Tolkien’s Middle-earth. All this, and also some talk of their as-yet-unreleased music for the films. Weta Cave big part of movie tourism in WellingtonOur story so far: Peter Jackson made three Middle-earth movies and people loved them. Now he is making two more and people already love them too. MrCere, Senior Staff, Writer and Photographer at TheOneRing.net (around since 1999) went to NZ to see what he could see. Landed in Queenstown, found lots of LOTR stuff, drove north to see the people of the ring, visited Hobbiton visited Wellington, center of NZ’s cinematic empire, and will soon leave NZ. However, much more content will follow.
My time in Wellington would need to include a visit of some kind with the very busy people who are working on The Hobbit, but as I have often joked (even though it is at least partially true) Weta’s second best talent is making special effects for movies. What they are really best at is keeping secrets from TheOneRing.net. I had no illusions that anybody was going to tour me around the workshop (I asked anyway, just in case) during the height of The Hobbit production, but they were kind enough to invite me along to a group they were hosting from a cruise ship that included one of our own message board members. (Her identity is her own to reveal.) Ares Games releases War of the Ring™ Second Edition
The epic board game inspired by Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” is back! Publisher Ares Games announces the release of War of the Ring Second Edition, featuring several changes from the previous edition, principally a new graphic design, larger Tarot-size cards and revised rules. The English edition is now shipping to distributors and will reach the stores in North America in mid December. The first edition was published in September 2004 by Nexus Editrice and the game has been acclaimed as one of the best thematic games of all times, winning several awards. In August 2011, Ares Games announced the acquisition of publishing rights from Sophisticated Games, as well as the upcoming revised edition. Created by the Italian game designers Roberto Di Meglio, Francesco Nepitello and Marco Maggi, the strategy board game “War of the Ring” allows players to immerse themselves in J.R.R.Tolkien’s classic story, leading the Fellowship in its quest and the armies of the Free Peoples against the assault of the dreadful minions and armies of the Dark Lord, Sauron. The original illustrations were created by John Howe, one of the world’s foremost Tolkien illustrators. Wellington is a whirlwind, smells like HobbitOur story so far: Peter Jackson made three Middle-earth movies and people loved them. Now he is making two more and people already love them too. MrCere, Senior Staff, writer and photographer at TheOneRing.net (around since 1999) went to NZ to see what he could see. Landed in Queenstown, found lots of LOTR stuff, drove north to see the people of the ring, visited Hobbiton set and now is in Wellington, center of NZ’s cinematic empire. WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND — I thought, and it makes me chuckle now, that when I landed in Wellington I would finally be based in one place long enough to really crank out some copy. Ha! Instead, Wellington has been a whirlwind but that is a great thing, not a bad thing. I often contemplate cancelling one of the events here so I can spend hours writing and posting photos but I haven’t cancelled anything yet and each time I go to do something, I find that I am very glad to have been along. Some of those events have tourism ties and then end up having direct ties to things here at TheOneRing, even when I think they will not. Other things, like spending the day with the kids at Weta, are directly tied in. None of them so far have been worth sacrificing and time is running out fast. But stories I have in some stage of ready: Andy Serkis Says Hobbit Trailer To Hit “Around Christmas”
Besides reprising his role as Gollum, Serkis has also taken up duties as Second Unit Director on the films, concerning which he says:
Andy also spoke a bit about shooting in 5K at 48 fps. To read the entire interview, head over to IGN. So which December film will have The Hobbit trailer playing in front of it? Join the speculation on our boards. Discuss »More about Andy Serkis, Characters, Crew News, Headlines, Hobbit Movie, Production, The Hobbit Peter & Fran Spotted in Queenstown
From skyline.co.nz: Reputed to be the steepest lift in the Southern Hemisphere, the gondola carries visitors high above Queenstown to the Skyline complex located on Bob’s Peak. Situated an easy five minute walk from central Queenstown, the gondola is an all weather tourist attraction in its own right. Sit back and relax as the views from the gondola unfold while you journey to the Skyline complex. The best vistas in the region are found here, spread out in a spectacular 220 degree panorama. Numerous observation decks around the complex offer breathtaking views of Coronet Peak & The Remarkables, over Queenstown and across Lake Wakatipu to Cecil and Walter Peaks. Truly magnificent and awe-inspiring. Cast, Crew of Hobbit Films Fly InFrom Otago Daily Times: Hundreds The spokesman said he had not known the large group was coming until a couple of days ago. A Dunedin man said he spotted English actor Martin Freeman, who played Tim in the TV comedy The Office, in Centre City New World yesterday. Freeman plays Bilbo Baggins in the Hobbit films. Filming locations for the two-film series are closely guarded, but include areas around Queenstown, Middlemarch, and possibly Mosgiel. more… Did you miss ‘Hobbit’ production diary #4? We didn’tTwitter shows a pretty steady stream of people just discovering Peter Jackson‘s Production Diary #4, originating from his own Facebook page, feeling like they have just found gold. And maybe they have with a good discussion of 3D, a tour of the cameras and rigs being used to achieve the effect and a good collection of bits of The Hobbit films. We also continue to get spy reports letting us know the video was posted. We definitely appreciate every single spy report that comes in and is the lifeblood of TheOneRing.net, but yes, we did know about the video. There are also plenty of websites still announcing the 11-minute bonanza as if it has just arrived. These clues lead us to suspect that not everybody in the world reads TheOneRing.net every day for Hobbit news (yes, we were shocked too) and not everybody has friended Peter Jackson on Facebook (it just seems like it). Anyhow, there it is above, production diary #4. While we are at it, numbers one, two and three are also available after the break. Enjoy and remember: checking TORn daily is recommended by four out of five dentists or something. Review: The Art of the Adventures of Tintin
However, those who are anticipating Belgian writer and cartoonist Hergé’s collection of grand adventure stories put on screen can content themselves with The Art of The Adventures of Tintin book from special effects studio Weta and HarperCollins. UPDATE – Drone Camera being used for The HobbitWhen you think of The Lord of the Rings films, you can’t help but remember the sweeping landscape shots – filmed using expert coordination of helicopters across the rugged New Zealand landscape. Well, now, thanks to some new technology, Peter Jackson is saving some fuel by dumping the helicopter and using a newly developed ‘drone’ camera setup. Called the OM-Copter, the eight-blade device allows for smooth and stable flight. Thanks to Ringer Kookie for sending us a link to Geek.com where you can learn all about this new tech! [Read More] UPDATE We’ve received word from Peter and his crew that this story is FALSE. This equipment is not being used on the production of The Hobbit. This site is maintained and updated by fans of The Lord of the Rings, and is in no way affiliated with Tolkien Enterprises or the Tolkien Estate. We in no way claim the artwork displayed to be our own. Copyrights and trademarks for the books, films, articles, and other promotional materials are held by their respective owners and their use is allowed under the fair use clause of the Copyright Law. Design and original photography however are copyright © 1999-2011 TheOneRing.net. Binary hosting provided by Nexcess.net.
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