Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. If you’ve fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to catch the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the links to some of our most popular discussions. Watch this space as every weekend we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and join in the fun!
TheOneRing.net is delighted to have Empire movie magazine on board as supporters at our One Expected Party on Oscars Night! For those readers who don’t yet know, British publication Empire is now available in a US edition, downloadable on iPad; and our good friends at Empire currently have a special offer of a three month iPad subscription for only $0.99! Offer expires on Feb 27th – so take this opportunity to get all the latest movie news for a bargain price!
Weta Digital’s Simon Clutterbuck, James Jacobs, Dr. Richard Dorling won Oscars Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013.Most think of film as art form and much is made about those who dazzle at its highest levels, but science has always been a key component to cinema. A group who worked on “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” received early Oscar awards — for science — Sunday night. Those who perform such technical innovation rarely get even a sniff of the spotlight but Simon Clutterbuck, Richard Dorling and James Jacobs were recognized for their work bringing Gollum to life, especially for his skin and movement.
The new tech makes Gollum appear more lifelike in an approach the team calls “Tissue: A Physically-Based Character Simulation Framework.”
“The framework is used to construct and simulate the anatomical components of our digital creatures and characters,” Jacobs, a supervisor for creature special-effects told NBC. (Read the whole article right here.)
Reuters also has a story with details about the Weta Digital winners and others recognized Sunday night.
Congrats to those gentlemen and all of Weta Digital for its mastery of converting Andy Serkis’ performance to screen. TheOneRing.net will celebrate the Oscars, including other nominees for work on The Hobbit, in two weeks featuring on stage Beecake with Billy Boyd. Details to buy tickets are right here.
Software brought Gollum’s skin to life for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” earning it an Oscar for technology and science
We are only two weeks away from the Tolkien weekend event of the year in Hollywood, CA! Both ‘The Unexpected Art Show‘ and ‘The One Expected Party‘ (Tickets are still available!) can only happen with the generous support of our volunteer staff and some very generous sponsors. For the next two weeks we will be sharing with you the stories behind the scenes of the party as well as information about those companies who have decided to lend their financial support behind this unique event.
The Noble Collection is a private held company based in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The Noble Collection has established the premier position in collectibles and movie props. By bringing heightened concept, detailed sculpture and design to each piece, the company has set new standards that have captured the loyalty of collectors, and brought a new generation of enthusiasts into this revered art form.
You are most familiar with The Noble Collection’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit collectibles, but they also create many other quality products from other licenses like Superman, The Dark Knight, Green Lantern, Harry Potter, Avatar and many more. Visit them online at NobleCollection.com.
Besides financially supporting the party, The Noble Collection will be both showcasing their products and then donating those items to be awarded to fans at the end of the evening. Attendees will have the chance to walk away with some marvelous items from The Hobbit.
This week, Vanity fair is looking at Oscar nominated films in a recurring feature called “Sketch to Still.” The series focuses on the creative process of making movies. This week they are talking to Oscar nominee Peter Swords King about his work in makeup and hair design for Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit movies.
The dwarves’ look is also influenced by their lifestyle. “They drink a lot—their manners are really bad at the table. Any person who’s drunk all their lives, their nose is going to get quite red. All they do is eat meat. It’s not a very good diet. They live outside, so they’re beaten, battered, and bruised,” says King.Once the sketches were perfected, the filmmakers began casting. At this point, the hair-and-makeup team fit the actors for wigs, as well as prosthetics.
