Ringer Spy The Jazza sends in great pics from the Edoras set.
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Category: Old Spy Reports
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From: Howdy
I know people working on the set of lotr. A couple of months back they were given an embroidered commemorative vest, with the logo on the front, and “133 days” and a ring on the back – to signify reaching the halfway point of principle photography.
Since then rumors have gone around the staff of one of the vests showing up online for sale and going for over $1500.
I’ve seen the item in question, and I know they exist in limited numbers (unlike the lotr T-shirts given the extras working on helms deep).
A lot of the cast and crew are getting lotr stuff autographed, there will be a lot of it showing up when the movies debut undoubtedly. Most of the stars are nice folk and very approachable.
Super Ringer Spy JVC and his boss/head cook Ciggy have once again come up with the goods!
Xoanon-Man,
I’ve got 2 pics for you to ponder over, the first is the group of Nazgul chasing someone on a white horse. The other is a single Dark Rider reaching for you! It’s darn scary if you ask me!
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Ringer Spy 436×800 sends in the latest from an undisclosed company that New Line is trying to court to get merchandising contracts. Read on:
Some representatives from New Line gave a group from my company a presentation on their new property. This happens here all the time, and I’m very used to the wisecracking, schmoozing style and tone of pitches we get from studio people. This was genuinely different. These people were passionate. They had been to the set, seen about a half hour of footage, and were ENTHUSIASTIC. They really seem to feel they’re part of something special. Imagine being in on the ground floor of Star Wars. That’s how they look…
They began with the 6-minute trailer, which was very warmly recieved by us.
They had put up 6 largish (maybe 18″ by 27″) photographs of scenes from the film, which was nice because I could really study them. Some I had seen (4 hobbits hiding in a hollow of roots/foliage, the orc in profile from the 2-minute trailer), some not (a beautiful shot of the fellowship in line walking past beautiful autumnal trees, ringwraiths riding down a night road), but all of them were great, staggering. Up-close, that orc makeup is really something. The teeth were really nasty, jagged things, and the skin has a papery, mottled texture. Beautifully detailed. On the topic of orcs, there were some terrific shots in the trailer that really are more impressive than what made it into the 2-minute version. One had an orc in warpaint, it made my jaw drop, because it looked so ‘right.’ EVERYTHING DID!!!
Then they had a well-done powerpoint presentation that showed a lot of slides, including multiple views of pretty much everyone except Galadriel, Gollum, Treebeard, and Sauron.
They brought 2 kinds of leave-behind materials. One was a large 11″ by 17″ booklet, with gatefold cover and beautiful big reproductions of 5 or 6 of the original 9 production images from the official site. Seeing them in better resolution made me hanker for the LOTR art book that seems like an inevitability. The other was supercool, a little leatherbound journal with the LOTR movies logo worked into the cover and a little leather strap to bind it.
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We know that Cate Blanchett (Galadriel) is in New Zealand, and thanks to Mr. Tadpole we know she’s been on set recently:
Filming is occurring at Fernside Lodge, a large homestead about 4km out of Featherston. It’s a stunning location, absolutely gorgeous, that people often hire out for big fancy weddings. Click on the ‘Gardens’ link to get an idea of the scenery they’re shooting in, particuarly the Fern Gardens.
Xoanon here: Judging from the beauty and look of this location, add to it the rumors about seeing Craig Parker (Haldir) on the set as well, it only seems right that the set is Lothlorien, home to Galadriel and the Elves.
Fernside Lodge Gardens
Between February and May this year, the Hutt Hobbit and his friend Salome were regular observers of the filming at Helm’s Deep. Today he tells us how it all began:
“My first real sight of Helm’s Deep was one dark stormy night as I was driving home in my Hobbitmobile. There in the distance I could see flashes of green light, like lightning. This light seemed to be coming from Hayward’s Hill. Lightning from a hill? This could not be! As I got closer, I saw the flashes were coming rom Dry Creek Quarry, at the base of the hill. There in the quarry a movie set had been built. My curiosity was aroused.
A few nights later I rang Salome on the Hobbitphone. “There are strange and unusual sights at Helm’s Deep” I said. She jumped on her horse and rode off to the Quarry. I ran as fast as my little Hobbit legs would let me to meet her.
At the Quarry we put our plan into action. Salome distracted the guards by doing her famous ‘Dance of the 7 Veils’, while I made myself comfortable, put my feet up, ate a Big Mac and spied on the action.
At the top of a long sloping walkway there was a castle front. The door was shut, and at the top of the set some crew were standing. At the base of the castle wall more crew members were standing around. Smoke was drifting about, and crew members were running about making last minute checks.
“Action,” I heard.
Up the slope there marched an Army of Orcs, dressed in large padded black armour. Their faces were obscured by their helmets, but I know an Orc when I see one! Some had long ‘dreadlocks’ hanging down their backs.They were carrying strange looking weapons – what appeared to be swords with large ‘hooks’ at the end. Above their heads they carried long shields. This was to protect them from the projectiles being thrown down at them from the special-effects crew at the top of the castle! They marched to the castle door. “Cut” yelled the director.
The Orc extras took a break. Some took their helmets off, and I got a good look at their armour: Black ‘leather’-like breastplates and shoulder pads. Full length arm coverings. A large flap hung down from the breastplate, half way to the knees. The helmets had a crest running sideways across the top. The legs had similar armour to the arms. LOTR crew walked amongst the extras, making adjustments to costumes. The castle walls were sprayed with water, and the extras got back in position. The lights were dimmed, smoke was pumped out, cameras started rolling, and the orcs marched again!
By this time several cars had gathered in the carpark, and excited humans were pointing at the set at talking happily. Binoculars were being trained on the set. Inquisitive creatures, these humans.
I decided to leave, before one of the humans spotted me, and anyway, it was time for KFC. I gave the Salome the secret sign. She released the poor guards from the spell she had them under, and we faded into the shadows, leaving no trace of our night’s activities.