Something which I am quite surprised hasn’t been reported yet was the filming down at Lyal Bay on Wednesday last week. Large marquee tents were set up on a grassy knoll, on a slight rise from the Southernly facing beach, while in front was a mountainous slope about 80 degrees up. Filming went into the night, with floodlights lighting up the entire hillside. The next day the site was already beginning to be vacated.

It is I Galadriel, with more to report on this Filming business going on around this Country. Here is my story…

It all happened last week…

Unfortunately my time with my Sensei was ill spent and the Shurojitsu Clan knew I had arrived. They had been given information that I ended their leader’s life in a rather cruel way. Unfortunately it was somewhat true so I fled the country only to find that the Shirojitsu Clan had followed me here. Frantically I jumped through forests with a trained Ninja Clan close behind me.

Fortunately for me I came across a quarry which seemed to have a lot of people around.

I was soon to learn that I was on the sets of the Production you talk of frequently. I pulled a woman dressed in black with a hat with an red Eye on it into the bushes, and changed quickly into her outfit.

Suddenly around me I heard “WETA!!! GET TO WORK!!!” from a man I will remember for future reference..

I started to mingle with the commoners, did what they did. Anything to get away from the Clan, and that woman in the bushes would decoy them long enough.

For the 5 days I was on the sets there were many things happening.

A lot of scenes with Uruk Hai charging Elves and Rohan up stairs which were:

Entrances to the caves of Helms Deep.
Rohan guarding Helms Deep.
Sunrise scenes where Uruks stagger in pain when sunlight hits them.

But what I had found more interesting was the scattered pieces of sets which were being torn down. In large metal crates I caught glimpses of the new sets which were being erected, unfortunately behind schedule because of scenes which had to be re-shot and the Tongariro shooting which was most of Unit 1 (Stone Street) and Unit 2 (Helms Deep)– slow production.

I snuk into a private booth which I was getting told to go into. Finding myself in front of an LCD screen I watched scenes being filmed. Legolas, Theoden and Gandalfs body doubles rushed on screen. Then I noticed that the scenes involved Gandalf using his magic in battle. Lightning bolt it looked like.

I picked up a piece of paper in front of me.

Named the ‘Jamboree’; I noticed that a lot of stuntmen were on the sets. Found out that Monday would be the last day for filming until the sets were finished. Then noticed one of the best discoveries on this productions histories it said in small writing ……………. ‘Lunch – Sushi’ so I decided to stay for one last lunch.

At that moment a woman came past mumbling about how the directors had slowed her work down *beep* *beep* new sets…

I thought nothing of it until she noticed that I was not supposed to be on the sets. Fortunately the lighting rig on the one of the Towers caught alight (how coincidental) and people ran around frantically to save the $60,000 rig. This was my time to leave. And so I did.

Taking my leave I walked the Bays of Wellington ’til I arrived in Lyall Bay. The Clan had been following me. Until I reached yet again another set for this Production………. I did the same as last time, and mixed with the commoners.. Dunharrow was the name, or Paths of the Dead to be precise. There were many there for the filming. It was a good location for the set. 40 Horsemen of the Dunadan led by Viggo’s body double. But more on that next time. I grow weary of typing but next report will carry the word on Helms Deep, Dunharrow, New scenes with the Caves of Orthanc and what really happened at Ruapehu…

A Ninja must think why she runs into all these Production happenings, could this be the gods??

As for the Ninja Clan, I say, how can you have a clan without members…

The rest is for me and my Budda Statue.

Until next time,

Keep an eye open

The production is behind schedule at the moment. They have not completed all there studio work that they wanted and they are only just catching up at Helms Deep. They were apparently about 2 months behind when they started at Ruapehu and they made up a few weeks because they got the battle scenes done quicker than expected and are now back in town. The current Helms Deep shoot may have to go for another week due to ‘a few hiccups’ with the cast and crew (whatever that means) and that should put the next filming for unit 2 back another week as they were to go to another set somewhere on a Wellington beach next week but shall have to stay back. After they are gone an unexpected re-shoot of some Unit 1 scenes will be done out there and PJ and some main actors will be going back-this includes Liv Tyler (Arwen) and Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn).

On Wednesday they got some amazing stuff done with Gandalfs stunt double on his horse. They had him in full costume long white robes and staff in hand – rearing his horse up on top of the ramp. They nearly had a few traffic accidents while people just stopped there cars in the road or pulled over and took pictures (none of which were confiscated)They have finished the visible hose stunts but horses can still be seen with riders in full costume riding them about the set.