I was lucky enough to have attended the 9:30 presentation of “Behind the Scenes of Middle Earth” at Lincoln Center in New York City. As I was waiting in line I saw the people coming out of the earlier showing and I rushed up to them to ask what it was like. First I found out that the Cannes footage, which I assumed we’d get to see, was not shown, and there were no special guests beyond producer Barrie Osborne and director of visual effects Christian Rivers. Then as they started collecting tickets I saw a group of people talking outside the theater and realized one of them was Elijah Wood! And there was Orlando Bloom next to him and Sean Bean right there as well! I am so glad I went to the later showing and got to see all three of these actors.
I got perfect seats 5 rows from the stage and just happened to be two rows in front of where the actors sat. The presentation was a nice mix of production stories, descriptions of how the film was made, and some really amazing behind the scenes videos, as well as about five minutes of the Moria sequence with the fight against the cave troll.
The presentation began with a description of New Zealand and why it was so perfect a location for the movies. Christian and Barrie briefly descibed their career histories and how they got involved with LotR. Barrie mentioned that during the Vietnam war he was in Korea as an army engineer learning how to make bridges and roads, a skill that came in handy when he was involved with such a huge production like LotR, which involved the creation of over 16 miles of road to get access to remote locations. He told us how scared Sean Bean was of flying and how Sean took a ski lift up half a mountain and hiked the rest so he wouldn’t have to fly up in a helicopter.
They showed us the second teaser trailer with the Gandalf voice-over and a really interesting sale pitch film that Peter Jackson showed to Bob Shaye at New Line. It had more footage of Peter (as the two presenters referred to him as) in front of the orc helmets as seen in the first Internet Teaser trailer explaining his vision for the films. It also included a wonderfully detailed model of the BALROG’S HEAD! It is truly original, really fantastic, and did remind me a little bit of a monter bull crossed with the alien from Predator. Barrie mentioned that Weta made over 48,000 items for the three films, including chain mail that was created by hand by linking slices of plastic pvc pipe (12.5 million links from 7 miles of pvc in all!) and then electroplating the finished product so it looks like metal and has some weight when it moves.
Then Christian talked us through the story board and digital “pre viz” process for the Moria sequence. He also mentioned how the Hobbiton set was built one year before it was filmed, so all of the greenery would have a chance to grow and look natural. One un-natural bit of Hobbiton was the over 250,000 fake oak leaves that were individually attached to the live trees to make them greener and fuller. Barrie told some more great stories like filming earthworms crawling out from under the toes of the hobbits as they are hiding from the ringwraiths, illustrating how all living creatures naturally want to avoid the undead kings. And also mentioned how Orlando, Sean, and a few others were trapped in a small town by landslides on the roads leading into and out of the town.
Orlando chimed in at this point to mention they bought lots of chocolate and Sean made tons of pasta because they thought they’d be trapped there for a long time, but the production sent in helicopters to airlift them out, and even Sean had to fly in them this time.
More brilliant behind the scenes footage was show, including how the forced perspective shots were created to shrink the hobbits as well as the use of actors on stilts, which WERE used in the film (sparingly) and were not completely abandoned as has been reported on the web. We saw some breathtaking shots like an elven charge at the Last Alliance, Gandalf’s stunt double flying through the air again and again when he is being thrown around by Saruman’s magic, and a really really fantastic shot of Arwen and the Black Rdiers during the flight across the ford. There were also some really funny bits like an elf in full make-up and costume saying how Galadriel in her swan boat is “a bit poncy…she had to have a special boat instead of just taking the bus”, and what looked like Gandalf intoning “Orcs! Orcs! And so far from Orcland!” (referring to Aukland, the capital of New Zealand) The shots of the digital work is really what blew my mind the most. The digital stunt double of Boromir was SOOOO amazingly realistic. The shots of the different levels in developing MASSIVE, the software for the battle scenes, were just incredible.
Christian explained how the digital combatants are programmed to get dirtier as they fight, each with their own racial fighting style, and how they could be programmed with different levels of agression, he added that they “eventually turned them all up to max”.
The final bit before the questions was centered on the creation of the Moria cave troll. Christian showed us about 16 different pre-production designs of the troll, charting his development and zeroing in on the elements Peter liked best like the two-fingered hands and the cloven hoof-like feet. We also saw some fascinating footage of Peter on the Balin’s Tomb set wearing VR goggles and controlling a digital camera so he could walk around the real set and compose his shots at the same time he was viewing the “pre viz” computer generated animatics that had been prepared of the troll and the fellowship fighting.
Then we got to see the footage from the entering of Balin’s Tomb to the Cave Troll stalking Frodo. Wow. It’s already been described many times so I’ll just add I was as blown away as everyone else. It was magical. My favorite part was Gandalf drawing Glamdring and then attacking orcs with his blade in one hand and staff in the other.
I’m really tired and need to get to bed, but here’s a quick paraphrase of the questions and answers:
Q: How much motion capture was used as opposed to hand animation?
CR: We really married the two and used both. It wasn’t all motion capture, for example the cave troll was all 3D animated by hand.
Q: What does “weta” mean and how long has it been around?
CR: Weta is an insect unique to New Zealand which looks like a huge grasshopper covered in nasty spikes. Weta, the special effects company named after the insect, has been around since about 1988 and bought it’s first computer for Beautiful Creatures, but became a named company in 1994.
Q: What will be the running time of FotR?
BO: About 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Q: What can you tell us about the scripts and any deviations from Tolkien’s books?
BO: They are very faithful to the books, there are no introduced storylines. One of the biggest planned changes was the removal of Bill the Pony due to the cost of transporting animals to so many remote locations, but in the end Peter had to keep him in the film. (Hooray!)
Q: How much of the footage that we saw tonight will be on the DVDs and what special features can we look forward to? (this was the question I asked)
CR: I can pretty much promise you that almost everything we showed tonight will make it on to the DVDs. Peter has set out to make the greatest trilogy of movies ever, and he also has plans to make the greatest set of DVDs ever made with tons of great extras.
Q: Is the scourging of the shire going to be portrayed in the films?
BO: Yes, but you’ll have to wait to see how and when.
Q: When are the films coming out? (Duh!)
BO: The next three Decembers.
Q: What is the DVD release plan? One per film or all three together?
BO: I’m pretty sure there will be one released after each film, and then you can also expect a full compilation at some point in the future.
Q: Has there been any talk of making the Hobbit next? BO & CR together: (laughing loudly, then…) No!
(I guess they just want to finish this project and then take a well deserved rest!)
As the presentation ended and we all drifted back to reality I was thinking how cool it would be to meet the three actors who were there. Unfortunatly we didn’t see them as we were heading out of the theater. My wife and friends and I hung out outside for a bit to see if they were coming out but they didn’t show. So I decided to poke my head back into the theater and saw a small group of about a dozen people incluing Barrie, Christian, Elijah, Orlando, and Sean! So we rushed back in and waited until a good moment to introduce ourselves. All three were really personable and friendly, though Sean, the oldest of the three, was more quiet and reserved. Each seemed happy to shake my hand and give me an autograph, and I even chatted with Elijah for a few moments thanking him for his involvement with web sites like Ain’t-It-Cool and TheOneRing.Net.
I still can’t believe I got to see actual footage AND meet the actors who brought to life Boromir, Legolas, and FRODO! What a fantastic, magical, mind blowing evening it was!!!
And this one from RP
Got back from Lincoln Center tonight; it is now and 2 AM and the threat of work looms tomorrow morning, but for now I just wanted to post you a bit about the evening. You will probably be getting a LOT more of these as the night progresses….
First of all, my wife and I got to the later show and had a good place in line, and even though they didn’t begin seating till almost 9:30, we got in at about seventh row center and the theater filled up in no time.
Well, the first thing you saw was that a portion of the front row of the second section back was roped off, so my wife and I skipped that and went to where we eventually sat down. The Walter Reade auditorum is pretty small and intimate considering its locaton, so you could see how the shows could sell out so quickly.
No sooner had the place been seated when suddenly applause broke out behind us. I looked around behind us not sure whom the clapping was for, when I suddenly saw Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom, and Sean Bean, part of a larger group, sitting in the roped-off section, just a few feet behind us! They seemed very happy to be there and Elijah Wood seemed very shy and normal. There was a LOT of laughing going on among them as they remembered stories with each other and confirmed details of others with the fellows on stage.
Now the discussion started, hosted by a Lincoln Center guy and chaired by producer Barrie Osborne as well as the storyboarder for the films (Sorry I forgot your name, dude)and pretty much everything as described went on; the look at the Massive computer program, the video footage of Jackson choreographing the Balin’s Tomb scene, the Troll genesis to its final form, the armor and weapons creation, etc; we were treated to a funny story involving Jackson and three others and an empty tank of gas; we found out that Sean Bean was reluctant to get into a helicopter to get to some key locations; and that yes, Peter Jackson does indeed resemble a hobbit!
The key thing I noticed was that these guys knew a lot of the details of Middle Earth, with locations from the Dimrill Dale to Midgewater Marshes being brought up matter of factly, effortlessly, and it made me feel better realizing that these were no casual devotees of the LOTR saga, but people who actually had READ the thing.
OK, OK, we did NOT get to see the Cannes footage in whole, but even with that, we got to see the Moria fight sequence with the cave troll, which was great, and in any case the fact that three members of the Fellowship were on hand was more than enough to make up for it.
The effects were virtually flawless, although some elements needed to be worked on a bit. The Cave Troll was the stuff of nightmares, and Gimli was as impressive as I had expected him to be. His grief and rage in Balin’s Tomb were believable and awe-inspiring! For some reason, seeing Sting glow with the presence of Orcs gave me a thrill of excitement. I also liked that Pippin did not just toss in a stone into the well to see how deep it was; in this version, it was an accident when he inspects a dwarf’s skeleton.
Finally we came to the question and answer session, which at first seemed to catch people by surprise, because nobody raised a hand for about twenty seconds. Finally they started coming, with the revelation that Gollum would not really be making an appearance in the series till “The Two Towers” in 2002. I got in a question about the DVD release schedule for the films, and was told that they would most likely be releasing each film individually as the films came out, but that a boxed set was also likely at the very end of the run.
Afterwards, I was standing in line for the Men’s Room when I heard a burst of laughter and then Elijah Wood and Sean Bean came out. I debated the coolness of asking them for autographs, decided the hell with it, and got autographs from both of them. They were both very friendly, but Elijah seemed like such a regular guy and so casual that I forgot that I was looking at Frodo Baggins and Boromir for Chrissakes! I even got to shake their hands. Orlando Bloom had moved on, so I missed a chance to speak with him.
To sum up, this was a GREAT evening, lots of fun, and left me completely jazzed to see the movie. Anyone else who went there will tell you the same, no doubt; but I also just wanted to say that I enjoy your site very much and wish you well in the future. Thanks again, and good luck!
I was in attendance at tonights 930pm performence of the Behind the scenes of the LOTR. Well I would like to just add that your spy Riskbreaker is very on key with his/her description of the event BUT I do not know of the 730 pm event but the 930 who was in attendance you ask? None other than Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom and Sean Bean, I had them autograph as well as Barry Osbourne and Christian Rivers a flyer from our Tolkien Society here in NY.
Elijah was very considerate and outspoken with fans, Orlando very friendly and appreciative of the fans and Sean Bean who was very friendly but yet reserved and quiet.They sat thru the footage and answered a question or two of the audience and Barry.
Well, it’s late and I’m beat, but I just got back from the Barrie Osborne and Christian Rivers presentation at Lincoln Center.
I’ll do my best to give you all the details from the event which was a mix of discussion and Q&A, plus a viewing of some great footage.
Let’s begin, Barrie Osborne (the producer) and Christian Rivers (story board artist and production design) took the stage in front of a crowd of anxious LOTR fans around 7:30. The line was around out the door and stretched to the end of the block (which at Lincoln Center is pretty far). The funny thing was there were actually fans outside holding signs asking for tickets.
The two guests were extremely polite starting with an introduction of their past work obviously we know Barrie Osborne’s, but Christian has been with Peter Jackson for about 10 years now, since “Brain Dead.” The intros were typical everything we have heard before from the Australian presentation Barrie gave not long ago. Then they began the LOTR chat by showing the trailer. Some of the crowd were quite in shock being that they hadn’t seen it, it was cool to hear the reactions.
Then they began discussing the day to day work on LOTR, the list was run off of the amount of props, actors, crew etc. that was used on the films. We’ve all heard it before. Christian gave some amazing insight into the beginnings of production design and the crowd really perked up when they showed a video of the story board, while he narrated. The pictures shown were of the Moria sequence which were first posted on the Internet long ago. After these shots were shown they showed us how an actual basic computer graphic storyboard was put together. This was amazing, with shots of the fellowship entering Moria, walking through the mountains…all completely computer generated!! They only showed two small parts of this sequence.
Next, Barrie and Christian told the story on how Peter Jackson was able to make all three LOTR films. Apparently, they had three options: “King Kong”, “Planet of the Apes”, and “LOTR”…so we won out in the end!! The three films were agreed upon and here we are, four years later.
The crowd was next shown the film which Peter gave to the studios as a selling piece for the movies. We have all seen clips of this short film in the original Internet trailer. Peter giving a short talk about launching the movies followed by the statement, “This is the Time.” The film is filled with a lot of artwork from John Howe and Alan Lee who also speak about the films and taking an active role in the production design.
Next came the good stuff….the “Making of” footage! Ok, please bear with me, there was a lot. The first thing that caught my eye was the stunt shots of the four hobbits falling down a small cliff (photo was posted on the net a while back). Then they showed Frodo and Gandalf riding in the cart into Hobbiton. More detail was taken to show the special effects used to make Ian Mckellen look bigger than Elijah Wood. This shot was done on an angle and without computer effect. In this scene we heard a bit of dialogue with Gandalf teaching Frodo how to pronounce something in elvish.
Next came stunt work, computer effects of the giant battle and a long talk on Massive Software. The initial shots we see are of Aragorn taking on about 100 orcs. These were all actors, whom Viggo was fighting all at once, the sequence was amazing! He was leading them up a bunch of stairs to make his stand at the top and keep on swinging! Next they went into the HUGE battle for “Towers and “Return”. The first shots were of how Massive worked. Thousands of simple computer soldiers walking and then running and then fighting each other!! Unreal!!! Then this was added in to the actual fight sequences where Gondorians were hacking apart orcs on the field!! The battle looked enormous!! On shot of CG was so vast it seemed to be eternal, all of just one giant battle! But here is the catch, each CG warrior fought in a different sequence, using moves and tactics to beat their opponents!!! Next they went into a special effects shot of Saruman and Gandalf. This scene is clearly when the two meet and Saruman traps Gandalf, but not until he magicly throws him about the room!! The stunts were wild, with wires and spring boards flipping poor Gandalf about as Saruman cast his spell. These shots were connected with breaks so Barrie and Christian could tell production stories. One that bears telling is during the filming Viggo was taking on three orcs. During the fight Viggo was hit in the mouth and lost a tooth…he looks on the ground, looks up and says “Anyone got some super glue.” Barrie said he wanted keep going!!! You have to dig that!
Next the making of footage went into strict detail about the set and costume design. Okay, here is my best to give you the list: orc armor, elf armor, costumes, Gondorians, Rohan, the cave troll. We saw shots of the wild men and orcs burning down a village. The armor is sooo detailed. Barrie took time to explain the importance to maintain the difference between the races. A special note, the Urak-hai are designed with differences from the Mordor orcs,a cool concept. Weapons, elf swords, human swords, dwarven axes…Christian and Barrie explained them all as they came onto screen. On a note, the elven armor was amazing!! We saw a shot of Elrond leading a charge of elves…he wore gold, while the others were wearing silver. The difference was shown between the CG armor and the real armor…no one could tell the difference. Next the shots of Lothlorien were shown…the entire city is set in the trees. It is filled with amazing detail. Next we saw filming shots of the crew on location all over New Zealand as Barrie and Christian spoke about each location. The one shot which was really cool was Peter walking into Bilbo’s birthday party after leaving the set of Moria…all within about 10 feet of each other! It was too much all at once.
Still with me…good, the last part of the presentation went into the development and design of the cave troll. From basic drawings, to CGI animation. We saw pictures of its skeleton from the Internet trailer, adding on muscle, then skin. Next came the choice of weapons. Finally settling on a giant war hammer and chain. A short film was shown of the cave trill trying to smash a bouncing ball which was pretty funny. This led up to Barrie and Christian allowing us to see the Balin’s Tomb sequence from the movie!!! Ok, we have all read the reviews of this footage, so I will not bore you with my interpretation, which is the same as everyone else…It’s perfect…just too good for words. Small notes I have to mention are: size detail is perfect. Aragorn and Legolas shooting orcs through the holes in the door while they are breaking in…and then the fight in general. All looks great, Gandalf and Gimli fighting off orcs, Sting glowing, it’s all there in full Fellowship goodness. A few questions were asked that were quite good, here are some things Barrie said which may clear up any rumors. He mentioned softly that the group does face the Watcher in the Water, the movies will be 2 hours and 45 minutes long. The DVDs are being worked on right now and will contain a LOT of extra footage. The score is also being worked on right now.
So on that note, thank you all so much for reading this far…I have to say a quick thank you to Xoanon and the gang who have given us the best coverage over almost three years! To Sir Manfred and all the Von Halsterns for being good sports, to Jer, Has and Vin, to Shawnda (the coolest Tolkein fan I know), and most of all to my dearest Padma for dealing with my excitement all day…week…months. We only have a few more months to wait, so relax and enjoy the build-up! Thanks again, see you all on December 19!!!!!
Ringer Spy Riskbreaker sends along this great report from the Lincoln Center LOTr footage screening! More coming in!!! Take a read!
OH… MY… GAWD!
I can’t even bring words to this experience. It was religious.
I purchased tickets two weeks ago to this “Behind the Scenes of Middle Earth” at Lincoln Center. I figured “what the hell, we’ll see some footage of the filming process and ask the producers a bunch of questions.”
They started the night by showing the 2.5 minute trailer. The one that ends with Gollum. There was crazy applause afterward.
Barrie Osborne and the damned-if-I-can-remember-his-name Art Director also attended. They went for an hour and a half discussing the different locations and methods of filming they went through. We received an in-depth explanation of the “forced perspective” technique and how they made the Hobbits look smaller than humans. It was simple — yet ingenious. The simple act of sticking the Hobbit a few steps back from the human and locking a single camera on him works SO much better than using CGI or some other overly-technical method. This one works because it’s tricking the eyes.
In between a load of the behind-the-scenes footage, we got to see some actual film footage. We see Gandalf and Frodo riding on the cart in the Shire. We got to see the Hobbits running from farmer Maggot while arguing amongst themselves in very “Hobbit-like” simplicity. This scene was great. The corn stalks are up over their heads. Then, they roll down the hill. They showed this in about 6 different takes, showing the difficulties of the life of stunt-men and stunt-women (and stunt-Hobbits).
We saw a lot of footage regarding the massive army shots, including the Orcs and Elves. The Elves have very beautiful “hand-made” designs to all their armor, but no two look alike. Legolas uses a sword that has the flare of a scimitar at the tip, but doesn’t have the huge curve in the blade. It’s quite attractive.
We got to see the digital renderings that were made of all the “hero” (main) characters. We saw Gandalf and Boromir. Oh, man! These were so beautiful! They looked *almost* Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within quality, and these things will never be seen (at least in close-up) in the final film. I was amazed by this on it’s own!
We got to see the Helm’s Deep set. It looks great. It looks like 30 wars over 4000 years have been waged there. All cracked and broken bridges, but yet the castle still stands, and you know what it is.
They also showed the sales-reel that PJ used to sell the project to New Line after he began work with Miramax. It was pretty uneventful in terms of new information, but one got a great feel for the amount of work that was already put into the film before they even had a production company carrying it!
We saw some stunt work detailing the different races vs. their different fighting styles. There wasn’t much detail on this, but they did say how they spent a lot of time making sure the Elves looked like immortals who had 1000 years each to practice their own fighting styles. Included with this were unfinished shots of Aragon fighting Orcs at what I think was Weathertop. I’m not really sure on this one. Viggo is amazing! He was killing three at a time. Throwing punches, kicks and wielding Anduril with absolute genius.
There was also footage shown of Arwen at the ford running from the Ringwraiths. This was brief. It looked great, though.
There is more, but this is all I can think of at the moment. I’m sure some of the other 535 people that saw this tonight will correct the blanks here.
The reason is that the following footage made me forget my name, where I lived and where I work. I don’t think I’ll go in tomorrow. I’ll just stay home and work on screenplay #5.
The end of the presentation rolled around, and while it was great, fantastic (these people have a true and genuine love for the work they do. You can see it in their eyes) — I was a bit disappointed because other than the theatrical trailer, we didn’t see anything of the final film cut.
Well, right at the end, they said “We have the cave troll scene to show you guys. It’s not finished, but it’s close.”
OH… MY… GAWD!
The Fellowship of Nine… in the Dwarven Mines of Moria. Gimli finds the remains of Balin, the fallen king. He cries like no dwarf should be seen crying. Pippin (a FOOL of a Took) knocks a skeleton into a well, stirring the Orcish Horde. Frodo draws Sting, the Elven blade. It glows a bright blue. The Orcs are near.
They come like a plague. Legolas and Aragorn hold them at bay with bow and arrow, but they come too fast. Gandalf draws his sword, valiantly standing in front of the Hobbits, Frodo and his precious cargo. Boromir draws his sword and slays four without blinking.
Aragorn flies into a fury with Anduril, the Flame of the West. Orc pieces fly left and right. Frodo’s Hobbit comrades stab and hack at the Orcish horde as well. There is a bloodlust here not from desire, but from a need to survive. Peter Jackson captures it in the eyes of each of the nine in the space of four minutes. He’s *that* good.
But then comes the Cave Troll. A nine foot hulking attrocity storms into the room, held at the neck by the iron-wrought chain the Orcs use to keep him at bay. Words can’t do this justice, but as “Moriarity” from Ain’t It Cool News said: “It’s everything I hoped the Rancor would be. It’s fast, it’s agile. It doesn’t hesitate.”
It’s true. The Cave Troll stomps with a single-minded desire to squish the annoying gnats at it’s feet. Poor Sam has to do all he can to avoid the giant hooves and the six-foot stone hammer it wields.
And then it corners Frodo. Frodo backs himself against a support pillar. The Cave Troll sniffs to the right and Frodo slips to the left. The Troll sniffs to the left and Frodo slips to the right. Moments pass in uncomfortable silence. Frodo steps away with a false sense of safety and —
The cave troll ROARS a blood-curdling Jurassic-Park-on-steroids from-the-toes cry.
And the screen goes black.
I look down to make sure I haven’t ruined another perfectly good pair of pants and I realize that my girlfriend has her nails dug into my arm. Not from fear, but from the sense of desperation and intensity that Peter Jackson created in a six minute unfinished two-tracks of sound clip.
Ho-lee shee-it.
This film will be like a hurricane. It will sweep away everything in it’s path and climb to the top of every record that has ever been set. People will flow in droves to the theaters. Not just geeks like you and me, but every self-respecting fan of fiction that adores the importance of a fantastic story at the heart of every special effects orgasm. This film is that.
Episode II will come and go. George has lost sight of his fans and the taste of his original trilogy. Lord of the Rings will still stand. Twenty five years from now, producers and directors will be looking for that sci-fi/action/fantasy trilogy to top Lord of the Rings just as Lord of the Rings will soon do to Star Wars.
A Sixty Minutes interview for Australian Television was broadcast on Sunday 9th September.
One of the stories was an interview with David Wenham(Faramir) in the Peter Jackson movies. The following is a brief synopsis of the topics covered and some quotes from David.
Unfortunately The Lord of the Rings was not mentioned in the interview. The focus was on his new movie called “The Bank”.
The interviewer was Charles Wooley.
Charles Wooley started the interview with a character workup where it was mentioned that David hates giving interviews and finds it extremely difficult to play the natural character, himself.
David admitted to hating the prospect of interviews. “Let the dentistry begin” was how he treats the prospect of having to answer questions about himself.
He loves character acting and has played many off-beat characters over the years. A greens keeper in “Green Keeping”, a warped and twisted pyromaniac in “Copy” and the psychotic killer in “The Boys” that won him critical and peer acclaim.
In the same year as “The Boys” was released David commenced his time as Diver Dan in the Australian television production of “Sea Change”. During this show he became a national sex-symbol. This is a tag that does not fit or sit easily with him. He freely admits to a confidence problem and finds that slipping on “the veneer of a character” is the best thing about acting. It is then that the words, character and magic happen. He loves the “Alec Guiness” way of acting where he can walk down a street during the day and have nobody recognise him, and yet at night on the stage under the lights he is liberated to give the performance that the audience deserves.
His recent films “Better Than Sex”, “Moulin Rouge” and “The Bank” have opened him up to the “A-list” of Australian acting talent and have garnered much praise from audiences and industry pundits alike.
He states that he “has done the Full Monty on stage a few times…and tries to think about nothing while doing so” as that is the best way to get through the experience without providing the audience a little bit more than they paid for!
It was funny sees David being interviewed and comparing him, as Faramir, with Sean Bean. I would say that Peter Jackson has done another marvellous job of picking two actors which, when placed in-character within Middle-earth’s setting, will play beautifully as two brothers.
Once again, the interview did not have LOTR information but was very insightful into the character of a very good “character actor”.
Morgoth1970 sends along the AMAZING story facts from the LOTR Calander…check out some of these facts and quotes we now KNOW will be in the movie!!
…The Ring yearns, above all else, to return to the hand of its Master: they are one, the Ring and the Dark Lord. Frodo, he must never find it! – Gandalf
You cannot offer me this Ring…through me it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine. Do not tempt me, Frodo. – Gandalf
My dear Frodo, Hobbits really are amazing creatures. You can learn all there is to know about their ways in a month, and yet, after a hundred years, they can still surprise you in a pinch. – Gandalf
*The Green Dragon Inn is mentioned or shown in the film.
Always remember this, Frodo: The Ring is trying to get back to its Master…it wants to be found. – Gandalf
If I take one more step, it’ll be the farthest from Home I’ve ever been. – Sam
It’s dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. …You step onto the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to. – Bilbo
Gilthoniel! O Elbereth!
Clear are thy eyes and bright thy breath!
Snow-white! Snow white! We sing to thee
In a far land beyond the Sea. – (Song of the Wood Elves)
Tell me, Gandalf the Grey, you – to whom so many look for guidance…how is it you can be so blind? – Saruman
The world is changed, Gandalf. A new Age is at hand…the Age of Men, which we must rule. – Saruman
Are we not the Istari? Within this frail human form does not the spirit of a Maiar live? – Saruman
I gave you the chance of aiding me willingly, but you have elected the way of pain. – Saruman, to Gandalf
*The Uruk-hai start life as maggots!!!
He’s one of them Rangers, dangerous folk they are. Wandering the wilds. What his right name is I’ve never heard: but he’s known round here as Strider. – Barliman
Frodo’s my second cousin once-removed on his mother’s side and my third cousin twice-removed on his father’s side, if you follow me. – Pippin Took
You’re drawing far too much attention to yourself…Mr. Underhill. – Strider
*Gandalf speaks to a moth while imprisoned in Orthanc, which ultimately leads to his escape.
*Gil-galad, Elendil, and Isildur are all mentioned (or shown). Elrond is mentioned (or shown) as Gil-galad’s herald.
*The hills of Emyn Beriad are mentioned as the place where Gil-galad built the White Tower for Elendil.
*By the time Sam leaves with Frodo, he is already in love with Rosie Cotton.
*Merry & Pippin steal vegetables from Farmer Maggot.
*The Grey Havens are mentioned as the place the elves go when they leave Middle Earth.
***The Elven name for the Grey Havens is Valinor!!!!!!!!!
*Saruman created the Uruk Hai.
*The Uruk Hai are all marked by the White Hand of Saruman.
Let him go or I’ll have you, Longshanks! – Sam
*Gandalf is carried from Orthanc by a great eagle.
You have a stout heart, little hobbit, but your courage alone will not save you. – Strider
They were Kings…great Kings of Men. Sauron gave to them Nine Rings of Power and with them the promise of eternal rule…unending life. – Strider
They took the Rings without question…and one by one, regardless of their strength to good or evil…they fell. – Strider
They are the Ringwraiths, the Nazgul, the Nine Servants of Sauron. – Strider
*At the Prancing Pony, the hobbits stuff thief beds with pillows and hide in Strider’s room.
Merry: How do we know Strider’s a friend of Gandalf’s
Frodo: I think a servant of the Enemy would look fairer but feel fouler…we must trust him.
To Rivendell, Master Gamgee – to the house of Elrond. – Strider
*Aragorn’s song is about Luthien and Beren.
The Ring…The Ring…The Ring… – The Ringwraiths
This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs Elvish medicine…we’ve got to get him to Rivendell. – Strider
*Strider uses Kingsfoil when Frodo is stabbed on Weathertop.
There is only one Lord of the Ring – only One who can bend it to his will. – Gandalf
*Athelas is also referred to as the “proper” name of Kingsfoil.
Give up the Halfling, She-Elf! – Witch King of the Nazgul
***Arwen’s horse is named Asfaloth.
Frodo, lasto beth nin, tolo dan na ngalad. (Translation: Frodo, hear my voice, come back to the light.) – Elrond
His strength returns…but the wound will never fully heal. – Elrond
Elrond: To what Frodo will come in the end, I cannot tell.
Gandalf: Not to evil, I think. He may become like a glass filled with a clear light…for eyes to see that can.
Time wearies all of us – even those who do not measure it. – Elrond
This is no mere Ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn…and you owe him your allegiance. – Legolas
Did I know the Ring would be found? No…it is what I feared. – Elrond
The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom…only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor, and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. – Elrond
You do not just walk into Mordor…It is a folly. – Boromir
Let folly be our cloak, a veil before the eyes of the Enemy…He will not think that, having the Ring, we may seek to destroy it. – Gandalf
*Gandalf upsets Elrond at the Council by reading the inscription on the Ring in the Black Tongue.
I will take it…I will take the Ring to Mordor…though I do not know the way. – Frodo
***Gimli attempts to destroy the Ring with his axe at the Council.
So it often is with the deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must – Gandalf
I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear. – Gandalf
If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will – you have my sword. – Aragorn (I wonder if this was supposed to be “my word”?
You carry the fate of all of us, little one… – Boromir
*Sauron mixes his own blood with molten gold to create the One Ring.
Nine companions to match the Nine Ringwraits…So be it. You shall be the “Fellowship of the Ring”! – Elrond
The light of the Evenstar does not wax and wane…it is constant, even in the greatest darkness. – Arwen
I am Isildur’s heir, not Isildur himself; my fate is my own. – Aragorn
***The shattered pieces of Narsil rest in Rivendell in the hands of a statue.
The skill of the Elves can reforge the sword of Elendil – but only you can wield it. – Elrond, to Aragorn
It’s a pretty thing, isn’t it? Mithril…light as a feather, and as hard as dragon scales. – Bilbo
Nai Tiruvantel ar varyuvantel I Valar tielyanna nu vilya. (Translation: May the Valar protect you on your path under the sky.) – Elrond
This is indeed the hour of the Shire-folk. – Elrond
Farewell, hold to your purpose, and may the blessing of Elves and Men and all free folk go with you. – Elrond, to the Fellowship
*Elrond possesses the Ring of Vilya.
It is not the strength of the body that matters, but the strength of the spirit. – Gandalf
*Arwen is the last-born of her people.
Whom do you serve? – Saruman, to Lurtz
Do you know how Orcs first came into being? They were once Elves. Taken by the Dark Powers in the First Age-tortured, mutilated-a ruined and terrible form of life, bred into a slave race. – Saruman
It is a strange fate that we suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing…such a little thing. – Boromir
*The Crebain of Dunland are large crows used by the spies of Saruman.
Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i ruith! (Translation: Sleep Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!) – Gandalf
Moria – Khazad-dum! Greatest of the Dwarf Halls – what I would not give to look on its treasures! – Gimli
*Gandalf is sent to Middle Earth by the Valar.
One must tread the path that need chooses. – Gandalf
Dwarf doors are invisible when closed. Their own masters cannot find them if their secret is forgotten. – Gandalf
Pedo mellon a minno…Speak, friend, and enter. – Gandalf
Now you will see, Master Elf, one of the marvels of the Northern World… – Gimli
This is not a mine…it’s a tomb. – Boromir
*The Fellowship is attacked by tentacles from the pool before they enter the gates of Mordor.
Now we have but one choice…we must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard…there are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world. – Gandalf
*The Orcs of Moria have a Cave Troll under their influence.
The wealth of Moria was not in gold or jewels, but Mithril. – Gandalf
I wish the Ring had never come to me…I wish none of this had happened. – Frodo
Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity! – Gandalf
Let them come! There is one dwarf in Moria who still draws breath! – Gimli
I think you’ll find there’s more to this Hobbit than meets the eye. – Gandalf
You cannot pass! I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass! The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun. Go back to the shadow! You shall not pass! – Gandalf
*Evidently, it is revealed that Gandalf, Saruman, and Sauron are all Maiar spirits.
The Grey Wizard is dead. His rag-tag Fellowship is leaderless. There is none left to defend it. – Saruman
Orcs have dared enter Lothlorien; they will not leave it alive! – Haldir
You carry a heavy burden, Frodo – don’t carry the weight of the world as well. – Boromir
Caras Galadhon…The heart of Elvendom on earth; realm of the Lord Celeborn and of Galadriel, Lady of Light. – Haldir
Your coming is to us as the footsteps of Doom. – Galadriel
The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all…Yet hope remains while the Company is true. – Galadriel
*Elven cloaks, Elven bows, silver belts with small daggers, Elven rope, and the Phial of Galadriel are given to the Fellowship upon their parting.
What you will see I cannot tell, for the mirror shows many things – things that were, things that are, and some things that have not yet come to pass. – Galadriel
*Elven cloaks have the power to shield their wearers from unfriendly eyes.
In place of the Dark Lord, you would have a Queen, not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Dawn!
Treacherous as the Sea! Stronger than the foundations of the earth…All shall love me and despair! – Galadriel
I pass the test. I will diminish and go into the West and remain Galadriel. – Galadriel
You are a Ringbearer, Frodo…to bear a Ring of Power is to be alone. – Galadriel
Even the smallest person can change the course of the future. – Galadriel
Galadriel: And what gift would a Dwarf ask of the Elves?
Gimli: Nothing, but to look upon the Lady of the Galadhrim one last time, for she is more fair than all the jewels beneath the earth.
*Gimli is given a lock of hair by Galadriel.
For you, I have prepared this…the light of Earendil, our most beloved Star. – Galadriel, to Frodo
May it be a light for your in dark places, when all other lights go out. – Galadriel
I have taken my worst wound in this parting, having looked my last upon that which is fairest. – Gimli
You are quick enough to trust the Elves. Have you so little faith in your own people? Yes, there is weakness – there is frailty – but there is courage also, and honor to be found in Men. – Boromir
Amon Hen – the Hill of Sight. They say that all that moves for hundreds of miles around is revealed to one who sits upon the Seeing Seat. Such was the power of the ancients. – Aragorn
A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near, I can feel it. – Legolas
I know what I must do – but I am afraid to do it. – Frodo
I do not know what strength is in my blood, but I swear to you – I will not let the White City fall, nor our people fail. – Aragorn
A Sixty Minutes interview for Australian Television was broadcast on Sunday 9th September.