Hobbit Video Diary links and discussion

Sat Nov 05, 2011 4:57 am

Ah, one of the Dwelves!

Post by **Lalaith** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 5:03 am

Well, there were those lonely nights in Middle-earth. A burly Dwarf, a lovely Elf maiden...you know how it goes...

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 6:30 am

Gack!

Yes, I have finally seen it!

It looks really promising. Very alarming colors in that forest, but I bought his explanation about how it would be toned down in the final product.

I've just sent the link to my son, who just finished shooting a project on a Red camera. Though not 3D. It was his first major job as DP, too.

Technical stuff aside? I'm geeking out. Totally. Elrond! and Bilbo! and Gandalf! <hyperventilates>

Post by **River** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 6:47 am

Yes, I was a bit terrified of Mirkwood until they explained the color issues. I'm still a bit terrified of Mirkwood - PJ likes his creepy and his monsters and I'm afraid it'll be Dagobah with giant spiders. The problem I have with that is, well, I've been to Mirkwood. Camp Mirkwood, to be more precise. I think the official name is something else, but the climbers call it Mirkwood because that's what it is. Tall evergreens festooned with lichen, logs covered in moss, silent and maybe oh-so-slightly menacing in the way unfamiliar forests can be, it even has black squirrels lurking about. It's on the western side of Mt. Baker. No giant spiders to be seen, but it is a stone's throw from a glacier and you gotta be careful with those things. Swallow you whole, a glacier will.

Post by **Elentári** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 8:39 am

Psychadelia aside, it certainly seems claustrophobic enough from the brief shots we saw of the party moving through it...

BTW, if the sword buffs are interested, we've finally got a good glimpse of Orcrist - it looks gorgeous!

Post by **Erunáme** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:52 pm

It was all very cool, just not thrilled with the 3D. :/ I've not liked any film I've seen in 3D and always preferred the normal version. So I'm hoping the normal version will be available in theatres as well.

Post by **Lhaewin** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 3:36 pm

Erunáme wrote:It was all very cool, just not thrilled with the 3D. :/ I've not liked any film I've seen in 3D and always preferred the normal version. So I'm hoping the normal version will be available in theatres as well.

So it's not only me. I've avoided 3D versions whenever I could.

Sat Nov 05, 2011 3:50 pm

There are plenty of people that can't deal with 3D. I was afraid that I would be one of them, but I dealt with Avatar okay. With this film, I'm going to definitely try to watch it in 3D the first time. I think it is going to look awesome.

Post by **Lhaewin** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 4:16 pm

Avatar was fine - as good as it can get for me. I don't think I'll have a real choice anyway. There is probably only one cinema when I want to see the original version (not dubbed) and they might or might not show it in 3D.

Post by **Teremia** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 4:19 pm

I loved the use of 3D in CORALINE. It was beautiful and artistic (3D water drop rolling down a windowpane!) -- most of the other 3D films I've seen have not impressed me so very much.

Post by **Dave_LF** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 5:12 pm

Even without the 3D, but especially with it, I'm pretty sure the picture quality in The Hobbit is going to be like nothing we've seen before.

Post by **Holbytla** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 6:03 pm

I may see it in 3D, but I think I will see it in 2D first to minimize the distractions.

The thing that bothers me with 3D movies like Avatar, apart from the effects for the sake of effects, isn't the in your face moments. More often it is the little nuances, like the little floating woodsprites in that Avatar scene.

Post by **Holbytla** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 6:07 pm

I may see it in 3D, but I think I will see it in 2D first to minimize the distractions.

The thing that bothers me with 3D movies like Avatar, apart from the effects for the sake of effects, isn't the in your face moments. More often it is the little nuances, like the little floating woodsprites in that Avatar scene.

I find that that sort of effect is distracting.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 6:51 pm

I found it really cool.

But then, the whole movie is a distraction. An entertaining one, I found it.

Sat Nov 05, 2011 6:56 pm

Yeah, I liked those little touches. It added to the feeling of being immersed in the world. It is the in your face moments (which thankfully were fairly few in Avatar, and hopefully will be in The Hobbit), that I mind distracting. I don't mind a few well chosen ones, if they serve the story rather than distract from it. I'm pretty sure we will get at least a couple of Leggy moments -- IN 3D! -- that I will hate. But that in and of itself won't ruin the films for me (any more than the ones in LOTR ruined those films for me.

Man, I would love to see the Nazgûl over Osgiliath in 3D. I think that would be awesome.

Post by **Holbytla** » Sat Nov 05, 2011 10:01 pm

The mere mention of Nazgûl in Osgilliath....well....

but I digress. Or osgilliate, as it were.

Post by **yovargas** » Sun Nov 06, 2011 12:16 am

Holbytla wrote:More often it is the little nuances, like the little floating woodsprites in that Avatar scene.

That's odd, why did that bother you?

I definitely like the effect of depth that 3D can give. That depth can add a lot to a scene, if used correctly, IMO. The effect of coming out of the screen is usually annoying and I'm hoping good directors realize the difference between the two effects and use it to artistic advantages.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Sun Nov 06, 2011 12:32 am

That was a strength of how Avatar used it. Much more for the sense of depth (and height, yikes) than to smash things in people's faces. I think this could be effective in enhancing some of the things PJ already does well. Helicopter shots over mountain ranges, for example. Or imagine Moria, Lôrien, Rivendell, with a real sense of height and distance. It could be breathtaking in a good way, with no fancy camera moves at all.

Post by **yovargas** » Sun Nov 06, 2011 12:48 am

...............ok.........now we have to go back and reshoot LOTR in 3D just for Moria..... (and Lothlórien and isengard and Helm's Deep and the Ents and Pelennor and........

)

Post by **Holbytla** » Sun Nov 06, 2011 1:16 am

yovargas wrote:
Holbytla wrote:More often it is the little nuances, like the little floating woodsprites in that Avatar scene.
That's odd, why did that bother you?

I definitely like the effect of depth that 3D can give. That depth can add a lot to a scene, if used correctly, IMO. The effect of coming out of the screen is usually annoying and I'm hoping good directors realize the difference between the two effects and use it to artistic advantages.

I don't particularly care for most aspects of 3D, but the "in your face moments" last a short time (even though they are usually gratuitous) and are the focus. Little odd bits of 3D happening in the "background" or off to the side tend to distract me from what should be the main focus.

If there is a closeup of someone's reaction to an event, then the extraneous take away from that and distract me.