Critics and audience worldwide might have given a mixed reaction to the first glimpse of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, but the director believes it could usher in a new era of filmmaking with its digital technology, just the way filmmakers James Cameron and Steven Spielberg set a revolution with 3D and mo-cap (motion capture) in Avatar and The Adventures of Tintin respectively.
Hobbit is the prequel to the Oscar-award winning film, The Lord of the Rings, also directed by Jackson. Currently shooting in New Zealand, Jackson is filming The Hobbit with a technique that is not really attempted by anyone in Hollywood yet. The first footage of the film is vivid, with grass blades, facial lines and soaring mountains appearing luminous and pronounced.
“The movement feels more real … It’s much more gentle on the eyes,” says Jackson, quickly warning that the new approach would take time to adjust to. Some bloggers agree and brand the footage as a failure in digital technology while the critics claim the unfinished scenes look like a low-budget TV show.
“The movement feels more real … It’s much more gentle on the eyes,” says Jackson, quickly warning that the new approach would take time to adjust to. Some bloggers agree and brand the footage as a failure in digital technology while the critics claim the unfinished scenes look like a low-budget TV show.
British actor Martin Freeman stars as Bilbo Baggins, the Hobbit who acquires the evil ring that sets the action of The Lord Of The Rings film in motion.
The footage shows Baggins lost in Andy Serkis portrayed Gollum’s cave. Ian McKellen, reprises the role of the wizard Gandalf, who persuades Baggins to leave the shire and join him on his adventorous journey.
The Hobbit is the first chapter in Jackson’s two-part adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s fantasy classic that are being shot simultane-ously in 3D.