LOTR and TTT: High Tech Special Effects Go From Bleeding Edge to Screaming Edge

One of the greatest accomplishments of the LOTR trilogy is what the movies have done for the special effects industry. Thanks to the magic of the WETA team, the worlds of real-time stunts and computer sleight of hand have officially collided to the point that viewers are no longer sure which action shots may have resulted in Orc stuntmen taking a trip to the local New Zealand hospital to mend boo-boos versus those which may have resulted in some poor programmer coming down with a nasty case of carpal tunnel.

You probably had to buy the extended version of LOTR to figure out precisely which action shot was a stunt and which was CGI (computer generated image). The folks at WETA, blessedly unfettered by the out blown influences of high-strung, over dressed nasally PR types, got to shine a bit. Watch the third and fourth discs from the extended, four CD set. Unlike the folks at Warner Brothers who continue to remain hush-hush about many of the special effects in the Harry Potter series (like we care), WETA has been incredibly generous by sharing its trade secrets and innovations. Just as fun, the army of specialists, coders, technologists, artists, innovators and techies are actually, collectively speaking, a good interview. Silicon Valley CEOs could take some pointers from these guys, they look like people you would like to, dare we say it? Work with. Well, ok, at least party with. God knows, after years now of intense, start-up level work hours, they could all use a break.

So, while the world waits anxiously for TTT to come out on DVD and VHS (what’s the latest? August?), many of us are already salivating over the follow-up, late in the year, extended version that we hope will include even more interviews, tutorials and how-tos from those fab folks at WETA.

After all, true artistry, which is what WETA contributed to LOTR and TTT in droves, should be shared and enjoyed by all.

Never Bored of The Ring