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The next installment in the behind-the-scenes 鈥淗obbit鈥� video series was released yesterday, detailing the process that goes into location shooting for the two 鈥淗obbit鈥� films.

There were only a couple glimpses of scenes in progress 鈥� near the beginning of the video, director Peter Jackson told the camera teasingly, 鈥淚 can鈥檛 show you the amazing set that鈥檚 over there and the incredible thing that鈥檚 over there because you鈥檙e not allowed to see that until 2013!,鈥� referring to the second movie鈥檚 release date. But the video featured many actors, including Martin Freeman, who plays Bilbo Baggins; Ian McKellan, who鈥檚 reprising his role as wizard Gandalf; and many actors playing dwarves, in full costume.

There were also numerous shots of the New Zealand vistas where the film production team is shooting, in addition to shots of two characters being filmed jumping from one tall tree to another, McKellan walking in costume, and dwarves heading down a river in barrels in order to escape from elves who had captured them.

The almost twelve-and-a-half-minute video used a Middle-earth-style map to show how the first and second units criss-crossed New Zealand separately to reach each location. On day 127, the exact middle of the shoot, according to Jackson, the two units met up in Wellington.

The actors and production crew joked about the beautiful New Zealand locations at which they were filming.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e on the sets in the studio and they look so real,鈥� said actor Adam Brown, who plays dwarf Ori. 鈥淵ou come out on location and it almost looks fake.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 just worried about the dinosaurs,鈥� best boy Ants Farrell said dryly, referencing the Jurassic Park-like lush greenery of the shooting location.

The crew also detailed their efforts in building a long ramp when the production filmed at Turoa Ski Field near Mt. Ruapehu, which is part of Tongariro National Park. The area鈥檚 protected status meant the production team and actors couldn鈥檛 walk on many areas of the ground, so the massive ramp was built. Freeman called the area his favorite location at which to shoot.

Jackson pointed out that the river at that location was the water actor Andy Serkis had jumped into to catch fish while playing the creature Gollum in the original 鈥�Lord of the Rings鈥� trilogy. Serkis served as second unit director for some filming for 鈥�The Hobbit鈥� movies in addition to reprising his role as Gollum.

Many of the second unit locations at which Serkis shot were reachable only by helicopter, and many were in the mountains.

鈥淲e鈥檙e shortly going to do a rendition of the hills are alive with 鈥楾he Sound of Music,鈥欌�� Serkis said as they set up to film on one mountaintop, pointing at one crew member. 鈥淗e鈥檚 getting into his Maria position.鈥�

The video also details the massive output of the catering department, which had used up a ton of oranges so far during production and distributed between 200 and 300 cups of coffee a morning.

Check out the video below:

Molly Driscoll is a Monitor contributor.

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