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'The Hobbit': a glimpse of the studios

A behind-the-scenes video shows "The Hobbit" actors and crew hard at work inside the studios.

By Molly Driscoll , Staff Writer

The seventh in the "behind-the-scenes of 'The Hobbit'鈥 video series arrived today, with the production team taking viewers into the studios where the two movies are being filmed.

There are a couple of glimpse of the movies themselves, including a look at actors on the set just before they begin filming a scene in the troll鈥檚 cave (the camera tantalizingly cuts away just before shooting begins), as well as footage of the ensemble filming the sequence in which hobbit Bilbo Baggins and his dwarf companions escape elf stronghold Mirkwood by floating down a river in barrels, and a brief sighting of a dwarf walking through a forest that is on fire.

The video begins again with director Peter Jackson, this time driving into the Stone Street Studios, which is otherwise closed to the public during filming. (The area was also a production site for the 鈥淟ord of the Rings鈥 trilogy and Jackson鈥檚 version of 鈥淜ing Kong.鈥)

鈥淚t kind of feels a bit like I鈥檓 driving the tram through Universal Studios,鈥 Jackson says later as he points out the various buildings to the camera.

Actor Luke Evans, who plays a character named Bard the Bowman in "The Hobbit," takes viewers on a tour of trailers on the set, which are labeled with character names like Bilbo and Dwalin. Evans brings the camera crew to the trailer of 鈥 among others 鈥 actor Aidan Turner, who plays dwarf Kili, and actor Peter Hambleton. Hambleton, who plays dwarf Gloin, offers viewers before and after scenes of his two-hour prosthetics transformation.

A stunt crew with lime green swords are seen battling it out outside the studio, some partially in costume.

Swordmaster Steven McMichael starts talking to the camera crew and is promptly mock-speared in the neck with one of the plastic swords.

鈥淚 just died,鈥 he informs the camera, then continues. 鈥淭his is the intensity we like to bring on set every day.鈥

A tour of the costume department reveals the creepily named 鈥渇lesh factory,鈥 where fat suits are constructed for the actors playing the dwarves, and artists John Howe and Alan Lee, who originally drew the covers for the "Lord of the Rings" series and now work on the films, greet the camera. Then the camera crew is taken on a tour through the model-making area, where small versions of many sets are created. (One model is blurred out with a red prohibited sign over it reading 鈥淔ilm 2.鈥)

Second assistant director Bruno Du Bois brings the camera crew onto the set before the troll cave scene, just in time to see actors Richard Armitage, who plays dwarf leader Thorin, and actor Ian McKellen, who portrays wizard Gandalf, cross in front of the camera. Piles of gold objects and craggy rocks can be seen making up the set.

鈥淣ow we鈥檙e just going to, ssshh, walk away,鈥 Du Bois tells the camera as filming is about to begin, and the camera swings outside, followed by a sequence of actor Martin Freeman, who plays hero hobbit Bilbo Baggins, being spun in a barrel on wheels.

Members of the crew playing a very competitive ball game that resembles foursquare can also be seen. 鈥淒o not give in, do not make eye contact,鈥 one of the players tells the camera about the game.

The camera crew is also given a tour of Weta Workshop, where creative director Richard Taylor lists the tasks accomplished there, including 鈥渕olding, spraying, trimming, sanding."

For those wishing for more celebrity sightings, the video ends with a happy surprise. Actor Orlando Bloom, who played Legolas in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and is reprising his role in "The Hobbit" series, is found with Jackson. Jackson asks, 鈥淲hat are you doing?鈥 Another camera then shows Bloom, holding the original camera and filming Jackson.

鈥淚鈥檓 filming the blog,鈥 Bloom tells his director.

鈥淪houldn鈥檛 you be killing Orcs or something?鈥 counters Jackson.

Check out the full video below: