From 1999 to 2004 I was engaged to document the production of Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth trilogy . It was the best of times, and the worst of times – for them, and for me.
Stephen Whelan-Turnbull and Jo Luping spent close to three months capturing footage during pre-production. Hayley French and I then took over and shared most of the on-set shooting. The production was initially planned to last two years. It went on much longer.
During that time, the studio’s plans kept changing. An initial scheme to create one feature length documentary quickly morphed into something much more ambitious. Not only a feature length documentary was envisaged, but up to six hours of additional ‘behind the scenes’ content, for each film.
I stuck to this plan, but long before the movies were finished New Line Cinema changed their minds again, and my unit was sidelined. All our footage was appropriated by the incoming team – very much larger. They ended up producing the excellent Extended Edition DVDs.
I observed the direction they were headed in, which was heavy on oral history, and decided to push our point of difference – which was that our material was strongly visual and ‘present tense’. It also emphasised the point of view of the troops, rather than the generals.
So with the creative and practical help of our indefatigable editor Jason Stutter, we ended up taking 1000 + hours of footage and turned it into not one, but three feature length verite style docos. Note – this was in addition to the 18+ hours of content originally asked for. The final delivery was closer to 20 hours – comprising some 200 self contained stories and vignettes on every aspect of the trilogy’s gestation, from Hobbiton to Mordor and back again.
This material resides on a dusty shelf somewhere in the new line vaults, but the studio did eventually bring out my three documentaries in what they called a “Limited Edition”. The fans immediately all howled and complained of being ripped off, which frankly hurt, though I can’t blame them. I thought the manner of the release was tactless to say the least.
Peter Jackson directs a pair of wizards
But moans of “only one” documentary per film rankled then, and now. I invite any objective viewer to add up the minutes of onset footage seen in the Extended Editions and then compare the breadth of actuality coverage seen in my films. Nearly all their footage was taken from my stuff in the first place. If you want superb long form interviews, commentaries, and other informational content, the Extended Edition boxes are great. If you want more of a nitty gritty immersive experience, then come over to this side. In fact, the two approaches are perfectly complimentary.
However, I remain unimpressed by the sheer stupidity of some US fans in particular, whose brains seem to be permanently locked into appreciating only the most didactic and exposition driven models of documentary. It might have helped if I’d been given the opportunity to add music, subtitles, and commentaries, as I’d originally planned. Unfortunately, the first I knew of the release, it was already happening.
Even though I wasn’t given the chance to finish things as I wanted, I stand by the work. I believe these docs give the most accurate available insight into what it was actually like to make the Rings trilogy. Now ironically, via the Blu Ray Extended Edition, the two sets of behind the scenes work have been bundled together. This might help underline finally the dovetailed, or complementary nature of our approaches. And certainly adds up to a substantial library of material for die hard LOTR fans.
Filming at Edoras
View Excerpts Here:
This is an unauthorised rip, but it’s nicely put together, and the chap concerned had the decency not to steal the whole thing. An attribution would have been nice!
BTW, for the record, I do not own these documentaries, and get no royalties from sales.
Some people have asked why that is. The answer is simple. No studio in its right mind would trade away such a potentially valuable ancillary property. I was well paid upfront to do the work, and have no complaints on that score.
Behind the Scenes: Excerpts | SPIKE.
Video Interview:
I understand that my documentaries are included on the new Blue ray Extended Edition DVD box set of Lord of the Rings.
It appears that despite the golden packaging, none of the supplementary material is presented in Blu-Ray format. No point really, as it was all shot Standard Definition. It was also partly shot in the silly ‘fool frame’ 4×3 format at the studio’s request. I can admit now that I got to a point where I could not stand it any longer, and began shooting 16×9. Just as well, because (a) it looks a lot better, and (b) eventually New Line changed their minds and asked for 16×9 anyway.
I have not been extended the courtesy of being given a copy of this edition to see for myself, but my understanding is that my work has been presented in a more flattering way this time, compared to the allegedly fierce compression encountered on the Limited Edition box sets. I don’t know for sure because to this day I have not had the stomach to watch the Limited Editions, being too annoyed over a bunch of petty trims that were made without my knowledge or consent.
I am now, as they say, ‘over it’ (almost!), but prefer to think of these pieces in the entirety I intended.
As far as The Hobbit is concerned, I have nothing to add to the comments made in the blog link above. I believe the ‘Behind the Scenes’ effort is in very good hands, and anyone interested in the making of Peter’s new Tolkein films will be given a full serve.
Update June 28 2011
I note a little upsurge in traffic to this page. Probably as a result of curiosity arising from the Blu Ray Extended Edition release. Anyone with remaining questions about my ‘behind the scenes’ docs is welcome to post them in the comments section below. I’ll endeavour to reply in a timely fashion. Thanks to everyone for their interest.
I very much enjoyed your approach to documenting the making of LOTR and for my part bought the DVDs again only for your documentaries, and I gained an extra copy of the films as a slight bonus. I have shown them to several people and everyone has liked what you have achieved. I wish you the very best in your career although I am a little disappointed you are not doing the same for the Hobbit.
Thank you Daniel, I appreciate the feedback. Please check out some of the other pages on this site, and you’ll see why I’m not too broken hearted about missing The Hobbit. It’s interesting that our local media are accentuating negatives and problems with this production – rather the opposite to coverage given the production of LOTR; even though, of course, those films were plagued with problems large and small too. I’m sure that whatever travails the Hobbit goes through, the end result will stand confidently alongside the Rings Trilogy. And lets not forget that setbacks and obstacles make for more interesting behind the scenes documentaries!
I really love your documentary and i wanted to ask if the Extended Version on bluray will be the same as on DVD or better…
I’am so sad that you won’t film a documentary for THE HOBBIT, but i can understand your point of view and i agree with you that obstacles and setbacks would make a “behind the scenes” more interesting !
What is the difference between the Specials Extended Edition and the Limited Edition above your side?
I’m afraid the studio has never done me the courtesy of including me in discussions about how my work is used, so I honestly have no idea what their plans are for future Blu-ray content. I know there are many hours of edited behind the scenes content that remain unseen, because my team created it. There’s also a lot of great stuff put together by the movie editorial teams – bloopers, out-takes, fun practical jokes, and special announcements. There is plenty of LOTR gold in the hills yet. I have not looked at the Special Extended Edition – is that the Blu Ray Extended Edition? Gosh, there’s certainly no shortage of editions. My advice is, look carefully before buying anything!
Hi Costa, I bought all the Limited Editions and was under the impression that SURELY you would be getting royalties form the sales. Unbelievable!!
I well remember you introduction to the Fellowship documentary in Wellington that I went to. Supping with the devil indeed!!!
I love your docos the best because it is raw and real- thanks:)
Hey Debbie,
Hollywood studios do not profit-share with the likes of me. Ha ha. I’m not too worried as I was paid well to do the job, so can’t complain. I do wish that they had let me in at the end as I did not intend the docs to be quite as raw as they finished up, but certainly would not have compromised anything ‘real’. Authenticity matters .
A couple years ago I purchased the three movies just to watch the behind-the-scenes videos and such. I got all three of the at Walmart for only $20 (think it was a misprint haha). I loved how they were made and that they included bloopers all through them haha. Wondering though, why did you not receive any royalties for the sales?
(nvm about the last question haha…. didn’t read the comment before mine)
Excellent documentaries though.
For those curious about such things, the simple answer is that a Hollywood studio will normally hire a production company to make any material it requires, and pay the producer or company an agreed fee. The studio then owns all the subsequent assets. It’s possible to negotiate a share of royalties from sales, but this would be a privilege given to only the most powerful producers, directors, or actors. I would not call the humorous incidents portrayed in my docs ‘bloopers’ as such. More the bloopers of real life, maybe? The fact was, despite hardships, making the movies was a lot of fun. There was a sense of cameraderie, and much of the company had a sense of humour, so there was a lot of laughter. I naturally picked up on that and tried to include it as much as possible.
Hi
Im wading my way through all the various box sets etc…having not watched them in a while. The one thing i wanted to say actually was thank you. You have documented my favourite book being made into my favourite film…and it really feels like being there. Compare that to some very bland dvd extras you get with some films…Thanks again
Thanks for that Daniel. I tried to make it as honest as possible. I was never captured by the hype swirling around, and neither – I hope it is obvious in my docs – were the vast majority of people who worked to make the trilogy, from Peter on down. I find most DVD extras unwatchable.
Sorry for perhaps a silly question, but I cannot find anything on the web that describes how long these documentaries are for each film. I obviously have not yet seen your documentaries, as I am an owner of the original extended edition dvd set. The inclusion of your docs in this new blu ray extended edition set is a key motivator for me in purchasing the new set.
Hi Thaddeus,
an important bit of information. All the docs are feature length. Can’t recall off the top of my head exactly how long, but approx 90-100 minutes each. In remember they get longer as they go along – like their parents films!
That’s fantastic! I can’t wait to see them. Thanks so much for your quick reply.
No problem. Maybe take note of my comments on the LOTR page and don’t judge me too harshly if you see some odd little cuts go through. I have absolutely no idea either what they’ve done with the aspect ratio. Should be 16×9 widescreen.
And even off SD DvCam originals, the pic quality ought to be OK. Again, I have been allowed no involvement or say over final quality control. Fingers crossed.
Tx,
Costa
We just purchased the new blu-ray extended editions, and are watching through them in increments. My wife and I are thrilled that we will finally have the opportunity to watch your documentaries, as we’ve heard great things about them. I’m glad that they are finally getting the attention that they deserve, now that they feature prominently in this incredible box set.
Hi Costa,
just like you i love to shoot films (and photos) and let the action speak for itself (of course in a not nearly as professional manner than you do) simply because everytime someone changes or cuts scenes right out of scenarios in a way HE likes it, it more becomes HIS view on things because he will only show us things he likes about the scenario. So do you think there is any chance of acquiring the whole uncut material of yours off of New Line? So perhaps you can distribute it yourself as the only “Live documentary that shows real people creating something together as a group that most people can only dream about”? Would that interest you at all or do you think NL are planning to do a similar thing on their own for a another edition in the future?
Hi Alexander,
A couple of points I’d like to answer here. Firstly, my work is not at all passive. It is highly edited – you don’t have to look hard to see there are multiple camera positions used. I never just sit in a corner and shoot. And my work is always MY point of view. But, I try to stay true to what I observe – so I am not imposing some cliche or stereotypical view on it; and I try to shoot with an open mind – so that in observing some activity I can try to understand it from the inside out, then pass that understanding back to an audience. The effect might be that I’m letting action and characters speak for themselves, and that’s exactly what i want you to think; but this does not mean there hasn’t been a lot of tricky film-making going on. I try to capture interesting sequences with a full range of shots – near, far, high, low. The dominant aim was to capture the feeling of what it was like to be there.
As to your second question about the mountain of footage, and all the yet unseen hours of edited footage; This will remain forever moot as there is zero chance of New Line giving up control of this material. As i’ve said before, I accept this. They hired me to shoot behind the scenes material. And I was well paid to do it. think I’ve already delivered some films that show, “real people creating something together as a group” . So I don;t know what else I could do with LOTR footage I haven’t already done. I would not be interested in revisiting this material again anyway unless there were some considerable change in the terms of engagement. I honestly cannot see that happening!
Thank you Costa for your fast and yet extensive reply!
Of course you are right, I assume that any film anybody shoots is one’s point of view. And obviousely you do have the “magic” to at some point make people really get sucked into the action as if they were part of it to some extent (in a passive way). And to have the feeling to actually be there is always exciting. That was more what I meant, the feeling the audience gets by watching it, more than the actual technique behind it although as you stated that’s the basis for the result.
My girlfriend and I like to watch a lot of documentaries (including yours) and I would very much apprechiate your personal oppinion on what, in your mind, comes more into play when shooting (documentaries/behind the scenes): the used technology (and the knowledge of using it) or the visual eye of the filmmaker? Naturally, both is important, but does the artistic talent (still) sticks out (or did it ever?) or is technique replacing it (nowadays) to some extent?
Thank you so much for your work and dedication and the possibility to write to / read from you on his website!
Alexander
Any film is going to be a product of a number of factors.
The least important elements are equipment and technique.
The most important are storytelling talent – by which I mean the ability of the film maker to convey meaning (especially via metaphor); and the visual eye of the film maker – I think maybe that’s the same as talent too. Good film makers are like visual poets. BUt film is about more than what things look like. Sound plays a great part. Music. To capture these things and synthesise them into a coherent work of film – this is an art that does take a lot of experience for most people.
Of course craft and technique can affect the outcome. An experienced professional will know how to get a result more immediately than a beginner. But as we know there is an awful lot of work out there that show little more than technique.
I don’t think about technique consciously too much. What I always look for is DRAMA. In small things and large. But I try to start with a character – a protagonist, somebody that the film will be about. I am really interested in dramatic characters – that is somebody who wants something badly, and is having a hard time getting it. This is a textbook definition of drama. If you have such a character at the heart of a work, then it will always be interesting and have a sense of purpose.
Any film is going to be a product of a number of factors.
The least important elements are equipment and technique.
The most important are storytelling talent – by which I mean the ability of the film maker to convey meaning (especially via metaphor); and the visual eye of the film maker – I think maybe that’s the same as talent too. Good film makers are like visual poets. BUt film is about more than what things look like. Sound plays a great part. Music. To capture these things and synthesise them into a coherent work of film – this is an art that does take a lot of experience for most people.
Of course craft and technique can affect the outcome. An experienced professional will know how to get a result more immediately than a beginner. But as we know there is an awful lot of work out there that show little more than technique.
I don;t think about technique consciously too much. What I always look for is DRAMA. In small things and large. But I try to start with a character – a protagonist, somebody that the film will be about. I am really interested in dramatic characters – that is somebody who wants something badly, and is having a hard time getting it. This is a textbook definition of drama. If you have such a character at the heart of a work, then it will always be interesting and have a sense of purpose.
Costa
Thanks again for your detailed elucidations!
Would you be interested in a film let’s say about the female soccer/football national team of new zealand for example? usually i strongly dislike sports documentaries but in your case i think especially your work could show a whole new side of the matter as this team is also the underdog in the current worldcup and i am sure was scratching their way for years to get there just to probably go home dissapointed .. or will they? maybe there is a bigger goal than just winning? (of course there is but all the hard traing at the beginning would let you think otherwise)
A very interesting topic on it’s own is religion. In at least one of your movies you took up the subject. As an artist I can imagine you see or feel something and over the eyes and ears as you mentioned (sounds and music) you transport that feeling or idea or view into the audiences eyes. Isn’t there alway some sort of fear that people could misinterpret what they experience through the film and therefore misvalue the creation/film? I am sorry that I ask so many questions but i am very interested in the topic and especially in your oppionion since I find your films very inspiring. No more questions on my part, thanks again and a good day
Alex
Do you hold PJ accountable for any of the negativity you’ve experienced? Or is the blame solely on New Line?
No Peter was only supportive. And I don;t really blame New Line either. It was a bit of an understandable culture clash. It’s like that story of the scorpion who begs a frog to carry him across a swollen river. The frog demurs, fearing the scorpion’s sting, but allows himself to be persuaded. The scorpion argues it would be suicide for him to sting his saviour. Halfway across, the scorpion stings the frog. As he’s dying, the frog asks, “why?”. The scorpion replies, “it’s my nature”; and then they’re both swept away by the flood. Big Hollywood studios are not in the business of gratifying the artistic egos of minor contractors. It’s not in their nature, or in their general business interest to do so. As I’ve said before, let’s all be happy now that the definitive blu-ray box set has come out, and people can choose between a variety of ‘behind the scenes’ content.
It really pisses me off that those studio heads aren’t giving you much credit but i guess thats the way it goes.. Still i want to thank you for making these documentaries!
I’m not worried about credit. I’m clearly acknowledged as the director of the three behind the scenes feature docs. I just wish there had been some communication and consultation from the studio on the final leg. They might not have made some of the silly little trims that they made, and I could have laid some music and commentary, and made the whole thing a bit more nuanced. But whatever, it is what is. A fly on the wall, cinema-verite impression of LOTR’s creation behind the scenes. I’m happy it’s out there and people are watching.
How come you dont have your site viewable in wap format? Can not view anything in my netbook.
Please address this query to WordPress. I am just a poor, struggling film maker of limited means, and even more limited technical capability. Nobody else has reported problems viewing the content on my site. Try an iPad maybe?