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Hugo Weaving on Hobbit special effects


Things have changed in Middle-Earth over the last decade. Infamously known for his exhaustive use of practical effects in conjunction with CGI enhancements, Peter Jackson is shaking things up and going a bit more contemporary with his upcoming Hobbit trilogy. What does that mean? A greater use of CGI, for one. Hugo Weaving, who plays […]

Things have changed in Middle-Earth over the last decade. Infamously known for his exhaustive use of practical effects in conjunction with CGI enhancements, Peter Jackson is shaking things up and going a bit more contemporary with his upcoming Hobbit trilogy. What does that mean? A greater use of CGI, for one.

Hugo Weaving, who plays Elrond in both the old trilogy and the new, recently sat down with The A.V. Club to talk about the evolution of special effects and the way in which the sets themselves have become a product of the times. “Working on [The Hobbit] last year, there was definitely a lot more green-screen,” explains Weaving. “You see these extraordinary makeup transformations in front of your eyes, yet behind that, there’s a green flat. And so there’s quite a distance, quite a journey to make between… You’re constantly aware that this is a film reality that you need to augment with performance and your imagination, and that’s fine. That’s the world of The Hobbit and of Lord of the Rings.” But he’s quick to add that Jackson and co.’s dedication to practical effects and location shooting is still fully intact, as well, not wanting to upset any of the long-standing devotees to Jackson’s classical approach. “I mean, again, there are sometimes the most exquisite sets, so it’s not always the case. And other times, you’re on location. But there seems to be more green-screen with that than anything I’ve ever done.” ~Devin Garabedian

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