An avid fan of JRR Tolkien, film director Peter Jackson set out to realistically create Tolkiens magical fantasy, The Lord of the Rings, in a manner that was completely in line with the authors vision. In order to do justice to the epic nature of the tale, Jackson was adamant that it had to be filmed all at once, as one long story. The three movies, in his view, had to take the viewer through three unique experiences which culminated into one total unforgettable story.

To follow this artistic vision meant simultaneously filming in five different locations across the globe, many of which were remote, with little, if any, available telephone and electric lines. At the same time, Jackson had to ensure that the sets that were used for filming remained consistent throughout all three movies so as to preserve the artistic integrity of the film. With a limited budget, the complex logistics and massive scope of the project seemed an insurmountable challenge.

And guess what aided him? None other than the technology we call videoconferencing. In an unprecedented production move, Jackson used a communications system consisting of video and voiceconferencing and email-over-satellite transmissions to remotely direct his production teams at each location in real-time.

The production company 3Foot6 Limited, was established in 1999 to support Jackson in fulfilling his dream to bring Tolkiens epic masterpiece to the silver screen. With the ambitious goal of filming all three feature films of the trilogy at the same time in different locations, Duncan Nimmo, IT manager of 3Foot6, needed to find a solution to allow Jackson to simultaneously manage the remotely located film crews. In the end, Nimmo recommended using video communications tools.

So the film which encompasses centuries, was actually shot in one day, processed overnight and viewed by the director the following day. Under this scenario, any changes required by the director meant a costly re-shoot. However, during the filming of The Lord of the Rings, Jackson viewed the footage in real-time as it was being filmed.

Although the system was originally conceived for video communications alone, as the project grew and became more complex, analog video, IP, telephone and network services were added to the operation. The video feed came from the movie cameras that were linked to Polycoms ViewStation systems using a high-speed network connection from either the main studio in Warkworth or from one of the remote filming locations. The footage was then transmitted by satellite to the director, regardless of whether he was in the central studio or out on location. This technique allowed Jackson to view exactly what the cameramen were filming so he could suggest changes in lighting or camera angles along the way.

Mehak Chawla
mehakc@cybermedia.co.in