Make a Model out of a Grandstand
Sometimes, you need to create a massive scene with tons of people in a place that no longer exists (or never existed in the first place). Model makers can make a 3D stand of almost anything, imagined or real. You see all those ‘people’ in the stands in the next picture? It’s a full house. Michael Lynch, the model maker on set, cut over 450,000 Q-tips and painted them to look like people. Fans were used to make it look like the crowd was moving.
Doesn’t the Camera Have Zoom?
Most people would think that the video camera used to make the film would have a zoom feature. They probably do. However, sometimes, bigger is better. As you can see in the photo below, this ring wouldn’t fit anyone, especially a Hobbit. No, it was designed to be used in close-up shots of the prop. You can see that it doesn’t have the intricate carvings around it, but that’s okay.