Ohakune, New Zealand. May 4, 2000. On location for The Lord of the Rings
The next day I was driven to the location in Tongariro National Park where battle scenes were being filmed. I watched from afar as Viggo Mortensen shot close-ups as Aragorn on horseback. It seemed to me he was going way over the top, making faces for the camera. That night’s rushes proved me absolutely wrong. He was, of course, magnificent and understated.
Unit Production Manager Zane Weiner had set up a hotel room with a projector where the daily rushes were reviewed each evening. Motorcycle couriers took exposed film, as it was unloaded from cameras, to labs in Wellington, where they were processed and delivered back to Ohakune, near the national park that was standing in for Mordor. Zane arranged pizza for the audience of nervous actors and crew, anxious to see how their day’s work had turned out, at least in rough form on a small screen.
I stayed behind after everyone left except Peter and Zane, as the UPM juggled reels for the director to review shot after shot of flames big and small against a black background, looking for just the right fiery effects. I left after about an hour of that! A director’s work is not all glamor, sunglasses, cigarette holders, ascots and funny hats.
