One of the subjects that came up when Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg made a joint appearance at Comic-Con this past week was the supplemental fees charged for 3D movie screenings, reports the New Zealand Herald. Peter is quoted:

“I think the 3D situation is kind of interesting at the moment because, after Avatar, it survived for a while as this premium experience with higher ticket prices.

“But I think the audiences have now come to realise there are bad movies that can be in 3D as well and, on top of that, you’re being charged an extra $5 to see a movie that was as bad as one you saw in 2D,” said Jackson, sitting alongside Spielberg at popular culture convention Comic-Con.

Of course, the pair have a 3D film coming up, The Adventures of Tintin, co-produced by both and directed by Spielberg, and Peter is shooting The Hobbit in 3D. Spielberg added that he hoped 3D would eventually be used so skillfully that it would blend in with other film techniques and not call attention to itself:

“Then maybe they can make the ticket prices comparable to a 2D movie and not charge such exorbitant prices just to gain entry into a 3D one, with the exception of Imax, where we are getting a premium experience in a premium environment,” Spielberg said.

“But, to show a 3D movie in a similar theatre in a multiplex next to another similar theatre showing a 2D movie, [I’m] hoping some day there will be so many 3D movies that the point of purchase prices can come down, which I think would be fair to the consumer.”

But theaters aren’t charging premium prices because they assume the films are better and more attractive. They do it because it costs more to make a film in 3D or convert one to 3D. $30 million dollars more, on average for these big blockbusters. And mediocre films cost the same to make as good ones do. At some point 3D technology may become cheaper, and the price differential could disappear. That assumes that 3D is judged to be a successful technology.

It’s not just a matter of mediocre films, either. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 made only 43% of its record opening weekend gross in 3D-equipped theaters–that despite the fact that 68% of the locations where it played showed it in 3D. People who went to that film in 2D surely didn’t assume it was mediocre. On the whole, it has been getting very favorable reviews, and HP fans would surely spend the extra few dollars if they really wanted to see it in 3D.

But 3D may turn out not to be the cash cow that the studios had hoped. The decline in 3D revenues this year has been real and it has been consistent. In some, if not most cases, exhibitors are actually making more money showing 2D prints than 3D. (I’ll be posting about this soon on Observations on Film Art, my other blog, and I’ll post a link when the piece is up for those who are interested in this issue.) The explanation would seem likely to be that most people just don’t care very much about 3D.

On Tuesday I reported that New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key was coming to the U.S. to meet with government officials, and with Warner Bros. executives as well. Now Stuff.co says that Key met with President Obama:

Before the 30 minute meeting, Key had been presented with the president’s formal gift of a replica Hobbit sword that came from half way around the world – New Zealand. It was made by Weta Workshop in Wellington and the gift was organised by Hobbit backers Warner Brothers.

No pictures or other details are given.

[Thanks to Grant McKenna for the link!]

Radio New Zealand adds some information, mainly what Mr. Key gave the president:

Mr Obama has given Mr Key a New Zealand-made gift, a replica of the sword being used in the Hobbit movies, by the character Bilbo Baggins.

It was made by the Weta Workshop in Wellington.

In return, Mr Key gave Mr Obama a greenstone mere, made by Ngai Tahu.

US protocol requires official gifts to be exchanged behind the scenes, rather than directly between leaders.

I just got the new Weta newsletter, which is online here. (If you don’t get it regularly via email, you can sign up.) It features a new environment, the tower of Orthanc. Tolkien described Orthanc vividly in the book–more so than most of the other places where major events occurred. Alan Lee caught the description perfectly in his original book-jacket painting and the design he later did for the film based on that painting. Pre-orders start on July 31.

The newsletter also contains a link to the first part of an article by David Tremont, the designer of the Orthanc environment. He’s a senior model maker at Weta.

This would be a good opportunity to mention the new Gandalf statue recently announced. It’s not in the newsletter, but check it out on the Weta site. And for me, the most interesting new offer, a collector’s guide listing all the collectibles created by Weta Workshop over the past decade (including those done in co-partnership with Sideshow Collectibles). This includes items made for other films, of course, and the Dr. Grordbort’s weapons series. So now there is a book that is, in a way, about the franchise and yet part of the ongoing franchise itself.

Peter Jackson has posted twice on his Facebook page. After Production Diary #3, he had this to say to those hoping for New Line to put on some sort of presentation about The Hobbit at this year’s Comic-Con:

Good news and bad news today. Bad news is that we won’t be doing any Hobbit presentation at Comic Con in San Diego this year. New Line and Warner Bros were very happy to support a presentation, but I declined, simply because I felt it was too early. There’s so much more of the films still to shoot. I just wanted to get that out there, because I’ve seen various references to the possibility of something Hobbity at Comic Con. Hate to disappoint anyone. But something tells me we will be there in force next year.

At least that gives those of us who might hope to go next year plenty of time to plan!

The new post also says that Peter has begun work on the second twenty-questions answers and hopes to post them soon.

Peter Jackson’s Facebook page now contains the third of the Hobbit Production Diaries, looking good in HD. It’s 13:26 minutes long.

This morning I posted a brief entry on the fact that Peter was now apparently in London. The jokey opening of the diary entry features a transition where he starts in Wellington and ends up on Pinewood Studios, London (where, as he points out, the early James Bond films were shot). This leads into a series of clips with cast and crew members talking about the first three months of shooting.

Day 3 featured Gollum’s Cave, and we get a generous look at the filming of the riddle scene. There are some jokes about an issue I’ve commented on: the difficulty of getting people to be able to recognize the dwarves. Peter says: “Thirteen dwarves is one of the reasons why I dreaded The Hobbit and why I really didn’t think I was going to make it for such a long time. But the irony is that it’s turned out to be one of the joys of the film.”

Indeed, there’s a lot of humor, both in and out of costume, from the actors playing the dwarves. One scene of them standing for a group portrait shows their scale doubles in costume as well. There are glimpses of Day 35, filming in the Trollshaw (being shot by second-unit director Andy Serkis in the big new sound stage at the Stone Street Studios–though I guess it’s not really that new anymore). Apparently the actors are being taught a bit of the dwarvish language, heard only briefly in LOTR.

A real treat comes about 8 minutes in, with Day 38 involving a scene at Rivendell between Elrond and the dwarves. Cate Blanchett shows up at Rivendell, leading me to wonder if that’s where the White Council meeting is going to take place. (I’ve always assumed it took place in Lothlórien, across the river from Dol Guldur.) Possibly it’s a flashback to an earlier meeting, though. Costume designer Ann Maskrey shows off a new Galadriel costume with a spectacularly long train.

At about 8:30 minutes in, we learn that the dwarves will play their instruments and sing, as in the book. Then, on Day 18, John Rhys-Davies shows up to visit the dwarves, including his “father,” Glóin.

The diary entry ends back in London, where shooting is going in what looks like the Rivendell set or some other similar set done in silhouette in green-screen. Then, in the last few seconds we get the confirmation of all the rumors about a certain treacherous White Wizard being played by a certain respected English actor. Well, I’ve pretty much given it away, so–Christopher Lee is back!

There have been rumors circulating that Ian Holm and Elijah Wood are in London, presumably for some filming on The Hobbit. Given that Christopher Lee is in the cast and had previously said that he would not take the very long trip to New Zealand, there is an assumption that his scenes are being done there as well. (Frodo and Bibo never encounter Saruman in the LR film or the Hobbit book, so it seems unlikely that they’re doing scenes together.)

Today Der Herr der Ringe website says there have been sightings of Peter Jackson in London. Moreover, on July 7, two photos of Peter Jackson beside a car parked outside The Soho Hotel were posted here and here (in a Peter Jackson file on contactmusic.com).

What all this adds up to is still to be seen. In case it’s relevant, Soho is an area of London where a lot of film distribution offices and film-production facilities are located. Not shooting studios, but places where sound recording, special effects, editing, and so on happen.

(Thanks to Paulo Pereira for the heads-up on these!)

In what has become an annual event, TheOneRing.net will be doing a panel at Comic-Con, catching fans up on the latest news and rumors concerning The Hobbit production. They plan to stream the panel live tomorrow, Thursday, July 21, at 10 am Pacific time, or 1 pm on the East Coast. After that: “Then, throughout the rest of the weekend, TORn staffers will be showing up on the stream live with special guests, other panels, interviews and more!”

The link to the live feed is in the story I’ve linked above.

I participated in one of these panels myself back in 2008. (See here for some description and photos, including Richard Taylor and John Howe.) I’ve regretted not being able to go back since that one experience. Maybe next year! The panel and the event as a whole were great fun.

TVNZ reports that  Prime Minister John Key will be dining with Warner Bros. executives in Los Angeles on his way to Washington, D. C. to meet with President Obama and other officials. Key negotiated with Warner execs last year when a labor dispute threatened to drive the Hobbit production to a different country. Extra tax incentives and a change in labor laws convinced WB to keep the production in New Zealand.

According to Key: “They are very keen to build a long-term relationship with us. They see us as a strategic partner and New Zealand as a quirky but talented little market that’s quite cheap.” The report also says: “Before leaving yesterday, Key told reporters the Government wanted to build a partnership with Warner Brothers ‘like they have with the United Kingdom, where they film the Harry Potter movies’.”

Maybe he’s being overly optimistic, but perhaps The Hobbit will continue to support the Kiwi film industry, a tradition started by The Lord of the Rings. After all, Wellington isn’t all that much further from Los Angeles than London is.

I caught an interesting story on “All Things Considered” yesterday. Three young men, Isaiah Saxon, Sean Hellfritsch, and Daren Rabinovitch, have started a combination subsistence farm called Trout Gulch and cutting-edge animation company called Encyclopedia Pictura in the San Francisco area. One of them described it: “We’re building a Twenty-first Century hobbit village.” The reporter on the story, John Kalish, remarks, “Describing this place as a hobbit village isn’t that far off the mark.”

Physically the resemblance is loose at best. There’s a photo on the NPR website showing one of the “grass huts” that trio have built for themselves, with a solar panel next to it to run the inhabitant’s laptop. Of course, not all hobbits live in holes; some live in houses, but they probably don’t much resemble the one shown. The group raises crops and has a herd of goats to provide cheese. Encyclopedia Pictura has made innovative, prize-winning ads (only for products the trio would use themselves) and a Björk video (imbedded in the abridged transcription of the story on the website).

One thing that struck me is that neither the interviewee nor the interviewer felt it necessary to explain what a hobbit village is or why environmentally friendly farming might be a hobbit-like thing to do. I guess hobbits have penetrated the culture to the point where it’s not necessary.

The dual projects did strike me as having a certain Tolkien-inspired tone. Tolkien never said he was against progress or technology as such. His complaint was about things like pollution, destruction of trees and other plants, and the coarsening of modern culture by machines. I suspect he would approve of a pair of projects like Trout Gulch and Encyclopedia Pictura. Saxon, Hellfritsch, and Rabinovitch don’t say that they were directly inspired by Tolkien’s work to take such an approach to living and working, but it sounds quite possible. The farm’s website is here, and the production company’s here.

New Line saved the dwarf leader for last and gave the character’s image to TheOneRing.net to reveal. Not surprising, considering the long and close relationship between TORN, the filmmakers, and the production company. Congratulations to TORN!