Gollum: How We Made Movie Magic

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Gollum: How We Made Movie Magic
Gollum- How We Made Movie Magic.jpg
AuthorAndy Serkis, Gary Russell
PublisherHarperCollins (UK, international), Houghton Mifflin (US)
ReleasedDecember 1, 2003
Pages121

Gollum: How We Made Movie Magic is a 2003 book recounting the personal experiences of Andy Serkis, and features interviews by Gary Russell with several people involved in the production and design of Gollum.

From the publisher

Film-making history was made when, in The Two Towers, an actor's performance and digital animation were seamlessly integrated to create the world's first totally lifelike computer-generated character. Now Andy Serkis tells his own story about how a three-week commission to provide a voiceover for Gollum grew into a five-year commitment to breathe life and soul into The Lord of the Rings' most challenging creation.

  • Did the voice of Gollum really start with a cat being sick?
  • What was it like acting in a bodysuit covered in dots?
  • How much was Gollum modelled to look like Andy?
  • What surprises does The Return of the King hold in store?[note 1]

Fully illustrated with more than 100 exclusive behind-the-scenes photos and drawings, and with contributions from the many designers and animators who brought Gollum to life, this book examines the transition to the big screen of one of literature's most unforgettable creatures. As the filming takes him from London to Wellington, and from the Misty Mountains to Mount Doom, Andy Serkis explains the methods - and the madness - behind the most amazing five years in an actor's life.

Interviewees

  • Gino Acevedo
  • Philippa Boyens
  • Randall William Cook (animation design supervisor)
  • Melanie Cordan (digital creature designer)
  • Ngila Dickson
  • Daniel Falconer (designer/sculptor)
  • John Howe
  • Peter Jackson
  • Alan Lee
  • Warren Mahy (designer/sculptor)
  • Bay Raitt (creature facial lead designer)
  • Christian Rivers (digital designer)
  • Jim Rygiel (visual effects designer)
  • Mahria Sangster (mocap co-ordinator)
  • Jason Schleifer (digital creature designer)
  • Remington Scott (motion capture supervisor)
  • Mike Stevens (digital creature designer)
  • Richard Taylor
  • Mary Victoria (digital creature designer)
  • Fran Walsh
  • Chris Ward (ADR recordist)
  • Lisa Wildermoth (first assistant director, motion capture)
  • Ben Wootten (designer/sculptor)

Notes

  1. This book was published two weeks before the première of the third instalment of Peter Jackson's movie series.
The Lord of the Rings film series
Source material: The Hobbit · The Lord of the Rings
Films The Fellowship of the Ring (extended editionThe Two Towers (extended edition) · The Return of the King (extended edition)
Music The Fellowship of the Ring (The Complete Recordings) · The Two Towers (The Complete Recordings) · The Return of the King (The Complete Recordings) · "May It Be" · "Gollum's Song" · "Into the West"
Tie-in books Official Movie Guide · The Making of the Movie Trilogy · Complete Visual Companion · Gollum: How We Made Movie Magic · There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale · Weapons and Warfare · The Art of The Lord of the Rings · Sketchbook
The Fellowship of the Ring Visual Companion · The Art of The Fellowship of the Ring
The Two Towers Visual Companion · Photo Guide · The Art of The Two Towers
The Return of the King Visual Companion · The Art of The Return of the King
Video games The Two Towers · The Return of the King · The Third Age · Tactics · Conquest · Aragorn's Quest · Lego The Lord of the Rings
Characters Frodo · Bilbo · Gandalf · Sam · Merry · Pippin · Gandalf · Aragorn · Boromir · Legolas · Gimli · Elrond · Galadriel · Théoden · Éomer · Éowyn · Saruman · Sauron · Witch-king · Denethor · Faramir · Gollum · Gríma · Treebeard · Celeborn · Haldir · Lurtz · Sharku · Grishnákh