Mountain biking today....

I spent a few hours mountain biking today… although perhaps a better term would be mountain braking, lol!

I have had two serious accidents in my life involving me and the road and the bike . There was an incident with cheap brakes, rain and a curb and there was a time more recently when I was hit by a car. Since that last time I have not been on the bike and the accident shook me up quite a lot. It effected me driving a car for a long time too.
The point being - i have taken to offroad biking and I bike to work whn I can. Both these things I find mentally very challenging. The mind holds on to trauma and works very hard and oftenin subversive ways to prevent any further trauma from happening. The mind speaks very loudly and as it is your own mind it is hard not to listen. It takes a great deal of honesty with oneself and some self reflection to sort out the helpful from the "while I appreciate your intention it's really not working for me anymore".

So .. i went mountain biking but you can perhaps appreciate that for Shine any seemingly ordinary thing is more than that, it's about honesty and trust and personal growth.
Or perhaps you can't see that coz personal growth is not a priority for you and you choose to not find lessons in the goings on of your daily life and you just turned up here to read about mountain biking.
And if you're happy and not struggling and whinging through each day that way, that's ok, you can just look at the pictures...

Plasma blobs hint at new form of life

Physicists have created blobs of gaseous plasma that can grow, replicate and communicate - fulfilling most of the traditional requirements for biological cells. Without inherited material they cannot be described as alive, but the researchers believe these curious spheres may offer a radical new explanation for how life began.
Most biologists think living cells arose out of a complex and lengthy evolution of chemicals that took millions of years, beginning with simple molecules through amino acids, primitive proteins and finally forming an organised structure. But if Mircea Sanduloviciu and his colleagues at Cuza University in Romania are right, the theory may have to be completely revised. They say cell-like self-organisation can occur in a few microseconds...
Finally, they could communicate information by emitting electromagnetic energy, making the atoms within other spheres vibrate at a particular frequency. The spheres are not the only self-organising systems to meet all of these requirements. But they are the first gaseous "cells".

Sanduloviciu even thinks they could have been the first cells on Earth, arising within electric storms. "The emergence of such spheres seems likely to be a prerequisite for biochemical evolution," he says.
full article here

So.... plasma eh!
This is very interesting research. Romania is where the plasma is at!
*wonders what the funding application for this research looked like*

and the point of the research?
But perhaps the most intriguing implications of Sanduloviciu's work are for life on other planets. "The cell-like spheres we describe could be at the origin of other forms of life we have not yet considered," he says. Which means our search for extraterrestrial life may need a drastic re-think. There could be life out there, but not as we know it.

It's great to see some research like this getting done, most research ideas now days only go forward with tag of global warming woven into it somehow.

it is certainly interesting to think about what constitutes that physical manifestation that makes us 'living' and 'thinking'.
I mean... think on it some - if you took apart a human atom by atom, you'd have a pile of somethings that alone constitute nothing that is living but together is something alive and cognitive and as unique as a fingerprint.

At what point does the magic of energy reactions kick in?
Good find!

Finding your purpose can change your life...

Another glorious day at the office!

You're welcome to drop by anytime you like....

Is Meek

Transitions, Community and being the change you want to see

It's about putting your money where your mouth is... or rather, perhaps, not - as the case may be. But certainly a case of action speaks louder than words.

Words are easy, you know...but actions, they're a tougher breed of thing altogether. Words can be cast around flippantly with little effort to suit the occasion you are trying to manipulate, the message you're trying to convey, the image you are trying to give. But actions.... that's where the energy is.
You can't be flippant about actions, or can we? I was about to launch down a different path with this blog, but I have just digressed myself onto a path worth processing now...

As creatures we invest energy in things - except, unlike the rest of the creatures, we have created for ourselves this easy system where the energy is to easily replaced for a growing majority of us. Most living things expend energy to get energy - they can't be flippant about it becuase energy supply is not guaranteed. The survival of a species can be made or ended on chasing the wrong piece of food. If you don't catch it, that might have been your last chance.
Not us people. Most of us don't expend anywhere near enough energy to burn up the amount we consume. For goodness sake.. a lot of us actually go to gyms to burn off the stuff we didn't break a sweat to gather. What have we become?
Is this the pinacle of evolution that all creatures should aspire to if only they have the cognitive power to do so? Are we now at the top of some ridculous ladder of greatness that some ethnocentric scholar created?

No. We aren't. We're a sad by-product of our own misguided intelligence. And we are apathetic about it. We may not have lost more knowledge in the last half decade than we've gained but I would suggest that the quality of that knowledge and the skills the majority of us have not bothered to pick up translates to make that loss very important. Can you grow things? Do you know how to feed your family from your garden? Do you know how to preserve food for the winter? Do you knit or sew? Can you make tools? Purify water? Do you even know where your nearest supply of water would be if your tap stopped magically delivering it to your kitchen? Some of these things will be things you remember from your childhood. Someone knitted in your family, someone grew things and cooked them and put them on the table for you to eat.

Do you know where the rubbish goes when it leaves your house? What about the water from your kitchen sink or your shower? Humans are the only animal that doesn't live in a sustainable manner. Basically we shit where we live. In the natural world that's stupid.
Unfortunately, due to wonderful infrastructure and management systems, the majority of us live well isolated and disconnected from the way things actually work. Do your kids know where milk comes from? Do they know that beef is a cow? what about bacon? What are chips made of? When things start to go bad, they will do so in such a rapid way we will be forced to exercise our ability to adapt radically to changing circumstances. I yearn to be ready for that.

I decided to be the change I want to see in the world. It started off small. With me doing what I do, saying what I say, thinking what I think. But it's all very well me having the attitudes I do and the knowledge I do and the awareness I do, but in real terms it means little. It doesn't change the world enough to keep me sleeping at night. My desrire for social action is growing to match my ability to make it happen.
Tonight I attended a public meeting. A gathering of people who understand something is happening and want to know what to do. We are not sitting by and waiting for government to do it - because that would be too late, it's already too late. Government is too big and slow and unweldy. We are going to take back what is really important and just start doing things ourselves.
My town is a transition town. We are not the first one and we will nto be the last one.
A transition town is a group of people living in a place wanting to explore ways to live in a more sustainable way, a more responsible way - a way that will provide for us through the period we are moving into - decline of oil supply and changing climate patterns. Transition Town initiatives will facilitate creative and pro-active responses to energy resource depletion as well as being a ripping good bonding time for the community!
We are a group that is re-localising our community to make it stronger, "resilient and truely sustainable".

The meeting raised many issues that people wanted to explore and then we broke into smaller groups based on what drew our attention and focus. We discussed ideas in these groups and created next steps and actions. I am interested in local organic food and this is the area I have been drawn to over the last half year, in particular the concept of permaculture. I keep banging into it everywhere I go so I joined that discussion and by the end of July I shall be part of a permaculture culture! Things are changing, and they are changing now!

It's exciting!

Below are some links if you want to explore the Transition Town global movement.

Totnes - the first transition town
Transition Towns New Zealand

Guru Purnima

I went with my family (including 2 year old nephew) to the celebration of Guru Purnima (sacred to the memory of the great sage SRI VYASA BHAGAVAN or Sri Krishna Dvaipayana) last night!

The concept is swell! Although not well thought out or delivered where I live.
It is a hindu festival celebrated all over the world during the full moon of july/august.

it's about showing worship to a guru.. but I worship whomever the mood suits.

It manifests in my town as a gathering of mantra singing and you take an instrument and you play and sing and dance to your hearts content.
At the start we have to sit quietly and meditate and hum a mantra... in the middle of this Rain shouts out "SING SHINEYSHINE SING!" *giggles*

I spent most of our time there dancing with Rain (my nephew) - when he wasn't busy playing his guitar!

MAHARISHI VEDA VYASA

Flowers and the origin of Zen

Although I am a nature girl at heart and always have been, and am well versed in the way plants work - I have never been particularly drawn to flowers.
Don't get me wrong, I love plants. But don't give me flowers. I appreciate them much better when they are on the plant.
I tried to be into flowers once. In highschool... I hooked up with some girls and in an attempt to be cool (little did I know I was cool already.. but that's another story and one you're likely to never hear) I went with them on a "flower raid" which involved going to a botanic garden in the wee small hours and robbing a rhododendron of almost all it's blooms and filling my car with them (an old blue morris minor, the kind with the split windscreen and the flip out side paddle blinkers that handled about as well as a marble... but that's not relevant at this juncture). And I do mean filling. I felt pretty bad for that tree for quite some time after. Actually there were a lot of things I did in my teens that I have taken my lifetime to forgive myself for and accept that that was who I was and now that I know better I do better. But I digress..

I like things to be green.
Flowers are, by their very nature, mostly flashy showy attention grabbers and that is not something that appeals to Shine. It's far to easy to like those flashy things in life. Those things that easily catch your eye. To me that saying "the squeaky wheel gets the oil" is not a positive thing really. I far prefer the quiet underdog aspects of life that not many people take the time to notice and generally flowers just don't fit that bill.
Having said this, it was interesting to note tonight in my bookdwelling, a story about flowers that I do appreciate.
It is the story of one ordinary white flower, and the birth of Zen and involves one of the principal disciples of Buddha - Mahakasyapa.

Buddha was one to prattle on for great lengths delivering the dharma to his disciples - one day, they all gathered, as they did, including Mahakasyapa, expecting to hear him deliver some buddist equivalent of the sermon on the mount.
But Buddha did not speak. Instead he pulled from his sleeve a flower and held it there for hours, gazing tranquily at it.

Legend says that Mahakasyapa was the only one to realise this flower gazing was, in fact, the sermon and he smiled having the realisation and appreciating the special delivery of the dharma that the flower sermon brought him. It was the onlyness of this smiling that prompted Buddha to say
"I have the eye treasury of right Dharma, the subtle mind of nirvana, the true form of no-form, and the flawless gate of the teaching. It is not established upon words and phrases. It is a special transmission outside tradition. I now entrust this to Mahakasyapa."
And thus from this smile was born a new way within buddhism of delivering the dharma in a practical way rather than through the scriptures. This smile, this realization, was passed down through Mahakasyapa and through a succession of twenty eight masters and eventually flowed into what became The Zen.

In writing this recount for you I have just had a realisation myself. I can see why this story is the one I have picked to share tonight, why it has struck a cord with me.
My own dharma in this life comes from a similar experience as was shared between Buddha and Mahakasyapa in this tale.
"Dharma transmission isn't a matter of giving and getting, but an acknowledgement of intimacy, an acknowledgement of One Mind, Buddha smiling at Buddha."
Nothing makes me feel more connected to the strength of my purpose* and worth in this world than this buddha smiling at buddha concept. The intimacy of the shared wavelength, the inside joke, if you will, that comes from a shared experience. This is the closest one can experience to ever really knowing you are understood by another.
It is of course, a fallacy, as it is impossible to be truely understood or understand the reality of another (and you really are fooling yourself if you cling to the idea that you are and do) - but it is the closest to that that you can get. And it is through this that we feel our true belonging and purpose in this world.

That we are validated, that we make a difference, that we are cared for, that we matter.

And it is The Feeling.

*NOTE: the use of one's purpose in this piece depends not one whit on you ever knowing or understanding what that may be, just that one exists for you. The sooner you just accept that you do have one and that it may never be revealed to you and that it is not important for you to know it, the more smootly things will flow.

Ravi Shankar

no... not my car!

Have been meaning to find some more of his music and have just managed to get my hands on a 5 cd set including

Ravi Shankar & Ali Akbar Khan-1995
Ravi Shankar & Philip Glass-Passages-1990
Ravi Shankar-Raga-Original soundtrack-1971
Ravi Shankar-Sound Of The Sitar
Ravi Shankar-The Sounds Of India-1968

If you can get hold of them, do it... we can compare listening notes!

No idea who Ravi Shankar is?
Well... he was pretty important to a number of popular musicians so you should know if you think of yourself as a music fan!
Check out these links for a start
Ravi Shankar on Wiki
Ravi Shankar Website
Some free mp3 downloads

I can't give you details but you will just have to trust me when I say

do not combine brushing your teeth and going to the toilet.

People at the store know NOTHING - especially when they say they do.

So when you go to the store and explain to them that you want an external hard drive and the other one you have stopped working and even when it did work it did not go on your apple even though the last people said it would and the store people tell you all the ones we have go, you just plug them in and no special measures required... and you tell them that is what the last people said.. but they also said that it it best to plug the external into the apple first before the pc, and the people at this store tell you that is rubbish and it's actually the opposite, you plug it into the pc first and then the mac..Which is useless to me as my pc is not working at all hence the reason I need an external as I have no where else to put my hoarded files...
ANYWAY my advice is , don't bother wasting your breath because these poeple don't know anything.

Don’t listen to anything the people tell you at the store.
Don’t do anything they said

here is what you should REALLY do.
Go to the store and buy the external. Bring it home and plug it in and notice that you can see the drive but you can't copy anything onto it.Then do this stuff which is the 200$ worth of advice I got from the apple store on the phone, for free, coz they rock!

Making a external hard drive work on a mac

Plug in external as directions state
Open finder window and see hard drive just sitting waiting for you to put all your stuff on
Open disk utility and click on main title for hard drive the shop told you would work fine without any special measures
Start special measures
1. select PARTITION
2. under volume scheme select 1 partition
3. next to format make sure it says Mac OS extended (journaled)
4. Next to name put something smart like “Shinestuff” coz , well, you can
5. Click partition
A warning will come up but you don’t need to panic coz the external was useless to you until you do this so DO IT.

You can now use your external to put on all your horded files that you want to keep so you can get a whole bunch more!!!*giggles*

EDIT: Note from future me (7th May 2011) I so rock for leaving this note for myself! This time I got a 500gb and this blog post was like exactly what happened again! This time I created two partitions which load like two drives. Thanks me, we rock!

80s in my Car

The Ravi Shinecar came with a tape player.. not a flash mp3 playing stereo... the old car didn't even have a functional tape player - so I am using what god gave me and have taken the opportunity to haul out a bunch of cassettes from storage (well until I can be bothered gettign a flash mp3 playing stereo anyway...)
That's right folks... it's 80s revival time in Shine's car! Every time I go out... an 80s album or collection is getting cycled through.

First official two on the list are Nightclubbing by Grace Jones (1981) and Around the World in a Day by Prince (1985)


You might remember Grace Jones from the 80s - weird woman errr man person (!) . Kinda androgynous really. She was in a Bond flick and also romantically linked to Rocky IV star, Dolph Lungren (LOL).

Well, don't be scared, this album is great! Produced by Sly & Robbie and containg three coversIggy Pop's Nightclubbing Bill Withers' Use Me and Demolition Man by the Police. Probably best known for the hit Pull Up To My Bumper. Thing I love about this song...naughty double entendres lyrics, amazing bass guitar and the rhythm... it's a loud one in my car!
Playing in the car rating: 5/5

Next up is Around the World in a Day.

This one was a constant as go to sleep music at one time of my life - which is kinda bizarre as the lyrics are quite cryptic and require some focus! It's also the album that contains the hit Raspberry Beret.
Interestingly at the time.. the album was not publized and really just turned up one day in the stores. Quite a bit different to Purple Rain which was the album before.
My favourite track on here is Pop Life. It's a bit of a reference to Prince's feeling of being an outsider in the industry.
Although this album didn't do well compared to Purple Rain... it's my fav prince album.
Playing in the car rating: 2/5

Ninja's Eat Noodles

Pucca loves Garu, he's a pretty boy.
Ninjas eat noodles.
Kissy-chase, Kissy-face. Bam-wham-bam.
Pu-pu-pu-pu-pu-pu-pu-pu-pu-pu-pucca funny love pu-pu.
pu-pu-pu-pu-pu-pu-pu-pu-pu-pu-pucca funny love pu-pu.
Puuca loves Garu.
kissy chase, kissy face
wham-bam-bam
*kiss, pucca giggles*

Prince Caspian and the Chronicles of Shineia.

I saw Prince Caspian tonight.

Before I go on, let me say that I was not overly fussed with the first one.
This one I liked. The effects were a lot better and in fact, in places very cool!
It was cool to spend the movie wishing to see more of Edmund instead of less...

As for the Chronicles of Shineia - that's the other bit that was cool. I have had a wicked last 10 days. Lots of hard work and strength needed in almost every part of my life (relationships, work, physical, emotional, spiritual - blah blah blah). This movie was a break from all that.

I can't remember the last time I spent an entire movie without thinking about Todd, Craig, work, family or anything even once.
I came out and it wasn't until I ht the pavement outside that my brain mentioned something pressuring to me about work.
It was great while it lasted anyways!

Thanks, Narnia film!

Please Send a Whale

Please send a whale.
It's simple and easy and fun too!

You can track your whale as it swims to Japan with your message about whaling.
Mine is the orange one with the halo.

LGT is named!

New truck needed a name and it didn't take The SuperNamer long to come up with one!
I introduce you to.....

Gmail has a blog function!

hmmm
*rubs hands together with glee*
What can I do with this then, eh!

Right now...

Right now there is a man whizzing over NZ at speeds it really is quite ridiculous to even contemplate people traveling at.

It's Mike Fossum - he's outside the space station and although this may seem like a great place to hang out considering that if he was inside there is the distinct possibility of colliding with a BAG OF PEE - he is actually out there working on attaching a camera.

What a work place!

I would run outside and wave, but he's too busy to notice me.

My name is Shine, I am addicted to NASA TV.

Environment Day

I did not get a free breakfast this morning!!!

In Nelson today people that bike to work got a free breakfast in the middle of town...

Even though I have yet to have a proper drive in my LGT I biked to work...

But from my place to work is not through town, so no free breakfast!

AND I missed lunch because I got stuck at work doing some meeting and greeting (which is good for me to do and I enjoy the experience)

NB: For those that don't know me well, I am only pretending to whinge! And I am doing it tongue in cheek liek the whole prunes thing LOL!

A wonderfully Diverse Day....

Started with some drama - two bits... then I had to rush and rush to get to a meeting in town - during which my phone rang (my cell never rings - lucky it is on vibrate and only I noticed!) - meeting went very well.
Got out of meeting and got on my phone to check my message to find that not only had the money FINALLy gone through for my "new" little green truck - but it had gone through TWICE!!! MWUuwhAHhaHAHAHhaHA

Everyone I tell freaks out but it is ok.. the people are real nice and I trust them which is why I am buying a vehicle off them!
So at that stage of the day (10AM) they still had said little green truck AND 8000$ LOL!
(A bit of background on the LGT - it's a vehicle I have been thinking about and researching getting for over a year.. I am a bit of a miser with my money as I never had financial security until the last few years so I am extremely unlikely to spend my money.... finally got lucky and got this LGT for a very good price and it is in amazing condition)

I go back to my office to call the LGT people and giggle about the mix up (this is number three of a series of special bonding screw ups between them and I over this vehicle... it was my turn to do something because the last two were theirs.. including a 360degree spin out during the test drive of the vehicle on some icy road loL!) and I giggle and giggle whiel I am walking into my office and I giggle and giggle when I pick up the phoen to call them and I giggle and giggle after I hang up (my office mate, by this stage, has left the room because my giggling does not include her) and I giggle and giggle some more when my phone rings... and it's the dentist.
I stop giggling.

But I get a surprise dentist visit - this is the best way to do the dentist thing I have decided. "You have fifteen mins to get here and I will do that tooth you have been nagging me to do". I don't have time to stress about the cost or the pain.. I have to just get there as quick as I can!
And now my front tooth which has had a filling hanging out of it after everything I bite for months, is FIXED!

Then I gallop up tot he sanctuary because I have a class arriving for the afternoon and that went very very well! Connection with the kids and gettign them engaged in what's happening up there is very rewarding.

THEN I leave my little grey car at home and walk into town to pick up my LGT!!! It's WONDERFUL - although, I am sad to not be whizzing in my little grey car which I love very much and has been very good to me.

THEN I get some GREAT seat covers for my LGT!!! Check them out!!!

of course the bad thing about them is that the picture is on the side I can't see... LOL!

So that's most of my day.. other things that haven't made mention for various reasons include A trust meeting (515pm until 8pm...), reporting to trust boards, afghan cookies, pottymouthchat, upgrading my virtual car to a '36 jag ss100, Casablanca, dishes, vaccuuming, soup, kindling, feijoas, antique ANZAC pin, and sparkling clementine.

Next steps: a hotwater bottle and david attenborough doco and some sleeps.

Political Correctness gone MAD!

WAHHHhHHhhhHH
"they" took the glowing red 'like the end of a cigarette' end off the end of the space mans!

That's NUTS!!!!

Now it's just spaceman candy sticks... and I am pretending to puff on NOTHING.

Although, to be fair.. I still don't get why they were ever painted red on the end liek a cigarette anyway!

Whoops

I was distracted in chat and forgot to ration out my prunes and instead found myself eating them straight from the packet... and there aren't many left.
I don't know how many I ate!!!

Only time will tell....

Hoochie Coochie Man

I don't even know where to begin to explain the magic of Paul Ubana Jones.

He is a musician that really set the tone for my musical appreciation for my whole life.
I have seen him play live twice - the first time I was a troubled and tortured teen who had yet to even begin the long search for herself and the second was last night.
I have been wracking my brain to pin point exactly when it was he did play in my high school hall. I think I can narrow it down to being 20 years ago almost to the day actually - and this would fit with the karmic/ therapeutic aspect the performance had on me last night.
20 years ago all of high school were ushered into our school hall in that authoritarian fashion you just ache to rebel against as a teen. Sitting there waiting for we didn't know what and there is a guy sitting on the stage with hair and a guitar - in that order - because the man's hair is a dominant feature of his persona.
I do not remember anything he said that day but his music, his stage presence and an appreciation of his skill has literally lived inside me since then.
Watching him play was the most amazing thing I had ever seen at that time.
Last night I was transported back to that exact feeling on waves of accoustic rhythm and deep rich vocal timbre.
It was literally incredible to be again immersed in being completely mesmorised by his magical sound.

This time the venue was intimate - Fairfield House (which is an historic house in Nelson). So many people were packed in but this was buffered by the amazing feeling of space from his presence.

I mentioned the word therapeutic and I really feel that. Although my musical abilities were never fostered I am primarily a musical learner and music has been the only thing that I have found true solice in over the years. It has only been in the last few years I have started to appreciate that, for me, sound is the only effective healer outside of myself.
As soon as he started tuning his guitar even (and he does a lot of tuning during a set because he is constantly changing the key of his guitar) I felt a sense of comfort and familiarity. He has such a large stage persona - strong, emotive and engaging - combined with such a small venue your emotional protective walls really are stripped away and you are touched by his sound and words and his actions.
Part of being mesmorised by him is the tapestry of sounds that emerges forth as he literally weaves together with his fingers on the loom strings of his guitar. His fingers flick over the strings and produce melody and rhythm in a way that you can't help but be amazed and intrigued by how he's doing it! It is easy for me to want to describe this magical tapestry as a healing comfy blanket that encompasses me when I listen to him play.

Highlights for me were his cover of 'Norwegian Wood' (an old Beatles song which has a number of covers I really love) and 'Raga - Bird without song' which is one of his originals from 1974, which was the song my tortured teenage self connected most with back in '88. A beautiful sweeping epic piece of music which had me weeping within the first four bars and all the way through it last night as I flicked back to the young me and the life that I have created for myself between then and now.

To this day I have never seen another guitar player that I can compare to him in skill and feeling that comes from his music. Artist is a true description of this amazing music man.
I am very grateful to life for giving me the opportunity to see him play again and to myself for having such an appreciation of his art and what I allowed myself to feel through the experience.

It was such an experience and reflection for me personally, it makes me feel that an era has been passed through and I wonder what is going to happen now.

Thanks, Paul.

Paul's myspace, where you can find the song that moves me so much ; Raga - Bird Without Song

Hobbit/LotR fans - Look what I have!

I am just fresh out of a live chat with Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro (who will direct the Hobbit films).

I made a transcript so you can read all about it before most other folks when the official transcript comes out!

____________________________________________________________________
Peter_Jackson: Hi this is Peter here, great to talk to all of you. It is a rainy Sun morning down here in NZ, hopefully there is sun shining where you are. Over in London we have Guillermo on the other end of his computer, and he'll be coming on to say hi. A quick note, we will deal with the 20 most popular questions that have arrived over the last 2 weeks during the course of the hour, but would love to answer as many as we can from as many of you on this chat and who want to fire additional questions. So let us get underway. Hi Guillermo, are you ready?

Guillermo_del_Toro: Hi! Guillermo here- Its a b it cloudy in London but people are already drinking out on the streets- God Bless the pubs-

Peter_Jackson: We have them in a super exciting count down form and will start with Q20. We have chosen 1 questino but in the case of these 20 they represent many 100s of similar questins.

Tookish> I wonder what location they will pick for Lonely Mountain, and how much they will use an actual outdoor set for that?

Peter_Jackson: Middle-earth is location, with very few structures really. It's a natural countryside and that's where a lot of shooting will take place.

Guillermo_del_Toro: Location will be favored and real set construction.

Guillermo_del_Toro: I love REAL set construction and think that sets are very important part of the storytelling and scope of a film...

bmeade: Are we starting?

Peter_Jackson: Hi bmead - we are underway, great for you to join us!

Guillermo_del_Toro: We are,. Welcome-

AnthonyPearson: What are your plans with the casting of Bilbo Baggins? Is Ian Holm still an option?

Guillermo_del_Toro: The fact that Ian Holm is SO memorable means that PJ, Fran and PB did their job right. We will utilize him in some fashion for sure but the difficulty of th erole will be better assesed after we do the script (s).

DavidPlaice: Will there be any locations outside New Zealand, e.g. the Welsh Marches for The Shire?

Peter_Jackson: Hi David - It is unlikely we will need any locations outside of NZ which has always been the perfect Middle Earth. there is nothing yet that tolkien has described that we haven't managed to find in this amazing little country and I expect the Hobbit to be no different.

Guillermo_del_Toro: NOne being considered at the moment.

aust: Will Howard Shore be returning to do the score?

Guillermo_del_Toro: Yes- absolutely, Shore is teh VOICE of these films and we will absolutely be invited back. Peter and Fran have talked to him a couple of times already and Ive exchanged emails about the subject. He will return.

nolcai: Hello. Are you planning to use some location in italy?

Peter_Jackson: Hi nolcai it is unlikely we will shoot any of the Hobbit of Italy, but I would love come to Italy for a vacation, you should tell me the best places to visit.

Guillermo_del_Toro: Not really- But I love Italy...

Peter_Jackson: Lets go to Q19 now

wetahost: 19 - May i congratulate on your new appointment as director of The Hobbit, Guillermo. My question is to Guillermo, what can we expect from your vision and approach with this picture and I'm guessing there will be alot of dark elements to this film, but how far will you go in terms of horror and violence?

Guillermo_del_Toro: I hope that Mirkwood can be pretty scary but not graphic, I hope Riddles in the dark has an element of fear and suspense and to be deeply atmospheric but still allow the ingenious, engaging contest to
take place. And Smaug should be all shock and awe when he unleashes his anger so, it will be pretty intense but not gorey.

icaroz: Will the Ring trilogy get a blu-ray release around the time of Hobbit? or sooner?

Peter_Jackson: Hi Icaroz - We are working on a blu ray version of the LOTR trilogy with Warner Bros at the moment, not sure when it is due for release. It certainly won't be this year.

KenshinIV: What are the chances Ron Perlman will be voicing Smog?

Guillermo_del_Toro: At this time the voice of Smaug is down to a very few choices in my head and I have a completely specific one, Ron has a good chance but I have other plans for RP... we will see...

Galdor_Felagund: Will you use the Hobbit holes usd in LotR?

Peter_Jackson: Hi Galdor-Falagund - yes we hope with the permission of the land owner that we will rebuild Hobbiton bigger and even better than what it was for LOTR in exactly the same location

wetahost: 18 - Peter & Guillermo: What do you envision Gandalf's role will be in this film? He seems to go off on his own and disappear in several sections of the book. Do you want to stay faithful to that or give him a more active role? How do you think you'll ingratiate his character into an effective, cinematic storyline?

Guillermo_del_Toro: I believe that Gandalf is meant to be used in that way- coming and going in and out of the narrative. If anything, this creates the perfect setting for those “gaps” to be bridged by the second film…


Peter_Jackson: Those gaps are great! There's a lot of stuff going on, which is distracting him. I'm just pleased to be getting Gandalf the Grey back for two more movies. Ian and I loved him best. We were a little sad when the Gandy the White took over.

mwilcox: Will you be filming the Hobbit in 3D?

Guillermo_del_Toro: At this stage it is too early to tell, but no plans are being made for that at the moment...

RSG1050: Mr. del Toro, have you started keeping a notebook of sketches on this film yet?


Guillermo_del_Toro: I have started already and shared some of the design a=ideas with Alan Lee and John Howe during a very excited lunch in London.

RobbieM: Will Ian McKellen return as Gandalf?

Guillermo_del_Toro: Absolutely!!

Peter_Jackson: Hi Robbie – absolutely

Peter_Jackson: Here comes Q17

wetahost: 17 - Dear Peter Jackson, I enjoyed your cameos in the LOTR movies,
Will you have a cameo in this Hobbit, and what character would you like
to play?

Peter_Jackson: I actually haven't thought about it. My convention is to do cameos in films I direct. I don't know if that extends to films I produce. I guess we'll find out. I love Hobbits! I am a Hobbit, in very many respects, as were my parents. Tolkien wrote about a type of people he knew, in pre-war England, and somewhere along the line, he must have bumped into my relatives!

Guillermo_del_Toro: Unllike Peter, I'm a Dwarf ( a coarse creature I am)- but I studiously avoid cameos…

Jessalyn: When do you expect filming to begin?

Peter_Jackson: Dear Jesslyn - at this point in time the plan is to write for the rest of this year and start early conceptual designs. 2009 will be dedicated to pre-production on both movies and 2010 will be the year we shoot both films back to back. Post productin follows one film at a time with The Hobbit being released Dec 2011, and F2 release Dec 2012. That is the schedule in about as much detail as we have ourselves at the moment.

Peter_Jackson: And Q16 ...

wetahost: 16- Peter: What was it about Guillermo that made you feel he was the right guy to continue on the saga of Middle-earth? Are the two of you on the same page for the vision, direction, and style that these movies will have? If the two of you disagree on a point, who wins out?

Peter_Jackson: I'll talk more about this in a later question, but watching his films, he has
respect for fantasy. He understands it, he's not frightened by it. Guillermo also understands character, and how the power of any movie is almost always linked to how closely we empathize with characters within the story. His work shows great care and love for the main characters he creates. He also has supreme confidence with design, and visual effects. So many film makers are scared of visual effects - which is no crime, but tough if you're doing one of these movies!

If we disagree, the director has to win, because you should never force a director to shoot something they don't believe in. But we're both reasonably practical and ego-free, and I believe that if we disagree, we both have the ability to express our differing theorys - state our case, like lawyers - and between us, work out what's best for the movie.

Eriol: So what age rating are you aiming at?

Peter_Jackson: Hi Eriol - the rating will be the same as the Trilogy, PG13 on both movies

Guillermo_del_Toro: An intense PG-13...

Reguba: Will the Hobbit get an extended edition like LOTR?

Peter_Jackson: Dear Reguba - interesting Q. The truth (and this is the truth) is that you don't plan for extended editions up front an extended edition is the result of left over scenes that have been deleted out of theatrical cut. In an ideal world the script is written lean and tight and therefore there are no scenes left on the cuttring room floor and therefore no extended edition. However when writing 3 epic LOTR films there was no way we could keep the writing process as lean, so the extended edition was a result of seeing our thought process during the writing and shooting play itself out on screen with scenes we no longer needed when we finally cut the films together. Whether there will be an extended edition of the Hobbit will depend entirely on the final theatrical cut and what we have left over.

Guillermo_del_Toro: That one is REALLY too early to answer... but being a DVD freak (now a B-Ray freak) I think that if you have enough alternative material you can make it accesible on DVD (or B-R) format... Is not a priori that one decides this.

Peter_Jackson: Now for Q15

wetahost: 15 - Will you be using the same production team ie. Special
effects, art directors, cinematographers, composer etc..

Guillermo_del_Toro: Many of them will be back. I will supplement the FX departments,
the design departments (with very interesting names), but the crew will utilize as many of the original elements as possible.

elffan9: Will we be seeing Legolas in Mirkwood?

Guillermo_del_Toro: We all think that this is a very interesting idea but the scripts are in process so- sorry,.. too early to tell.

Peter_Jackson: And now Q14


wetahost: 14 - In the Hobbit book, we have talking trolls and the Eagles and
Smaug talks as well, however in the LOTR Trilogy, trolls did no more
than grunt, Fellbeasts screamed, and the Eagles, who
were meant to talk, just stayed silent. How much will the portayle of
such animals change in the Hobbit?

Guillermo_del_Toro: I think it should be done exactly as in the book- the “talking beast” motif has to exist already to allow for that great character that is Smaug. It is far more jarring to have a linear movie and then – out of
the blue – a talking Dragon.

Yetzi: did you start casting for the 13 dwarves?

Guillermo_del_Toro: Nope- no catsing has started yet.

Guillermo_del_Toro: Casting- I mean... BUt some people have thrown their helmet in the ring.

Peter_Jackson: Hi Yetzi - no casting has commenced and won't until the scripts are written. We have had chats with one or two ofthe LOTR actors however but the casting will be driven largely by the writing and it is impossible to cast 13 dwarves without knowing their personality and characters. We anticipate we won't be in serious casting mode for these movies until well into next year.

Peter_Jackson: Now for Q13

wetahost: 13 - Hi. Do you intend to play this one by the Book (The Hobbit that is) and make it a very light childrens tale on film, or do you plan to stick with the much darker treatment- in keeping with the LotR films - particularly the latter ones. My personal preference would be for the latter - cannot see how eg. the Rivendell Elves could regress from their nobility in LotR to those "...Tra-la-la-la...." singing versions which wer in teh Hobbit Book. Thank you.
"Tra-la-la-la" singing

Guillermo_del_Toro: We’ll see about the “Tra-la-la-“ later- but the book, I believe, in echoing the “loss of innocence” England experienced after WWI, is a passage form innocence to a darker, more somber state- The visual /
thematic progression should reflect that in the camera style, color palette, textural choices, etc.

Peter_Jackson: As I said earlier, I personally feel that The Hobbit can, and should have a different tone. The "tone" of these stories shouldn't be defined by the pressure our characters were under in LOTR. The world is
a different place at the time of the Hobbit. The shadow is not so dark. However, what should stay the same is the reality of Middle-earth, and the integrity we bring to it as film makers.

Shane: Will the two movies be shot at the same time?

Guillermo_del_Toro: The idea is to shoot them "back to bacK" with a small break to breathe and to reconstruct certain sets and have time to reasses... But a schedule of a year is expecvted.

Peter_Jackson: Hi Shane - Yes the movies will be shot back to back and the shooting of the movie will be driven by which actors are working with us at a given time and what locations we are in. For instance, if we are shooting hObbiton scenes for Hobbit movies we would also shoot Hobbiton scenes for F2. So during our year of filming we will be shooting both movies at the same time out of sequence.

reel1: Hi, Guys. Was it intentional to release the first Hobbit film on the 10 year anniversary of FOTR?

Peter_Jackson: Dear Razor - No this is the first time I have actually thought about it ... that is nice I will claim credit for the idea from this day forward

Peter_Jackson: Q12 ....

wetahost: 12 - Peter: During production of the trilogy, there were days where there were several filming crews working simultaneously, with different people directing. Would you ever want to head up a crew and direct the shooting of a scene for a day?

Peter_Jackson: Most directors prefer to direct everything themselves. I thought I could on LOTR, but very quickly found out that the sheer scale prevented it. Instead of a 15 month shoot, we would have shot for 3 years! Guillermo always shoots his own material, so we'll do our best to construct a schedule that allows him to do that. It will depend a lot on how the scripts break down.

I'd happily shot some second unit stuff, anytime Guillermo asked me to. But let's see what happens.

Mr.Movie: Are you already go to New Zealand, Mr.Del Toro ?

Guillermo_del_Toro: Yes- Ive been actually been thyere already -secretly- shh- and will be there shortly after HELLBOY II opens and will be getting a LOT of frequent flyer miles in the next few months-

Peter_Jackson: Hi Greg - F2 is referring to Film 2

Peter_Jackson: Here comes Q11

wetahost: 11 - Guillermo del Toro is an accomplished director. I just wondered whether ok not, he will bring more prostetics, animatronics and physical effects to the film, as he does with such films as Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth (which are great films by the way)? Or will Weta Digital still have their work cut out for them with VFX?

Guillermo_del_Toro: I plan to mix CGI and PHYSICAL in such a way that your eye wonders which is which- keep you mind busy but NEVER allowing for the weaknesses of either tool to take over. Yes, I have, by trial and error, learned that both tools need to be mixed and how much they must be mixed to succeed in creating environments and living creatures. WETA is the lead house, absolutely but we will expand the creature team and beef up the prosthetics team. Imagine a physical creature with a radio controlled muscle / facial system but with partial CGI replacement on the head or mouth, etc and you’ll start to get the idea…

Guillermo_del_Toro: And now for the question...

Vampireta: So how was your first meeting with each other?

Peter_Jackson: Hi Vampierta - The first time I remember meeting Guillermo was at Bob Shay's hosue during a LOTR party. Obviously at that time we had no concept of what the future held!!

Guillermo_del_Toro: We finished a tray of shrimps together and agreed that NEW LINE should keep hiring round, bearded directors with funny accents...

Peter_Jackson: Q10 ....

wetahost: 10- Hi there, thanks for giving this opportunity. my question: will Alan Lee and John Howe be on board again? I really admire their work. good luck for this project and have a lot of fun.

Guillermo_del_Toro: As aI said, I had a marvelous lunch with John and Alan in London a few days ago and we all got very excited as we discussed my ideas on Smaug, Mirkwood, etc They are most definetly back!

Peter_Jackson: Impossible to imagine it without them!

Trotter_the_Ranger: What will be the title for the second movie?

Guillermo_del_Toro: Too early- but not "H2 Electric Boogaloo" that has been discarded.

Peter_Jackson: Hi Trots - the second movie doesn't have a title yet and probably won't until we write the script. As you will see we have the incredibly boring name Film Two which I assure you will not last for very long. Just bear with us.

tigerlily: Hello Beren, as no bugger is going to answer our questons we may as well talk to eachj other! I guess we should have submitted questions earlier on as it seems they are being answered!!!

Peter_Jackson: Hi Tiger Lily - the buggers in Wgtn and London are wading through 6000 Q as best we can. Every Q answered represents a number of similar questions.

Guillermo_del_Toro: As they say in Family feud: "Survey Says:"

Peter_Jackson: Q 9 ...

wetahost: 9 - Peter, perhaps you could clarify what your role will be in the production of these films: What exactly does an executive producer do? Will you follow that model or "forge your own path?" How will Guillermo's role and your role be different? Do you plan on writing the script again with Fran and Phillippa?

Peter_Jackson: Truth is "Executive Producers" do a range of things on movies from a lot to virtually nothing! I see myself being one of a production team. My interest is helping Guillermo make the very best films he can. I love writing and I'm looking forward to that. Guillermo will be writing, along with Fran, Philippa and myself. As a director, I could never direct something I didn't have a hand in writing, and we're not expecting Guillermo to do that either. If the director is part of the writing, it means he was there when the discussions took place, story decisions were made ... he knows why things are the way they are, and what they need to achieve. Everything is in a script for a reason, and only by being part of a writing team (or writing it yourself), do you really understand the intention of every beat.

I see my role as being part of that writing team, which will create the blueprint, and then helping Guillermo construct the movie. I want Guillermo to make his movies, and I want to make sure we end up with a 5 movie series that's as good as it can possibly be.

Merlkir: any ideas about the talking wargs? the wargs in hobbit are remarkably different from the "hyena" ones in the LOTR movies..

Guillermo_del_Toro: Absolutely: they will be different from the Hyena ones established in the Trilogy- they will be faithful to the creatures in the book and will be redesigned accordingly.

lordlinton: Loved the video diaries for King Kong, will you guys be doing something similar for the Hobbit?

Peter_Jackson: There is a lot of questions about production diaries for the internet - the truth is that Guillermo and I haven't even discussed this topic yet, now do we have a real plan in place for the internet and DVD side of the film. You have to realise that although this was announced and is all round the world we are at the very beginning of the process just starting to think about the scripts. We are not trying to fob anyone off but we simply haven't got that far in the process yet and it is a plan we will put into place during the course of 2009.

Peter_Jackson: Q 8 coming ...

wetahost: 8 - I always thought creating Gollum would pose a great artisic challenge to the artists whose job it would be to adapt the Lord of the Rings. With the Hobbit I believe Smaug will pose one of the great challenges. Now we have all seen dragons in movies. But for the Hobbit I personally am excepting nothing less than unbelievable . Were will you go for inspiration? What styles will the art dirction look at? Personally I can see a lot being done with the setting from Pan's Labyrinth. Thank you and good luck to you all.

Guillermo_del_Toro: This is a big one-- Allow me to quote form my random responses at Onering.net…

I am a big Dragon fan. I've said it before- And I was fortunate enough to be born a Dragon in the Chinese Horocope...

And although its always impossible to agree on the "greatest" of anything, I bring forth these two as the main film contenders for that
title: Eyvind Earle / Disney's Maleficent dragon ( a triumph of elegance of color and design) and Vermitrax Pejorative from Dragonslayer.

In my opinion, every other design has borrowed heavily from these two. I plan to create something new and groundbreaking.

Smaug should not be "the Dragon in the Hobbit movie" as if it was just "another" creature in a Bestiary. Smaug should be "The DRAGON" for all movies past and present. The shadow he cast and the greed he comes to embody- the "need to own" casts its long shadow and creates a thematic / dramatic continuity of sorts that articulates the story throughout-

In that respect, Smaug the CHARACTER is as important, if not more important, than the design. The character will emerge form the writing- and in that the Magnificent arrogance, intelligence, sophistication and greed of Smaug shine through-

In fact, Thorin's greed is a thematic extension of this and Bilbo's "Letting go" and his noble switching of sides when the dwarves prove to be in the wrong is its conceptual counterpart (that is a hard one to get through, Bilbo's heroism is a quiet, moral one) and the thematic thread reaches its climax in the Bilbo / Thorin death bed scene.

Anyway, back to Smaug: One of the main mistakes with talking dragons is to shape the mouth like a snub Simian one in order to achieve a dubious lip-synch. .. A point which eluded me particularly in Eragon, since their link is a psychic one.

To me, Smaug is the perfect example of a great creature defined by its look and design, yes, but also, very importantly, by his movement and -One little hint- its environment - Think about it... the way he is scaled, moves and is lit, limited or enhanced by his location, weather conditions, light conditions, time of the year, etc. That's all I can say without spoilers but, if you keep this curious little summary you'll realize several years form now that those things I had in my mind ever since doodling the character as a kid had solidified waaay before starting the shoot of the film.

A big tool is also how and when he is fully revealed. I could give you specifics- beat-by-beat in fact (I'm geeking out to do it), but...

I will say no more in order to save you from ruthless spoilerage (we have a few years to go, you now...?) and increased anxiety.

Let me, however, say that this is actually one of the points I feel most enthusiastic about.

As to his voice- well, each reader has a Smaug voice in his / her head, just like you always do when "hearing" a great character in a book.

I have mine... and it will be revealed in time...

manuthevif: Guillermo, Will Peter be directing Hellboy 3 at some point?

Guillermo_del_Toro: Offers have been made but he remains elusive- we will be in talks soon.

swjedi18: Will be seeing The While Council in The Hobbit?

Peter_Jackson: Hi swjedi18 - To early to say before the scripts are written but it is definitely an idea we are discussing.

Guillermo_del_Toro: There's a very good chance if the "gaps" are filled in some form in either narrative. Too early...

Peter_Jackson: Now for Q7

wetahost: 7 - how important is it to you to create overall consistency between Peter's LOTR films and Guillermo's? in terms of the actors, look and feel, scenery, score, fx -- is your aim to have them stand on their own or sync up with the trilogy?


Guillermo_del_Toro: I believe that it’s a little bit of both- the world must feel like the same world. The aspect ratio, music, essential established costume and production design trademarks but I would love to bring a lot of new flavours to the table. THE HOBBIT is, in essence, an overture to a massive Symphonic work so main themes are reprised but new modulations and new colors are introduced, thematically and texturally.


Peter_Jackson: I love Guillermo's symphonic allusion. The "overture" can have a different flavour, a different texture, yet be a carefully crafted introduction to what's to follow. Film Two is perfect to dramatise the
shift in Middle-earth that propells us into the dark days of LOTR. If LOTR is World War One, then the Hobbit is like an Edwardian adventure tale, set in the days before world notices the looming storm clouds.

Junaid: Is The Hobbit harder or easier than LOTR to adapt as a script?

Peter_Jackson: Hi Junaid - Both are equally difficult to be completely honest. The Hobbit has its own unique problems, different to those of LOTR.

Guillermo_del_Toro: Not easy- I tell you that-

Peter_Jackson: Here comes Q6 ...

wetahost: 6 - Will Weta be releasing figures for this film like it did with Kong and Narnia?

Guillermo_del_Toro: I would hope so!! I want them all!!

Galdor_Felagund: How does Christopher Tolkien feel about the two new films?


Peter_Jackson: Hi Galdor - Christopher Tolkien did not wish to be involved in the LOTR movies and I would assuem his feelings are the same with these two films. I totally respect him for that since he is looking after the legacy of his father's books and does not wish to be involved in someone else's interpretation of those stories.

Peter_Jackson: Here comes Q5

wetahost: 5 - Having recently reread the Hobbit with my children, it strikes me that the Hobbit contains a fairly linear story that doesn't necessarily follow the "three act" formula typical of movies. What do you see as the biggest challenge adapting the story to the big screen?

Guillermo_del_Toro: There are so many- I am all for trying to preserve every idiosyncrasy the novel has- the very things that seem “unfilmable” and that – in my mind- will make it thrilling as a film. The novel is much, much more inventive and dislocated in its narrative (Bilbo being hit by a rock during the Battle) than you may think at first. I think that you can treat a classic like a museum piece –stuffed and mounted- or you can make it a living, breathing narrative that is unfolding right then and there.

Peter_Jackson: Structure is important in film, but as Guillermo says, there's often structure to be found in the most unlikely of places! It's quite possible to build a structured story and retain idiosyncrasy. It's going to be part of the joy of writing this.

Lukas-Eldarion: Will you do another chat later on in the process?

Guillermo_del_Toro: Gladly- gladly- Im in!!

Peter_Jackson: Hi Lukas - we would love to this has been a lot of fun. Let us just get the last of the official questions out because we are working down to the most popular ones in the final few

Peter_Jackson: Now for Q4

wetahost: 4 - Will Gollum play a role in the second film? If not, any plans to find a different role for Andy Serkis? Because, and I think most will agree with me, everything is better with more Serkis.

Guillermo_del_Toro: Yes! As all of you know, Gollum has a rather fascinating arch to go through and his alliance to Shelob or his period of imprisonment in Thranduil's, etc but it is early still- so early in fact that to reveal more would tie our hands and be counterproductive.

Guillermo_del_Toro: There can never be "too much Andy"

Peter_Jackson: Now for Q 3

wetahost: 3 - Hello from New Orleans! What production challenges do you feel
will be different for The Hobbit and the sequel compared to the experience of making The LOTR?

Peter_Jackson: Yikes! Every film is a challenge. I always say that making a movie is like film school - you're always learning. But unlike most schools, you never get done with it. You never learn everything. Over time, you get to anticipate problems a little better - but new ones hit you. You get to figure out solutions, but there are always extreme problems you could never guess.

One of the things I'm going to enjoy in this experience, is that I'll be better placed to help anticipate the problems and fix them. When you're directing, you're right at the coal face, always exhausted, often emotional - and I'll enjoy being a couple of steps back from that and simply helping where I can. Having done it 3 times as director, there's a lot I know that can help smooth the way for Guillermo.

Peter_Jackson: And we will now do 2

wetahost: 2 - Hello Mr. Jackson and Mr. Del Toro! Thank you very much for this time. My question is one that I think you will hear alot of from many of us...from what material will you pulling the second movie from? I know it'll be great with you two on board, but I am mighty curious. I am a huge fan of both of you and I look foward to more Tolkien films!

Guillermo_del_Toro: The idea is to find a compelling way to join THE HOBBIT and FELLOWSHIP and enhance the 5 films both visually an in their Cosmology. There’s omissions and material enough in the available, licensed material to attempt this. The agreement is, however, that the second film must be relevant and emotionally strong enough to be brought to life but that we must try and contain the HOBBIT in a single film.

Peter_Jackson: I'm really looking forward to developing Film Two. It gives us a
freedom that we haven't really had on our Tolkien journey. Some of you may well say that's a good thing of course! The Hobbit is interesting in how Tolkien created a feeling of dangerous events unfolding, which preoccupy Gandalf. There's an awful lot of incident that happens during that 60 year gap. At this stage, we're not imagining a film that literally covers 60 years, like a bio-pic or documentary. We would figure out what happens during that 60 years, and choose one short section of time to drop in and dramatise for the screen. I'm really interested in how it effects The Hobbit - do we show what happens to Gandalg during his trips away? We'll see. We may well have seeds for Film Two that we'll subtly sow during The Hobbit.

Peter_Jackson: Lets do a few more random questions before the final grand question.

wetahost: Hi Guys my question comes in two parts. Firstly will we notice a
significant shift in visual style from LOTR to the Hobbit due to Guillermo's unique asthetic? And if so will there be a complete re-imagining in the design of places seen in both books (ie Bag End and Rivendell) due to this differing style?

Guillermo_del_Toro: GDT The basic designs, the preestablished designs will be only “updated” insofar as the epoch difference. Half a century more or less which in Middle Earth terms is not that much but- think about how much our world has changed from – say 2001 to now… The new settings and designs should blend in enough not to feel like a completely different world but yes, the movies are bound to have some distinctive stylistic imprint.

wetahost: Gentlemen, a two part question. 1st, shooting on film or HD? 2nd,
scope or flat?

Guillermo_del_Toro: I normally use 1:85 but I thoroughly plan to respect Peter’s choice of format used in the Trilogy (2:35:1) but it is my intention, for now, to shoot this on film, not HD.


wetahost: How will the new Gollum differ from the Gollum of the LOTR trilogy, if at all?

Guillermo_del_Toro: Once again, only in the passage of time (he’s half a century “younger”) but it will be Andy and the established design will be our Template

wetahost: Will the Mirkwood Elves be different from the Rivendell Elves of the LOTR trilogy?


Guillermo_del_Toro: That is definetly my intention but I cannot reveal anymore at the moment.

wetahost: Considering that you're stretching The Hobbit into 2 movies can we assume that Beorn will be featured and will not be given the Tom Bombadil treatment?

Guillermo_del_Toro: I may be in the minority, but I absolutely LOVE Beorn and I intend to feature him in the films. BTW I also like TB quite a bit…

wetahost: I would love to know how you are going to deal with goblins in the movie. Will they look like the smaller orcs in the LOTR movies or are you going to make a completely new design?Also will everything look like it did in the LOTR movies or will you be redesigning it to fit your vision?

Guillermo_del_Toro: This is an area in which I hope we can expand and enhance a LOT from the established designs in the Trilogy. I plan to come up with a very strong, new treatment for the Goblins. I also think the Wargs should be readdressed for their role in The HOBBIT.

wetahost: One thing I love about watching movies from different film makers is seeing their own visions put on screen. But since these HOBBIT movies are being made to tie in with the LOTR series, does this mean Mr. Del Toro's wonderfully imaginitive vision will be limited to follow the rules set up by Mr. Jackson?

Guillermo_del_Toro: It is my privilege to roam through roads previously traced but I definetly intend to take you to new and exciting places that the Trilogy did not explore. Nevertheless it is our intention that, once done, the 5 films will play like a symphonic work that seamlessly transports you through this world.

wetahost: Hi there,i'm Beren from Romania and i'd like to ask Mr. GDT if he plans to use(as PJ did) extensive matte paintings and "big-atures" to portray the vast panoramas and cities of Middle-earth or the more simpler CG effects?Thanks and cheers.

Guillermo_del_Toro: Peter and I both love “old school” techniques. I adore physical miniatures and try to use them as much as I can and have a bit of a fetish about that. Matte Paintings and “Big-atures” will definetly be in these.

wetahost: Question for Guillermo, assuming they are all returning to write the screenplay, will you be writing alongside Peter, Philippa and Fran also?

Guillermo_del_Toro: I intend to. Their input in the literary creation of the screenplay is a must. I depend on them and expect to spend many delightful months wandering through Middle Earth.

Peter_Jackson: Writing a screen play with a group of collaborators is like the Lennon McCartney collaboration .... sometimes one or two people do more than others on certain parts of the process and vice versa, it all comes out in the wash and we share equal credit in what everyone has done, with 4 of us we will be able to divide the work up in interesting ways and everyone will be able to help craft these films.

wetahost: I'd comment on the awesomeness of director choice, but I'm sure that gets old. Concerning The Hobbit and the numerous Dwarves, I was wondering if all of them are going to find their way into the film. In Lord of the Rings, you had 9 in the Fellowship, but you had three movies to flesh them out. In the Hobbit, you have 13 Dwarves and one film to throw them all in. I'm definitely hoping to see all 13 make their way in, but what are you doing about this?

Guillermo_del_Toro: Tolkien wrote 13 dwarves and I intend to use 13 dwarves. I am, in fact, thrilled to keep them all and have them be distinguishable and affecting as characters. Much of the drama and emotion in the last third of the book and film will come from them.

wetahost: Guiilermo, I have always thought of you as a visionary director, and I love your work- could you please tell me what was the deciding factor that made you agree to direct The Hobbit?

Guillermo_del_Toro: Of all of Tolkien literary work I was only familiar with THE HOBBIT. I purchased it at age 11 and it struck a chord with me but, back then, I failed to connect with the Trilogy and the Silmarillion (Which now I find delectable) eluded me. I found them –unlike the HOBBIT- to be “too dense” for my young mind. I dreamt of Mirkwood and Smaug for ages (in fact, a Smaug-like dragon was scripted as part of the “fairy tale” Ophelia narrates to her brother in PANS LABYRINTH and was sculpted but was cut for budget reasons) but when I saw Peter undertake the Trilogy I thought thet the HOBBIT would never come to be for me. The proposition of spending half a decade crafting these films received- as Peter will atest- a 5 second “YES” from me. To people in my industry I’m usually a guy that tries to generate his own projects and I remain very elusive when people try and attach me to big projects. For decades I have passed on films of enormous scope but this is a fantastic privilege and I immediately said “Yes”.

wetahost: My question is, when Del Toro has acknowledged his disdain for Hobbits and "sword and sandals" fantasy, how can he do justice to the movie? Why can't Peter direct it himself after The Lovely Bones? He can direct these 2 movies and then direct the 3rd Tintin movie.

Guillermo_del_Toro: Okay- If by “Sword and Sandal” you mean “Sword and Sorcery” I stand by the general lines of my statement in 2006. But allow me to reproduce the following paragraph from ONERING.net and expand it-

Since the age of 4 I became an avid reader and collector of books; manuscripts, pamphlets, first editions, small press or worn-down paperbacks... they all find a home at my library which has grown so cumbersome and obtrusive that I had to move to a separate home from the family one...

For many decades my main area of interest has been horror fiction: Algernon Blackwood, Arthur Machen, MR James, LeFanu, etc and classic Fairy tales and literature about the engines of Myth: unabridged Grimm, Andersen, Wilde, Bettelheim, Tatar, etc

Now and then I indulge in Science Fiction (not hardware oriented but more humanistic things) and thus I count Bradbury, Ellison, Sturgeon and Matheson amongst my favorites.

My area of interest gets much narrower when we deal with another genre... the genre that is shelved under Fantasy.

As a youngster I read Moorcock, Clark Ashton Smith, Lord Dunsany, Lloyd Alexander, Fritz Leiber, Marcel Schwob, RE Howard and a few others.

Nevertheless I was never propelled into an aleatory addiction to sub-genres like Sword & Sorcery or indiscriminate fantasies about magical this or that- Like any other genre or subgenre there's a great abundance that makes it hard to discern when a new "trilogy" or "chronicle" comes from as genuine a place as Tolkien's or derives from genuine fervor -religious or otherwise- like C.S. Lewis' did.
But here I am now: reading like a madman to catch up with a whole new land, a continent of sorts- a Cosmology created by brilliant philologist turned Shaman.

As if he grasped an existing universe outside our Platonic cave, Tolkien channels an entire world, weaving expertly from myth and lore. The oustanding virtue is that all this scholarly erudition doesn't reduce his tales to mere Taxidermy. He achieves an Alchemy all of his own: he writes new life in the freshly sculpted clay of his creatures.

I have, through the years become familiar with the very roots of Tolkien's myths and the roots of Fafhrd or Elric or Hyperborea and many a time I have relished the intricate ways in which demonic wolves, shape-shifter and spindly-limbed pale warriors can be woven into those many tales that become, at the end, the single tale, the single saga- that of what is immortal in us all.

In creating Pan's Labyrinth I drank deep of the most rigid form of Fairy Lore and tried to contextualize the main recurrent motifs in an instinctive rhyme between the world of fantasy and the delusions of War and Politics (the grown man's way of playing make-believe) and in re-reading THE HOBBIT just recently I was quite moved by discovering, through Bilbo's eyes the illusory nature of possession, the sins of hoarding and the banality of war- whether in the Western Front or at a Valley in Middle Earth. Lonely is the mountain indeed.

When that statement was made- at different times during PANS LABYRINTH’s promotion, many a time I made the distinctive call to say that althought I had not read Tolkien outside THE HOBBIT I had been fascinated by the Trilogy films. A statement that I already had the chance to make in 2005 when PJ, Fran and I met about HALO.

So, no, generally I am NOT a “Sword and Sorcery” guy or a “Fantasy” guy- By the same token, I'm not a sci-fi guy but I would make a film based on Ellison in a second- or on Sturgeon or Bradbury or Matheson. I'm not into Barbarians with swords but i would kill to tackle Fafhrd and Grey Mouse... and so on and so forth... I'm a believer but not a Dogmatic.

Allow me to put a final, finer point to our discussion. The aesthetics of HELLBOY II are completely Pop and color-saturated, much more comic book / modern than I would ever use in THE HOBBIT but- I spend two years creating a world of Fairies, Elves, Trolls, etc

Two Years. A career / creative decision that precedes any inkling of THE HOBBIT. I wrote the script years before I met with PJ or Fran. In other words I dedicated the last 6 years of my career (between PL and HBII) to create Fantastical world inhabited by Fairies, Fauns, Ogres, Trolls, Elves, etc

In that respect- I guess I am a Fantasy guy when the particular world appeals to me. Back in the Jurassic Period (1992 / 1993) when CRONOS won the Critic’s Week at Cannes I was referred to as an “art house guy”- I followed that with a giant cockroach movie that proved successful enough to spawn two sequels and allow me to co-finance THE DEVILS BACKBONE which send me back to being an “art house guy”. Then I did BLADE II and people thought of me as an “Action guy”- PJ went through a similar mercurial career with HEAVENLY CREATURES, BAD TASTE, DEAD ALIVE, etc I squirm away from a tag and I hope I can avoid being just a “Fantasy guy” after PL, HBII and H…

I do the tales I love (regardless of what shelf Barnes & Noble classifies the book under) and I love the HOBBIT.

I love it enough to give it half a decade of my life and move half a world away to do it.

Peter_Jackson: Having directed the LOTR Trilogy, I really felt that I put my heart and soul into dramatising this world and story, only a few years ago. The idea of going back in and essentially competing against my own movies, seemed to be an unsatsifying way to spend the next 5 years. However, I love Tolkien and care deeply about the movies we made. I couldn't bear the idea of somebody else making them without our involvement. Being a writer and producer is the perfect way for me to work here. Guillermo has the ultimate responsibility of directing, and for him it's easier to make these movies feel different, simply because he's not me, and he therefore has an original vision, with new ideas to offer.

Believe me, I thought long and hard about this, and what we're doing here will result in better movies, I promise you. And that's all that counts!

Peter_Jackson: OK we are almost done here folks and we have our last Q which was the most popular Q from the 1000s of people who sent Qs in advance.

wetahost: 1 - Which of the actors from LOTR will be back to reprise their roles in The Hobbit and its companion film?


Guillermo_del_Toro: Obviously, at this stage, the second film is still being figured out- so the actors that have been approached may or not have appeared in the HOBBIT as a literary work but still may appear in the second film as it “blends” into the Trilogy and expands. Therefore what can be said is: Unequivocally, every single actor that originated a role in the Trilogy will be asked to participate and reprise it. If Health, availability or willigness become obstacles – and only in that case recasting would be considered.

Peter_Jackson: Like Guillermo says, apart from extreme circumstances, we would never recast a character who appeared in the LOTR trilogy. You can read The Hobbit and pretty much see which characters play a part. The unknown facter is Film Two, which we are still developing. If we wished to write one of the LOTR characters into the narrative of Film Two, we would only do that with that actors blessing, and willingess to take part. Otherwise we'd take the writing in another direction.

Guillermo_del_Toro: Time is up-

But I can proudly say that only a FEW asked "How can I be an extra?" so my heart swell withy pride with the many questions that you were kind enough to submit- More chats and wandering in the message boards await us- See you soon...

Peter_Jackson: So that is it for us for this morning or this evening, or middle of the night wherever you are. We are sorry that is all we could get through but we did try to have each of the Qs represent similar things that many of you have asked. So hopefully it gives you a little bit of info. As I said the truth is there are a lot of unanswered Qs for us as well at this stage of the process. We will know a lot more once the scripts are written which is the next job that we will be doing and it will take most of the rest of this year I imagine. Hope this has been helpful and thank you for all the incredible support now and in years gone by. Best wishes, Peter J.

Guillermo_del_Toro: May the hair on your toes, etc-

Peter_Jackson: The transcript of this chat will be available here on the Weta site in a few hours time. Everyone here at Weta is looking foward to continuing this relationship with you throughout the hobbit experience and there are a lot of fun surprises to come over the next 4 years.

Guillermo_del_Toro: Viva WETA and the many "toys" they make! And may Cthulhu give me more shelves to put them on...

____________________________________________________________________

The crumble is in the oven

no.. that's not code for anything.
It's just the way it is.

*giggles*

I am happy for anyone who wants to come over and have some ... while it lasts.

BWUWUahhHAHAHAihihihihihihih

The Birdie, The Chimney AKA the story of hope when all seems lost.

Have had an interesting day.... second full moon in a row in scorpio makes for a blue moon and a crazy weekend, for scorpios at least!
Have had a mix of highs and lows - extremes really, since about noon yesterday... but I accept it's the moon and that somehow makes it easier and not so bad when things happen. That thinking is kinda like believing in Santa. Even if it is true or not.. if you don't believe in Santa you're not likely to get presents from him! (I did say KINDA like it!)

When I got home and sat down for a while, fox (the cat) and I heard and heard a noise and we were thinking .. what it is!!!?! (we often say what it is instead of what is it btw)
And then I thought.. OH NO! a birdie must be in the chimney...

Every now and then we hear a scratching and a flapping... then nothing.
So after a while of mulling on it I went over and I tried to work out what I can do... NOTHING! *sad*
I shook and shook the chimney and the firebox but no noise at all and no birdie fell out.

So I thought we would just have a cold cold night and let nature take it's course.
I left the firebox door open just in case.. so if he did fall out he would not die from fumes! (when I opened the fire for the first time this season there was a dead birdie in there) and then I sat and thought about what it would be like if he did fly out and what he would have to do to make that happen. I could not stop myself thinking this actually.

Then we are sitting and sitting all quietly doing other things and SUDDENLY, without any warning, a birdie flies across the room and into the kitchen blinds!
And then, just as suddenly, a bird flies back across the room and slams into the sliding door and falls to the floor...
and then, the most suddenly of all, FOX CATCHES THE BIRD!

And I say NONO!!!! FOXY, NO!!! He is not for eating, poor birdie, no!
And I carry fox and he carries birdie and we rush to the balcony.
And then I say to let the birdie go now.
And fox says.. hmm I think I might keep him!
And I say, come on.. let birdie go! poor birdie stuckinthechimney!!
And fox says.. no sir, lady!

And so I cover fox's nostrils with my finger,

and then the most suddenly of all , the birdie flies away!

YAH! We shall not be cold and miserable thinking about the birdie in the chimney with no hope!

There are several key features in this story...
Distressing things happen, it's part of the nature of things, and you can sit around thinking miserable thoughts and being hopeless or you can get up and try your hardest (that is me I am talking about...You can bet the bird wasn't thinking that. The bird just tried and tried and tried and tried and tried.
I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself.
A bird will fall frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.
Master Chief John Urgayle(played by Viggo Mortensen): [quoting "Self-Pity" by D.H. Lawrence]

Sometimes when you try your hardest things still don't work out and you can sit around and be miserable or realize you really did your best. You still feel bad but you don't berate yourself for things that are out of your control.

Sometimes, when you have done your best and things don't work out - don't give up coz you don't know what is gonna happen next! The universe can do amazing things and tends to help out those creatures that make an effort to help themselves and do their best!

Never underestimate the power of your thoughts to create exactly what you focus on.

Another fantastic day! OH THE HUMANITY!

Yes.. another fantastic day IN THE WORKPLACE!

Today we had one of my favourite authors at the sanctuary for the day working with classes of students from our region.
Interestingly this is another one of those things I envisioned and saw in my mind with me participating in way back when I first started this job in Jan.
Andrew Crowe is an author who has a similar attitude to learning that I do.
Learning is living.
Liek me he is interested in everything and often has many interests on the go at once. He will hear about something and become interested and want to find out more, he will then do a range of research and find out more and more then he will think.. hmmm, what book would have been really useful to me when I was doing my research.. hmm.. then he will write that book.
Most of his books are identification guides for NZ native plants, insects, birds - he also has one for spiders and seashells (as well as a book about the Dalai Lama, edible NZ plants that resulted form when he was lost int eh bush and then after he was not lost anymore he wanted to find out how he could survive if that every happened again and there resulted his first book!)
This is the way I originally found out about Andrew. Through my new job I used one of his books to teach myself about some of our native plants and it was SUCH a good book and so easy to use and practical and amazing I wanted to find out about the author. So I researched! I knew from my research that I wanted to meet him and that he would love our project.
Meeting him was just as I imagined. He was very supportive of our project and donated LOTS of copies of his different books. He talked to me and we shared some information and it was GREAT.

I am getting used to meeting my heroes!!! (I will tell you about some of my other experiences meeting my heroes that have occurred since I started in my job, in another blog soon! - you might have to remind me I said that).

My job is fantasic!
When Andrew was finished I got to talk to three groups of students and parents today about the sanctuary and I could tell I excited them and engaged them. About 100 people all together in just one day! (my throat is a tad on the raw side and staying up until 230 am AGAIN last night certainly has not helped).

My next challenge is to work on the talks I give and the programmes I deliver to foster a sense of stewardship for our environment through continued connection with the sanctuary project and other projects in their more immediate community/street/school.



After this I went to a meeting of for "Education for Enterprise" which is an organisation which links schools with industry through contextual programmes that have real meaning in the real world. I came away form this with a positive feeling - the schools were delighted to have a resource (the sanctuary) that has so much potential for environmentally linked programmes of real value. It is great for us because being a community funded programme, all of our workforce, supplies, funds etc all come from donations of time and money. Having students turn some of our wants and needs into projects is wonderful! One of the projects I have on the go right now is a bird feeder. A metal or wooden platform where a number of birds can gather to feed and people passing through the sanctuary can sit and watch them in their natural environment. (supplemental feeding helps to keep the birds in good condition while the forest is regenerating and also due to pests such as wasps which cannot be kept out with the fence and heavily deplete the nectar sources).
I have another young man who has taken on one of my dream projects... a hydro powered webcam to position at a nest box or a bird feeder. One of our goals is to be as sustainable in our energy use as we can be both for our carbon footprint and as a model to our community.
After this meeting I had to go to our trust meeting. The sanctuary is run by a trust. It has twelve members from diverse business/interest background. These people make decisions on the direction and processes of the sanctuary.
I report to them every month. The reporting process has been interesting. My more creative nature as expressed through my board reports, was not entirely understood by all trust members so it has been modified somewhat, LOL. I have to be careful not to loose the charms that gained me the job in the first place though!
The meeting was splendid (even though the tiredness was starting to show with the bleary eyes and the relaxed and casual demeanor! People are impressed by the amount of work I have been doing as reflected by my reports.
also we began planning a SECRET special winter event which involves something so amazing special and wondifious that I grin with glee! Even doing the most ridiculously wretched and tedious of jobs would be BLISS for me to be involved with this event. i can't tell you ab out it now... but stay TUNED!


You might think I am lucky and sometimes I feel lucky too - but to be fair to myself, I have worked hard for this in many ways and also in many ways this job provides the challenges I am ready to meet and I RELISH it!

BRING IT ON, LIFE!
(oh and thanks too, for the lot, the good, the bad and the ugly!)

I don't want you to get the wrong idea

but I baked some ANZAC biscuits just now.
Well... baked is probably an over exaggeratation.

1. ANZAC biscuits are pretty easy to make
2. They are not so much baked as .. well..how do I put this... burnt . (liek the majority of my cooking).

Now.. I am not a bad cook! Not at all... it's just that I can't stick to that philosophy of " If you can't do the lookin' don't do the cookin"

Anyway.. I wanted to ponder on this new idea I had (while I was blogging the last blog i blogged) of making a blog for the sanctuary where I work, but to ponder one needs to drink a hot cup of gumboot tea.. and if you are gonna have a cup of tea you may as well have an ANZAC biscuit.
I love ANZAC day and all things ANZAC oOOO crap!!!!! that reminds me I have more biscuits in the oven and an antique ANZAC badge auction to win on trademe....

*has dilema of which thing to check first*

OKOK BAKING FIRST!

ABEL TASMAN!!

My brother and I are off tramping for 5 days… from this side of the Takaka hill all the way to our bach at Wainui.
We are walking the Abel Tasman track, sleeping in tents, carrying packs.
I shall be finding a cache and planting a cache.
When I get back it will be NEXT YEAR!
2008!!!

Nelson for XMAS!

A whole day of present opening and I am not even kidding!

So Long Wellington

...and thanks for all the fish!

KIWI!!

I went on two night tours of the Sanctuary this week (took my Mum and brother tonight) and we saw KIWI!!!
Amazing. They moved SO quickly and SO quietly So close to me. It was liek they vanished in front of my eyes! Kiwi are magic.
Even though I am going to work for The Brook sanctuary in Nelson next year, I will miss the Karori sanctuary because the Brook doesn’t even have  FENCE yet! No very special birds!

What Caught Shine's Eye Today

Early Human Ancestors May Have Had “Harem” Societies

‘I’m no drug dealer - I’m from Timaru’

Proof of life shown of hostages held for four years

Extreme Dinosaurs

8-Foot Giant Catfish Caught in Cambodia

Starving

for real hugs...

Black Tunnel Web Spiders

They should not have such scary hairy legs.
They should not be cowering menacingly in amongst my apples in pears (even if I do leave them in the shopping bag on my floor).
They should not scurry about rustling the plastic bag like they are big and scary.
They should not be in my room.
They should now be enjoying being back out in the wild ouside the house where they can dig tunnels and line them with silk and await their REAL prey; upturning their back end fangs in a scary manner!

Extra-Ordinary Thing I did This Weekend

Well, namely in about five hours on Saturday night.
I read a whole book.
Although I love to read and I have about a gazillion books on all manner of things - I have not read a whole book for a long long time and I certainly have not read a whole book in one sitting.

The Monitors

And, of course, I don’t feel so bad about how I organise my stuff now! (you might wanna click to get the bigger version…)

MLK

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

MLK

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

A1gp

I  was remiss not to mention the new season has started… Jonny already in the lead in the second round - where he totally kicked butt all over Brno!
We so rock!