As a gamer with over a decade of immersive escapades under my belt, I can confidently say that stepping onto the set of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was nothing short of breathtaking. It’s not every day you find yourself surrounded by a symphony of fantasy, where the air is thick with tales of Middle-earth and the ground trembles under the weight of mythical lore.
Creating a high fantasy series involves building and decorating otherworldly stages, such as transforming one into the throne room of Númenor. This also entails equipping hundreds of orcs with prosthetics and managing an ear library. During a visit to the set of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” in 2023 by TopMob and a group of reporters, many orcs were seen resting on the sidelines of a battle scene. The series was being filmed at Buttersteep Rise in Windsor Great Park, and we cautiously navigated our mud-covered boots through thick sludge and around performers who temporarily removed their orc prosthetics to sip smoothies through straws.
Even orcs like a smoothie.
During our time on set, we had conversations with the showrunners of The Rings of Power, some members of the cast, the art department, the special effects team for makeup, prop masters, and others. Here are seven fascinating insights about The Rings of Power’s second season that we uncovered.
1. Filming in the UK
As a devoted fan, I can share that the captivating first season of The Rings of Power was filmed in the stunning landscapes of New Zealand. However, for the second season, the production shifted base to the United Kingdom – a move orchestrated by Amazon as they aimed to centralize their operations there. Executive producer Lindsey Weber emphasized that this decision wasn’t made lightly; rather, it was due to the UK’s exceptional crew, acting talent, and filmmaking resources. She even mentioned that the UK offers fresh pools of talent untapped in season one. Moreover, she highlighted that these locations align perfectly with the settings Tolkien penned in his writings.
Martin Foley, in his role as supervising art director, playfully remarked that upon being shown Windsor Great Park with its ancient 900-year-old trees, JD Payne and Patrick McKay actually embraced the trees themselves.
2. Speaking of New Zealand…
The production for the first season of the show was extensively prepared in New Zealand, with approximately 70 containers filled with various props being shipped over. This wasn’t just for the art department, but also included numerous smaller items such as doors, windows, and intricate panels. Production designer Kristian Milsted explained that it wasn’t complete sets they were building, but rather these smaller pieces. Foley added that each item was meticulously made, costly, and carefully packed. Upon unpacking, they found notes like, “Please take care of this. It took me months,” which made the team feel appreciated, despite the sudden ending of the project. The messages were all positive and heartwarming.
3. The Voice of Sauron
Leith McPherson serves as the dialect consultant on “The Ring of Power”; she also handled dialect work for the “Hobbit” trilogy. In season two, she collaborated with actor Charlie Vickers to modify his Halbrand accent from its original version.
McPherson explained, “When I collaborate with actors, I adopt their accents during our work. For Halbrand, it was a more northern tone, which Charlie Vickers and I used for 18 months. Then, as the character evolved, we switched to a different accent because the communication and impression this character wants to convey changes continuously.”
4. The Rings in The Rings of Power
In the second season, Middle-earth sees an addition of more rings, as Celebrimbor crafted the initial Elven rings towards the end of season one and the set design team led by Tina Jones replicated those rings for this new season. To brainstorm ideas for the newly designed rings, they visited various museums such as the British Museum, took photographs, and drew inspiration from John Howe, a renowned Tolkien artist. Since the camera captures even minor flaws in man-made stones, they opted to use real stones for close-up shots.
5. Orcs Everywhere
As a gamer, diving into this fantasy world, I’ve learned that season two boasts an impressive cast of 1,500 actors, transformed into menacing orcs. The intricate process behind their transformation takes four steps: a cowl, a forehead piece, a chin sculpt, and a full face mask. These prosthetics can be customized for distinctive appearances. Each set of these meticulously crafted masks requires a dedicated duo about two and a half hours to apply, no need for me to crunch the numbers on that one. During my visit to the bustling prosthetics department, I found Sarah Gower and her team busy outfitting the second wave of orcs for the day, bringing these formidable creatures to life.
6. Action and Stunts
As a dedicated fan, if I had the chance to choose a theme for season two based on my set visit, it’s all about amplification: more locations, more orcs, and an abundance of action. More is definitely more in this case! Supervising stunt coordinator Ben Cooke shared that Galadriel and Elrond will be engaging in significantly more action, particularly while riding horses. For eight long months, Cooke and his team have been crafting the breathtaking stunts for season two, which incorporate wirework, high falls, and fire scenes. Rehearsals commenced three to four months before the actual filming began. A part of Cooke’s role involves coordinating various action sequences that align with the unique fighting styles of Elves, orcs, Dwarves, and others.
7. Dwarven Beards
Flora Moody, a skilled hair and makeup artist, guided us through various wigs, remarking, “There’s an abundance of hair!” Considering the multitude of luscious tresses featured in The Rings of Power, one can appreciate the immense work involved in maintaining all those wigs. The types range from hero wigs, scale wigs, stunt double wigs, and even picture double wigs. In essence, Moody’s words echo the challenge: “It’s quite an organizational task.”
Wigs are crafted using human hair whenever feasible; however, Dwarven beards are made from yak hair instead. The department employs two distinct types of yak hair: the tail hair provides a rough texture, while the belly hair offers a softer feel for a more comfortable beard.
In a simple and clear manner, the makeup and hairstyling team can implement nuanced adjustments that reflect character development. As an example, they added a 300-inspired beard to Trystan Gravelle’s Pharazôn, hinting at his character gaining more power.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two premieres on Prime Video on August 29.
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2024-08-16 17:04