Glossary: forego: ford: modicum: ,
Filming J. R. R. Tolkien's epic Lord of the Rings trilogy was an epic undertaking in and of itself.
Starting in October 1999, filming continued for more than a year throughout director Peter Jackson's native New Zealand. Shooting the movies in sequence (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King) was an unprecedented feat, but Jackson insisted on the back-to-back-to-back schedule.
I felt that in order to do the tale's epic nature justice, we had to shoot it as one big story because that's what it is, Jackson says. "It's three movies that will take you through three very unique experiences, but it all adds up to one unforgettable story."
Telling the familiar story on film required near-heroic efforts from cast members, who had to forego the usual on-set luxury of lounging around in their trailers between takes. Producer Barrie M. Osborne says, "The Lord of the Rings required a commitment from our cast to learn how to sword fight, horseback ride, canoe, learn Elvish (a language), climb mountain peaks and, at the same time, bring the magic and magnetism of Tolkien's characters to the screen. They were up to the task."
To teach the cast various fencing techniques, producers brought in Bob Anderson, the world's top sword master, who has consulted on films such as Star Wars. Anderson studied Tolkien's novels before developing fencing methods for each Middle Earth culture − Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, Wizards and Humans − then handed the swords, axes and other weapons to the actors so they could test their mettle at fighting.
To endure the grueling training schedule, the cast had to be in peak physical condition before they began filming. Once on the set, they had to have enough stamina to climb mountains, scale castle walls, ford streams, charge through forests on horseback and fight intense battles.
We all started fitness programs well before production began, and we worked with physical trainers throughout," explains Dominic Monaghan, who plays the Hobbit Merry (one of Frodo's close friends). "Not only was the shoot physically challenging, with huge leaps and big battles and stuff like that, but the hours alone required physical conditioning and fitness. Anybody out of shape wouldn't have made it.
A willingness to tough it out was a must to survive this marathon shoot. Perhaps nobody on the set embodied that dedication more than Viggo Mortensen, who plays Aragorn. Of the actor's commitment, producer Osborne says, "He's the kind of actor who one day had his tooth knocked out by a sword and actually asked if they could super glue it back on so he could finish the scene."
See what we mean about near-heroic efforts?
Statements 1 through 10 (on your answer sheet mark + if the statement is true, - if it is false)
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Glossary: forego: ford: modicum: ,
___ 1. The filming of the three films back-to-back-to-back had never been done before.
___ 2. The trilogy was filmed as one long story in order to do justice to Tolkien's epic.
___ 3. Physical conditioning routines started before production began.
___ 4. Only a modicum of dedication was necessary for the trilogy.
___ 5. Hobbits, Dwarves, Wizards and Yetties live in Middle Earth.
___ 6. The sword master from Star Wars consulted this project.
___ 7. The actor's mettle at fighting was tested. An antonym for mettle is courage.
___ 8. The grueling schedule did not require any training.
___ 9. Viggo Mortensen's tooth was knocked out during a fist fight.
___ 10. The cast of The Lord of the Rings was required to learn to sword fight, canoe and speak Elvish.
STOP. WAIT FOR THE SECOND READING OF THE TEXT.
Questions 1 through 10 (on your answer sheet mark the correct letter A, B, C, or D)
11. The films were shot in
a. Canada b. New Zealand c. Australia d. Germany
12. The shoot was challenging because it required
a. physical conditioning c. positive communication
b. a good sense of humor d. a sense of pride
13. To have stamina means to be able to
a. endure b. overcome c. quit d. exercise
14. The cast was required to learn
a. Dwarvish b. Narnian c. Elvish d. Amish
15. Between takes cast members
a. lounged in their trailers c. practiced for the next scene
b. swam in the ocean d. helped repair the stage.
16. This massive project took...... to film.
a. less than 6 months b. more than 1 year c. more than 3 years d. more than 5 years
17. The director filmed the trilogy in such a strict order to insure
a. the cooperation of the seasons with the production schedule c. low production costs
b. the continued participation of the actors d. the true feeling of the story was not lost
18. The condition of the shoot tested the actors
a. mental capabilities b. physical prowess c. vocabulary skills d. physical inabilities
19. The Lord of the Rings is an epic. An epic is defined as a(n)
a. romance b. tragedy c. comedy d. adventure
20. Dominick Monaghan is
