The Hobbit and me

photo stolen  from the internet and photoshopped with apologies...

Yesterday I got to go to a cast and crew screening of The Hobbit. This is because I worked on the movie for a few months as a costume illustrator. I'd have loved to work for a few more but I had a book to illustrate, deadlines were calling and to be honest, the work that I was doing there was concept stuff and I was a tail-end-charlie, taking over from Ruth Paul (who also had another book to illustrate) and that part of the job was almost at an end. At some point the pencils are put down and the fabrication of costumes begins.

So I couldn't wait to see what had been done with Bilbo's dressing gown and jacket (over which we laboured many long hours getting the look and feel right on paper and computer before anything was machined up). Before I left 3Foot7 (Peter Jackson's production company) the first full dwarf costume was unveiled and it was simply amazing, so I was looking forward to seeing more.

I also looked forward to being critical, because by nature we are. We look to find fault more than we look for the good- especially when others are in the limelight casting shadows over ourselves. A nasty little Golumish part of me wanted to pick apart the final costuming efforts, the script and the film quality. When I was handed 3D glasses at the door I sighed because I hate 3D films for their unnecessary 'Coming at ya' effects and because they play hell with my progressive lenses. So I sat there among all the other crew with a glass of wine in hand, ready to disparage the film for all the things I hadn't done on it (but would have loved to). I put on my glasses, which actually were quite groovy slightly retro 50's sort of style and prepared to be bored by lengthy battle scenes , overdone FX and not nearly enough women in the movie (I'd read the book- there are precious few).

So, my verdict at the end of nearly 3 hours?

Gobsmackingly fabulous! I could go on and on about how brilliant Martin Freeman is as Bilbo, how disgustingly wonderful Barry Humphries is as the Goblin King and how everlastingly lovely Cate Blanchett is as Galadriel. But I won't, because I just want to say how enthralled, how delighted, how awed I was. The film was crystal clear and I forgot I had glasses on or that it was 3D. I was just there in the movie. The costumes were excellent, as I knew they would be, the digital work mind blowing the script and score thoughtfully and intelligently created...well you can see I'm a fan. The film lives up to the hype.

I can't wait to see it again. And I am very proud that in some infinitesimally small way I contributed to the process and in doing so Peter Jackson nurtured and grew my skills. He'll never know that but I thank him anyway :)

Sweding...

I have been remiss at blogging! All I can say in my defence is that 'I was busy Your Honour'. What with you ask? (or not, if you have given up following me)...

Wearable Art for one; the deadline is the end of this week and I have been very busy hand sewing things and creating an unholy mess in the lounge, dining area, kitchen and my tiny studio. The family will forgive me soon...

The other has been the ANZAC book by David Hill that I am illustrating for Scholastic. I had a wonderful week at New Pacific Studio in Mt Bruce over ANZAC and the following week to get to grips with the final pencil drawings before I put brush to paper and stylus to wacom tablet. Working day and night with only breaks for coffee and the odd poached egg on toast...bliss. Now how many other people can say that about their work?

I also went to the Spinning Tales, the Children's Book Writer's and Illustrator's Hui in Auckland, which was fabulous and reaffirmed to me just how lucky I have been to be traditionally published in this increasingly tough world. Times are a changing; exciting and challenging and I say 'bring it on!' even though it may be uncomfortable at first. At the Hui I sang for my supper at the Literary Feast with a rendition of 'Where the Wild Things Are' by Maurice Sendak. It was a sweded version and for those of you unfamiliar with the sweding concept, go here to find out more about 'Be Kind Rewind', the movie by Jack Black and the art of making something from whatever you can lay your hands on.

Such was the response to it and requests to see it again by those who didn't attend the Hui, that I reprised it at The Library Bar in Wellington one night for our WCBA Club night. Mike Bodnar filmed it for us under less than perfect lighting conditions and managed to edit out the waitress walking in with a latte for someone (and asking who had ordered it). All the props were made from egg cartons, paper plates and scrumpy bottles, and the claws were fashioned by the audience over a glass of wine prior to filming. Thankyou to the enthusiastic audience for roaring and clawing so marvellously! Instructions on making the claws are below.