Copyright New Line Productions, Inc.
One exhibition to rule them all
13 December 2004
Developed over two years by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in conjunction with New Line Cinemas, The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy – The Exhibition is an epic exhibition that gives visitors a once in a lifetime opportunity to go behind the scenes of the hugely successful film trilogy.
The exhibition explores both the thematic and technological aspects of the three films through more than 650 exhibits, and to date has been seen by more than 800,000 people worldwide in New Zealand, London, Singapore and Boston.
Visitors are transported to the world of Middle-earth where they are met by the films’ main characters including hobbits, wizards and orcs, all dressed in the original costumes used in the films. A staggering array of costumes were created for the three films, with 10,800 pieces for the extras alone. Visitors can see the intricate costumes belonging to Arwen, Gandalf, Galadriel, Aragorn, Frodo, and many more, as well as examples of the prosthetic elf ears, hobbit feet and orc arms used in the film.
With all of the battle scenes in the films, a range of armour and weapons – namely 900 suits of handmade armour, more than 2000 rubber and safety weapons, and more than 100 special handmade weapons – had to be created by professional medieval craft practitioners. A real blacksmith’s forge was even created on set to make some of the armour and swords. The exhibition’s ‘armour corridor’ features 12 full-size costumes and an array of armour and weapons, from an Elven Foot Soldier to an Uruk-hai Swordsman.
Cutting-edge technology was responsible for creating much of the films’ magic, and the exhibition allows visitors to experience this technology and special effects first-hand through interactive demonstrations. Creating the scale of size between characters was a particular challenge, which was resolved using an ingenious mix of trick photography, forced perspective sets and props made at different scales. Visitors can even be photographed hobbit-sized in a set from the film.
The exhibition culminates in an immersive encounter with The One Ring, where visitors are surrounded by a ‘ring of fire’, seeing and hearing the films’ main characters urging Frodo to use or destroy The One Ring.
Throughout filming of the trilogy, interviews were recorded with many of the cast and crew. These insightful behind-the-scenes conversations reveal further secrets about the making of the films. Also featured are recent interviews with Oscar-winning special effects wizard Richard Taylor, artist Alan Lee, and producer Barrie Osbourne.
More Information
The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy - The Exhibition
26 December – 31 March 2005
Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
Admission: Adult $19.50, Child $9.50, Concession $12 (includes general admission)
Bookings: 136 100
Admission is through two times sessions – Morning (9am-1pm) and Afternoon (1pm-5pm)
Website: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/
