Thorin Thursday: Behind the scenes & out and about

Snaffled from Candy Varty at Facebook. Admiring the view of that sturdy bicep with a portion of the dwarf suit discarded here. And the hand. And the intent way he is listening to the conversation between PJ and Martin.  Never tire of looking at him in behind-the-scenes photos.

RA in his Thorin garb with makeup/prosthetic artist Tami Lane. oh, to be wrapped in Thorin’s robe, embraced by RA’s hands and know he’s wearing such a genuine smile on that gorgeous face you get to make up each and every day . . .

Love Richard’s support of charitable endeavours. And this photo with his adorable scale double, Mark Atkin, always makes me smile.

And more of RA with Tami. ❤

Love how hard he works at everything . . . the focus and intensity.  And it shows in his amazing performances.

And I think he’s proven that admirably. 😀

And I adore the two men behind the characters. I’ve become quite the McTavish fan, too, you see.

Richard and I, wondering what’s next?

Production on The Hobbit trilogy, in terms of filming, is steadily winding down; in recent days, many of the actors have tweeted and posted messages announcing they have wrapped on the project. Peter Jackson posted these photos and message today.

Tonight Martin Freeman finished his last shot as Bilbo Baggins. The end of an incredible two and a half years. I cannot imagine anyone else in this role – a character that Martin has nurtured and crafted with love and great skill.
We have… said goodbye to our elves, humans, wizards and now the hobbit. We now enter our final 2 weeks of pick-ups, and it’s wall to wall dwarves. These pick-ups have been gruelling and intense, but I’m so happy with what we’ve been shooting. These next two movies are going to be pretty great!

Benedict “Smaug” Cumberbatch checking out Martin’s Bilbo feet.

I look ahead to the day when the dwarves wrap and Richard, perhaps, makes a little speech on their behalf, and I feel myself getting all choked up. What an amazing journey it has been for these folks, cast and crew alike, and I can only imagine what an emotional moment that will be.

Richard in Thorin gear, posing with his favorite makeup artist, the talented Tami Lane. I think those two have established a firm friendship.

There’s got to be euphoric feelings; that sense of accomplishment, great pride in what you’ve created together, many wonderful memories of experiences shared. Mixed with those must be a certain sadness that it’s  largely over for the actors. (Plenty of post-production work to come, I am sure, by those busy beavers at the studio . . )

Yes, there will be the publicity juggernauts before the remaining films’ premieres and prior to the release of the DVDs, gatherings at Comic-Con and various fan events; still, it won’t be the same. It never is. Life moves on. Richard Armitage moves on.

What’s next? We know from Tweets today by Todd Garner and other involved with Black Sky, the film RA shot last summer in Michigan, that the film was screened last night. No release date yet, but it’s surely looking a lot more promising now.  Don’t know about you, but it can’t happen fast enough for me.

I am in a state of flux myself; still working to get the video production company established, trying to do my best to raise the profile and raise funds for our humane society and all the good it does in our county, maintaining my presence in Armitage World and attending to my pets and husband(who still hasn’t gone to the doctor, and the fever is BACK) and occasionally to this house, which looks like it was hit by the Black Sky tornado.  I now maintain/assist with four FB pages, a business website and blog, personal blog, have Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest accounts, and am about to start rehabbing the Humane Society website.  If I kept up with all this properly, it would be a full-time job, I do believe. But (most of it) doesn’t pay too well. 😉

Now I have been invited to return on a part-time basis to my old newspaper to write a bi-monthly column and do some stringer reporting along the way as I am out and about. They want my name and face and words to be a presence there again; I don’t mind admitting I have missed it. And readers have told me I have been missed. And I will get paid.

I have also been trying to take better care of myself.

And this is true. I am done with diets. Been there, done there, lost lots of weight, gained it all back and a lot more. The extra pounds I am carrying are detrimental to my general health and wellbeing and they exacerbate my FMS, not to mention issues with blood pressure and my heart. I don’t need a quick fix or to follow some crash diet I cannot possibly maintain. I need to make sensible, permanent changes.

I’ve been following the DASH plan, which is designed to help lower blood pressure. I eat a lot less processed stuff, more fresh fruits and veggies, whole wheat breads, low-fat dairy, lean meats, watch the sugar, salt and fat consumption . . . nothing complicated. DASH isn’t a diet as such, yet I have already lost several pounds. I’ve been walking when the weather would allow it and doing some isometric exercises indoors. Overall, I feel better. I am in it for the long haul.

I don’t know exactly what is around the corner for me; good things, I hope. Better days ahead, I like to think.

I certainly don’t know what is to come for Richard Armitage. Another role in a blockbuster film, work in a smaller, more intimate indie, a return to television, to the stage, more voice-over work . . . only he knows. And he’s not telling.  But I don’t expect him to rest on his laurels for too long, that beautiful and talented workaholic.

Whatever paths he chooses on his journey, I wish him well. God bless you, RA. looking forward to seeing you in Black Sky whenever it does happen and to your return as the majestic Thorin in December.  Live your dreams and continue going from strength to strength, my dear fellow. Can’t wait to see what’s next for you!

Related articles

• Martin Freeman Finishes Last Scene as Bilbo Baggins in ‘The Hobbit’ Trilogy (aceshowbiz.com)
• Richard Armitage-The Contender (armitageagonistes.wordpress.com)
• New Stills And Character Images From THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (comicbookmovie.com)
• Somewhere over the rainbow . . . you’ll find RA and the gang (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)

Somewhere over the rainbow . . . you’ll find RA and the gang

The lovely Graham McTavish shared this photo on Twitter tonight, saying, “This is a view from our base camp on one of our locations for The Hobbit. This is really what NZ looks like!”

A beautiful country. A gigantic film trilogy that feels like the world’s “biggest home movie,” the first film a worldwide success with fans counting down the days until the next installment. A small city of people putting their skills and talents to work in what appears to be a labor of love.

I am certain there are squabbles and flares of temper and days when people are so tired they can hardly see straight.  In spite of the varied creatures they play, they are, after all, only human.

Still, to do something you really love, something that captivates you and motivates you–that is a joyous experience.

And to do it all in a place that looks like that. Your brain would have to be feeling pretty joyous!

And the friendships they’ve developed must be so special. Not surprised to hear Graham say he was worn out from all the hugging they did upon their reunion in New Zealand.  I’ve become incredibly fond of the gang, as I think of them; the feeling amongst them seems to be the same.

Richard Armitage in his Thorin guise giving makeup and prosthetic artist Tami Lane a hug. Of course, we are NOT envious.

Have a wonderful time, Richard, in that glorious land called New Zealand.  Goodness knows, you deserve every minute of it.

Related articles

• ‘It’s like we never left . . .’: McTavish Tweets & I Look Back (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
• RA needs a camping partner: New interview on CNet Aus. (thearmitageeffect.wordpress.com)
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Fun Facts & Quotes from The Hobbit ‘Chronicles’

It’s been a few days since I shared anything from the latest in the series of ‘Chronicles’ books from Weta Workshop. Thought these tidbits about various aspects of the production might make a fun read for Sunday, along with a few more images in glorious HD (thanks to Heirs of Durin) from the film.

And don’t forget if you do have a Twitter account you can vote for Bilbo as “Best Hero” at the 2013 MTV Movie Awards through tonight when the broadcast takes place.http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/2013/best-hero/  As I write this on Saturday near midnight Bilbo is still in the lead by several thousand, but that could always change . . .

The Eyes Have It

 Jeffrey Thomas, who plays King Under the Mountain Thror, actually wore colored contact lenses to increase his resemblance to the actors playing his son and grandson, Mike Mizrahi and Richard Armitage, respectively.  All three men have blue eyes, but unlike his light-eyed co-stars, Thomas’s are a very dark blue that resembled black when photographed.  A pale blue contact lens color not only tied him to his son and grandson but also served to “age him as well as give him a hint of the crazy eye, which fits considering his obsession with the gold.” (Tami Lane, prosthetics supervisor)

Cate Blanchett also wore contact lenses for the role of Galadriel. Rather than completely recolor them, these lenses were designed to lighten and enhance Cate’s own pale blue eyes, “making them feel even more remarkable and beautiful, but still based on her natural coloring,” said hair and makeup designer Peter King.

Peter Hambleton, who played the dwarf Gloin, the father of Gimli of LOTR, also wore lenses to change his eye color. “I have blue eyes and we wanted to make a connection with Gimli, whose eyes are brown,” said Hambleton. The actor didn’t require the dark lenses for distant shots, just more close-up ones, and a licensed optician on set would pop them in and out for him (remember, he was wearing those clumsy prosthetic hands). “I hope the brown eyes sing out,” Hambleton said.

Thoughts on Fili and Kili (Dean O’Gorman and Aidan Turner)

“With no sons of his own, Fili and Kili are his family. Thorin is tough on Fili and overly protective of Kili. He sees their hope and their ambition, their youth. It’s a great driving force for him, to seek out something to bequeath for their future.”    Richard Armitage~Thorin

“Dwarves are a proud and noble people who were at  one time very wealthy. They carry jewelry and ornate plaiting in their beards to show their pride and a way of holding on to their lineage. . . they begin looking very ornate and proud, but their journey humbles and batters them . . . but it isn’t the same for each of them.

‘Fili and Kili don’t have the big, ornate, blinged-out beards of their fathers. They have a different attitude and aren’t as burdened down by the loss that gnaws at Thorin and Gloin and the other Dwarves who are obsessed with the gold. They haven’t decorated themselves as heavily, like kids who can’t see the reason for wearing shoes in a restaurant. They’re not holding onto an old grudge. They’re freer spirits.” Peter King~Hair and Makeup Designer

“Beards are already in at the moment, but I have to wonder after these films come out whether there might not be a sudden rise in braiding and beard decoration?”  Dean O’Gorman~Fili

“On one level, we’re funny little guys, and on another, we’ve won wars and are actually pretty dangerous  . . . don’t laugh at the Dwarves because they will mess you up.”  DoG

“It’s tough being a dwarf in Middle-earth. It’s exhausting  . . . they get chased around and for all the times they get caught, they really aren’t wanted anywhere.” ~Aidan Turner-Kili

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Tami, you’ve got one heck of a consolation prize.

Sadly, The Hobbit did not take home any trophies from the Academy Awards. I was particularly pulling for Tami Lane, the makeup artist who transformed RA into Thorin each day, not to mention all the other actors for whom she performed stellar makeup magic.

Ah well, two more films, more opportunities.

However, I think Tami is already a winner and in a big way.  She’s earned the admiration of millions of fans around the world for her work. Not only that,  she seems to have won the true friendship of one amazingly talented, kind, generous, warm-hearted and absolutely gorgeous actor turned bad-ass dwarf named Richard Armitage.

I’d say that was made of “winning,” wouldn’t you?  (And she gets to do more bonding with him starting in May! Lucky girl.)

She’s already got one Oscar on her shelf.

While gold statuettes make good door stops or book ends, they DON’T give you big, cuddly hugs like this.

Why do you think she’s smiling so gleefully?!

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Nourishing, Nurturing Dwarf: TAE Words for the Day

We know that Richard has said he is a man who wishes to be involved in “nourishing and nurturing” in his life.

According to Bing Dictionary, “nourishing” means:

providing good sustenance: providing people, animals, or plants with a substantial quantity of the substances they require to live, grow, or remain fit and healthy

And “nurturing” is defined as:

(1) to take care of a young thing: to give tender care and protection to a young child, animal, or plant, helping it to grow and develop

(2) to encourage somebody or something to flourish: to encourage somebody or something to grow, develop, thrive, and be successful

(3) to keep feeling: to keep a feeling in the mind for a long time, allowing it to grow or deepen

Richard Armitage and the woman who transformed him into Thorin for more than 250 days, Oscar Nominee Tami Lane.

I love this photo. Tami looks so happy and Richard, well, Richard is wearing that customary sweet smile. And there are those beautiful, capable, strong hands resting on Tami’s shoulders in an almost protective pose.

Then, notice that his midnight blue Thorin robe appears to be wrapped around his makeup artist.  Is it a cold day in spite of the sunshine with Richard trying to keep Tami from getting chilled?  Is it merely a playful gesture on Richard’s part? Whatever the case, they obviously have a bond of friendship between them.

When I think of Richard as someone who nourishes and nurtures, I think of a man who is kind and considerate, a true friend, an encourager, a team player, a mentor. I remember how enthusiastically Lucy Griffiths spoke of Richard being the best screen partner on Robin Hood. I think of how Richard always makes sure he mentions the various crew members and praises their work in helping him look and move like and become the character.

Richard Armitage:  dedicated actor, active supporter of charitable endeavors, a man who nourishes and nurtures.

Altogether a worthy fellow to emulate in so many ways.

“Grubby, grungy” feels better: RA’s thoughts on Thorin

I borrowed some quotes by Richard from dear Ali at Richard Armitage Net pertaining to his transformation into Thorin Oakenshield.

“I started to have Thorin’s dreams, I had dreams of entering Erebor for the first time because that’s what he dreams about — so I had dreams of that.”~~Richard Armitage

Once again, Richard became totally immersed in his character, to the point of dreaming Thorin’s dreams, just as he once dreamed John Porter’s.

Richard being transformed into Thorin, a process that took several hours each morning.

“The first time I was ever created into a dwarf, it was quite shocking. I remember they did like a time-lapse photography of the process and it took something in the region of 4 1/2 hours,” Armitage — who stands 6-foot-2-inches in real life, but was shrunken through movie magic for the film — told UPI at a recent New York news conference.

“I actually kept my eyes shut because I didn’t want to see how it worked and just opened my eyes at the end. It’s very strange when you don’t recognize yourself. And, actually, at that point, it was quite extreme. But they went through a process of sculpting many different kinds of face. I had an amazing sculptor …. who I used to visit at WETA, so he could look at my face and it would help him with his work. 

“They eventually found something, which was invisible, but it was still there, still dwarf. And that is down to how amazing WETA is  and also Tami Lane, who is an Oscar-winning prosthetics artist, her work is completely invisible. In terms of getting into character, it’s always brilliant when you look in the mirror and don’t really recognize yourself. So, I really enjoyed that side of the process,” said Armitage, who plays dwarf leader Thorin Oakenshield. 

Read more:  http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/Movies/2012/12/10/Richard-Armitage-Martin-Freeman-discuss-Hobbit-transformations/UPI-78851355162945/#ixzz2Eg6VMrRc

Richard had this to say about Thorin’s gritty character:

Whenever I play characters that are grubby and grungy it just feels better maybe because I’m a Northerner and always meant to have dirty hands. 

All I can say is, Richard, you manage to look so divine when you are grubby, dirty, and grungy. It’s amazing . . . sort of like the way you look in this photo.  This is only–what–the third or fourth time I’ve posted it, right?

 “Interestingly…the translation of Thráin (Thorin’s father) is ‘yearner’ and Thorin is ‘darer.’ Thráin is the one that yearned for it, but wouldn’t achieve it. Thorin is the one that would dare to do it.”

Let’s see . . . how many days now until we see The Hobbit?

Dwarf Milking & To-Die-For Warrior: More Nuggets from “The Movie Guide”

First of all, this just below. My cropped photo of a two-page photo spread (I think we used to call it a “double truck” at the newspaper) of Richard Armitage as Thorin. This is actually from The Visual Companion, so, yeah, you’ll probably want to buy it, too.  *sigh*  I had one of those visceral reactions to this photo. The old punch in the solar plexus, if you know what I mean . . .

Tell me that is not a piercing stare. Go ahead. Tell me.

I swear, I am not getting a kickback from New Line or Warner Brothers. Just hoping Mr. A gets in on the royalties from all this.

Apparently, Richard Armitage wasn’t kidding when he described dwarves as a sweaty bunch.  In spite of “chillers,” tents with huge amounts of cold air pumped in to give the actors a chance to “chillax” between takes (an idea amongst the actors made reality the very next day!) and lots of rehydrating drinks that wouldn’t send them to the dwarf port-a-potty, once those hot studio lights went on, it didn’t take long for the perspiration to begin to pool.

This leads to a need for “Dwarfen Irrigation,” as Aidan Turner (Kili) calls it.

Here’s Richard’s description of it:

“Perspiration runs down, combines with the prosthetic glue and collects in little pools underneath our silicon eyebrows. Prosthetics Supervisor, Tami Lane, squeezes these little reservoirs and projectile sweat shoots out of your head. We refer to it as being ‘milked!'”

Probably not the sort of-ermmmm-“milking” some people had in mind in regards to RA . . . . Sorry, sorry, my mind and the naughty corner are so well acquainted. I have a reserved seat there. *cough*

With the varying looks for the dwarves, it took anywhere from 30 minutes (for younger dwarves such as Fili, Kili and Ori) to three hours (for the plus-sized Bombur) in the makeup chair for application of prosthetics (I am not sure if that time estimate factored in hair application . . .).

Here’s a photo that’s been circulating online of RA in the makeup chair:

(courtesy of Jas Rangoon and Tumblr)

There is nothing quite like looking at yourself in the mirror and seeing someone totally different looking back at you. There’s no better way for an actor to “get into character,” because 50 percent of the work is already done for you!”

~~Richard Armitage quoted in “Being Dwarfed” from The Hobbit Movie Guide.

Seems to be no doubt that the clothes–and nose and brow and hair, etc.–make the man. Or dwarf, as the case may be.  By the way, they had to create forty individual facial silicon appliances for every single day of filming.

Ann Maskrey, head costume designer for the film,  pointed out that Tolkien’s descriptions of the dwarves hanging up their different colored hoods at Bilbo’s house reminded one a little too much of “garden gnomes,” not really the image they wanted to project onscreen.  However, since the passage is one of the few bits of description Tolkien provided about the dwarves’ appearances in the book, Maskrey decided to have the lining of each dwarf’s cape hood feature the key colors mentioned by the author.

Then she chose to color-coordinate each of the dwarf’s costumes. Thorin? Midnight blue, of course. Perfect choice, don’t you think?

“The fabrics used for the Dwarves are a mix of wool, silk, corduroy and moleskin combined with leather and suede decorated with angular detailing to give a Dwarven look–we even managed to create Dwarf designs on knitted scarves and waistcoats.”

~~Ann Maskrey, Chief Costume Designer for The Hobbit

(Good grief, guys, I hope you don’t mind me sharing more of what I am gleaning from the two latest additions to my growing Hobbit collection.  Given that some of you have purchased said books after my earlier post, I am thinking you won’t mind a few more quotes/details/pics. It is all so entertaining, informative and FUN.  Oooh, and I got an email today that my Thorin cuddly plush should soon be on the way from Jolly Olde England. Squeeeeeee!!!!!! Gee, am I 52–or 12? Oh, I don’t care . . .  I am having the time of my life.)