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Gollum: How We Made Movie Magic
The behind-the-scenes story of how the computer-generated character of Gollum is created in the third and final The Lord of the Rings film shows how electronic wizards use the voice, body, and facial movements of Andy Serkis as a blueprint for the character onscreen. Original.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
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1202 people want to read
About the author
Gary Russell
198 books172 followersGary Russell is a British freelance writer, producer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series Doctor Who and its spin-offs in other media. As an actor, he is best known for playing Dick Kirrin in the British 1978 television series The Famous Five.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
October 24, 2018
4 stars!
Very informative and includes a lot of behind-the-scenes information of the creation of Gollum on screen throughout the trilogy. I really liked Serkis’ inclusion of the effect the character and experience of filming has had on his life and the detail in the technological development of CGI and Motion Capture for example, at the time of recording to create the character of Gollum for an audience.
Good read for those who have seen the trilogy and would love to know more about how it came to be.
Very informative and includes a lot of behind-the-scenes information of the creation of Gollum on screen throughout the trilogy. I really liked Serkis’ inclusion of the effect the character and experience of filming has had on his life and the detail in the technological development of CGI and Motion Capture for example, at the time of recording to create the character of Gollum for an audience.
Good read for those who have seen the trilogy and would love to know more about how it came to be.
August 21, 2010
Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies spark debate. You have the wonderful people who say, "they're too long and have things with pointy ears. Yuck!". You have people who say, "the books are better" (and these people are right). You have people who say, "the books are better and Jackson should meet a Balrog in a dark alley".
But I like to think most of us are like me. Yes, the books are better, but the movies were cool too.
We can quibble about what got left in and taken out. (No, I don't miss Tom. Yes, I miss Frodo at the Ford. No, Arwen's change doesn't bother me). Yet, I think a writer on Salon.com who knew Tolkien got it right. The movies were a remarkable testment to skill and ability, and craftmanship. (and thank god, Sting didn't look like a lightsaber).
I actually knew who Andy Serkis was before he got cast as Gollum. I mean, I actually knew the name as opposed to the "wow, that elf (or Gondor dude or Rohan dude) looks familiar. Look he was in Hercules (or Xena)". Nope, I had seen him in stuff.
Serkis is one of those British actors who doesn't really have the looks to make it in American Film, which is sad, because he's really funny and does spooky very well (he even made a good Van Gogh).
He even writes funny.
This book is about Serkis' journey as Gollum. He doesn't touch on the debate surronding Gollum that got sparked off by Two Towers and Gollum's discussion with himself (too cute vs. okay). He does, however, provided detail into the making of Gollum from the special effects to the inspiration of his cat (who deserves a credit in film). The tone is fun and the details are not techincal so anyone can read it.
But I like to think most of us are like me. Yes, the books are better, but the movies were cool too.
We can quibble about what got left in and taken out. (No, I don't miss Tom. Yes, I miss Frodo at the Ford. No, Arwen's change doesn't bother me). Yet, I think a writer on Salon.com who knew Tolkien got it right. The movies were a remarkable testment to skill and ability, and craftmanship. (and thank god, Sting didn't look like a lightsaber).
I actually knew who Andy Serkis was before he got cast as Gollum. I mean, I actually knew the name as opposed to the "wow, that elf (or Gondor dude or Rohan dude) looks familiar. Look he was in Hercules (or Xena)". Nope, I had seen him in stuff.
Serkis is one of those British actors who doesn't really have the looks to make it in American Film, which is sad, because he's really funny and does spooky very well (he even made a good Van Gogh).
He even writes funny.
This book is about Serkis' journey as Gollum. He doesn't touch on the debate surronding Gollum that got sparked off by Two Towers and Gollum's discussion with himself (too cute vs. okay). He does, however, provided detail into the making of Gollum from the special effects to the inspiration of his cat (who deserves a credit in film). The tone is fun and the details are not techincal so anyone can read it.
September 24, 2014
Lovely little book which is basically an abbreviated diary of Andy Serkis' time creating Gollum in the LOTR trilogy of movies.
Much information for the technically minded and for Tolkien geeks.
Gorgeously illustrated with scenes from the movies and MANY behind the scenes shots.
Wonderful.
Much information for the technically minded and for Tolkien geeks.
Gorgeously illustrated with scenes from the movies and MANY behind the scenes shots.
Wonderful.
August 28, 2011
An editing nightmare. I picked up this book because I love "making-of" featurettes about movies and I thought this would be similar. Ugh. The editing of a book has never stood out to me so much before, and it was NOT in a good way.
For starters, as commendable and inspired as Andy Serkis's performance as Gollum was, his writing is average, even in final book form. He frequently brings up things that are irrelevant to the story he is telling, and even uses the same example to illustrate his point more than once. I got the feeling that when the editor got Andy's first draft, he or she took one look at it and said, "Oh, my god, look at the typos." I've edited really bad writing before, and once I took out the spelling and grammatical errors and fixed the run-on sentences, it was hard to bring myself to rewrite every sentence and change the focus of every paragraph so that it made sense. I didn't want to COMPLETELY rewrite it or else the person who wrote it wouldn't recognize it anymore. I feel the editor of this book may have had a similar problem.
Andy's questionable writing skills aside, there were other problems. The whole book was laid out like a big "public-interest"-type story in Time magazine. There was the main story with plenty of pictures, and then there were those shaded text boxes. Now, the point of those shaded text boxes, when you see them in Time magazine, is: "Here is something really interesting that relates to the story, but it doesn't fit in with the main narrative." Unfortunately, this is not how they were used in this book.
There were way too many of them, to begin with. Sometimes there would be a paragraph of Andy's narrative on each page, and the entire rest of the page would be filled with shaded text boxes. At one point, there were five(!) pages of shaded text boxes in a row, with none of Andy's narrative.
The other problem with the shaded text boxes is that they were NOT usually "Something really interesting that doesn't fit in with the main narrative". They were incredibly repetitive, and I think I figured out why: what appears to have gone down was that the editor of the book tracked down every last person who worked on a part of the movie that had to do with Gollum and told them, "We're writing a book on how the character of Gollum was created. Can you write 300-1000 words about your thoughts and experiences and we'll put it in the book?" Predictably enough, 90% of these contributions amounted to: "Andy Serkis is an acting genius and the team of animators did an amazing job bringing this character to life." Try reading that upwards of forty times and you'll understand why I super-skimmed through the last 3 chapters of this book.
My recommendation: skip the book, watch the "making-of" featurette instead.
For starters, as commendable and inspired as Andy Serkis's performance as Gollum was, his writing is average, even in final book form. He frequently brings up things that are irrelevant to the story he is telling, and even uses the same example to illustrate his point more than once. I got the feeling that when the editor got Andy's first draft, he or she took one look at it and said, "Oh, my god, look at the typos." I've edited really bad writing before, and once I took out the spelling and grammatical errors and fixed the run-on sentences, it was hard to bring myself to rewrite every sentence and change the focus of every paragraph so that it made sense. I didn't want to COMPLETELY rewrite it or else the person who wrote it wouldn't recognize it anymore. I feel the editor of this book may have had a similar problem.
Andy's questionable writing skills aside, there were other problems. The whole book was laid out like a big "public-interest"-type story in Time magazine. There was the main story with plenty of pictures, and then there were those shaded text boxes. Now, the point of those shaded text boxes, when you see them in Time magazine, is: "Here is something really interesting that relates to the story, but it doesn't fit in with the main narrative." Unfortunately, this is not how they were used in this book.
There were way too many of them, to begin with. Sometimes there would be a paragraph of Andy's narrative on each page, and the entire rest of the page would be filled with shaded text boxes. At one point, there were five(!) pages of shaded text boxes in a row, with none of Andy's narrative.
The other problem with the shaded text boxes is that they were NOT usually "Something really interesting that doesn't fit in with the main narrative". They were incredibly repetitive, and I think I figured out why: what appears to have gone down was that the editor of the book tracked down every last person who worked on a part of the movie that had to do with Gollum and told them, "We're writing a book on how the character of Gollum was created. Can you write 300-1000 words about your thoughts and experiences and we'll put it in the book?" Predictably enough, 90% of these contributions amounted to: "Andy Serkis is an acting genius and the team of animators did an amazing job bringing this character to life." Try reading that upwards of forty times and you'll understand why I super-skimmed through the last 3 chapters of this book.
My recommendation: skip the book, watch the "making-of" featurette instead.
May 9, 2013
A fascinating look at one of the most interesting characters within ‘The Lord of the Rings’
Indisputably distinctive and intriguing, Gollum/ Sméagol has to be one of the most fascinating creatures that dwells upon Middle-Earth with his past partly remaining a mystery. I was delighted to find a single volume dedicated to this slippery character who was central to Frodo’s journey, and was the most complex of all creatures ~ topping the Dwarves, Elves and Wizards! It is the fact that instead of just using a CGI image but an actual actor to play this creature, (in the form of Andy Serkis), that makes it so brilliant. Andy literally makes Gollum transform into life, flesh and blood, with every single movement, sound and facial feature being somewhat of an art form.
This indispensable, comprehensive guide takes a look behind the scenes at how Sméagol became Gollum, and how he was transformed from the page and onto the big screen. Film-making history was made when, in ‘the two towers’, an actor’s performance and digital animation were seamlessly integrated to create the world’s first totally lifelike computer-generated character. This is Andy Serkis’ story about how a three-week commission to provide a voice-over for Gollum grew into one of the most challenging creations for ‘The Lord of the Rings’. With more than 100 exclusive full-color behind-the-scenes photos and drawings, together with contributions from the many designers and animators who brought Gollum to life, this truly is a spectacular book.
Gollum/ Sméagol has to be the most unforgettable characters, who thanks to Andy Serkis’ vision and creativity brought him to ‘life’ for all to see. Above all else, Gollum is the one character within JRR Tolkien’s epic work which certainly does him justice and which I feel would make the author proud. JRR Tolkien’s vision has transformed into something tangible and real, whilst an actor discovered the most life-changing 5 years of his life.
This wonderful, must-have book explores ~
* Gollum’s voice (which does sound a bit like a Cat being sick!)
* Andy acting in a bodysuit covered in dots
* The similarities between Andy and Gollum’s features
* Future surprises in store for ‘The Return of the King’!
I would highly recommend this book to add to your Tolkien collection, especially if you are an avid fan of Peter Jackson’s films.
Indisputably distinctive and intriguing, Gollum/ Sméagol has to be one of the most fascinating creatures that dwells upon Middle-Earth with his past partly remaining a mystery. I was delighted to find a single volume dedicated to this slippery character who was central to Frodo’s journey, and was the most complex of all creatures ~ topping the Dwarves, Elves and Wizards! It is the fact that instead of just using a CGI image but an actual actor to play this creature, (in the form of Andy Serkis), that makes it so brilliant. Andy literally makes Gollum transform into life, flesh and blood, with every single movement, sound and facial feature being somewhat of an art form.
This indispensable, comprehensive guide takes a look behind the scenes at how Sméagol became Gollum, and how he was transformed from the page and onto the big screen. Film-making history was made when, in ‘the two towers’, an actor’s performance and digital animation were seamlessly integrated to create the world’s first totally lifelike computer-generated character. This is Andy Serkis’ story about how a three-week commission to provide a voice-over for Gollum grew into one of the most challenging creations for ‘The Lord of the Rings’. With more than 100 exclusive full-color behind-the-scenes photos and drawings, together with contributions from the many designers and animators who brought Gollum to life, this truly is a spectacular book.
Gollum/ Sméagol has to be the most unforgettable characters, who thanks to Andy Serkis’ vision and creativity brought him to ‘life’ for all to see. Above all else, Gollum is the one character within JRR Tolkien’s epic work which certainly does him justice and which I feel would make the author proud. JRR Tolkien’s vision has transformed into something tangible and real, whilst an actor discovered the most life-changing 5 years of his life.
This wonderful, must-have book explores ~
* Gollum’s voice (which does sound a bit like a Cat being sick!)
* Andy acting in a bodysuit covered in dots
* The similarities between Andy and Gollum’s features
* Future surprises in store for ‘The Return of the King’!
I would highly recommend this book to add to your Tolkien collection, especially if you are an avid fan of Peter Jackson’s films.
November 25, 2024
An interesting look behind the creation and making of Serkis' Gollum. A little too long overall, but it's a great callback to the DVD appendices.
July 5, 2020
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH IT WAS SUCH A GOOD BOOK MY PRECIOUS!!
If I ever meet Serkis in real life, he's autographing this for me.
So many gorgeous full-color photos of never-before seen behind-the-scenes images! And so many stories that literally did not get told on the bonus features of the DVDs! Totally worth a read if you can get ahold of a copy!
If I ever meet Serkis in real life, he's autographing this for me.
So many gorgeous full-color photos of never-before seen behind-the-scenes images! And so many stories that literally did not get told on the bonus features of the DVDs! Totally worth a read if you can get ahold of a copy!
April 18, 2024
Andy Serkis almost made me go to the wrong college. As a middle-schooler, I was entranced with Lord of the Rings. I came to the series backward, first watching the movies and then reading the books, and I watched the behind-the-scenes footage of making all the special effects for the film and I thought this is what I want to do. It would’ve been absolutely the wrong path for me, but such is the power of cinema.
Twenty years later, I have no desire to do animation special effects or motion capture work, but I still respect it. So when I came across Andy’s behind the scenes guide to the movies: Gollum: How We Made Movie Magic, I had to have it. The book is told from Andy’s perspective, which is important as the commentary on the DVD sets are a straightforward documentary. Inserts from Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, and others who worked on Gollum are placed throughout the book to get the perspective from the whole cast and crew.
While this is the story of Gollum, it’s also really a visual memoir of Andy Serkis’s time as the character. It begins with how Serkis came to be cast as Gollum, the progression of his career through it all, and how the role moved from voice actor to stand-in for animation to motion capture acting. All of this is foundational for where Serkis is at currently in his career, as he’s considered to be the foremost authority on motion-capture acting.
Serkis gives readers a look into how scenes are created, talks about the difficulties of bringing Gollum to life, and then not even knowing how it would all look until much later. (Sidenote: By the time he filmed The Hobbit, technology had increased enough that Peter Jackson could get a preliminary render of Serkis as Gollum in real time!)
Gollum: How We Made Movie Magic gave me an appreciation for Serkis and how he threw himself (often quite literally!) into the role and the lengths to which the whole team went to seamlessly blend reality and CGI. Lord of the Rings was filmed at a special time in cinematic history when there were great advances happening in CGI, but the technology was limited enough that real-life creativity was also needed. Today, technology allows for an abundance of CGI (see the Hobbit films) that, despite the advanced nature of the tech, just doesn’t look as grounded in reality.
As a Tolkien fan, this is a book I’m happy to have in my collection. It’s nothing special. You can buy them for almost nothing. But for me it is a nostalgic remembrance of childhood, a peek into how filmmaking works, a series of interesting stories and adventures, and all told in a compelling and conversational way.
Twenty years later, I have no desire to do animation special effects or motion capture work, but I still respect it. So when I came across Andy’s behind the scenes guide to the movies: Gollum: How We Made Movie Magic, I had to have it. The book is told from Andy’s perspective, which is important as the commentary on the DVD sets are a straightforward documentary. Inserts from Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, and others who worked on Gollum are placed throughout the book to get the perspective from the whole cast and crew.
While this is the story of Gollum, it’s also really a visual memoir of Andy Serkis’s time as the character. It begins with how Serkis came to be cast as Gollum, the progression of his career through it all, and how the role moved from voice actor to stand-in for animation to motion capture acting. All of this is foundational for where Serkis is at currently in his career, as he’s considered to be the foremost authority on motion-capture acting.
Serkis gives readers a look into how scenes are created, talks about the difficulties of bringing Gollum to life, and then not even knowing how it would all look until much later. (Sidenote: By the time he filmed The Hobbit, technology had increased enough that Peter Jackson could get a preliminary render of Serkis as Gollum in real time!)
Gollum: How We Made Movie Magic gave me an appreciation for Serkis and how he threw himself (often quite literally!) into the role and the lengths to which the whole team went to seamlessly blend reality and CGI. Lord of the Rings was filmed at a special time in cinematic history when there were great advances happening in CGI, but the technology was limited enough that real-life creativity was also needed. Today, technology allows for an abundance of CGI (see the Hobbit films) that, despite the advanced nature of the tech, just doesn’t look as grounded in reality.
As a Tolkien fan, this is a book I’m happy to have in my collection. It’s nothing special. You can buy them for almost nothing. But for me it is a nostalgic remembrance of childhood, a peek into how filmmaking works, a series of interesting stories and adventures, and all told in a compelling and conversational way.
October 2, 2022
Andy Serkis is such a warm and amiable man, besides being an incredible actor.
In this book, Andy takes you by the hand and tells you some of his stories, as well as describing the painstaking process of creating and recording Gollum, using his iconic performance.
It was heart-warming to read at the start, though I felt at times that he told too little stories but delivered the facts somewhat coldly, despite that he does tell you it was special. That means the second half felt like a bit of a grind.
It was remarkable that all throughout, I could feel the synergy between the writers, Jackon and the various creative departments, and the thrill of improving and experimenting was very tangible. Reading about the big moments, such as world premieres, was special, but could have merited a lot from elaboration.
Although I knew it was about Gollum, I found it a pity to not be able to read about the other characters that must've gone through similar journeys, and that is something I definitely would still want.
The book is nice, but a bit short, and seems to touch only the surface. Still, it's a great and delightful read into the mind and process of transformation within Andy Serkis, as well as his performance of Gollum throughout the movie trilogy.
In this book, Andy takes you by the hand and tells you some of his stories, as well as describing the painstaking process of creating and recording Gollum, using his iconic performance.
It was heart-warming to read at the start, though I felt at times that he told too little stories but delivered the facts somewhat coldly, despite that he does tell you it was special. That means the second half felt like a bit of a grind.
It was remarkable that all throughout, I could feel the synergy between the writers, Jackon and the various creative departments, and the thrill of improving and experimenting was very tangible. Reading about the big moments, such as world premieres, was special, but could have merited a lot from elaboration.
Although I knew it was about Gollum, I found it a pity to not be able to read about the other characters that must've gone through similar journeys, and that is something I definitely would still want.
The book is nice, but a bit short, and seems to touch only the surface. Still, it's a great and delightful read into the mind and process of transformation within Andy Serkis, as well as his performance of Gollum throughout the movie trilogy.
February 19, 2024
Gollum: How We Made Movie Magic
Author: Andy Serkis
“Deep down here by the dark water lived old Gollum, a small slimy creature. I don’t know where he came from, nor who or what he was. He was Gollum.”
Have you always wondered how the filmmakers managed to make Gollum seem real?
This book, written by Andy Serkis, the actor who played Gollum himself, covers it all.
Andy describes how his casting process went and how the filmmakers allowed him to add his own creative ideas to make Gollum a character the film industry would never forget.
The book contains the very first sketches that Gollum's design team made and many behind-the-scenes photos of the other actors.
When I read this book, I felt like Andy was taking me on his and Gollum's personal journey through New Zealand.
I think all Lord of the Rings fans will find this book a valuable addition to their collection.
“Curse the Baggins! It’s gone! What has it got in its pocketses? Oh we guess, we guess, my precious. He’s found it, yes he must have.”
Author: Andy Serkis
“Deep down here by the dark water lived old Gollum, a small slimy creature. I don’t know where he came from, nor who or what he was. He was Gollum.”
Have you always wondered how the filmmakers managed to make Gollum seem real?
This book, written by Andy Serkis, the actor who played Gollum himself, covers it all.
Andy describes how his casting process went and how the filmmakers allowed him to add his own creative ideas to make Gollum a character the film industry would never forget.
The book contains the very first sketches that Gollum's design team made and many behind-the-scenes photos of the other actors.
When I read this book, I felt like Andy was taking me on his and Gollum's personal journey through New Zealand.
I think all Lord of the Rings fans will find this book a valuable addition to their collection.
“Curse the Baggins! It’s gone! What has it got in its pocketses? Oh we guess, we guess, my precious. He’s found it, yes he must have.”
November 1, 2020
Enjoyable and informative! A hardcore LOTR nerd, when I discovered this book at my local library, I had to pick it up. I honestly don't know how it took me this long to learn that this book existed, but once I knew it did, I knew I had to read it. It was a nice quick read that offered a lot of great insight into the development of Gollum on every front- technical, physical and mental. I enjoyed Serkis' behind the scenes stories and his stories of what he did while he wasn't working as well as all of the outside influences he brought to his portrayal of Gollum. That being said, the writing of this book was nothing extraordinary and it didn't leave me feeling like "wow!" or anything, I just kind of eased into my next book. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is an LOTR fan!
May 20, 2017
Gollum: How We Made Movie Magic is a great insight into how the character of Gollum was brought t life! :D At the same time time Serkis takes us though asides to the events that took place during the filming and gives a hectic look at the demands associated with acting but full of frank observations and laugh out loud situations! :D
Funny, revealing, frank and incisive! :D Highly recommended! :D
Funny, revealing, frank and incisive! :D Highly recommended! :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 21, 2020
This was a really fun, informative behind the scenes look at Andy's time on LotR. As someone who's watched the behind the scenes footage countless times, it was interesting to hear a more personal account of what working on these films was like, especially for an actor with such a unique set of filming circumstances. I would love to read a follow-up about the evolution of motion capture and Andy's work with it!
October 4, 2023
I'd never heard of Andy Serkis, and after the LOTR films came out, like many people I saw him as a novelty turn who had a moment. But he's actually had quite a distinguished acting career, and the quality of his writing in this book shows what an intelligent man he is, and what a deep thinker about his art.
Some of the technical details are pretty mystifying, but the photos are good to great, and Serkis' account of working on the films makes fantasy seem real (ha ha).
Some of the technical details are pretty mystifying, but the photos are good to great, and Serkis' account of working on the films makes fantasy seem real (ha ha).
July 31, 2023
What a great book by Andy Serkis. This is a must read for anyone who loves the LOTR movies.
This book gives the background story from Andy Serkis being offered the role, to his final shooting scene. Is is all about how they created Gollum for the movies, using new and ever-changing technology and what Andy brought to the role.
It truly was movie magic!
This book gives the background story from Andy Serkis being offered the role, to his final shooting scene. Is is all about how they created Gollum for the movies, using new and ever-changing technology and what Andy brought to the role.
It truly was movie magic!
January 23, 2018
Ganske kort og letlæst men til tider lidt rodet i sin tidslinje. Super spændende indblik i hvordan Gollum blev til og hele Andy Serkis' eventyr.
Dog ærgerligt bogen slutter inden premieren af den tredje film og den efterfølgende OSCAR succes - ville gerne have læst Serkis' reaktioner på det :)
Dog ærgerligt bogen slutter inden premieren af den tredje film og den efterfølgende OSCAR succes - ville gerne have læst Serkis' reaktioner på det :)
May 28, 2024
An informative take on the process of creating a life-like animated character for the Lord of the Rings movies from the actor's perspective. You really learn how much work by creative people is needed to bring Gollum to life, not the least of which comes from Andy Serkis himself.
August 28, 2017
Beautiful insights and a nice addition to my collection.
December 29, 2021
Interesting. Fun to read. Can get same info by watching The Two Towers DVD behind the scenes stuff.
January 11, 2019
I might be 15 years or so late reading this, but I really enjoyed it. Gollum is a strange and unforgettable character and it seems like Serkis' commitment to the project was a huge part of its success.
May 19, 2022
Excellent guide to the whole Gollum journey from the voice tests to final mo-cap and digital rendering to the movie premieres and awards. It offers also a premium insight into an actor's inner workings, dilemmas and principles.
May 16, 2016
Lord of the Rings is one of the best movie series out there. The process of filming a movie like this is generally very fascinating. Especially taking a closer look at a character like Gollum gives a new perspective on the behind-the-scenes aspects of a movie. In this book, the actor Andy Serkis describes the process of developing and bringing to life Gollum, who he not only lends his voice but actually plays in the movie series. The book is full of anecdotes from the time Andy Serkis was chosen to be Gollum, to the point where all of the movies were completed. The author describes personal experiences as well as the filmmaking process and the technical developments made during the filming.
I like the fact that there is a lot of interesting information about the process that made Gollum come to life on screen. The book is full of interesting pictures, interviews and background information not only from Serkis but also from other members of the crew. The book is relatively short so that it can be read quickly and it is easy to understand. In general I liked the mixture between technical information about the filming process and personal anecdotes, but in many parts of the book the aspect of anecdotes was to dominat for my taste. Some of those anecdotes were just about personal experiences and did not have anything to do with filmmaking at all. These parts could, in my opinion, have been reduced. Over all, I like the book and the behind-the-scenes aspects and enjoyed reading it.
I like the fact that there is a lot of interesting information about the process that made Gollum come to life on screen. The book is full of interesting pictures, interviews and background information not only from Serkis but also from other members of the crew. The book is relatively short so that it can be read quickly and it is easy to understand. In general I liked the mixture between technical information about the filming process and personal anecdotes, but in many parts of the book the aspect of anecdotes was to dominat for my taste. Some of those anecdotes were just about personal experiences and did not have anything to do with filmmaking at all. These parts could, in my opinion, have been reduced. Over all, I like the book and the behind-the-scenes aspects and enjoyed reading it.
January 26, 2013
Andy Serkis's own story about how he was hired to "voice" Gollum in Peter Jackson's film trilogy of The Lord of The Rings, and how that voicing changed and evolved as both his potential, and that of the CG crew, evolved to full fruition. Cover The Fellowship of the Ring well, and The Two Towers, but there's not much here on The Return of the King, and of course nothing on The Hobbit. But if you're into filmmaking, and the LotR films, you'll find this fascinating.
There's even hope, according to a quick sidebar at the end, that the not-Andy-Serkis Gollum in The Fellowship of The Ring may be replaced with a CG-version in some future DVD or BD release, as I've long been hoping for! (Apparently it's a much more complex task than I imagined.)
There's even hope, according to a quick sidebar at the end, that the not-Andy-Serkis Gollum in The Fellowship of The Ring may be replaced with a CG-version in some future DVD or BD release, as I've long been hoping for! (Apparently it's a much more complex task than I imagined.)
June 26, 2013
I've always loved behind the scenes stuff and this book was able to give me a glimpse behind the curtains of one of the best movies I've ever seen. The good thing is that it's written by one of the actors, not by a writer or by a journalist, but by a person who was actually there. Andy Serkis is an amazing actor and he's an amazing writer. He was able to make me believe I was on the set too. He also helped me understand the process of movie-making and he answered a lot of questions I had about the making of Gollum.
If you like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, this book is exactly for you.
If you like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, this book is exactly for you.
February 26, 2008
This book is great. It's by Andy Serkis who played gollum in the Lord of the Rings as most of you probably know. Its really his Lord of the Rings story and a American actors view of New Zealand I found it really funny being from New Zealand. But its great and worth reading.
October 24, 2009
Of all the "behind the scenes" books (with the exception of the "Art" ones) this is probably the most interesting. It's not just photos and little comments, it's a real description by Andy Serkis of how Gollum was created: the challenges, the technical solutions, the script and Andy Serkis' experience and "voyage" with the character.
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November 13, 2011I finished this just now, and wow, what an interesting book! I thought I'd seen this in shops, but if I have then I've obviously never opened it up (more fool me!), thinking it was something completely different.
Have to say kudos to Andy Serkis for managing to explain what he did so well, and in such an interesting manner as well. If there were more I'd definitely read them!
Have to say kudos to Andy Serkis for managing to explain what he did so well, and in such an interesting manner as well. If there were more I'd definitely read them!
December 21, 2012
Filled with interesting facts and lots of humor, this is the #1 place to go for a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Gollum from The Lord of the Rings films. Actor Andy Serkis gives an engaging and humorous first-hand experience of his performance and the digital animation that brought Gollum to life. A must-read for all LOTR fans!
July 4, 2009
A wonderful insight, written by Andy Serkis, into the world of creating Gollum. I thought it was a brilliant read, and it just added to my enjoyment and appreciation of the masterpieces that were the Lord of the Rings films.
January 16, 2016
A chance to find out how the world of virtual performances was developed. Pioneered by Andy Serkis' amazing commitment to creating a believable character, he rightly won the first award ever given for 'best virtual performance'. Not bad for what was initially described as 3 weeks work.
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