The Watcher of the Water

[Hobbit]

While watching FotR for the first time, I was amazed by this huge creature and it is diffinatly one of the many masterpieces of CG in the movies.
For the few seconds this battle lasts, allot of details have been added to the beast to make it as real as possible (each tentacle ended in two fingers and a thumb, even the ones that only waved in the background a bit)
But the funniest and most interesting thing about this part is how they managed to make the watcher grab and take Frodo: The crew tied Elijah's foot on a rope and they kept swinging and whipping him around, upside down, untill the shot was finally approved by PJ and then they digitally altered the rope into a tentackle...

Poor guy...

[Beleriel]

and do you reckon it was actually Elijah who did that and not a stunt double??

Ive often wondered.......

[Saruman]

I was amazed by that scene too. I like the way they made the Watcher look.

[YayBoromir!]

I thought the Watcher looked great, and there were hidden things to see too for observant audiences, such as the tentacles searching for the Ring. Also, when it opened its mouth and you could see its jaws... wow! I also liked the way live-action was mixed in with CG animation (but it would have been funny to see them slicing at nothing! lol)

[Hobbit]

I didn't noticed the tantcles were searching for the Ring YayB. I'll have to check that next time I watch FotR... the last few times I was searching for small details: like the octopus-like suckers on the inside of his tentacles.

And it must have felt strange for the actors: running through the water, hewing through thin air pretending to fight a huge octopuslike creature that will have to be added later on, while above you another actor is being swung around with a rope lol

Originally posted by Beleriel
and do you reckon it was actually Elijah who did that and not a stunt double??

Ive often wondered.......

In an interview Sean Austin confirmed that it was truly Elijah: in a few moments during this scene you can see a close-up from Frodo and then they needed Elijah (like when he was dragged to the water and was lifted in the air)
And besides nothing could go wrong so there was no need for a stuntman... (although it might be a stuntman when Frodo falls and Boromir catches him)

[YayBoromir!]

I think during one of the commentaries they talk about the tentacles of the Watcher feeling and searching out for the Ring...unless my mind has escaped me lol
It's a nice touch - it's the little things as well as the big things which make these films great.

[Frodo's Love]

Yes... great idea to start this thread, Hobster! :thumbs:
You make me want to watch that scene again immediately to look at all the tiny details again. I didn't realize either that the Watcher wanted to grab the Ring itself. The only thing I noticed that the Watcher picked Frodo immediately out of the group and so must have known about the "Ringbearer". ;)

[Beleriel]

oh...... and not only that though..... when Sam cut the tentacle off and the rest all came snaking out, I thought it was excellent the way they pushed back the rest of the Hobbits so that they couldnt help Frodo and he was snatched up!

[Hobbit]

Yes, there must be great chemestry between the actors and the CG crew to pull of thighs like that... :thumbs:
It must be really hard for the actors and stuntcrew to pretend to fight somethng they can't see, but after the CG is added it looks very real and breathtaking...

I loved it when they showed the jaws of the Watcher too, YayB.. and his eyes were great aswell... they looked really old and evil
:thumbs:

[Periantari Andruil]

omg great thread Hobbit :thumbs:
i love that scene... and always wondered about how they pulled it off... it was really well done....
i think this scene from the movie had many details that the book didn't embellish upon i think..... i liked the action portrayed in this scene more... so I generally like this movie version of the Watcher more than the book version =)

[Ludibunda]

This creature seemed a little complex for the story - it reminded me of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The teeth really were overboard, although the tentacles were fabulous and I did notice their directioon in holding back th others and searching for the ring. Poor Elijah always says he loves his job, so I'm sure he actually enjoyed dangling upside-down. It'll make a greattale for his kids and grandkids one day!!!!

[Winyaél Greenleaf]

Well, Ian McKellan was being strung up and flung around too lol

But I love the way the Watcher scene was done. Did you guys see the storyboards and drafts for the watcher in the extended dvd? Lots of detail was being put in, though the whole scene was pretty dark and it only lasted a few minutes! I think the jaws are very impressive too lol

[Hobbit]

LotR is one of the few filmprojects where every few seconds of film are done in full detail...
It's so cool the way they portraiyed the watcher.... his mouth looked kinda jellyfishlike if you know what I mean lol
and the jaws were almost sharklike... pretty neat :thumbs:

[Frodo's Love]

The funny thing is even if you know that the Watcher cannot be real you still believe it because he looks so "perfect". :)

[Melian]

I liked when the actors were describing the making of the Watcher in the Water scene on the appendicies in the extended edition of the Fellowship. They said that it was filmed in a parking lot and they had a crane to lift Elijah up in the air and fling him around. I would have liked to see that.roflmao

[TheRingBearer]

I love the roar it lets out when legolas shoots it. It's how i imagined it would sound like :)