Lord Of The Rings Film Analysis

Animation for Immersion in Lord of the Rings

This paper will look at animation and set design for immersion in Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King. The main objective in writing this essay is to explore the different aspects that make film such a major form of entertainment. What makes us want to immerse ourselves in a fictional environment? What are the most important aspects in creating a believable world? It is not only up to the film to immerse us itself, the viewer has to be willing to suspend their disbelief. The aim of this study is to examine immersion in dept and to investigate the factors that allow the viewer to be immersed in a film, looking at the effect of animation and set design on the cinematic viewing experience. Specific

1439). Paul Cairns of York University says that people who are more imaginative, sensitive towards emotions and who are prone to fantasizing and daydreaming are more susceptible to becoming immersed while playing a game than those who are not. You could say that this is also true when applied to immersion in film. This statement also gives some insight into how different types of films provoke immersion in different types of individuals. People who are more imaginative may be more likely to be immersed in a fantasy film and people who are more grounded may be more likely to be immersed in films more strongly based on factual

The amazing set design in these films is proven by their endurance, as the sets that remain are still a major tourist attraction years after the release of the movie. Tim Bergfelder said that on a basic level sets ‘aid in identifying characters, fleshing out and concretising their psychology…They help in creating a sense of place….and thus evoke emotions and desires’ (Bergfelder, p. 11). The first time we see Isengard in the film it is as a miniature model from far away with a combination of real mountains and some matte painting in the background. This combination of real and man-made elements help create the illusion of this expansive and immersive world. The film is shot in New Zealand and when it comes to escapism you could not find a more beautiful world to get sucked into. It is also here at Isengard that we meet Treebeard, an ent (talking tree) from Fangorn Forest. The effective application of animation and great voice acting makes this character appear so real that we are able to suspend our disbelief of the talking