"First, brighten up the initial background when arriving at Minas Tirith. Also, add various siege creatures and objects."
Inside the spacious tent, Duke stood behind Mary Victoria, the head of Weta Workshop's animation team, while observing the initially designed models and explaining his requirements. "The sky should be covered with dark clouds, with the Ringwraiths moving through the mist, squeezing through narrow gaps like bats."
After watching for a while, Duke added, "Have the Ringwraiths flying and weaving between buildings, colliding with pedestrians, casting terror over all of Minas Tirith. Insert scenes of humans scattering in fear on the ground..."
Many scenes from the Battle of Minas Tirith needed to be created using CGI. Duke used the models as a basis to shoot raw material, which was then sent to Mary Victoria's team to integrate into the models.
Although Weta Workshop's primary focus was the special effects for The Fellowship of the Ring, as required by Duke, the studio had expanded its capacity after receiving the first two payments from the Middle-earth studio, allowing them to better accommodate the production schedule.
In reality, most of the additional $350 million budget, apart from Duke's higher directorial salary compared to Peter Jackson, was poured into special effects.
If The Fellowship of the Ring performed well after its release, additional investments during post-production would be inevitable.
After discussing with Mary Victoria, Duke left the temporary effects studio and returned to the set to continue filming panoramic material for Minas Tirith.
In front of the crew stood a nearly 40-foot-high polystyrene model of the White City and the mountain behind it, created by Weta Workshop. Unlike the rugged, ancient Helm's Deep, the human capital was crafted with more intricate details—the cannon slots on the walls, the ridges on the roofs, the patterns on the windowsills, the weathered grooves on the street stones, and the chipped corners of rooftops were all exquisitely realistic.
To shoot panoramic shots suitable for CGI integration, the settings had to align with the scene's requirements. Duke, along with John Schwartzman and Mary Victoria, had already laid out detailed plans and shooting methods. When Duke, as the director, called "Action," a miniature camera was fixed onto a hydraulic lift, ascending slowly. It first circled above the White City model, then moved along its perimeter.
This kind of shooting demanded high technical precision. To avoid creating disproportionate effects with the miniature, the camera's focus was maximized. The shooting speed was slowed down to 15 seconds per frame instead of the usual 24 frames per second. This made the white city appear taller than the Eiffel Tower in the final footage.
The scenes where the Ringwraiths on Fellbeasts roamed between buildings were achieved by having the miniature camera weave through the less-than-one-inch-wide spaces between buildings in the White City model.
After several hours of filming, Duke headed back to the temporary effects studio. Ian McKellen, who had no scenes to shoot that day, was strolling around the set. Seeing Duke, he walked over.
"Weren't you fishing with Billy?" Duke asked as Ian joined him.
Ian McKellen sighed helplessly, "He's too energetic. He kept talking loudly by the lake, scaring the fish away."
Duke knew he was joking. Ian McKellen and fellow Brit Billy Boyd had a close friendship. Outside of their Gandalf-and-Pippin scenes, they often fooled around together.
"How was the lake?" Duke slowed his pace and stopped near the door of the effects studio, waiting for Ivanka Trump to enter ahead of them.
"Very beautiful..." Ian McKellen lowered his rich, resonant voice. "If you're interested, you should spend a weekend there."
Duke nodded and stepped into the effects studio first, followed by Ian McKellen.
Mary Victoria's entire effects team was busy. Duke exchanged a few words with Mary before returning to the entrance area, where Ian McKellen stood with his arms crossed, staring at a Ringwraith near the door. The wraith held a sword in one hand and a flail in the other.
"That's not real, right?" The model was so lifelike that Ian McKellen had to ask.
Duke shrugged and joked, "I think it's real, Ian. We were lucky to find an actual Ringwraith."
"Impossible." Ian McKellen shook his head immediately.
"Why not?" Duke crossed his arms too. "Honestly, New Zealand is the only country in the world with real Ringwraiths."
"Duke," Ian McKellen saw through the joke, "just tell me—was this made of polystyrene or silicone?"
"So, you've figured out it's a model." Duke laughed and walked over to the Witch-King of Angmar, patting it lightly. "I'd love to take a Ringwraith home."
"Does it move?"
"No, it doesn't. It's out of batteries." Duke turned and pointed to a nearby two-foot-tall model of the White City. "This city doesn't have AA batteries. I've searched every convenience store owner in the city, but they're all out of stock."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ivanka Trump's clear voice rang from a hidden corner of the effects studio. "Cut!"
She walked out holding a DV camcorder, gave Duke a thumbs-up, and smiled playfully. "Your acting has improved!"
In fact, what seemed like a casual scene was staged for a promotional featurette designed to look like a candid recording.
Scenes shot openly with professional cameras couldn't compete in audience appeal with footage that appeared to have been secretly recorded with a DV.
That's why this sequence was planned in a morning meeting. Ivanka Trump, though a complete novice, turned out to be the ideal person for the job.
Most films are like this. Many seemingly accidental moments are pre-planned to some extent.
It's just like media street photography. How many stunning photos that make it to print are truly candid?
Duke took the DV, walked to a table, and reviewed the footage. He nodded to Ivanka, saying, "Very well done. It really looks like a candid shot. Ivie, you should take some selfies in your daily life..."
"Selfies?"
Ivanka Trump pulled out a chair and sat across from Duke. "What for?"
"Uh..." Duke couldn't possibly mention anything controversial, so he made up an excuse. "To share with others online."
"Share online?"
Duke's offhand comment was merely to brush her off, but Ivanka, always quick-minded and familiar with the internet, suddenly had a spark of inspiration, though it was still a vague idea.
As work hours ended, Duke bid farewell to Mary Victoria and Ian McKellen before heading to his trailer. As usual, Ivanka Trump followed him.
The crew was stationed in a wilderness area at the base of a mountain, and the road was uneven. Walking slightly behind Duke, Ivanka seemed lost in thought, accidentally stumbling over a protruding rock and tilting to one side.
Duke quickly reached out to steady her. "What are you thinking about?"
"Oh, nothing." Using Duke's hand for support, Ivanka regained her balance and smiled sheepishly. "I was just a little distracted."
"Are your feet okay?" Duke glanced down at her legs but had his view blocked, so he looked away.
Ivanka instinctively straightened her posture, tossing her golden ponytail back over her shoulder. "I'm fine. Let's go."
Giving her a curious look, Duke walked ahead. Ivanka seemed unharmed, walking without any issues.
"Are you homesick?"
Duke recalled Ivanka saying during their last holiday break that she hadn't gone home but instead visited her school.
"What's the point of going home?" Ivanka replied with a touch of frustration. "To see my dad's new model girlfriend?"
Hearing her mention Donald Trump, Duke curiously asked, "Isn't he dating one of the Victoria's Secret Angels?"
"They've broken up," Ivanka said, kicking a small stone with her sneaker. "And now he's seeing another model. When I called him a few days ago, he even said he's thinking about marrying her."
Although their relationship was primarily professional, after spending several months together, they were quite familiar with each other. At this moment, Ivanka seemed more like she was confiding in a friend about her troubles.
"Can you imagine?" She turned to Duke, spreading her hands. "I might be getting a stepmother!"
"It probably won't happen the way you think." Duke tried to comfort her.
For wealthy men like Donald Trump, pursuing beautiful models was common, but getting married was another matter entirely.
Ivanka looked down, kicking another small rock. "I just hope that if he does marry, his new wife will be at least a few years older than me."
Duke gave her a reassuring pat on the arm. This was Ivanka's family matter. While he could listen to her vent, it was best not to give any advice.
When they reached the living area, Duke stopped at his trailer. Ivanka paused as well and said, "Thanks for listening to me ramble."
"Feeling better?" Duke asked as he opened the door. Ivanka nodded. "I've been holding that in for days. It feels much better to let it out."
She sighed. "When Tina was around, I could talk to her..."
"If you run into any trouble, you can talk to me," Duke pointed to his ears. "I'm a good listener."
"I'll head back now." Ivanka started walking toward her trailer, then turned around to say, "I'm skipping dinner. Don't wait for me—I have some things to think about."
Duke nodded and watched her leave. Noticing that she still seemed a bit down, he suggested, "Tomorrow's the weekend. Let's go fishing with Ian and the others. It'll be a nice break—they say the scenery there is lovely."
"Okay," Ivanka said without turning back.