The hobbits in "The Lord of the Rings" movies were made to look small using a combination of practical filmmaking techniques, primarily:
- Forced Perspective: This classic camera trick involves positioning the actors at different distances from the camera to create an optical illusion of size difference. For example, the hobbit actor might stand farther from the camera while a taller actor stands closer, making the hobbit appear smaller in the same shot. This technique was enhanced with moving sets that shifted to maintain the illusion during camera movement.
- Stand-In Actors and Scale Doubles: For wide shots or scenes requiring hobbits moving around, smaller actors or doubles wearing masks of the main actors' faces were used to maintain proper size scale without showing the main actors.
- Costume Design: Baggy clothes designed to hide the actors' real body shape and length helped create the silhouette of shorter hobbits.
- Blue Screen/Green Screen Effects: In some scenes, hobbits were filmed separately in front of blue screens, then composited into the background footage to appear smaller.
- Larger Props and Sets: Oversized objects and set pieces were built to make hobbits look smaller in relation to their surroundings.
These practical effects combined with minimal CGI created a seamless and convincing portrayal of hobbits as small beings in the films.
