Episode 0-1

One thing we need to avoid, in my view, as too hokey for words, is anything that even faintly resembles the Clash of Titans/Wrath of Titans kind of movies... with cameos of famous stars pompously trying to look like Zeus or Hera or Hercules or whomever... and actually looking like a high school pageant! OIKS! That would, to my mind, violate Tolkien's dictum against blatant religiosity, let alone involving, imaginative verisimilitude. I would favour revealing the Ainulindale events very gradually in narratives by characters within the history (much the way the story of Isildur is revealed by Elrond in the PJ films)... Somewhere early in the first season, we would create a circumstance where the Valar are described and some sort of indistinct imagery used for them prior to their incarnate forms. CB Demille's solution to the Mt Sinai events in 10 Commandments was quite good... a swirling tongue/finger of flame carving the tablets and the Voice resembling Heston's... But our task is more elemental and indepictable. We might take a clue from iconography where God is a hand emerging from concentric nimbuses increasingly blueish from a whitish central focus, but of course not static but pulsing outward that kindles other lights. So the opening shot is total dark... then quietly music is heard (I admit I have to be influenced by the opening few minutes of Wagner's Ring Cycle) responding to the light that appears radiating blue... various melodies in harmony building to a flowing crescendo (like a Bruckner symphony with its brass) until He speaks... but such that the voice sounds like resonances in their own beings. Or is all that too vague?
 
My thoughts run move to voices rather than images right now. I was thinking that each voice should be layered with a single orchestral instrument (I will leave to better musical minds to associate characters with instruments), with the exception of Illuvitar, who always speaks with a full symphonic underlay (importantly, including Melkor). In that form, when the Valar create Arda, they sound like Illuvitar (except that their voice is choral rather than singular).

The music here would be critical, though, as each theme applies to an Age. Would the Lord of the Rings themes be appropriate for the final age of creation?

Like others, I would see this first bit be visually abstract, with flickering lights (pulsing like the membranes of a drum or speaker), mingling together towards an image of Illuvitar until spoiled by Melkor but then brought back into harmony by the will of Illuvitar (a pulse of light from him?). The time when it would become more traditional would be the moment of the question, "Would you like to see what you created?" Then, you get the high speed montage of the entire series.
 
  1. How shall we portray Iluvatar?
  2. How shall we portray the Valar?
  3. How shall we deal with songs/magic?

1. Illuvatar need not be portrayed the same way at all times. He is called upon and must be able to answer at certain points (like near the end of the Akallabeth, when Manwe lays down his guardianship of Arda). But all of the options for this have flaws. A live actor could diminish the loftiness, but a voiceover could come off as hokey. The key to success will be in the filming and the score. I wonder if it would be best to have him in the story only reference. Meaning, in the example I gave, that we see Manwe lay down his guardianship, but we do not see Illuvatar, and we do not hear a verbal response. We simply see the effect of his action - kind of like how you can't see the wind, but you know it's there when you see its affect.

2. The Valar within Arda need corporeal form in a way that will be recognizable and comforting to the children of Illuvatar. Tolkien was fairly clear on this. The Valar pre-entry-to-Arda? I LOVE the shapes/colors idea but how will we make it not seem gimmicky on screen? A lot of this depends on how far technology comes along between now and then. Given current technology I would make this as short as possible, and pose it as exposition or a flashback. The entire Ainulindale story could actually be told as a series of flashbacks within Arda. Tolkien even wrote into the story one or two instances of the Valar wracking their memories of the music looking for answers. So maybe this particular story should unfold bit-by-bit over several episodes of the Valar in Valinor doing their thing?

3. Songs ARE magic. Luthien made that clear :) I think many of them should be vocalizes (i.e. no actual text, but great vocal inflection). If there are to be lyrics, they should be Tolkien's own, or we're going to need a much better scriptwriter than certain other Tolkien live-action movies have had. If the text isn't absolutely perfect it would seem to be mocking the idea, which is why I think no-text options would be better for something like Luthien bringing down the walls, or Finrod dueling with Sauron. A well-filmed scene could portray the intent of the song through visuals while the song simply provides the emotive power.
 
Wow, I need to listen to episodes quicker or I am going to fall behind and not be able to read all the great comments that have been made here!

To answer Trish's questions:

1. I kind of lean towards not portraying Illuvatar in a physical form. I think we need to hear his voice which would provide context to what was going on as opposed to a more abstract 2001: A Space Odyssey kind of thing. That being said, I think some of the more powerful moments of the Ainulindalë are when Illuvatar smiles, raises his hand, and stands in opposition to Melkor's discord.

2. On the other hand, I think the Valar most definitely need to be embodied. The elves have direct conversations with the Valar and we are told they take on bodies when they come to Arda. I don't think they need to be made as giants, but they should likely have a regal aura about them.

3. I think the music and song have to be involved somehow. I agree with those who have referred to the Tale of the Three Brothers animation from Harry Potter as a place to look. I thought that was one of the best sequences in all of the Harry Potter movies and probably the best way to portray the tale.
 
A possible frame for the telling of the Ainulindalë that will help introduce our main protagonists (the Elves), our primary setting, and hint at the troubled state of affairs in Arda.

'A cloaked hunter rides hard through a massive forest (possibly redwood) chasing down a shadowy creature or band of creatures whose form/forms we are unable to make out. The forest floor is dappled with a silvery light which is cascading through the dense canopy from the new born constellations piercing the inky blackness of the cloudless sky. A giant hound easily keeps pace with his mounted master as the pair carve through the trees after their quarry, when suddenly the hunter's mount skids to halt before setting up a great neighing. The hunter bends low to stroke his horse's mane before silently lowering his hood and listening in stillness. The silence is broken, far off voices like and unlike his own are singing the hunter abandons his hunt and sets off to find the source of this beautiful yet mysterious song. He discovers the source by Cuiviénen's shore.'

The story of the Ainulindalë and maybe the Valaquenta can be told either here by Cuiviénen as Oromë explains who and what he is to the Elves or possibly by Manwë and Varda (preferably in my book) in Valinor to the three elven Kings Ingwë, Finwë, and Elwë as they are urged to bring their people to live with the Valar in Valinor. I am aware that this means starting the story in chapter 3 and doing the coming of the elves and the battle of the powers before the Ainulindalë and the Valaquenta but from an entertainment/excitement viewpoint it may be better to start with discovery, intrigue and war than ethereal exposition. Seeing these characters in action also gives us the chance to show something of their nature and values before we view them or don't view them as the case may be as spiritual beings and children of a sovereign, omnipotent, omniscient creator Eru. It also helps introduce the enemies as powerful villainous monsters Balrogs (wingless) Souron, and Melkor rather than a group of discordant singers.

(We all know that the Ainulindalë made more sense the second and third time around after reading the Silmarillion as a whole, the book itself then works as a frame for the song of the Valar and helps us to understand why the discord is so tragic and yet how it results in things both great and beautiful that make the discord good to have been and yet still evil.)

I like the idea that has been put forward about the a tale of three brothers style animation remembering the events of creation and if it is told as a flash back after the battle of the powers we will have the added bonus of already caring about these characters which means people are more likely to sit through weird ethereal exposition. (I am laughing at myself for talking about what viewers are likely to put up with when watching fake show.) I tend to agree with those who say don't attempt show Ilúvatar as it is impossible to depict an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent being, as for the Valar I would maybe to show them as colours during the Ainulindalë and then as taller, ageless, luminous, elven/human figures once they enter into Arda and take form.

Loving the silmfilm concept looking forward to the next 20-30 years of podcasts, posts and flights of fancy.

Andrew.
 
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I had a question because a few people have suggested an Optics theme for the depiction of Illuvatar: is this something that can be supported by Tolkien's writing? And by that I mean, maybe he used the metaphor once, but this whole "many colours within white" is a non-medieval concept. To me, it feels jarringly modern.

That's not to say it can't work. I liked how they stuck in a bunch of modern concepts of cosmology into the creation story in the Noah film:

 
Spaceboot1 said:
I wouldn't depict Illuvatar in just one way. I'd have several different media in rapid succession, perhaps starting with an animated cave painting. Then maybe a tapestry. Some middle ages illuminated-manuscript-style animation. Glowing elven runes. Eventually, when the Valar start doing more human-looking stuff, transition to a medium closer to live action. Maybe a few scenes that look like shamanistic interpretive dances, with those big furry pagan costumes. But all with a Bilbo voiceover on top of it.

The purpose of this is to show Middle Earth as a place with an artistic history, and to connect it to our world in a way.
Click to expand...

I like this a lot!

Some sort of transition that moves from a symbolic representation to a concrete representation at the time of the embodiment of the Valar in the world would be cool.
 
Trish Lambert said:
  1. How shall we portray Iluvatar?
  2. How shall we portray the Valar?
  3. How shall we deal with songs/magic?
Click to expand...

I am encouraged that there seem to be multiple valid and interesting answers to these questions.

Personally, I would like to see the Ainulendale done in the style of a stage production.

Obviously, the intent would be to film it, but, the style of a stage production lends itself better to representational depiction, which I think is essential for the Ainulendale.

Check out these pics from the Met's production of Wagner's Ring Cycle.

A stage production could show Iluvatar as a beam of pure light. The lights of the Ainur could break from it. Actors could step out of those lights.

When the heavens are created, stars could appear behind the black stage.

At the conclusion of the Ainulendale, we could transition to a conventional film depiction.

Point being, we do not have to adhere to the (imho, dull) conventions of commercial realist filmmaking.

We can be as daring and experimental in our film as Tolkien was in his writing!
 
>>>...So the King James version translates the opening as follows (Genesis 22: 1): “And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said to him, Abraham! and he said, Behold, here I am.” .... the Hebrew word means only something like “behold me,” Hinne-ni, Behold me here....<<<

Fascinating quote in general. Specifically if we consult the Septuagint text (whose provenance I need not justify) it reads (I can't upload the Greek in its own alphabet): Eipen, idou ego. Or in English simply reads: He said, Behold I. !!!
 
I'm rethinking the idea of having songs with no text.
What they actually need is just for the text to be in one of Tolkien's own languages.

I'm thinking of that awful dialogue at the scene in the last Hobbit film, where the white council took down the Nazgul. The script was at about an 8th-grade level. If they had simply filmed it in an elvish dialect and given us English subtitles, it would have had 10 times more power.
 
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 I have ideas about portraying Iluvatar and the Valar. Magic I have less insight on.

I) Portraying Iluvatar-I think that we should portray Iluvatar to be an entity that is "above form", in the sense that there are displays when He talks and otherwise gets the Valar's attention, for convenience of their following, but not all anthropomorphic. (Like He was arranging a display into the area shown from some higher dimension). He does, however, have a main body for references purposes in which he depicts Himself for emphasis when He wants in conversation, especially in dramatic moments, and of which we only catch glimpses.
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II) Portraying the Valar-Like Iluvatar, with shifting form, but less so and limited to anthropomorphic form. They will have a physical appearance, probably shall we say variable between (and between appearances of a single Valar) tall person and a few times the size of a person, with a distinctive appearance and characteristic accoutriments. But they can have the ability to shift from place to place and stance to stance, and raiment to raiment, in shots that are filmed with multiple different takes on the actor. Like the Emperor in Riddik, but, in the case of the good spirits, more beautified and less shadowy: "supersolid".

I guess this may not be the place, but I have a few odd ideas for casting (and with due respect to the fact that we don't have to be realistic):
Melkor: Danny McBride-has appeared in appropriate garb on HBO before, on Southbound and Down. Tree killing and jewelnapping are right up the street for a Danny McBride character.
Varda: Dame Julie Andrews-she has played queens with starlight majesty, this time queen of Arda.
Nienna: Jane Fonda-she is matronly-looking nowadays, and knows themes about sympathy.
Sauron: Nicolas Cage-he'd been offered the part of Aragorn in the Peter Jackson trilogy. I think that this would work surprisingly well, since we have been bombarded with the image of Sauron in a helmet/mask for so long. I think that Mr. Cage's strong character distinctiveness would serve to make Sauron more lifelike.
 
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1 - I don't think Iluvatar should appear on screen. I'm in favor of him just being referred to by other characters or at most a disembodied voice. Iluvatar does not take physical form in Arda like the Valar do, so we should not depict him with a physical form.

2 - The Valar should be played by actors with recognizable faces. But this doesn't mean we can't get creative with their costumes or the rest of their physical forms. I think they should take on forms that reflect their specialties: Varda looking like she's made out of light or the stars, Yavanna taking on tree-ish features, or Ulmo looking like he's made out of water. Hopefully these effects can be done mostly through costuming and makeup since CG people/motion capture still lies squarely in the uncanny valley. As far as the size goes, I've always pictured the Valar as bigger than elves and men, so I would be inclined to depict them as bigger. But they don't have to always be larger than the Children of Iluvatar; they could change their size as the situation warrants. For instance, when Ulmo first appears to Tuor, he can be large and magnificent. But as their meeting progresses, he can decrease in size so that he and Tuor are looking at each other eye-to-eye.

3 - I would tend to go for a more subtle approach to depicting the magic while still making it apparent that some kind of magic is happening. I like the idea that others have posted that all the magical singing should be done in Quenya or Sindarin.
 
  1. How shall we portray Iluvatar? - My opinion is that Iluvatar should be portrayed as little as possible. Any visual imagery will be embarrassing as will words spoken out of thin air. A musical theme of some sort would be the best thing. Ainulindalë could be told in bits and pieces, by Valar. Perhaps we can get a glimpse of lights and colors in their eyes as a represantation of their memory of it. And they can convey the interaction between Ilúvatar and Melkor. And we could hear the sound of the music of the Ainur simultaneously. Of course, the episode with Aulë and the creation of dwarves will be a problem. Hard to get around. But I think there is a huge difference between us (viewers) hearing God's voice in "our world", where voices are part of what's natural, and hearing voices - and language - in a time before creation. If we get that, we might as well show Ilúvatar as an old man with a beard. Ilúvatar intervening at Akabelleth could easily just be shown by the effects (storms, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc).
 
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I'll put my answers in a different order:

1. How shall we portray the Valar?

The frame of the movie should be from within the world of the movie. Apart from intrusions by the frame narrative, the view should be that of a camera within the world. The Valar should appear to the viewer as they appear to the elves: as larger-than-life humanoids, or as strange visions in dreams.

2. How shall we portray Iluvatar?

As a corollary to point 1, Iluvatar never appears to the elves, and should therefore never appear on screen outside some extra framing device. I suggest that the Ainulindalë be shelved until later into the narrative, only appearing as a flashback as part of a story told by a character in the Quenta Silmarillion to other characters. Perhaps the story of the Ainulindalë could be told to the elves by Oromë, or told to the men by Finrod. This could be accompanied by visual effects, but it could remain grounded in the earthly frame.

3. How shall we deal with songs/magic?

Good question. The Finrod/Sauron battle and the Luthien/Sauron battle should be epic.
 
I understand the hosts are against voiceover, but I think for the Ainulindule, this is not necessarily correct. I think a really elegant way to do the Ainulindiule would be to have a narrator telling the tale to someone, and giving a visual overview of the events, i.e. light, music, the birth of stars and formation of galaxies, culminating in the formation of the earth, visual introductions to the Valar involved in the stories, etc. Having an elf on screen beginning to tell the story to our current frame narrator (Sam? Bilbo?) "There was Eru, the One…" and fading into a visual overview with narrative voiceover would be the most effective way to do it. It would preserve the sense of high mythic wonder and also give us opportunity for a really dramatic and beautiful piece of film. This kind of thing works well when introducing an audience to a mythology or history too large to be portrayed in every detail on screen.
 
I don't think this is an END suggestion, but rather a jumping off point. If magic is tied to music, how about taking this scene from Sleeping Beauty as a starting point? Something where the characters start with music, and the scenes are grounded in what's going on at the moment, and there's a shift, while the song continues, to portray the invoked images and feelings.
 
  1. How shall we portray Iluvatar?
I think Iluvatar should be non-corporeal and I also think we should never hear him speak directly His voice should always be music and his message is conveyed to the audience through the voices of the various Valar. This way we see Iluvatar and hear what he says through the various Valar and use what they say to convey not only Iluvatar's message but their reactions as well.
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I haven't read all the responses here yet but the ones I read were amazing.

I also imagine a part of the Music of Ainur to be like this at 1:16-1:46 and the Valar or Eru talking like the voice at 11:18 and after.
 
I hope this discussion is still open. I'm thinking about 2. The Valar.
How to portray them? We need different solutions. In Ainulindalë, maybe just colours and sounds. But as soon as Arda is made and they enter the world, we need corporeal beings. What does that mean? I think it means something antropomorphic. Tolkien describes mansions they live in, Oromë blows his horn, Melkor is chained etc. Aulë creates the Dwarves based on how he pictures the Firstborn, so possibly the Valar have been given some idea or some rules of how to look in Arda. So we can discern the actors playing them at this stage already. Still, they should be rather changeable and presented with a fair amount of CGI. Then the elves appear and the Valar adjust to be more acceptable and less scary.
 
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