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Peter Jackson's Hobbit behind-the-scenes video shows off extensive 3D production

Peter Jackson's Hobbit behind-the-scenes video shows off extensive 3D production

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Peter Jackson shows off his collection of RED Epic-M cameras that power his production.

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Peter Jackson's 3D rig
Peter Jackson's 3D rig

Director Peter Jackson's been posting video blogs on Facebook throughout the filming process of The Hobbit, and his latest one provides a great in-depth look at the technology behind shooting a 3D movie. He lovingly shows off his collection of RED Epic-M cameras that power his production: 48 in total, able to be plugged into 17 different configurations that allow for shooting handheld, on dollies, or on cranes. The Epic-M also allows Jackson to shoot at 5K resolution, which is nearly five times what you get on a 1080p screen, and he's also shooting at 48FPS, double what standard films are shot at and, according to Jackson, a first for a wide release feature film.

Even Jackson's design team is in on the 3D craze — conceptual artists John Howe and Alan Lee have been creating 3D sketches. One artist draws the left eye's view in red, the other draws the right eye's view in blue; once the images are combined, a pair of old-school red and blue 3D glasses brings the image off the page. If you're not a Peter Jackson (or Tolkien) fan, this video is worth watching for the technical details; if you are a fan, Jackson's entire video series offers a wealth of geeky riches to tide you over until the first part of The Hobbit is released in late 2012.