10 Bizarre Ways Directors Tricked Audiences
1. The Return Of The Bearded Ladies
Some of the most memorable moments in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy were the huge battle sequences during the War of the Ring. CGI had reached a point where thousands of individuals could be depicted on screen, in wide sweeping shots that showed the sheer scale of the events.
No other moment was as awe-inspiring as the Charge of the Rohirrim during the Siege of Minas Tirith. Although many of the sequences required the use of CGI, Jackson still wanted to capture as many live-action shots as possible.
In an instance of life imitating art, a call was put out across New Zealand, summoning every able-bodied horse rider to muster outside the town of Twizel and take part in the scene. Initially, around 250 riders showed up, but over time many had to depart due to other commitments. The production was left with around 150 riders who appeared in the final film.
However, many of the riders were actually women. Everyday before shooting they would be fitted with costumes, which included false beards to disguise them as warriors of Rohan.