Film School: Forced Perspective

The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The classic in-camera effect to trick the audience’s eye.

Director Michel Gondry demonstrates a forced perspective set from his film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004):

For scenes with humans and hobbits, director Peter Jackson employed more advanced, moving camera techniques in his The Lord of the Rings movies (via TXFilmProfessor):

Filmmaker IQ offers a deeper dive into the math which makes forced perspective work:

Try It Yourself

DIY film-maker Steve Ramsden shows how to convincingly make a model car look life-sized in your shot

… and offers more extensive tips on working with miniatures:

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