Senin, 02 Juli 2012

Ubiquitous Computing



Ubiquitous Computing bisa kita artikan Ubiquitous dimana-mana sedangkan Computing komputer jadi Ubiquitous Computing adalah suatu sistem yang memungkinkan manusia berinteraksi dengan komputer secara kontinyu, dimana saja, kapan saja dan bagaimana saja.

Kita tengok sejarah perkembangan komputer dimasa lalu dimulai dari computer main frame, yaitu sebuah computer server besar yang melayani banyak pengguna (user), sehingga dulu dikenal dengan satu komputer dengan banyak pengguna. Kemudian era komputer bergeser kearah personal komputer, yaitu setiap orang mempunyai satu komputer, lalu muncul era internet, dimana seseorang dapat mengakses komputer lain tanpa dibatasi olek jarak dan ruang waktu. Maka generasi masa depan yang sudah di depan mata adalah ubiquitous computing.

Pelopor ubiquitous computing adalah Mark Weiser, seorang Chief Teknologi di Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center) pada th 1988. Menurut Weiser, ubiquitous computing memungkinkan pemakaian beratus-ratus device (alat) komputasi wireless per orang perkantor dalam semua skala. Kemudian komputer menjadi semakin embedded (tertanam dalam suatu alat), semakin pas dan enak, serta semakin natural. Sehingga kita menggunakannya tanpa memikirkannya dan tanpa menyadarinya.


Ubiquitous Computing memiliki tujuan utama yaitu “activate the world”, mengaktifkan segala yang ada di sekitar kita. Hal itu membutuhkan inovasi-inovasi baru dalam banyak bidang. Jika diteruskan, mungkin hampir semua equipment yang ada di dunia ini, maka orang dapat mengotomatisasi semuanya. Sehingga jadilah ubiquitous computing system besar.


Suatu saat nanti manusia mempunyai nomor identitas yang beragam, mungkin di masa depan kita akan mempunyai satu nomor identitas, dan melalui nomor identitas tersebut kita akan terhubungan dengan jaringan besar ubiquitous computing untuk berinteraksi dan berkomunikasi dengan perangkat komputasi yang ada di sekitar kita. Sehingga seluruh kebutuhan kita akan terpenuhi dan layanan komputasi yang ada dimana-mana. Kita akan selalu terhubungan dengan dunia komputasi. Jadi bersiap-siaplah menyambut era “ubiquitous computing system”.


Sumber :
http://cert.or.id/~budi/presentations/ubiqcomp.pdf
http://sriti.akakom.ac.id/
http://blog.ephi.web.id/?p=1023

Jumat, 29 Juni 2012

prototyping



Prototyping merupakan salah satu metode pengembangan perangat lunak yang banyak digunakan. Dengan metode prototyping ini pengembang dan pelanggan dapat saling berinteraksi selama proses pembuatan sistem.Prototyping dapat diartikan sebagai proses yang digunakan untuk membantu pengembang perangkat lunak dalam membentuk model dari perangkat lunak yang harus dibuat.

Model tersebut dapat berupa tiga bentuk:

Bentuk prototype di atas kertas/model berbasis komputer yang menggambarkan interaksi manusia yang mungkin terjadi.
Working prototype, yang mengimplementasikan sebagian dari fungsi yang ditawarkan perangkat lunak.
Program jadi yang melakukan sebagian atau seluruh fungsi yang akan dilakukan, tapi masih ada fitur yang masih dikembangkan.
Sering terjadi seorang pelanggan hanya mendefinisikan secara umum apa yang dikehendakinya tanpa menyebutkan secara detal output apa saja yang dibutuhkan, pemrosesan dan data-data apa saja yang dibutuhkan. Sebaliknya disisi pengembang kurang memperhatikan efesiensi algoritma, kemampuan sistem operasi dan interface yang

menghubungkan manusia dan komputer. Untuk mengatasi ketidakserasian antara pelanggan dan pengembang , maka harus dibutuhakan kerjasama yanga baik diantara keduanya sehingga pengembang akan mengetahui dengan benar apa yang diinginkan pelanggan dengan tidak mengesampingkan segi-segi teknis dan pelanggan akan mengetahui proses-proses dalm menyelasaikan sistem yang diinginkan. Dengan demikian akan menghasilkan sistem sesuai dengan jadwal waktu penyelesaian yang telah ditentukan.

Kunci agar model prototype ini berhasil dengan baik adalah dengan mendefinisikan aturan-aturan main pada saat awal, yaitu pelanggan dan pengembang harus setuju bahwa prototype dibangun untuk mendefinisikan kebutuhan. Prototype akan dihilangkan sebagian atau seluruhnya dan perangkat lunak aktual aktual direkayasa dengan kualitas dan implementasi yang sudah ditentukan.

Prototyping merupakan Javascript Framework yang dibuat untuk lebih memudahkan proses dalam membangun aplikasi berbasis web. Metode protyping sebagai suatu paradigma baru dalam pengembangan sistem informasi, tidak hanya sekedar suatu evolusi dari metode pengembangan sistem informasi yang sudah ada, tetapi sekaligus merupakan revolusi dalam pengembangan sistem informasi manajemen.

Karakteristik metode prototyping meliputi langkah-langkah :

1. Pemilahan fungsi
2. Penyusunan Sistem Informasi
3. Evaluasi
4. Penggunaan Selanjutnya

Ada 2 Jenis Prototype :

Jenis I : Suatu Sistem yang akan menjadi sistem operasional

Jenis II : Suatu model yang dapat dibuang yang berfungsi sebagai cetak biru bagi sistem operasional.

Jenis-jenis prototyping meliputi:

1. Feasibility prototyping
2. Requirement prototyping
3. Desain Prototyping
4. Implementation prototyping

Teknik-teknik prototyping meliputi:

1. Perancangan Model
2. Perancangan Dialog
3. Simulasi

Tahapan-tahapan Prototyping

Tahapan-tahapan dalam Prototyping adalah sebagai berikut:

1. Pengumpulan kebutuhan

Pelanggan dan pengembang bersama-sama mendefinisikan format seluruh perangkat lunak, mengidentifikasikan semua

kebutuhan, dan garis besar sistem yang akan dibuat.

2. Membangun prototyping

Membangun prototyping dengan membuat perancangan sementara yang berfokus pada penyajian kepada pelanggan

(misalnya dengan membuat input dan format output).

3. Evaluasi protoptyping

Evaluasi ini dilakukan oleh pelanggan apakah prototyping yang sudah dibangun sudah sesuai dengan keinginan

pelanggan. Jika sudah sesuai maka langkah 4 akan diambil. Jika tidak prototyping direvisi dengan mengulangi langkah

1, 2 , dan 3.

4. Mengkodekan sistem

Dalam tahap ini prototyping yang sudah di sepakati diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa pemrograman yang sesuai.

5. Menguji sistem

Setelah sistem sudah menjadi suatu perangkat lunak yang siap pakai, harus dites dahulu sebelum digunakan. Pengujian

ini dilakukan dengan White Box, Black Box, Basis Path, pengujian arsitektur dan lain-lain.

6. Evaluasi Sistem.

Pelanggan mengevaluasi apakah sistem yang sudah jadi sudah sesuai dengan yang diharapkan . Juka ya, langkah 7

dilakukan; jika tidak, ulangi langkah 4 dan 5.

7. Menggunakan sistem

Perangkat lunak yang telah diuji dan diterima pelanggan siap untuk digunakan .

Keunggulan dan Kelemahan Prototyping

Keunggulan prototyping adalah:

1. Adanya komunikasi yang baik antara pengembang dan pelanggan

2. Pengembang dapat bekerja lebih baik dalam menentukan kebutuhan pelanggan

3. Pelanggan berperan aktif dalam pengembangan sistem

4. Lebih menghemat waktu dalam pengembangan sistem

5. Penerapan menjadi lebih mudah karena pemakai mengetahui apa yang diharapkannya.

Kelemahan prototyping adalah :

1. Pelanggan kadang tidak melihat atau menyadari bahwa perangkat lunak yang ada belum mencantumkan kualitas

perangkat lunak secara keseluruhan dan juga belum memikirkan kemampuan pemeliharaan untuk jangja waktu lama.

2. penegmbang biasanya ingin cepat menyelesaikan proyek. Sehingga menggunakan algoritma dan bahasa

pemrograman yang sederhana untuk membuat prototyping lebih cepat selesai tanpa memikirkan lebih lanjut bahwa

program tersebut hanya merupakan cetak biru sistem .

3. Hubungan pelanggan dengan komputer yang disediakan mungkin tidak mencerminkan teknik perancangan yang baik

Prototyping bekerja dengan baik pada penerapan-penerapan yang berciri sebagai berikut:

Resiko tinggi Yaitu untuk maslaha-masalah yang tidak terstruktur dengan baik, ada perubahan yang besar dari waktu ke waktu, dan adanya persyaratan data yang tidak menentu.
Interaksi pemakai penting. Sistem harus menyediakan dialog on-line antara pelanggan dan komputer.
Perlunya penyelesaian yang cepat.
Perilaku pemakai yang sulit ditebak.
Sitem yang inovatif. Sistem tersebut membutuhkan cara penyelesaian masalah dan penggunaan perangkat keras yang mutakhir.
Perkiraan tahap penggunaan sistem yang pendek.

Sumber dari:
http://elista.akprind.ac.id/upload/files/3098_MATERI_1.PDF

http://yuliagroups.wordpress.com/pengertian-prototype/

http://snipsqy.blogspot.com/2007/11/prototyping.html

Sabtu, 07 April 2012

Comparison of adjectives



clean - cleaner - (the) cleanest

We use -er/-est with the following adjectives:

1) adjectives with one syllable

  • clean
  • cleaner
  • cleanest
  • new
  • newer
  • newest
  • cheap
  • cheaper
  • cheapest

2) adjectives with two syllables and the following endings:

2 - 1) adjectives with two syllables, ending in -y

  • dirty
  • dirtier
  • dirtiest
  • easy
  • easier
  • easiest
  • happy
  • happier
  • happiest
  • pretty
  • prettier
  • prettiest

2 - 2) adjectives with two syllables, ending in -er

  • clever
  • cleverer
  • cleverest

2 - 3) adjectives with two syllables, ending in -le

  • simple
  • simpler
  • simplest

2 - 4) adjectives with two syllables, ending in -ow

  • narrow
  • narrower
  • narrowest


Spelling of the adjectives using the endings -er/-est

  • large
  • larger
  • largest
  • leave out the silent -e
  • big
  • bigger
  • biggest
  • Double the consonant after short vowel
  • sad
  • sadder
  • saddest
  • dirty
  • dirtier
  • dirtiest
  • Change -y to -i (consonant before -y)
  • shy
  • shyer
  • shyest
  • Here -y is not changed to -i.(although consonant before -y)


difficult - more difficult - (the) most difficult

all adjectives with more than one syllable (except some adjectives with two syllables - see
2 - 1 to 2 - 4)


    • good
    • better
    • best

    • bad
    • worse
    • worst

    • much
    • more
    • most
    • uncountable nouns
    • many
    • more
    • most
    • countable nouns
    • little
    • less
    • least

    • little
    • smaller
    • smallest



Some ajdectives have two possible forms of comparison.

  • common
  • commoner / more common
  • commonest / most common
  • likely
  • likelier / more likely
  • likeliest / most likely
  • pleasant
  • pleasanter / more pleasant
  • pleasantest / most pleasant
  • polite
  • politer / more polite
  • politest / most polite
  • simple
  • simpler / more simple
  • simplest / most simple
  • stupid
  • stupider / more stupid
  • stupidest / most stupid
  • subtle
  • subtler / more subtle
  • subtlest
  • sure
  • surer / more sure
  • surest / most sure


DIFFERENCE IN MEANING WITH ADJECTIVES:

  • far
  • farther
  • farthest
  • distance
  • further
  • furthest
  • distance or
  • time
  • late
  • later
  • latest

  • latter
  • x

  • x
  • last

  • old
  • older
  • oldest
  • people and things
  • elder
  • eldest
  • people (family)
  • near
  • nearer
  • nearest
  • distance
  • x
  • next
  • order

Jumat, 27 Januari 2012

Complaint Letter & Grammer



> Andi kurniawan
Depok, West Java
3 January, 2012

Mr. Faridh Thalib, President
Faridh Coorporation
Kuningan, Jakarta

Dear Mr. Faridh:

On October 15, 2011, in response to a special television offer, I ordered a Tressel Toaster from your company. The product arrived in the mail, apparently undamaged, on October 22. However, when I tried to operate the Tressel Toaster that same evening, I was distressed to find that it did not fulfill your claim to provide "fast, safe, professional hair-styling." Instead, it severely damaged my hair.

After following the instructions to "set up the toaster away from other appliances on a dry counter" in my bathroom, I inserted the steel comb and waited 60 seconds. Then I removed the comb from the toaster and, following the instructions for a "Venusian Curl," ran the hot comb through my hair. After just a few seconds, however, I smelled burning hair, and so I immediately placed the comb back into the toaster. When I did this, sparks flew from the outlet. I reached to unplug the toaster, but I was too late: a fuse had already blown out. A few minutes later, after replacing the fuse, I looked in the mirror and saw that my hair had been scorched in several spots.

I am returning the Tressel Toaster (along with the unopened bottle of Un-Do Shampoo), and I expect a full refund of $39.95, plus $5.90 for shipping costs. In addition, I am enclosing a receipt for the wig I purchased and will have to wear until the damaged hair grows out. Please send me a check for $303.67 to cover the refund for the Tressel Toaster and the cost of the wig.

Your Strengths & Weakness



> Before going for a job interview, it is Important to prepare for it. I know it sounds obvious but you have no idea how many jobs Applicants do not do any homework in regards to the company They are applying for. Here are 7 job interview tips That you Should take into consideration Pls you are applying for your next job.

a question asked during job interviews USUALLY:



1. Tell us about yourself

This question asked most frequently during the interview and most often answered incorrectly.

Examples of repartee:

I am an optimistic person, hard worker, creative, and have a high initiative. I am able to work independently or in cooperation within the team. Sometimes I would like to forget little things, but to cover up my weaknesses, I always set up a small notepad to record everything in order not to forget. (This weakness who packed well).



2. Why did you quit your day job before?

Answered positively. Do not be ugly ² in loe company before, let alone talking about evil boss / supervisor / friend's office.

Answer with a smile and say positive things like "looking for a better opportunity to grow", "seek new challenges", and the like.



3. What is your experience in this field?

If you are fresh graduate and have no experience at all, wrote an honest answer.But loe adlh add the statement that people who enjoy learning new hal-hal/tantangan and a fast learner. wrote senyambung possible answer.

Example: You ngelamar in the area of ​​Marketing while you experience in Public Relations. Answer wrote excellent if you have basic communication skills while working as a PR, which certainly is the capital to interact / Communicate with customers.



4. What do you know about this company?

This question is also quite frequently asked questions. That's why it is important to do background checking on a company that loe are applying. Engaged in what company? How is achievement? Range marketnya?, Etc.. Such information can be obtained via the Internet, company websites / profile, or even better than "insiders" who worked at the company.



5. Whether you are applying at companies other than here?

Answer honestly, but do not be discussed over time. Stay focused on who you interview today.



6. Why do you want to work at this company?

The answer to this question should be considered first and should also be based on the "background checking" me-you do about that company. Sincerity answer would be clearly visible on this question. So, answer with the answer yangg relate to your long-term career goals.



7. Do you know anyone in this company?

Be careful in answering yangg this one. In some companies there are specific policies on this matter. So, if indeed these vacancies you know of friends / family, check with them about his company's policy.



8. How much salary do you want?

Hohohoho .. this is the ultimate question of all! The point here: do not be mad! Do not immediately answered: "pack of 5 million, 10 million packs!"

And also do not even shy .. and even helps to answer "the father wrote up" .. Too Funny



The truth, take a deep breath before answering a while (as if pretending ² thinkers) .. then nanya back:

"Excuse me sir, if I may know how a given salary range this company for this position?"

"If for this position is usually about 2 to 2.5 million"

"I see. Well sir, if my party, I would expect an increase in income from my job before."

"It's how your previous salary?"

"(This is where you plug your salary expectations. 2jt instance your previous salary, certainly expecting more .. so mark-ups to be 2.5-3jt little more .. just do not be mad)



9. Are you able to work in teams?

Always answer YES. Will this add your plus points. Do not forget siapin examples if asked what the evidence.



10. If you are accepted to work here, how long you plan to work?

Never specific answer: "Most Pak wrote 2 years old, because blablablabl". Should something like this work: "I want to work for a long time. Or as long as both sides feel that I am doing my job well"



11. Explain why the company should we hire you?

Reply with enthusiasm, confidence, and enthusiasm. This is a wonderful opportunity to "ngejual" yourself. Say positive things about yourself that the company needs / can support the progress of the company.

Give several reasons including skill, experience, and your interest



12. What are your strengths? (Your greatest strength)

The key remains positive. The examples that can be used: the ability to manage your priorities, your ability to focus on the job, your ability to work under pressure, your ability in problem solving, your ability to lead the team, etc..



13. Are you willing to work overtime / night / weekend?

Answer truthfully



14. Do you have any questions?

Always prepare one or two questions to create a positive impression. For example like about the job description, scope of work, market the company, etc..

How to Write Business Letter

How to Write Business Letter

>
There are many different reasons for writing a business letter. However, most business letters follow some general guidelines as described below.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: 40 minutes

Here's How:

  1. Use block style - do not indent paragraphs.
  2. Include address of the person you are writing to at the top of the letter, below your company address.
  3. After the address, double space and include date
  4. Double space (or as much as you need to put the body of the letter in the center) and include the salutation. Include Mr. for men or Ms for women, unless the recipient has a title such as Dr.
  5. State a reference reason for your letter (i.e. 'With reference to our telephone conversation...'
  6. Give the reason for writing (i.e. 'I am writing to you to confirm our order...')
  7. Make any request you may have (i.e. 'I would be grateful if you could include a brochure...'
  8. If there is to be further contact, refer to this contact (i.e. 'I look forward to meeting you at...')
  9. Close the letter with a thank you (i.e. 'Thank you for your prompt help...')
  10. Finish the letter with a salutation (i.e. 'Yours sincerely,')
  11. Include 4 spaces and type your full name and title
  12. sign the letter between the salutation and the typed name and title

Tips:

  1. Keep the letter brief and to the point
  2. Do not use shortened verb forms - write them out (i.e. 'don't instead of do not')
  3. Always keep a copy of correspondence for future reference

EXAMPLE


synopsis



The poster for the trilogy is a montage that features a range of characters and scenes from all three movies.
Directed byPeter Jackson
Produced byPeter Jackson
Barrie M. Osborne
Fran Walsh
Mark Ordesky
Tim Sanders (The Fellowship of the Ring)
Screenplay byFran Walsh
Philippa Boyens
Peter Jackson
Stephen Sinclair (The Two Towers)
Based onThe Lord of the Rings by
J. R. R. Tolkien
Music byHoward Shore
CinematographyAndrew Lesnie
StudioWingNut Films
The Saul Zaentz Company
Distributed byNew Line Cinema
Release date(s)2001–2003
Running time557 minutes
CountryNew Zealand
LanguageEnglish
Budget$281 million
Box office$2,915,155,189

The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003).

The films were directed by Peter Jackson and distributed by New Line Cinema. Considered to be one of the biggest and most ambitious movie projects ever undertaken, with an overall budget of $285 million, the entire project took eight years, with the filming for all three films done simultaneously and entirely in Jackson's native New Zealand. Each film in the trilogy also had Special Extended Editions, released on DVD a year after the theatrical releases. While the films follow the book's general storyline, they do omit some of the plot elements from the novel and include some additions to and other deviations from the source material.

Set in the fictional world of Middle-earth, the three films follow the hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) as he and a Fellowship embark on a quest to destroy the One Ring, and thus ensure the destruction of its maker, the Dark Lord Sauron. The Fellowship becomes divided and Frodo continues the quest together with his loyal companion Sam (Sean Astin) and the treacherous Gollum (Andy Serkis). Meanwhile, the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), heir in exile to the throne of Gondor, unite and rally the Free Peoples of Middle-earth, who are ultimately victorious in the War of the Ring.

The trilogy was a great financial success, with the films collectively being the sixth highest-grossing film series of all-time (behind Harry Potter, James Bond, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Shrek). The films were critically acclaimed and heavily awarded, winning 17 out of 30 Academy Awards nominated in total. The final film in the trilogy, The Return of the King, won all 11 of the Academy Awards for which it was nominated, tying it with Ben-Hur and Titanic for most Academy Awards received for a film. The trilogy received wide praise for the innovative special effects, both practical and digital.

DEVELOPMENT

Director Peter Jackson first came into contact with The Lord of the Rings when he saw Ralph Bakshi's 1978 film. Jackson "enjoyed the film and wanted to know more."Afterwards, he read a tie-in edition of the book during a twelve-hour train journey from Wellington to Auckland when he was seventeen.

In 1995, Jackson was finishing The Frighteners and considered The Lord of the Rings as a new project, wondering "why nobody else seemed to be doing anything about it". With the new developments in computer-generated imagery followingJurassic Park, Jackson set about planning a fantasy film that would be relatively serious and feel "real". By October, he and his partner Fran Walsh teamed up withMiramax Films boss Harvey Weinstein to negotiate with Saul Zaentz who had held the rights to the book since the early 1970s, pitching an adaptation of The Hobbitand two films based on The Lord of the Rings. Negotiations then stalled whenUniversal Studios offered Jackson a remake of King Kong. Weinstein was furious, and further problems arose when it turned out Zaentz did not have distribution rights to The Hobbit; United Artists, which was in the market, did. By April 1996 the rights question was still not resolved. Jackson decided to move ahead withKing Kong before filming The Lord of the Rings, prompting Universal to enter a deal with Miramax to receive foreign earnings from The Lord of the Rings while Miramax received foreign earnings from King Kong. It was also revealed that Jackson originally wanted to finish King Kong before the Lord of the Rings began. But due to location problems he decided to start with The Lord of the Rings franchise instead.

When Universal cancelled King Kong in 1997, Jackson and Walsh immediately received support from Weinstein and began a six-week process of sorting out the rights. Jackson and Walsh asked Costa Botes to write a synopsis of the book and they began to re-read the book. Two to three months later, they had written theirtreatment. The first film would have dealt with what would become The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and the beginning of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, ending with the death of Saruman, and Gandalf and Pippin going to Minas Tirith. In this treatment,Gwaihir and Gandalf visit Edoras after escaping Saruman, Gollum attacks Frodo when the Fellowship is still united, and Farmer Maggot, Glorfindel, Radagast,Elladan and Elrohir are present. Bilbo attends the Council of Elrond, Sam looks intoGaladriel's mirror, Saruman is redeemed before he dies and the Nazgûl just make it into Mount Doom before they fall. They presented their treatment to Harvey andBob Weinstein, the latter of whom they focused on impressing with theirscreenwriting as he had not read the book. They agreed upon two films and a total budget of $75 million.

During mid-1997, Jackson and Walsh began writing with Stephen Sinclair. Sinclair's partner, Philippa Boyens, was a major fan of the book and joined the writing team after reading their treatment. It took 13–14 months to write the two film scripts,which were 147 and 144 pages respectively. Sinclair left the project due to theatrical obligations. Amongst their revisions, Sam is caught eavesdropping and forced to go along with Frodo, instead of Sam, Merry, and Pippin figuring out about the One Ring themselves and voluntarily going along after confronting Frodo about it, as occurs in the original novel. Gandalf's account of his time at Orthanc was pulled out of flashback and Lothlórien was cut, with Galadriel doing what she does in the story at Rivendell. Denethor attends the Council with his son. Other changes included having Arwen rescue Frodo, and the action sequence involving the cave troll. Arwen was even going to kill the Witch-king.

Trouble struck when Marty Katz was sent to New Zealand. Spending four months there, he told Miramax that the films were more likely to cost $150 million, and with Miramax unable to finance this, and with $15 million already spent, they decided to merge the two films into one. On 17 June 1998, Bob Weinstein presented a treatment of a single two-hour film version of the book. He suggested cutting Bree and the Battle of Helm's Deep, "losing or using" Saruman, mergingRohan and Gondor with Éowyn as Boromir's sister, shortening Rivendell and Moriaas well as having Ents prevent the Uruk-hai kidnapping Merry and Pippin. Upset by the idea of "cutting out half the good stuff" Jackson balked, and Miramax declared that any script or work completed by Weta Workshop was theirs. Jackson went around Hollywood for four weeks, showing a thirty-five minute video of their work, before meeting with Mark Ordesky of New Line Cinema. At New Line Cinema,Robert Shaye viewed the video, and then asked why they were making two films when the book was published as three volumes; he wanted to make a film trilogy. Now Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens had to write three new scripts.

The expansion to three films allowed much more creative freedom, although Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens had to restructure their script accordingly. The three films do not correspond exactly to the three volumes of the trilogy, but rather represent a three-part adaptation. Jackson takes a more chronological approach to the story than did Tolkien. Frodo's quest is the main focus, and Aragorn is the main sub-plot, and many sequences (such as Tom Bombadil and the Scouring of the Shire) that do not contribute directly to those two plots were left out. Much effort was put into creating satisfactory conclusions and making sure expositiondid not bog down the pacing. Amongst new sequences, there are also expansions on elements Tolkien kept ambiguous, such as the battles and the creatures.

Above all, most characters have been altered for extra drama: Aragorn, Théoden, and Treebeard have added or modified elements of self-doubt, while the personalities of Galadriel, Elrond, and Faramir have been darkened. Boromir andGollum are (arguably) relatively more sympathetic, while some characters such asLegolas, Gimli, Saruman, and Denethor have been simplified. Some characters, such as Arwen and Éomer, have been combined with lesser book characters such asGlorfindel and Erkenbrand, and as a general matter lines of dialogue have sometimes been switched around between locations or characters depending on suitability of the scenes. New scenes were also added to expand oncharacterisation. During shooting, the screenplays continued to evolve, in part due to contributions from cast looking to further explore their characters. Most notable amongst these rewrites was the character Arwen, who was originally planned as a warrior princess, but reverted back to her book counterpart, who remains physically inactive in the story (though she sends moral and military support).

To develop fight and sword choreography for the trilogy, the filmmakers employed Hollywood sword-master Bob Anderson. Anderson worked directly with the talent including Viggo Mortensen and Karl Urban to develop the many sword fights and stunts within the film. Bob Anderson's role in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy was highlighted in the film Reclaiming the Blade. This documentary on sword martial arts also featured Weta Workshop and Richard Taylor, Lord of the Rings illustrator John Howe and actors Viggo Mortensen and Karl Urban. All discussed their roles and work on the trilogy as related to the sword.

PRODUCTION DESIGN

Jackson began storyboarding the trilogy with Christian Rivers in August 1997 and assigned his crew to begin designing Middle-earth at the same time.Jackson hired long-time collaborator Richard Taylor to lead Weta Workshop on five major design elements: armour, weapons, prosthetics/make-up, creatures, and miniatures. In November 1997, famed Tolkien illustrators Alan Lee and John Howe joined the project. Most of the imagery in the films is based on their various illustrations.Grant Major, production designer was charged with the task of converting Lee and Howe's designs into architecture, creating models of the sets, while Dan Hennah worked as art director, scouting locations and organising the building of sets.

Jackson's vision of Middle-earth was described as being "Ray Harryhausen meetsDavid Lean" by Randy Cook. Jackson wanted a gritty realism and historical regard for the fantasy, and attempted to make the world rational and believable. For example, the New Zealand Army helped build Hobbiton months before filming began so the plants could really grow. Creatures were designed to be biologically believable, such as the enormous wings of the fell beast to help it fly. In total, 48,000 pieces of armour, 500 bows, and 10,000 arrows were created by Weta Workshop. They also created many prosthetics, such as 1,800 pairs of Hobbit feet for the lead actors, as well as many ears, noses, and heads for the cast, and around 19,000 costumes were woven and aged. Every prop was specially designed by the Art Department, taking the different scales into account.

FILMING

Principal photography for all three films was conducted concurrently in many locations within New Zealand's conservation areas and national parks between 11 October 1999, and 22 December 2000, a period of 438 days. Pick-up shoots were conducted annually from 2001 to 2004. The trilogy was shot at over 150 different locations, with seven different units shooting, as well as soundstages aroundWellington and Queenstown. As well as Jackson directing the whole production, other unit directors included John Mahaffie, Geoff Murphy, Fran Walsh, Barrie Osbourne, Rick Porras, and any other assistant director, producer, or writer available. Jackson monitored these units with live satellite feeds, and with the added pressure of constant script re-writes and the multiple units interpreting his envisioned result, he only got around four hours of sleep a night. Due to the remoteness of some of the locations, the crew would also bring survival kits in case helicopters could not reach the location to bring them home in time. The New Zealand Department of Conservation was criticised for approving the filming within national parks without adequate consideration of the adverse environmental effects and without public notification. The adverse effects of filming battle scenes in Tongariro National Park later required restoration work.

CAST

The following is a list of cast members who voiced or portrayed characters appearing in the extended version of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

CharacterFilm
The Fellowship of the RingThe Two TowersThe Return of the King

Fellowship

AragornViggo Mortensen
Frodo BagginsElijah Wood
BoromirSean Bean
Meriadoc "Merry" BrandybuckDominic Monaghan
Samwise GamgeeSean Astin
GandalfIan McKellen
GimliJohn Rhys-Davies
LegolasOrlando Bloom
Peregrin "Pippin" TookBilly Boyd

The Shire and Bree

Bilbo BagginsIan Holm
Ian Holm
Mrs. BracegirdleLori Dungey

Barliman ButterburDavid Weatherley

Rosie CottonSarah McLeod
Sarah McLeod
Gaffer GamgeeNorman Forsey

Elanor Gamgee

Alexandra Astin
Bree Gate KeeperMartyn Sanderson

Farmer MaggotCameron Rhodes

Old NoakesBill Johnson

Everard ProudfootNoel Appleby
Noel Appleby
Mrs. ProudfootMegan Edwards

Otho SackvillePeter Corrigan

Lobelia Sackville-BagginsElizabeth Moody

Ted SandymanBrian Sergent

[edit] Rivendell and Lothlórien

ArwenLiv Tyler
Lord CelebornMarton Csokas
Marton Csokas
Lord ElrondHugo Weaving
Lady GaladrielCate Blanchett
HaldirCraig Parker
RúmilJørn Benzon

Rohan and Gondor

Damrod

Alistair Browning
Denethor
John Noble
Éomer
Karl Urban
Éothain
Sam Comery
Éowyn
Miranda Otto
Faramir
David Wenham
Freda
Olivia Tennet
Gamling
Bruce Hopkins
Grimbold

Bruce Phillips
Háma
John Leigh
Haleth
Calum Gittins
Irolas

Ian Hughes
King of the Dead

Paul Norell
Madril
John Bach
Morwen
Robyn Malcolm
King Théoden
Bernard Hill
Théodred
Paris Howe Strewe
Treebeard
John Rhys-Davies (voice)

Isengard and Mordor

Sméagol/GollumAndy Serkis
Gorbag

Stephen Ure
Gothmog

Lawrence Makoare
Craig Parker (voice)
Gríma Wormtongue
Brad Dourif
Grishnákh
Stephen Ure
LurtzLawrence Makoare

Mauhur
Robbie Magasiva
Mouth of Sauron

Bruce Spence
The One RingAlan Howard (voice)
Alan Howard (voice)
SarumanChristopher Lee
SauronSala Baker
Sala Baker
Shagrat

Peter Tait
Sharku
Jed Brophy
Snaga
Jed Brophy
Uglúk
Nathaniel Lees
Witch-king of AngmarShane Rangi
Brent McIntyre
Andy Serkis (voice)

Lawrence Makoare
Andy Serkis (voice)

Historical figures

Déagol

Thomas Robins
ElendilPeter McKenzie

Gil-galadMark Ferguson

IsildurHarry Sinclair
Harry Sinclair

SPECIAL EFFECTS

The first film has around 540 effect shots, the second 799, and the third 1,488 (2,730 in total). The total increases to 3,420 with the extended editions. 260 visual effect artists began work on the trilogy, and the number doubled by The Two Towers. The crew, led by Jim Rygiel and Randy Cook, worked long hours, often overnight, to produce special effects within a short space of time. Jackson's active imagination was a driving force. For example, several major shots of Helm's Deep were produced within the last six weeks of post-production of The Two Towers, and the same happened again within the last six weeks on The Return of the King.