Happy days are always short-lived.
The filming of Martin's scenes is about to begin.
The shooting location is in a valley east of Queenstown. Outside the valley is a small natural lake, its surface sparkling with the light of the sun.
Today, all the actors—whether involved in the scene or not—are present, as this marks the first scene that the Lord of the Rings crew is filming.
The background of this scene is set during an escape, where the elf princess, played by Liv Tyler, is taking Frodo on horseback to evade the pursuit of the Black Riders. However, they are eventually cornered by the Witch King of Angmar, the leader of the Black Riders, who demands that she hand over the Ring-bearer.
The elf princess refuses and chants a spell, summoning the power of water. The rushing flood shatters the Ringwraith, but Frodo is gravely injured—though, naturally, as the protagonist, he cannot die. King Elrond arrives just in time to heal him, and the group soon meets Gandalf, who has escaped Saruman's tower.
Following this, the pivotal Council of Elrond scene unfolds.
This is also the moment when Legolas, played by Martin, first appears in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Of course, in order to accommodate Martin's schedule, Peter Jackson chose not to follow the script strictly.
Today, they will be shooting directly from the Council of Elrond scene.
"Ready to start!" the assistant director called out, signaling to the hundreds of crew members, and the set came to life with swift movement, everyone quickly muting their voices.
Peter Jackson, wearing a bright red vest, sat behind the monitor, his curly hair falling in messy strands. He didn't look much like a director—more like a vagabond, really.
Three cameras were filming simultaneously.
One was focused on Martin, another was capturing wide-angle shots, and the third was directed at key characters like Frodo and Aragorn.
"The Council of Elrond is crucial," Peter Jackson explained. "This is where the Fellowship is formed."
The Woodland Realm is the home of the elves—a veritable fairyland. Compared to the peaceful Shire, it is even more enchanting.
And Peter had chosen this location wisely. The valley fit the bill perfectly.
When Martin first entered, he truly felt as though he had stepped into the realm of the gods and elves.
"My lord, you won't let Frodo go alone, will you?" said Sean Astin, who plays Samwise Gamgee, jumping out from behind a tree.
"Of course not," Martin's character, Legolas, responded with a smile. "At least you should accompany Frodo. It seems difficult to separate the two of you. It would be like a secret meeting we didn't invite you to."
Hugo Weaving, who plays King Elrond, gave an impressive performance as the noble ruler, demonstrating both majesty and compassion.
"It looks like we're in big trouble," Samwise muttered, his face grim.
"When can we leave?" Frodo asked, his eyes nervously shifting between King Elrond and Gandalf.
"Don't rush," King Elrond replied. "We need to select your companions first. You can't carry the Ring to Mount Doom alone. You'll need others with you."
Frodo looked up at King Elrond. "I understand. The Ring must leave quickly, but whoever takes it must go without an army. They'll need to travel deep into enemy territory. Frodo, are you still willing to bear the Ring?"
"Yes, I will carry it to Mordor," Frodo said firmly, nodding with resolve.
"And I will be by his side," Samwise added loyally.
One by one, the members of the Fellowship began to appear. Finally, Legolas made his entrance.
Although Martin was quick on his feet, his movements seemed in perfect harmony with the environment. His golden hair shimmered in the sunlight, his handsome features and graceful posture—his every movement seemed to embody the elegance of an elf.
At over 1.75 meters tall, and with a slight height boost from his boots, Martin appeared even taller than Viggo Mortensen, who played Aragorn.
With his extraordinary appearance and calm, elegant demeanor, Martin immediately overshadowed everyone else.
To portray this "peerless beauty" role well, Martin embraced a powerful, almost hypnotic charm, making the character unforgettable—a classic of the genre.
"Your Majesty, I swear to protect Frodo and the Ring with my life," Legolas declared, kneeling before King Elrond, then slowly raising his head.
This precise movement of raising his head had been carefully planned by Martin. The angle allowed the sun to shine through behind Hugo Weaving, illuminating his face just perfectly.
When that breathtaking close-up appeared on the camera monitor, Peter Jackson couldn't help but gasp.
"Holy shit! This shot will definitely be a classic in film history. Martin's so stunning that Liv Tyler's Elf Princess would be overshadowed by him!"
A few minutes later, another carefully designed movement by Martin stunned the director.
"Wow, this shot will be iconic too!" Peter exclaimed.
Minutes passed, and Peter continued to marvel.
"Holy shit... this shot will be a classic in film history!"
Peter realized something—almost every close-up of Martin's face seemed perfectly crafted. The boy had seemingly absorbed the very essence of elven beauty into his being. Every movement he made, every frame, appeared as if it had been meticulously rehearsed. Each shot could easily be a poster.
How was this even possible?
"Peter, Peter!" the assistant director called.
"Cut! This one's a wrap!"
Peter snapped back to reality, his mind racing. With a deep breath, he realized: This movie is going to shock everyone.
He had a hunch this film would become a masterpiece of cinematic aesthetics.
"The camera positions are being changed. Let's move to the next shot."
𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧