And so I look back on not just the last ten years but everything that I've done as being sort of an ongoing growing continual film school. I mean I don't think I've got to a point where I've achieved anything that feels like, a particular milestone, but there's still a lot more to learn and hopefully a lot more films to make.

I regard myself as being the final filter so everything that ends up in the movie is there because it's something that I think was cool.

I think there's still a little bit of that 9 year-old in me and I'm pretty happy.

I just got to the point where I literally didn't want anyone else to do it.

No matter how many great performances or exciting visuals we put together for the movie, we found that it was all somewhat two dimensional until we added the emotional heart of Howard Shore's music. Then, and only then, did the film come to life.

Elijah can register such subtle emotion on his face that I loved doing close-ups on him. He really brings a superb emotional level to Frodo's scenes and although he is a very instinctive actor, we discussed the character thoroughly.

I adore physical miniatures and try to use them as much as I can and have a bit of a fetish about that.