Hobbit video blog gives a tour of Stone Street studios

A new video blog has emerged for The Hobbit. This one gets away from the vast sheeplands of New Zealand and heads to controlled environs of Stone Street studios. Originally a paint factory, Peter Jackson bought the location and built a sound stage for Lord of the Rings. It’s been steadily expanding since then, with the addition of another sound stage for King Kong and a couple more (because hubba hubba hubba, money money money) for The Hobbit.

Previous video blogs for The Hobbit include one on location shoots in New Zealand, one on shooting in 3D, and one on how a massive film production gets scheduled.

The studio tour is pretty amusing, showing off the extent of the production and the small township it takes to make the movies. There’s also a little appearance from an old friend at the end. (Hint: It’s not Bill the Pony, though what did happen to that animal?)