Let me know what you all thought about the color grading. My intention was to give the video an older film look to evoke a sense of nostalgia that is an important aspect of Middle-Earth, at least for me. This was my first time trying it.
I liked it! Subtle and not overdone, which is pretty essential for anything Tolkien related if you ask me. Lovely work, as always! The only nitpick would be the postprocessing artifacts in some of the shots (screenspace I guess?), like on the grass blades and the guard closeup. Anyway, looking forward a lot to everything from you in the future! Way to go!
My favorite location in the Silmarillion has always been Gondolin. The Gates are an appetizer for the feast that is the City itself. Thank you for you effort and I look forward to seeing more of your renderings.
I listened to this chapter from the unfinished tales last night I had difficulty sleeping & I listened intently to the narration & I imagined each scene as I passed through each gate my image was a bit darker but you got the shear steepness of the mountains either side just how I’d imagined it
This literally made me cry. You and “Unity 5 Games” are doing the lords work. Please for the lives of the gods neither of you two stop. I don’t know why but this style of 3-D just helps paint the worlds more real. Like legit places maybe because it reminds me of old 3-D videos on Rome?
What you just created is an Art, and I love it so much! I wonder if we will see the city of Gondolin in your next video. Plus, Osgoliath during its height or Pelargir can be a good candidate for your content.
Bro I just read about these gates today in Unfinished tales! The wooden, the stone, the bronze, the iron, the silver, the gold, and the steel gates, all spectacular!
Very beautifully made. I love how you included concepts for the appearance of each guard post. The only criticism I have is the width of the valleys/avenues between gates. The vale of Tumladen wouldn't have remained the hidden for long with such conspicuously large pathways through the mountains! I've always imagined it more like doors carved in stone, as in the western entrance to Moria. But your interpretation is lovely regardless.
Thanks! Yeah, I did consider whether I was making the path from the Iron gate on too wide and not hidden enough. What we know from the text is that the sides were not as sheer and got wider after this point. How much wider and how less sheer? I don’t know. However, the path did have an additional defense which was the eagles which prevented Morgoth’s forces from discovering it from the air.
There was, it was just very far away… if you noticed, there was a path flanked by rows of white towers and what looked like a great mound at the end, in the middle of the valley. Gondolin was on top of that mound, coating it in white stone and spires, palaces and temples and other structures galore
This is amazing work, incredible artistry and you have quite the eye for it! And I can tell hours and hours of work went into this. I have always wanted to see renderings of what these legendary places in middle earth might have looked like!! I hesitate to critique because this video existing is a very great desire of mine since I was a child, but if I could offer one piece of humble feedback: your rendered tree statues are beautiful indeed! But the passages in the story mean for them to be engravings on the sphere and pyramid, not standing above them. But! As an artist if you want to count it as your liberty, feel free as they are gorgeous! Seriously, i love everything you have done and are doing here and i will wait as long as i must to see more amazing things here!! Edit: I was mistaken, see replies to this comment. I believe PlacesofMiddleEarth made the correct choice for the design of those trees!
Thank you! So interesting that you brough that up. In my research for this video, I learned that the term "image" can also refer to sculpture. For example, see the concept of "cult images." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_image I was also confused by this since everyone else has also made sculptures for the trees in their depictions. I figured they're probably smarter than me so I went with the sculptures as well. 😂 But I could always be convinced that there's a reason to prefer carving/engravings or the like.
@ honestly, it looks amazing so I think leaving it as is would be more than perfect! I tried to find an example of what I thought I believed in Tolkien’s writing but after revisiting the text, I must say I think you are actually correct. Where he uses the word “image” in the Silmarillion, he uses it to mean a copy or facsimile but not a written or carved image. So I take back what I said, you were correct!
When will ppl like you understand that in pre-second world war there was no concept of flying?! Do things by flying was a concept that came with the ability to take a plane to move between locations, and Tolkien wrote the story 50 years before that!!
@@duartecorreia8602 I don't think the OP meant literally flying because Morgoth hadn't unveiled his winged dragons at that point. But you think Tolkien wrote the story 50 years before WWII? In the 1890s when he was a toddler? Also you might want to study up on the history of aviation because powered flight was invented in 1903 and airplanes factored heavily in WWI.
When visualised like this, it makes the architecture of the seven gates seem somewhat bizarre. I barely even thought of them, just imagining some thick hidden gates as depicted by Alan Lee (who, despite being endorsed by the late C. Tolkien is not quite an authority on the visual style). Tuor and Voronwë must have felt like they were in a dream.
Brilliant video. Do we know from the sources how long the whole path from the First Gate to the City was? I often imagined it smaller, since it's so well hidden, but also the magic of the Elves was much more prevelant back then.
I've always done it that way previously. Tried something different this time because others find it hard to read and see what's on screen at the same time. Thanks for your comment!
Nice video. I was always disappointed with Turgon and his paltry artsy walls. His idea of art in fortificartion was a luxury belief the Noldor could ill afford. He had the finest natural fortress yet did not augment it with proper defences, excepting the near invisible outmost door. Once that door was found Morgoth's armies were able to overwhelm all seven gates in a single surprise attack so that no news of the assault reached the city and Turgon woke to find Gondolin under siege. If they had made seven gates all tall, strong, heavily fortified and close together with swift messengers, then the siege may have lasted longer and the secret exists used to better effect.
@@seajaytea9340 Were not the doors of Nargothrond intended to keep out ill fate? And did not Manwe warn the Noldor to keep shut those doors. Likewise did not Ulmo send Tuor to warn Gondolin. Even so Manwe sent eagles to hide Gondolin and the gates of Nargothrond were blessed. Fate was against them, but Turgon did not help matters by replying solely on obfuscation.
Let me know what you all thought about the color grading. My intention was to give the video an older film look to evoke a sense of nostalgia that is an important aspect of Middle-Earth, at least for me. This was my first time trying it.
I liked it! Subtle and not overdone, which is pretty essential for anything Tolkien related if you ask me. Lovely work, as always! The only nitpick would be the postprocessing artifacts in some of the shots (screenspace I guess?), like on the grass blades and the guard closeup. Anyway, looking forward a lot to everything from you in the future! Way to go!
@ Thanks! Yep, that’s some issue with the depth of field in Unreal Engine. I don’t know what the solution is. It was really frustrating.
It's great, it reminds me heavily of older Tolkien artwork, painterly like brought to life
The shading is subtle just the way colour's do get on stone and brickwork.
Wow, just wow.. This is absolutely, unbelievably AMAZING 😱🤯🤯
THANK YOU for making this and hats off to good Sir!!
🙇🙏🙏
i love it, was gorgeous, i wish to see the rest of the path and see gondolin, thanks for the video
Definitely! The city will come one of these days… 🙂
@@PlacesofMiddleEarth New here, thanks for your great work. Can't wait for Gondolin.
You should maybe do these style of videos with historical locations as well. Like how archaeological ruins would have looked like in the past.
That would be cool! These take a lot of time, though, so one thing at a time. 🙂
Truly wonderous were the creations of the Elves. You captured the ambience and sense of wonder wonderfully.
Thank you! I’m so glad to hear that! 🙂
My favorite location in the Silmarillion has always been Gondolin. The Gates are an appetizer for the feast that is the City itself. Thank you for you effort and I look forward to seeing more of your renderings.
This is truly a labor of love, and your care shows throughout. Thank you for your insight and artistry!
I listened to this chapter from the unfinished tales last night I had difficulty sleeping & I listened intently to the narration & I imagined each scene as I passed through each gate my image was a bit darker but you got the shear steepness of the mountains either side just how I’d imagined it
This is beautifully visualised. Always wanted to see more of the First Age Beleriand, and places like Gondolin, Nargothrond, and Doriath
The way you capture the scale of the mountains makes this breathtaking! Beautifully done!
Thanks!
Your beautiful works of art make me a better man.
Well… thanks! 😂
Very nice! The music really added to the build up
I'd love to walk through this. It would be cool to see some of these through VR.
Yep, I definitely want to do VR versions. 🙂
Incredible idea
Its like they invited seven design artists to build the gates more for art and expressionism than protection.
And im here for it.
Haha, yes, some of these are definitely questionable in their defensive capabilities. 😂
Gondolin spent a lot of effort building gates. But Morgoth attacked from the north so the gates were useless.😂
Absolutely stunning, thank you for sharing.
A battle animation of the hordes breeching every gate would be a sight!
This literally made me cry. You and “Unity 5 Games” are doing the lords work. Please for the lives of the gods neither of you two stop. I don’t know why but this style of 3-D just helps paint the worlds more real. Like legit places maybe because it reminds me of old 3-D videos on Rome?
Also love seeing the elves I don’t know but just seeing them in the back ground is fun.
Thank you so much! I never thought this would bring so much joy to anyone's life. :) I really appreciate your words!
This was very enjoyable to watch.
What you just created is an Art, and I love it so much! I wonder if we will see the city of Gondolin in your next video. Plus, Osgoliath during its height or Pelargir can be a good candidate for your content.
Bro I just read about these gates today in Unfinished tales! The wooden, the stone, the bronze, the iron, the silver, the gold, and the steel gates, all spectacular!
beautiful work and presentation
Amazingly beautiful video!!!!
Great job , its incredible !
@@dannyhoarau3066 thanks!
Love your work. Keep it up.
Very beautifully made. I love how you included concepts for the appearance of each guard post. The only criticism I have is the width of the valleys/avenues between gates. The vale of Tumladen wouldn't have remained the hidden for long with such conspicuously large pathways through the mountains! I've always imagined it more like doors carved in stone, as in the western entrance to Moria. But your interpretation is lovely regardless.
Thanks! Yeah, I did consider whether I was making the path from the Iron gate on too wide and not hidden enough. What we know from the text is that the sides were not as sheer and got wider after this point. How much wider and how less sheer? I don’t know.
However, the path did have an additional defense which was the eagles which prevented Morgoth’s forces from discovering it from the air.
I love this. I did wonder where Gondolin was though, cuz there was no city beyond the Gate of Steel xD
There was, it was just very far away… if you noticed, there was a path flanked by rows of white towers and what looked like a great mound at the end, in the middle of the valley. Gondolin was on top of that mound, coating it in white stone and spires, palaces and temples and other structures galore
It's there. If you're viewing on your phone it might be hard to see?
The greatest story ever written!
This is amazing work, incredible artistry and you have quite the eye for it! And I can tell hours and hours of work went into this. I have always wanted to see renderings of what these legendary places in middle earth might have looked like!!
I hesitate to critique because this video existing is a very great desire of mine since I was a child, but if I could offer one piece of humble feedback: your rendered tree statues are beautiful indeed! But the passages in the story mean for them to be engravings on the sphere and pyramid, not standing above them. But! As an artist if you want to count it as your liberty, feel free as they are gorgeous!
Seriously, i love everything you have done and are doing here and i will wait as long as i must to see more amazing things here!!
Edit: I was mistaken, see replies to this comment. I believe PlacesofMiddleEarth made the correct choice for the design of those trees!
Thank you! So interesting that you brough that up. In my research for this video, I learned that the term "image" can also refer to sculpture. For example, see the concept of "cult images." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_image
I was also confused by this since everyone else has also made sculptures for the trees in their depictions. I figured they're probably smarter than me so I went with the sculptures as well. 😂
But I could always be convinced that there's a reason to prefer carving/engravings or the like.
@ honestly, it looks amazing so I think leaving it as is would be more than perfect! I tried to find an example of what I thought I believed in Tolkien’s writing but after revisiting the text, I must say I think you are actually correct. Where he uses the word “image” in the Silmarillion, he uses it to mean a copy or facsimile but not a written or carved image. So I take back what I said, you were correct!
The music is very nice too.
Splendid.
If a show or movie featuring Gondolin was ever made, the hates better look just like this.
Amazing channel
@@Hubedude thank you!
Great work.
9:05 I don't think it's meant to be a full coverage battle helmet, more of a stylised one with a crown motif
You're probably right. If I ever redo this I can make the change.
Music/OST?
Morgoth just flying his army over the mountains and avoiding these gates has major Blitzkrieg through Belgium avoiding the maginot line vibes.
When will ppl like you understand that in pre-second world war there was no concept of flying?! Do things by flying was a concept that came with the ability to take a plane to move between locations, and Tolkien wrote the story 50 years before that!!
@@duartecorreia8602 I don't think the OP meant literally flying because Morgoth hadn't unveiled his winged dragons at that point. But you think Tolkien wrote the story 50 years before WWII? In the 1890s when he was a toddler? Also you might want to study up on the history of aviation because powered flight was invented in 1903 and airplanes factored heavily in WWI.
When visualised like this, it makes the architecture of the seven gates seem somewhat bizarre. I barely even thought of them, just imagining some thick hidden gates as depicted by Alan Lee (who, despite being endorsed by the late C. Tolkien is not quite an authority on the visual style). Tuor and Voronwë must have felt like they were in a dream.
The first time I read it it gave me a very surreal feeling just like a dream.
All these gates and Morgoth thinks, naa ill attack them in the rear!
Silver and Gold gates aren't even good defensive structures. 😜
@@PlacesofMiddleEarth But they look real fancy!
@@origami83 might as well look good of you can’t do your job! 😅
he's always been sneaky that way
Wowowow!
Brilliant video. Do we know from the sources how long the whole path from the First Gate to the City was? I often imagined it smaller, since it's so well hidden, but also the magic of the Elves was much more prevelant back then.
Thanks! I believe it's about 10 miles or so but that's just from memory.
@@PlacesofMiddleEarth Ok, thanks :) That seems plausible. Especially in the mountains this distance takes a long time to walk.
Give us Gondolin itself!
great
Now the city of Gondolin please
@@dannyhoarau3066 I’ll get there!
this feels religious
I am in awe
Was definitely going for a mystical type of feeling!
5th gate best gate
@@user-pt6oc4rj4u I agree, that’s why I chose it for thumbnail. 🙂
😍
The Elf-gates.
Galadriel Pial there
*One does not simply walk into Gondolin.*
I'm unsubbing, not because I dislike anything you make or have, but because it would distract me too much, I'm addicted. Goodbye, may we meet again.
Descriptions should be on actual video as they disrupt the atmosphere 5/10
This is a 2/10 at best.
I've always done it that way previously. Tried something different this time because others find it hard to read and see what's on screen at the same time. Thanks for your comment!
Nice video. I was always disappointed with Turgon and his paltry artsy walls. His idea of art in fortificartion was a luxury belief the Noldor could ill afford. He had the finest natural fortress yet did not augment it with proper defences, excepting the near invisible outmost door. Once that door was found Morgoth's armies were able to overwhelm all seven gates in a single surprise attack so that no news of the assault reached the city and Turgon woke to find Gondolin under siege.
If they had made seven gates all tall, strong, heavily fortified and close together with swift messengers, then the siege may have lasted longer and the secret exists used to better effect.
Sadly, The Doom of Mandos knows no escape. No matter what Turgon did or didn't do.
@@seajaytea9340 Were not the doors of Nargothrond intended to keep out ill fate? And did not Manwe warn the Noldor to keep shut those doors. Likewise did not Ulmo send Tuor to warn Gondolin.
Even so Manwe sent eagles to hide Gondolin and the gates of Nargothrond were blessed.
Fate was against them, but Turgon did not help matters by replying solely on obfuscation.
Morgoth's forces came over the mountains from the north and completely bypassed the gates.
This didn't evoke middle Earth for me at all, sadly. The architecture style is all wrong.
What would you like to see different?
Thank you! its just like i remembered
Playing Elden Ring at the moment and this reminds me of it and Eyre from Song of Ice and Fire Universe