Peter Jackson is one of those rare breeds of director that takes pleasure in sharing the journey of his filmmaking with his very loyal fans. While others like to keep everything locked up, adding to the movie's momentum, Pete here wants you to revel in the process just as much as he does. Though you could argue for both sides: on one hand keeping the details of your movie a tightly guarded secret can lead to a bit of disappointment when you finally see it, on the other hand, watching videos of how it's made before you see it could be said to dilute some of the movie's on-screen magic.

Either way, if you're a fan of The Hobbit, you'll likely enjoy this video diary. First up, Jackson lets the fans down gently by saying that they will not be appearing at this year's Comic Con, then we get to see the intricate and painstaking ways in which it all comes together.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug sees the return of Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Sir Ian McKellan with the new additions of Benedict Cumberbatch (Smaug) and Orlando Bloom (whose lucious blonde locks you'll remember from The Lord of the Rings). December 13th 2013, watch this space.