See the 2019 yule video from the Laurelin hobbits here!
Merry yule everyone, and best wishes for the yuletide! I hope yer all have some relaxing days with friends and family, filled with good cheer. To help yer get in the right mood, here is the new yule video from the hobbits on Laurelin. Enjoy! And if this isn’t enough, be sure to check out the 2019 hobbity yule calendar!
The 2019 yule video
Since 2012, I have made yule videos where the hobbit players on Laurelin are invited to take part. Many players attend the video shoots, send in screenshots and offer up ideas. Many thanks to all who helped out! There were too many of yer to list in the credits (and I was also afraid I might miss one or two…). Yer help, assistance and good cheer was absolutely vital for the making of this video, though!
If you think this all looks fun, please join us hobbits on Laurelin. There are lots of things happening here. You can read about the events in my own hobbit calendar or in the Bramblebury Gazette, the local hobbit newspaper.
So without further ado: The 2019 Laurelin hobbit yule video (full-screen and high-definition recommended)!
The 2019 yule videoWhat stories to tell in the 2019 video?
The hobbit yule videos typically have two main vignettes, each based on a meetup where we shoot some video footage. A recurring issue every year is to figure out what kind of “story” to tell in these vignettes.
Lonely old hobbit
The yule videos are mostly merry affairs (although some hobbits grumble over the fact that far too many of them end with a bath in ice cold water). This year, I wanted to try something different, starting out with an old hobbit who for various unexplained reasons is lonely during the yuletide. Although, she absolutely would love some company.
Of course, this taps into the fact that yule isn’t a merry time with family and friends for everyone. Many spend the yuletide in solitude. And while some choose to do so deliberately, there are far too many who are absolutely longing to spend time with someone, to be noticed, to have someone to talk to… but cannot.
Thus, I made some initial scenes with the help of Almi, having her walk slowly around the homesteads, not being noticed by the other hobbits who showed up for the video shoot. Playing around a bit with speed and colours, this segment tries to convey a sense of sadness and longing, aided by the music. Eventually, we’re back to the usual merry hobbit party, where we realize every one of the lonely hobbit’s wishes for company, and then some. I’ll leave it to you to figure out whether the party is just a dream sequence for the lonely hobbit, or whether her dream actually came true. But of course, hobbits stick together, especially in the yuletide!
Ice fishing
For the second segment, we headed into the snow, or rather onto the ice. We went ice fishing! Although, the ice was thick and hard to crack…
The general idea was just to have a grand day out in the snow, where the hobbits try to chop a hole in the ice, through various actions and emotes. The instructions were really only: Go wild. And they did.
I hadn’t really figured on how to end this segment, though… after all, it isn’t possible to actually drill through the in-game ice. However, the river opens up a bit further downstream, so we could go there. Of course, then I got the old itch to send the hobbits yule bathing again, much to the dismay of those taking part. But how can you withstand the furious (furrious?) power of the pink furry snowbeast? Yep, yer can’t.
Credits
The end credits this year mostly consist of outtakes from the “lonely old hobbit” shoot, with added yule screenshots sent in by hobbits. And “Auld Lang Syne” is a grand way to end a hobbity yule video!
Old yule videos
Here are the previous videos, if this year’s isn’t enough for yer. Merry yule everyone!
2012 Yule Video 2013 Yule Video 2014 Yule Video 2015 Yule Video 2016 Yule Video The 2017 yule video The 2018 yule video
Wooohooo! Yule has officially started!
Merry christmas Lina and all you wonderful hobbits out there.
Merry yule, Toolee! There are lots of hobbity parties coming up, so do stop by if yer around!
It’s a perfect video, with a profound yet simple message–well-done Miss Lina and all the fine Laurelin Hobbits!
Merry yule, Holly! Thanks for yer help in making the video!