As we near the release of director Peter Jackson’s first installment in the new Middle Earth trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, a new production blog has been unveiled.  The video focuses on the post-production aspect of the film, and Jackson introduces the blog by talking about the time crunch that the crew is currently facing.  Fans who have poured over the extras on the Lord of the Rings DVDs and Blu-rays may feel a bit of déjà vu, as we see plenty of folks working incredibly hard to get the film finished by its New Zealand premiere date.  The video gives a glimpse into everything from Jackson’s editing room, the sound department, visual effects, and a way-too-brief portion on Howard Shore conducting the recording of the film’s score.

Hit the jump to watch the video, which includes a great deal of new footage including a glimpse at the Goblin King.  The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens in 3D on December 12th.

Here’s the synopsis for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey:

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” follows title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever… Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities… A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.