It's been a while since Peter Jackson's last production diary for The Hobbit.  In between installments, he's had to do damage control from the unexpected lukewarm reception to footage screened at CinemaCon in April. Attendees weren't quite sure what to make of the footage, which was shot at double the usual film speed of 48 frames-per-second.

All that behind him now and the finish line closing in on filming, Jackson takes us on a tour of the studios where The Hobbit is being filmed. Admittedly, he says mid-way into the video that he feels like a tram operator at Universal Studios. Universal should consider making that a reality for some lucky Hobbit fans.

But getting back to The Hobbit, the new production diary is filled with cameos (we won't ruin it for you) but we will say that Ian McKellan is NOT in this installment, so you can rule out a Gandalf appearance here. Check out the cameos in the 14-minute video below.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens December 14 and Jackson promises one more production diary when the film wraps shooting.

Follow along on Twitter @DerrickDeane and @Fandango.