Silver Star sends along this LONG transcript from the Elijah Wood and Sean Astin talk at ORC this weekend.
Notes from the talk, to the best of my memory. I’m not a court reporter and may easily have misheard things, forgot, or otherwise messed up. So please forgive any mistakes!
Sean: how many people are here from the LA area? [hands up] From other places?
To the locals: Wassup my peeps? To the others: welcome
Sean: [mock serious voice] I prepared an entire soliloquy.. [audience laughs]
Elijah: There once was a girl from Nantucket…. [audience laughs]
Sean: Sings “Wise men say / only fools fall in love / But I can’t help / Falling in love with you”
Elijah: [problems with mics] Fucking thing [audience laughs] Is this the year that swearing’s banned at ORC? [more laughter]
Sean: I’m not allowed to swear at home, my wife doesn’t like me swearing, so I cringed on your behalf. Allie says that Elijah swears all the time, but we don’t mind.
Elijah: When I’m around her, I say oh fuh— and then sorry, sorry, sorry and she says “that’s okay”
Elijah: I thought Billy Boyd was going to be here today. I’m excited because i haven’t seen Billy since I’ve seen you [to audience].
Sean: I’ve doing publicity for 24, saying i haven’t seen anyone but I kept saying that I’ll see them at ORC
Elijah: We all have our own lives
Sean: I heard a eulogy for the pope, heard the pope had died the moment i was walking past St. Patrick’s cathedral in New York. I told my wife, “I’m going in,” and heard a great eulogy.
[they discuss how to take questions, Elijah takes a poll to ask whether they’d rather sit down or stand up to line up for the questions, they vote to stand up. Sean proposes ten questions, Elijah comes up with the idea of a speed round at the end.]
[The screen behinds them starts up and shows their images, they turn around to check it out]
Sean shakes his booty
Elijah: Did you just shake your ass?
Sean: Yeah… among other things…
Elijah turns around and lifts up his jacket, slowly, uncovering the back of his jeans.
[they play with the infinite reflection of their back views]
Elijah: admires orc costume, turns out to be the judge for the costume contest
Sean: Suggests a round of applause for costumers and the contestants.
——————-
Question: about Elijah plans
Elijah: talks about “Bobby”: really proud to be a part of, ensemble, powerful and interesting movie, amazing how politically relevant his is message now.
I’m looking for work…
The Iggy Pop movie, will start by the end of the year, which will be kinda strange
Someone asks about Happy Feet, Elijah answers: I’ve been working on that for about three years.
It will be out in November, gonna be really funny and special
Q: Did you get together with LOTR friends for Christmas?
Elijah: I was with family for Christmas, which was great. Sean was too. It was New Year’s we were getting together. It’s hard to arrange it, seeing friends.
Q: kinds of memorabilia did you take from other movies?
Sean: From the Goonies, a couple of doubloons, the … the skull key that turned and started the revolving thing, and the inhaler. I moved out when I was 18 and my mom moved up to Idaho… [explains things just got lost]
Q: sell them on eBay?
Sean: The thing is, authenticating… There was a 20th anniversary of shooting the Goonies, I came out of the Lion’s Head Inn and there was Mikey’s bike — some guy had made a perfect replica, no way to tell. I rode it around a bit. And there were duplicates, but I only too the ones I handled.
Elijah: the “Hero Props” perhaps? [audience laughter]
Sean: … RING BOY [they laugh, audience laughs]
Elijah: You know, people have called me a lot of things, but no one’s ever called me that. [everyone laughs]
Sean: I collected the back of the chairs, the director’s chairs with my name on them.
Elijah: I did too, but I don’t know where they are.
Elijah: From Everything Is Illuminated, I took the glasses and a suit, a great black suit, also a kindof blue tuxedo that didn’t make it into the movie. There’s a lot of stuff you’ll see on the dvd, dream sequences.
Sean: I took the helmet from Rudy
Elijah: I took the costume from Huckleberry Finn… it doesn’t fit … funny that [laughter]
Elijah: [Points at Sean] He just made some reference to dolphin poo
Elijah: I didn’t take anything from Flipper. Maybe t-shirts, I was excited about the bands.
Sean: Memphis Belle
Elijah: did you take the plane? [audience laughter]
Sean: One of the planes we used crashed. [Tells story of a b-17 crashing, while he’s there, he takes a bit of the broken plane, 50 caliber machine gun, then has to get it through airport security]
Elijah: I took the poster in Huckleberry Finn, the wanted ad for Jim the slave, the knife from that. Collecting things from movies is really fun, but if you’re lucky to work a lot, you amass things. I’m such a packrat, and i have a small house…
Q – I really liked Everything is Illuminated [Sean & audience clap, Elijah looks pleased]
Q – How to send demos to his record company?
Elijah: don’t know how many people check simianrecords.com, I feel so guilty that there’s nothing there. I’m taking my time, going to work on the web site first, PO box to send stuff. Learn as much as I possibly can, the business side i’m not familiar with, learn and grow. The web page will be updated eventually, keep an eye on it.
Q – What are your plans for your birthdays?
Elijah: i don’t have anything planned. I’ll probably go out to dinner with my family. And it’s funny, it’s a fairly significant birthday, I think 25 is pretty significant [audience claps]
Sean: i had my first child at 25 [audience laughs, there’s some byplay I missed]
Elijah: I’m so weird about birthdays, never make plans, some people make really significant plans, and I…
Sean: This year i have a good answer. February 25th is my birthday [audience yips, he talks about sharing with George Harrison, sings a little]
Elijah: There’s TORN, even if we forget, people know.
Sean: I’m going to be with you at Mardi Gras in New Orleans!
Elijah: yeah!
[audience applauds]
Sean: returning kings of Bacchus, everyone should come and [something about safe and reasonable] bring life back to New Orleans.
Elijah promises to say Happy Birthday to Sean [little interchange about how he only has to say it once]
Sean: [in a theatrical voice] “Sean won’t come out. Why? Because Elijah hasn’t wished me Happy Birthday. [everyone laughs]
Q: Is it easy or hard to cry in a scene?
Elijah: We have a similar process…
Sean: I can’t remember what mine is. It depends on the day, depends on the moment. … certain lines of dialog, can start crying. Other times…
Elijah: I dunno, you know, it’s, um, there are a lot of actors who are very good at crying on cue and getting into an emotional state. But I find it difficult to get into an emotional state. There are actor tricks of the trade as it were. [laughs] There are like these menthol drops and things you can blow in your eye, the technical part. but the emotional part…
Q: How many takes does it take?
Elijah: It depends on the emotional state on the set, how long it is. You can blow yourself out early [missed some bits]
Sean: Depending on what the process is. [Does a Russian accent] it’s personal process, a lot of people have their own. [Back in his own voice] My father would advocate a very specific technique to the craft of acting, that you know who you are and what your instrument is that you know. But in this day and age… you want to achieve something special … want to find the moment … the genuine real and moment.
Elijah: Fear of yourself, the moment, the pressure…. the fear and that pressure helps to create some of that emotion as well. it’s hard to describe … so many elements .
Sean: This movie was different, we were in those tender moments, those sad moments, it was like being in the 16th mile of a marathon.
[They had continuing problems with the mics, had to hold them in funny ways]
Q: How does having a family affect which roles you take? And my wife loves Forty First Kisses, could you answer in Dougie’s voice?
Sean: [Lisps] Doug doesn’t have any children that he knows of. [In his own voice] I’m in another Adam Sandler movie — one word: SPEEDO
Sean: Family, yeah. I just turned down a job in Australia that I might otherwise have done. Just didn’t want to be away. That’s my “sentimental, tender side”. [audience laughs] So yeah, it definitely… I’m willing to take roles with material that might not be appropriate for them. I dunno, biggest thing is the amount of time… I’m blessed I’ve made enough money that I don’t have to work when I don’t want to. Eventually, in the near future, Alexandra will have a voice in my future. She’s on stage, her favorite show is Friends (we’re bad parents and let her watch it) – she loves it.
Elijah: I had a dream about this, about Allie coming up to me all Friended out, or, or maybe it was deja vu
Q: You’re devirginizing me, it’s my first convention [audience laughter]
Sean: [Pops his mouth]
Elijah: We did nothing, we didn’t touch you. [more laughter]
Q: What’s the deal with your fingernails?
Elijah: I have serious nail biting problem, I didn’t curb it during the movie, it’s not a character thing that I did on purpose. Ian McKellen said it was brave but…
Sean: Richard Taylor heard people nervously complaining that fingernails were chewed and dirty. So he explained that for special effects makeup artist — they’re real.
Q: What happened when Sam had to give the Ring back?
Sean: That was Barad Dur? [Audience: Cirith Ungol] Right, Cirith Ungol, we tried it a couple of different ways. first time, played it as though he was just returning the object. Didn’t want to mess with the purity of Sam, so it was just a momentary thought, then he returned it. Also, I remember we tried it with him being really aggressive, Sam really wanted it. Fran directed and we didn’t know what Peter wanted. They were trying to choose, even as late as the looping in London 2003 they were still trying to decide. I first saw at the first premiere in Wellington.
Elijah: Did you know, Peter saw the whole thing first at Wellington?
[back and forth bit]
Sean: The result, with the music, is up for individual audience members to interpret. I think, little bit, he might want it. He was a little tempted, for a moment, not too much… mesmerized by the power of the ring… not separate from the forces operating on Frodo… affected by it
Elijah: I’m having flashbacks. [to audience] If you have Sting, hold it up, is it glowing blue?
[audience member holds it up it is blue, everyone laughs]
Q: Could you show the tattoos? [Elijah pulls his top up and pants down, but it’s in shadow so everyone just enjoys the experience]
Q: How many times have you watched the movies you’re in?
Elijah: I generally see the movie a couple of times on the press tours, go to the premieres, and then a couple of times. The pre-screening cast and crew kind of thing, then kindof seen it enough. But the Lord of the Rings, it’s on TV a lot, going through cable, hey Two Towers! [Mimes sitting down and watching, audience laughs]
Sean: I just watched in he middle of the night a movie that I did when i was sixteen, and I just loved it. [mumbles the name of the movie] Remembering back to when i was sixteen, that was really cool. [Elijah agrees]
Sean: I watched Return of the King with Alexandra, the last hour of it, the two of us were sitting there, she’s crying, I’m crying…. [audience awwwws]
Q: What made you so enthused about being Frodo?
Elijah: I was familiar with Tolkien, I had read the Hobbit, had a copy of Lord of the Rings on the shelf at home, which counts
Sean: have you read it?
Elijah: let’s not talk about that.
Elijah: I heard that were doing the three books as three movies, and I’m a huge fan of Peter Jackson… They weren’t sending out the script, I had to read it in a locked room, and I was transported. I was driving away, I could swear that goblins were chasing the car. [missed some bits] Also the prospect of living in a foreign country, i was 18… it was the best opportunity, enriched my life in ways I can’t even explain.
Q: What do you hope other cast members learned from you?
Elijah: It’s hard to answer questions like that. I never think about myself, I’m always learning from other people, never think what other people learned from me. [talks about Sean,] It was the two of us, we felt everything and experienced everything together, incredible experiences, really hard. It tested each individual that worked on those films, had to go through a lot of things they’ve never been through in their lives. Sean and I lived in this microcosm together, either one of our trailers, for months on end. We learned a lot from each other, and relied on each other.
Sean: I heard that question and I had this image of myself climbing a steep mountain, and at the top was a yogi. I asked, “What can other people learn from me yogi?” The yogi said, “not yet”. [much audience laughter]
We learned unbelievable amounts of stuff from each other about life, professional ethos, music, …. we were laid bare through the whole experience. We learned that which doesn’t kill you, doesn’t kill you.
Q: This is for Sean Austin?
Elijah: [looks upset]
Sean: you can say ASS-TIN
Elijah: i was gonna say ASS-tin
Q: What made you do 24?
Sean: I’m an impulsive person, I made that decision in a split second. A while ago, my agent sent tape of pilot, for directing job. I thought it was a brilliant show, and there was no way I’d get to direct. I decided to wait for the dvds for 3 years, and then watch all in one go, no commercials.
Elijah: We don’t need commercials any more we’ve got TiVo
Sean: [long story: his back was hurting, he went to a chiropractor, met the the Joel Sernam creator of 24, who was also getting his back fixed.] Joel asked, “Are you a fan”, and Sean said “Absolutely.” Joel asked, “You wanna be on it?” and Sean said “Yes.” So he was.
Elijah: that is amazing! that’s the stuff of legend!
[Elijah and Sean act out the interchange, Sean tells Elijah to lie down as though he’s Joel Sternam, but not like that, and then they go through it. very cute]
Sean: I went across the street and bought the three years of DVDs and told my wife, “Honey, I have to watch these!” I called my agent and said, “Remember I want to be in a show wearing a suit?” and my agent says “I’m working on it,” and I said, “I took care of it, make me a good deal and earn your percent”. And there I was, a little while later, in my suit.
Sean: And the chiropractor fixed my back up, I was better instantly
Q: Do you watch Dom’s show LOST?
Elijah: Obsessively. I love it. I started watching it out of love and respect for Dom, and now I’m hooked. [bit more about the show]
Sean: [bit about his brother Mackenzie getting a job on there]
Sean: Dom and I talked on the phone maybe a month or two before he got Lost.
Elijah: and now he’s found [audience laughter]
Sean: It was hard. There was a worry that we’d all become part of the Galaxy Quest [audience laughs]
Sean: It was hard for Dom for a little while, he was really hurting, he didn’t want to be feeling it, he didn’t want to be – as a professional actor, you don’t want to be thinking at that 32 you’re hanging it up. I was reassuring, I said that I was sure something big would happen for him, and the next month, he got Lost.
Elijah: It’s easier for us, we live here, he moved here, from Manchester
Sean: He revered American movie making, could quote movies better than anyone else, really rough for a while.
Q: What’s your favorite character on Lost?
Elijah: I don’t know… [doesn’t want to answer, audience laughs] Locke I think. It’s difficult to pick a favorite character in that show, because there’s a duality to each character. You can follow a character for four shows, and then there’s a flashback, and they’re different people. I think it’s awesome, all the secrets and stuff, the symbols…. you know when the boy, what’s his name? [audience: WALT!] comes out of the words, he speaks backwards [audience member quotes about pushing button good, not pushing button bad]. I look like a bad fan now.
Sean: I think you’re in. You’re not the sharpest, but you’re in.
Q: What’s your favorite scene?
Sean: Carrying him, on the volcano. [Elijah nods, audience awwws] You have the entire 270 million dollar franchise on your shoulders…
Elijah: [Complicated mutterings about some guy named Zane Weiner, prank wars, Viggo’s involved]
Q: What would you like to learn, that you don’t know how to do?
Sean: Play the piano
Elijah: Musical instruments, I used to play the piano, I’d like to play again, learn guitar, bass, drums…
Sean: To pilot the space shuttle
Elijah: I don’t know a foreign language which is really embarrassing.
Sean: Latin!
Elijah: I feel like a total student of life, I’m fascinated by anything and everything.
Sean: Piano, space shuttle, Latin. The space shuttle seems the least likely.
Q: Could you say hi to a little girl?
Elijah: Hi cutie, cute [wiggles his fingers, very sweet]
Q: Elijah, how many movies have you made in all?
Elijah: I don’t know. More than ten.
[audience: IMDB]
Sean: You can’t trust IMDB, it lists a bunch of movies I’m supposed to be filming that I’ve never heard of
[discussion, comes to about forty two]
Q: [comment] Really liked Sin City.
Elijah: it’s awesome!
Q: What’s your favorite part of the Lord of the Rings book?
Elijah: The Shelob trap, it’s an extraordinary chapter, especially the way it reflects, perhaps, the way Tolkien views women.
Q – [something about drama?]
Sean: [tells stories about his dad at Johns Hopkins, daughter doing regional theatre, mom in Montana doing regional theatre. something about telling stories around the campfire. ]
Q – preparing for Sin City?
Elijah: I didn’t have to worry about speech – it was about the way Kevin looked and the way he moved. Frank Miller was also co-director, so man who created them was on set. I was a huge fan, I knew the character. Because we were shooting the film essentially frame-by-frame from the books, you had a total visual reference from the start. Kevin moves a lot and has a very fluid movement, and we tried to keep it. It’s hard to move and keep your mouth from opening, it’s a reflex.
A couple of weeks before, I inquired if there would be action. They said, “do you have any wire experience?” and I said “no” because I’ve been in a harness, but… I get there I’m doing full-on wire work, in a very unprofessional way, God darn the editing makes it look good. It was a full day, I was doing kicks, I couldn’t move the next day.
Q – As far as pranks go on the [LOTR] set, what was the worst?
Elijah: There was a long-running prank, [to audience] Does anyone want to call it out?
Audience: Tig [much laughter]
Elijah: I love you guys. Amazing. [a bit about tig] I think they didn’t mean it as a prank, to start
Elijah: I’m pretty gullible
Sean: Trusting, like the mind-reading thing [some bits about that I missed]
Elijah: [mock-sad, back to Tig] I found out a year later, I felt like my whole life was a lie!
Sean: Did they steal it from “Friends”? [talks about the made-up game Cup in “Friends”]
Elijah: I know Dom and Bill were “Friends” fans
Sean: They stole it!
Q – How long have you guys known each other? How long have you been friends?
Elijah: We met at the Hotel Sofitel at Vincente and La Cienega. I was leaving my wig fitting and Sean was going in for his wig fitting. We saw each other, gave each other a massive hug, and have been friends ever since
Q – About the california sea lion docudrama
Sean: Rio films, lots of fun. [makes sea lion noise] I think i look like a sea lion
Q – How did you decide to get tattoos?
Elijah: The idea came up months and months and months prior, we ultimately decided on it about two months before filming finished, all got them together. Except John Rhys Davies, his stunt double got it. And Sean Bean.
Sean: He got his in New York, Orlando was there.
Elijah: and me.
Sean: When I got mine, I was scared and in pain. But now I’m happy I did it.
Q: About “The Faculty”
Elijah: I haven’t thought about that in a while, it was amazing experience, working with Rodriguez who I’m still friends with, living in Austin, one of my favorite places. A lot of young people… making a movie about aliens taking over a high school, we didn’t take it very seriously! Such a great group of people, fun time. All sorts of things, like the things coming out of my face — they did a reverse shot of things going in…. I made a lot of friends, who I’m still in touch with, not so much the actors.
Q – What’s your favorite game?
Sean: Age of Empires
Elijah: Of all time? ummmm, I’m huge fan of the Silent Hill series. By the way the trailer for the movie is online and it looks like someone finally got it righhhhht They’ve been making movies of video games for a long time… Mario Brothers, Resident Evil [incredulous whistle] they didn’t play the game! But Silent Hill looks good.
[They get a five-minute warning and go to what Elijah calls the “Speed Round”]
Q: You both grew up in california, Trojans or Bruins? [USC or UCLA American Football teams]
Sean: Bruins
Elijah: I’m smack dab in the middle.
Q: Iggy pop preparation?
Elijah: a lot of exercise, drum lessons, a lot of physical changes
Q – do you own an xbox 360?
Elijah: yes
Q – Did you carry Elijah up the mountain?
Sean: Most of the scenes were in front of a blue screen, but for one scene I had a harness, but Elijah didn’t. We were thousands of feet up…
Q: What kind of risk do you take [acting]?
Elijah: Risk, it’s vulnerability.
Sean: Every time, you risk sucking
Elijah: Disappointing people
Q – Will you quit acting, if your record label succeeds?
Elijah: No, I’ll never quit acting
[some joking around, that it might become a hobby]
Q – Elijah, where did you get blue eyes?
Elijah: From my mother. I’m half Polish, too.
Q – How do you make each other laugh?
Elijah: Eating chinese food [something about teriaki]
Sean: Starts to sing, walks over to Elijah, then says, “Brokeback Mountain” [audience laughs and whoops, Sean & Elijah are laughing too]
Q: What do you think of parodies?
Sean: If they’re good, you love them, if they’re bad…
Elijah: I love them
Q: What are your favorite movies?
Elijah: “Harvey”
Sean: “Patton”, and “Gandhi” to balance the militaristic and pacifistic
Q – Who was your closest friend in the movies, besides other hobbits?
Elijah: Besides hobbits? Ummm, Viggo.
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Friday
1:00 pm Convention Opens
1:30 pm New Zealand IS Middle Earth: There and Back Again with Red Carpet (Hosted by Diane Rooney) Sir Ian McKellen said, “Middle Earth is a real place, and it’s New Zealand.” TORn feature writer Celebriel shared the story of her journey on our website last summer. This multimedia presentation features tales and photos from travelers around the world who’ve made the journey and joined the fellowship that is Red Carpet Tours. Come be inspired by the magic that is New Zealand.
2:15 pm STAGE RESET
2:35 pm LOTR & SCI-FI COLLECTIBLE AUCTION: grab unbelievable bargains here!
3:10 pm DANIEL REEVE Calligrapher and Cartographer. Designer of all the maps, books, scrolls, parchments and inscriptions in the LOTR films.
4:00 pm DORKS AND SPORKS AT ORC – A MOVIE PARODY SPECTACULAR Jack is back… whether you want him or not! Co-director and all around genius Jack Peterson will be appearing with the cast and crew of the hilarious epic parody “The Dork of the Rings” coming Summer 2006.
4:35 pm MUSIC VIDEOS
4:50 pm Iron Artist Challenge – (hosted by Tadao Tomomatsu, judged by Debbie Hayes, Alyse Gagne, Veronica Smeltzer and Tim Kirk)
One hour! One theme! One winner per category! Join us for this exciting competition as professional artists Colleen Doran, Cynthia Cummens and Don Flaws take on amateurs Aubrey Guilbault, Ashley Taylor and Olga Bosserdt in a challenge to see who can produce the best Lord of the Rings themed artwork given one hour and a theme that none of them will know until minutes before they start! Categories include “Children’s Illustration,” “Cartooning” and “Illustration.”
9:00 pm Friday Night Entertainment Show One Ring Celebration Costume Competition and The Fenians plus a Cash Bar. Contestants for the costume competition visit the sign up table today for any questions you might have about participation and rules.
This table is located outside program room A NOTE: THIS EVENT IS COMPLIMENTARY FOR WIZARD PATRONS, for all others it is $65 (reserved seating) or $25 general admission, available today at REGISTRATION.
FRIDAY 6:30 LITTLE THEATRE In the vendors’ main area: FIRST SCREENING OF THE TRILOGY BLOOPERS. Note: Absolutely no cameras, cell phones, video or audio taping equipment is allowed and we will check and you will be turned away from the theatre. Please do not bring these items with you!
6:30 PM IF YOUR LAST NAME BEGINS WITH A-H (BRING PHOTO ID)
7:00 PM BLOOPERS IF YOUR LAST NAME BEGINS WITH H-P
7:30 PM BLOOPER IF YOUR LAST NAME BEGINS WITH Q-Z Saturday
11 am OPEN
11:30 am RINGERS PANEL: meet the filmmakers who will discuss their amazing documentary which we will screen later on today! Cliff Broadway (writer/producer) Jeff Marcheletta (producer) Josh Mandel (Dir. of Photography/Co-Producer) John Welch (Asst. Editor)
12:10 pm JOHN NOBLE (Denethor)
1:10 INTERMISSION
1:45 pm LORD OF THE RINGS & SCI-FI NO MINIMUM BID AUCTION Come down for the big deals!
2:30 pm MUSIC VIDEOS
2:50 pm ELECTRONIC ARTS LOTR presentation by Associate Producer Amer Ajami: Don’t miss it
3:30 pm ELIJAH WOOD and SEAN ASTIN
5:00 pm RINGERS SCREENING: the first showing of the entire documentary at a fan gathering, narrated by Dom Monaghan
6:40 pm Autographing with ELIJAH WOOD, SEAN ASTIN, JOHN NOBLE, DANIEL REEVE will be done on a complimentary basis for WIZARD
CIRCLE PATRONS (which we will call row by row) and then those with autograph tickets which we will call by number. AUTOGRAPH TICKETS are on sale today in the hallway in front of the main theatre at the following prices:
ELIJAH WOOD: $50
SEAN ASTIN: $50
JOHN NOBLE: $30
Saturday
PHOTO OPS Have your pictures taken with a celebrity and get a glorious full color 8 by 10 of you with your “brush with fame!” Taken by professional photographer CHRISTOPHER SCHMELKE (who did the photos at ELF in Florida and they were awesome!) PHOTO OPS TAKE PLACE IN THE LITTLE THEATRE, WHICH IS IN THE VENDORS ROOM AS YOU ENTER. You can still get photo op tickets in the hallway in front of the main theatre as follows:
1:30 pm JOHN NOBLE $40
2:15 pm SEAN ASTIN $60
5:10 ELIJAH WOOD $60
TIMES FOR PHOTO OPS, please be five minutes early, no need to arrive WAY early!
7:10 PM BLOOPER SCREENINGS in LITTLE THEATRE. IF YOU GETTING AUTOGRAPHS DURING THIS TIME, WE SUGGEST YOU COME SEE THE BLOOPERS AND THEN GO BACK TO THE AUTOGRAPH LINE GETTING BACK INTO PLACE WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN. Absolutely no cameras, cell phones, video or audio taping equipment is allowed and we will check and you will be turned away from the theatre. Please do not bring these with you.
7:10 YOUR LAST NAME BEGINS WITH A-H (BRING PHOTO ID)
7:35 PM BLOOPERS IF YOUR LAST NAME BEGINS WITH H-P
8:00 PM BLOOPER IF YOUR LAST NAME BEGINS WITH Q-Z
IF FOLKS STILL ARE WAITING TO SEE IT THAT HAVEN’T WE WILL CONTINUE RUNNING THEM.
9:30 pm Saturday Night Dessert Party NOTE LATER START THAN ADVERTISED Complimentary for WIZARD CIRCLE PATRONS, all others: $65 available at REGISTRATION
Featuring The One Ring Awards Presentation hosted by Cliff Broadway of RINGERS fame, the evening also features excerpts from: “Fellowship!” The Musical Parody of “The Fellowship of the Ring,” the hilarious musical send-up of Tolkien’s classic tale, “Hobbit Sisters,” Michael Bilach as Singing Gandalf: Sing along with Gandalf as he brings Middle-earth to life with song and guitar! Singing Gandalf, and Karaoke, Delicious Desserts and A Cash Bar
Sunday
Sunday OPEN AT 10AM for those coming to the now sold out BREAKFAST WITH BILLY BOYD, 11AM FOR ALL OTHERS
Sunday Morning 10am in the tabled area behind our main theatre: The One Ring Brunch & Charity Auction with BILLY BOYD, raising funds for The Epilepsy Connection of Glasgow. SOLD OUT PLEASE NOTE: for those not attending the breakfast, our main program of events will begin at noon. Secondary programming and vendors’ rooms will be open starting at 11am Sunday!
NOON: Influence and Power: The Relationship of Denethor and Pippin – (Lynette Porter) When we watch The Return of the King, we might find little in common between Pippin and Denethor, but they do share common family backgrounds and responsibilities, as well as some common interests. How do Pippin and Denethor influence each other, and how does each handle the power of leadership? The “rest of the story” is told in this session.
12:35 pm BILLY BOYD
1:45 pm MUSIC VIDEOS
2:10 pm SPECIAL NEW EVENT: LUNCHEON WITH MIRANDA OTTO, DANIEL REEVE AND JOHN NOBLE at The Sheraton Hotel, which is adjacent to the Pasadena Center. THIS IS A BRAND NEW EVENT and requires a separate ticket at $65 each available at the convention registration booth (the ones at the bottom of the steps into the facility) up till Saturday 2pm. The guests will be escorted around to tables so you will get the chance to meet them. Photos can be taken as they enter the room only. Limited attendance. Food is an Old Towne Deli Buffet with turkey, roast beef, ham salami, cheeses, bagels and breads, dessert, coffee, tea or iced tea.
2:10 Horsemanship in The Lord of the Rings Movies – (Laura Wilson)
How did Gandalf guide Shadowfax with no Bridle? Did Asfaloth really understand Glorfindel’s command of “Noro Lim!” and truly appreciate the danger that Frodo was in? In the film, did Brego feel affection for Aragorn as a person, or did he just see him as master? These are just a few of the points Laura will cover in her talk on Horsemanship in Middle-earth.
2:45 SEATING UPGRADES FOR NEXT YEAR: SEE AD IN THIS BOOKLET FOR INFO ON RESERVING YOUR SEATS FOR 2007!
3:15 LOTR & SCI-FI NO MINIMUM BID AUCTION
3:50 MIRANDA OTTO
4:45 THE TROUBLE OF THE RINGS A Russian Fan Parody. Some clips from the epic!
5:10 Iron Artist Auction for charity We will hold an auction of all 6 pieces of original art created in the Iron Artist Challenge in a charity auction geared to supporting http://www.vsarts.org/ VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to create a society where all people with disabilities learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts. Any art from the art show that needs to be auctioned off will come at this time as well.
5:40 pm LOTR TRIVIA CONTEST
6:00 pm AUTOGRAPHING with BILLY BOYD, MIRANDA OTTO complimentary for WIZARD CIRCLE PATRONS who we will call first row by row, followed by those with autograph tickets which can be purchased in the hallway outside of the theatre. BILLY BOYD is $50, MIRANDA OTTO is $50 and DANIEL REEVE is $15.
SUNDAY PHOTO OPS
Have your pictures taken with a celebrity and get a glorious full color 8 by 10 of you with your “brush with fame!” Taken by professional photographer CHRISTOPHER SCHMELKE (who did the photos at ELF in Florida and they were awesome!)
PHOTO OPS TAKE PLACE IN THE LITTLE THEATRE, WHICH IS IN THE VENDORS ROOM AS YOU ENTER.
You can still get photo op tickets in the hallway in front of the main theatre as follows:
1:40 pm BILLY BOYD $40 (IF YOU HAVE A TICKET TO THE NEW LUNCHEON AT 2:10PM YOU CAN GO TO THE HEAD OF THE LINE)
4:50 pm MIRANDA OTTO $60
SUNDAY IN THE LITTLE THEATRE IN THE VENDORS ROOM: 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm BLOOPER SHOWINGS: We will be showing the exclusive bloopers from the trilogy during this period on a repeated basis. We suggest you can come see this and go back to autographing if you wish and take your place in the line if your row or number was called.
PLEASE NOTE: ABSOLUTELY NO CAMERAS, CELL PHONES, VIDEO OR SOUND RECORDERS ALLOWED. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO BRING THEM INTO THE ROOM PLEASE.
SCHOLARS, KIDS, ART AND COSTUMING TRACKS
All these events take place in the VENDORS AREA OF THE CONVENTION in the rooms around the perimeter. THE POPULAR ORC ART SHOW is located in ROOM 101 in the same area
FRIDAY
PROGRAM ROOM A (VENDORS SIDE OF THE FACILITY)
2:00 pm: (kids) Debbie Hayes: “Elf Ears and Hobbit Feet: how to apply your pointy ears and foot hair” (75 min, ends at 3:15pm) Elf Ears and Hobbit Feet: How to Apply your Pointy Ears and Foot Hair”
Learn how to glue on and remove latex pointy ears and how to apply makeup so they look more realistic. Observe good techniques for applying foot hair and keeping it on all day. Selected volunteers receive a free pair of pointy ears, or a foot-hair application.
5:00 pm – Laura Cooper – Tengwar I: History and Understanding of the Alphabet (75 min)
Have you ever looked longingly at the beautiful Tengwar script Tolkien created and wish you could understand it? Perhaps you want to learn to write your name in Tengwar or design your own tattoo. The first of a two part class, Friday’s session will walk you through a brief history, then cover every consonant, vowel, carrier and variation of Tengwar.
PROGRAM ROOM B (VENDORS SIDE OF THE FACILITY)
1:30 pm – Mike Foster – J.R.R. Tolkien & C.S. Lewis: A Fellowship of Two J.R.R. Tolkien & C.S. Lewis: A Fellowship of Two – (Mike Foster)
With their first meeting in Oxford May 11, 1926 these two writers and friends influenced each other’s lives and literature in ways great and small. This creative and critical “fellowship of two” was not without its differences, some profound and unresolved. This session will explore how each spurred the other on, with the result being some of the finest English fiction ever wrought.
3:00 pm- Costuming: Elves and Hobbits with Leah Jakusovzky, Kent Elofson and Danielle Smeltzer
The hobbit and elf costumes have quite a different look. Each race is easy to recognize – the grace of elves vs. the earthiness of the hobbits. However, the basic shape of the garments is very similar: the difference is in the detail. Learn the styles as well as pattern modification tricks, fabric and detailing tips to accomplish both looks.
4:15 pm- Katrelya Angus – Denethor and Eowyn: Despair, Disobedience, and Hope (90 min, ends at 5:45pm Denethor and Eowyn are two of the most compelling characters in Lord of the Rings. Their motivations, their struggles with despair, the consequences of their acts of disobedience, and the hope given to them by their hobbit squires Pippin and Merry will be explored. All of this changed the fate of Middle Earth.
SATURDAY
PROGRAM ROOM A (VENDORS SIDE OF THE FACILITY)
11:00AM – Panel – “Bringing Sideshow Collectibles to Life: The Creative Process Behind Designing Lord of the Rings Figures.”
Participants: Heath Hammond, 3D Production Manager and Senior Designer – Scott Klauder, 3D Product Coordinator – Jared Chapman, Product Designer – moderated by Dusty Finn, Web Communications Coordinator
Description: Three key members of the Sideshow Collectibles 3D Development team are here to fill you in and answer your questions about the creative process behind bringing your favorite LOTR collectibles to life, from research and development to manufacturing. This is your chance to get up close and personal with these collectible works of art and the people who design them!
12:00 pm- (kids) Cynthia Cummens: Art for kids, and kids at heart: Simple lessons in drawing Middle-earth. Art for Kids, and Kids at Heart: Simple Lessons in Drawing Middle-earth – (Cynthia Cummins)
Hobbits, dragons and bears, oh my! No matter what your age or drawing ability, this session will teach you basic drawing tips and tricks you can use to bring your own visions of Middle-earth to life.
1:00 pm- Laura Cooper: Tengwar II: Writing and Reading Tengwar Writing and Reading Tengwar – (Laura Cooper)
This class builds on Friday’s session on the history and understanding of Tengwar. After a brief review of Friday’s material, the pen will hit the paper and you’ll be writing Tengwar before you know it! (An inexpensive calligraphy pen is recommended, but not required).
2:30 pm- Debbie Hayes: “Custom-made Pointy Ears: Live ear casting and sculpting demonstration” (90 mins., ends at 4pm Creating custom prosthetics is a long process. See a live demonstration of the first two steps: creating a plaster model of a person’s ear, and using oil-based clay to sculpt the pointy shape on top of the plaster ear cast.
PROGRAM ROOM B (VENDORS SIDE OF THE FACILITY)
11:00 am- Anne Petty – Tolkien’s Short Fiction: Gems of Humor and Style Tolkien’s Short Fiction: Gems of Humor and Style – (Anne Petty)
In addition to “The Lord of the Rings,” Tolkien published shorter works throughout his life. Thought-provoking as well as entertaining, these stories contain a wealth of satire, allegory and that special tongue-in-cheek Tolkien humor we all love. If you’ve read them, come and learn more about their wonderful nuances; if you haven’t, come and learn why you should!
12:00 pm- Costuming: “Taking That First Stitch: Getting Started in Lord of the Rings Costuming” By Judy Grivich, Leah Jakusovzky, Danielle Smeltzer, Kent Elofson and AJ Wu.
So you want to get started in costuming? If you’ve never sewn or hardly sewn, don’t worry! Creating costumes may sound scary, but it really isn’t; it just takes a bit of imagination and a willingness to try new things. Learn the beginner’s dos and don’ts, and overcome the fear of that first trip to the fabric store, scrounging thrift shops, and entering your first masquerade.
1:00 pm- Greg Wright – “Sometimes a film may say best what’s to be said: A Critique of Tolkien & Lewis Opinions of Film.”
Have you ever wished you could sit down with either Tolkien or Lewis after watching the Lord of the Rings or Narnia movies and discuss it with them? Would they have approved of the recent film adaptations of their works? Join us for a review of Tolkien’s and Lewis’ rather harsh opinions about the art form of film.
3:00 pm- Panel – “From page to screen: The Lord of the Rings vs. The Chronicles of Narnia” – How Well did Each Story Translate to the Screen? Greg Wright (moderator) Mike Foster, Katrelya Angus, Lynnette Porter, Alison Baird, Peter S. Beagle. (90 min., end at 4:30 pm)
Peter Jackson and Andrew Adamson helped create some of the most popular movies in the history of film. This panel of Tolkien and Lewis experts will discuss the challenges each director faced, and where each succeed and failed in staying true to the stories and characters so many of us have come to love.
4:30 pm- Amy Sturgis – “The Middle-earth – Hogwarts connection: How J.R.R. Tolkien answers the Harry Potter question.”
The popular media today shows confusion about whether the Harry Potter series is actually for adults or children; likewise for The Lord of the Rings. The answer rests in Tolkien’s own definition of fairy-stories, so eloquently expressed in his essay, “On Fairy Stories.” Explore how Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings fulfills his definition and how the Harry Potter series fits into its tradition.
5:30 pm – Panel – “The Stewardship of the Valar”. Mike Foster, Amy Sturgis, Katrelya Angus, Anne Petty.
Eru created Middle-earth from the breathtaking music of the Valar, entrusted it to their keeping, and everything went downhill from there! Join our panel in discussing what the Valar did right and what they did wrong in guiding the fates of the people of Middle-earth.
SUNDAY
PROGRAM ROOM A (VENDORS SIDE OF THE FACILITY)
12:00 pm- (kids)Michael Bilach – Singing Gandalf –
Sing along with Gandalf as he brings Middle-earth to life with song and guitar.
5:00 pm- Laura Cooper – Dwarf Runes I: The Alphabet, Reading and Writing Dwarf runes: The Alphabet, Reading and Writing – (Laura Cooper)
Have you ever tried to decipher the runes on the title pages of The Lord of the Rings or from the Chamber of Mazarbul? They really do make sense and are easier to understand than you think!
This hands-on class will teach you how to read and write with the best of Durin’s folk!
PROGRAM ROOM B (VENDORS SIDE OF THE FACILITY)
11:00 am- All About Armor! By Judy Grivich, Leah Jakusovzky, Danielle Smeltzer, Kent Elofson and AJ Wu.
Interested in learning about creating the amazing armor in Lord of the Rings? This panel will cover a wide variety of armor making methods including craft foam, paper mache, fiber glassing and PVC chain mail.
Learn how to use accessible and cheap materials to simulate metal and leather and how the movie industry uses plastics.
12:00 pm- Panel – “Which characters in the Lord of the Rings films came closest to Tolkien?” Peter S. Beagle, Greg Wright, Katrelya Angus, Mike Foster.
Love Boromir, hate Faramir? When it comes to Peter Jackson’s depictions of our beloved Tolkien characters there is no lack of strong opinions. Discuss which characters in the recent movies captured the essence of what Tolkien intended, and where creative license perhaps went too far.
1:00 pm- The ‘Gift of Men’: A blessing or curse? How the various people of Middle-earth view and handle death. Greg Wright, Amy Sturgis, Lynette Porter, Alison Baird.
In his letters, Tolkien described ‘death’ as one of the primary themes of The Lord of the Rings. Immortality, faith, reincarnation and mysticism are interwoven throughout Tolkien’s mythology as part of this theme. This in-depth discussion looks at why Tolkien portrayed death as a gift, and how it was viewed by the various mortal and immortal races of Middle-earth.
3:00 pm- Panel – “Tolkien and the Fates: A discussion of Free-will and pre-destination in Lord of the Rings.” Greg Wright, Mike Foster, Amy Sturgis, Lynnette Porter
Did “The Precious” really make Gollum do it? Was Bilbo really “meant to find the Ring?” How much did free will vs. pre-destination guide the events that shaped the outcome of the War of the Ring? Join our panel in discussing this fun and interesting topic and see what side of the issue you end up on.
4:00 pm- Panel – Pictures painted with words: Visions of Middle-earth inspired by Tolkien’s prose. Colleen Doran, Cynthia Cummens, Daniel Reeve and Tim Kirk. (90 min., ends at 5:30pm, show and tell at end) Each of us treasures our own visions of what Middle-earth and its characters look like. The talented artists on this panel have bravely and lovingly translated their visions into realities. In this session, they share what inspired them the most and what challenged them the most in creating art from Tolkien’s beautiful, but sometimes obscure prose.
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