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DISCLAIMER: This transcript is provided on an "as is" best efforts basis and is based on a MiniDisc recording made where speech was not always legible because of noise in the room and placement of the microphone at the back of a large room. Any errors made in transcribing what was actually said are mine, and not those of the speakers quoted, and may include spelling mistakes, incorrect names and other minor typo's. The recording was made on my behalf by Reiner Harth and German translations are based on a very quick conversation between us in a short break, so may not be very accurate. The English transcripts are taken direct from the recording. As with all transcripts readers should also bear in mind that statements read in cold print can often convey a completely different meaning from that intended by the speaker and perceived by the original audience.
German language
Interviewer: Stefan, lord of the rings film web site (Herre-der-ring-de) and organiser of this convention. Stefan Servos: We didn't imagine that this would be such a big event. The Monday after Con2002 we got over 1000 rave emails and so we just sat together to plan a bigger event. It's the biggest convention around. There's nowhere else where you can get everything together - the books, the movies, the merchandising. I hope fans are as pleased as they were last year. We had a lot of workshops and discussions last year. Marcel Bülles will say more about that. We have a big thing with Air New Zealand. One visitor will have a dream come true, but I'll let Jutta Simon tell you more about that. Interviewer: Did hits on your web pages increase dramatically? Stefan: Yes, they get higher and higher. It's unbelievable. There's a lot going on with the community and people exchanging photos and notes. We make t-shirts at cost price - we don't earn any money on that. Almost every week there is a meeting of the forum fans. Interviewer: We're very impressed and we're looking forward to the next few days. (FX: turns to Marcel Bülles) The German Tokien Society - you can't move without seeing them. There are a lot of forums and presentations coming from members of the German Tolkien Society. What can we expect? Marcel Bülles: The German Tolkien Society is focused more on the books than the movie. We almost doubled the program from last year with authors, Tolkien experts and actors from the movies. We tried to not just focus on literature but also on board games. We have been able to attract the experts to this convention: Reiner Knizia, Dr Rainer Nagel, Alexandra Velten, Dr Helmut Pesch, Dr Christian Weichmann, Dr Thomas Honegger, Friedhelm Schneidewind René van Rossenberg. A good thing about Ring*Con, in contrast to other conventions which are focused on actors and celebrities, is that we focus on the books. The biggest problem for the Ring*Con attendees, according to our forums, is they don't know where to look - there's so much to see. We're proud of that. Interviewer: That sounds very good. Frau Simon... (FX: discussion with Jutta Simon from Air New Zealand that we didn't have time to get translated)
English language
Interviewer: Mr Parker! Craig Parker: Mein herr! Interviewer: (FX: mishearing this as "Mine hair") Yeah, it looks good! Craig: No, I was speaking German: Mein herr. Interviewer: So you're back at RingCon! Craig: Yeah. I'm scared! Interviewer: You're scared? Why? Craig: Because the last one hurt me a lot! Interviewer: Really? The cocktail bar or what? Craig: Yeah, the cocktail bar! Interviewer: So now you're drinking only water! Craig: Yeah, no drinking this time. Interviewer: OK. It's better. What happened this year in your life, since the last Ring*Con? Craig: Ah, lots of things, really! I've been to all sorts of places. I'm scared now. Yeah, I've just been finishing a television series, with six months of that between and since that I've just been travelling around Europe and doing a few of these things and visiting various bars in different countries, just to investigate local drinking, which is quite good in Germany. You're quite good at it, I've discovered. And you can buy beer at a gas station, which is brilliant! Interviewer: You had fun at the last Ring*Con? Craig: I had a fantastic time. For Mark and I it was the first convention we'd come to and we were scared - we didn't know who we were going to find. We were scared not of these people [the press], but the people outside - and they turned out to be fantastic. So we ended up having a party with two and a half thousand friends for three days so… Interviewer: (FX: looking at Lawrence Makaore, sat next to Craig)) And now you have your own bodyguard with you Lawrence Makaore: You were scared of all these people, and yet 10,000 Uruk Hai you weren't scared of??!! Craig: They're weak as girls, the Uruk Hai. Just push them down! Interviewer: Thanks a lot, Craig. Any questions here? Sala Baker: Come on, Germany! Question: My name is (indecipherable) working for RTF Television and my first question goes to Sala Baker. Can you express the feeling for us, playing this evil villain? Sala: Describe playing Sauron? It was great. To be a character like that. I'd originally wanted to be the character and I was denied it at the start because I was too big. So once I got it, it's still taken me 'til now to be a character like that. It's crazy because I never ever thought I would be that character but then once in the costume and the make-up, you know all that sort of stuff, as soon as you… like all these guys, as soon as you get to the costume you turn into somebody else. You walk different. You act different. You start talking different even though you occasionally see yourself, for me anyway. It was crazy…. Craig: How do you… sorry , but how do you do the walking when you're just an eyeball? FX: Loud audience laughter Sala: Exactly! See, you walk when you're just an eye. Craig: Hmmm. I don't know….. Sala: But no, it was great because it took me a long time to see my stuff on film and look at it and say 'That was me!' because it's such a great character. You know my character was 'The Lord of the Rings', so to give these guys [the other actors] a job to do every now and then, you know… It was hard because I was told, you know, what do you think about Darth Vader and The Devil and I had a great director that we all worked with, Peter, who said to me that basically Darth Vader and The Devil were nothing, they're choirboys. It made me feel… to be up there and to be The Dark Lord, especially for the fan club, and you guys, to basically bring the character to life that we all had done. It was great. I had fun doing it, and it was the best character! Question: What has changed in your life, playing this character? Did the people recognise you on the street without the mask? Did they chase you? An eyeball? Sala: (pretending to sulk) That's not even funny! John Leigh: When he's been drinking a lot and his eyes are bloodshot they go 'Ahhhh! Sauron!' Sala: Yes and no. I've done a lot of publicity with all the guys and stuff and they do, every now and then, but not as much as these guys whose faces are on screen…. So yes and no. Question: And the last question, for all of the members, can you describe to me, what do you do now, after 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy? What is your next project? Bruce Hopkins: Bugger all! First is to get Christmas out of the way, with family and go home and just kind of relax a little bit because this year's been a fairly interesting year. And then next year I'm going to go to L.A. around the time of The Academy Awards, just soak up a bit of that and see what's happening, go to some more conventions… I really don't know what's going to happen. That's the life of most actors. You have no idea what's going to happen unless you're the A-list in which case you might have your year planned out in advance. Basically, I hope to do one live theatre show - most years I try to do one live show, I did 'Macbeth' this year and next year I'd like to do another Shakespeare maybe., or some other role in live theatre. Otherwise I'm just waiting to see what comes. Interviewer: Mr Lees, Mr Matrix! Nathaniel Lees: I've got to direct a piece of theatre back in New Zealand next year and find out what my family are doing as well. That's what I'll be doing next year. John Leigh: When I get back I'm doing a TV series - I actually have to leave this early to go and do it - called 'Serial Killers', which isn't quite what it sounds like. It's about (indecipherable) soap opera. Anyway it's a job. It's a living. We have to eat too. Can't do movies all the time. It'll probably take me through to Christmas. Lawrence Makaore: We have pick-up stuff for the extended version of the DVD for the extended version of 'The Return of the King'. I play three characters in 'Return of the King'. Next year, this year.. they're doing like 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe', 'King Kong' that Sala Baker auditioned for. Any large creature that's bigger than an eye is Sala's so this is pretty much full. FX: long pause Sala: Answer the question, man. Come on! Craig: Lunch is serving now, you do know that? Lawrence: (slow and deliberating) Well at 9 o'clock I'll be at … no, I'm pretty busy doing conventions. I've been just finishing off with Milton Keynes. I'll be in Milwaukee doing Tent-Moot with Sean Astin. And we've got the world premiere and ongoing stuff. (FX: turns to John Leigh, who is shaking his head) Not going to the premiere? John: Well some of us died! Craig: Going to the Berlin one. Lawrence: You're going to the Berlin one? Awwwwww…… Sala: (FX: sending Craig up) Nya Nya nyaaaaa nyaaaa Lawrence: Well Sala can't go because he's just an eye…. Craig: In 'The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe' I'm going to be playing the wardrobe! I'm looking forward to that - the most animated performance so far. I'm just cruising around - I'm living in London now so I'm hoping to do some theatre over there and bits and pieces and …. Yeah, just eating and drinking for the next two months. Sala: Thanks Craig! I'm based in LA now so I'm just listening to stuff and I'm a boring fart too so… MARK FERGUSON….. Mark Ferguson: Until the end of the year I'm just going to be doing some travelling, which is gonna be great. A couple of conventions and just whizzing around. Where are we going? Spain mainly, Italy,... somewhere else. Next year, not really sure, acting wise but I've also got my own company so I've got a bit of a real job as well and I'll be continuing with that. Sala: Jørn! Yaaaaaaaay! Jørn Benzon: I don't know, what will I be doing? I guess I'll be doing more of these conventions that I've been invited to. Yay! And hopefully getting home before Christmas, I don't know. I'm kind of having trouble with my flights so if anybody's got any… Craig: There's a lady from Air New Zealand just down here.. Jørn: Otherwise, I've been invited to the premiere in Copenhagen, which I'll be attending on December 14th so that should be my 'highlight of the year', I would say. Otherwise next year I'm pretty much hoping for anything that's happening in New Zealand. Interviewer: OK. Thanks a lot guys. Craig: Those were the most boring answers you could possibly have got. I apologise for all of us.
A Few Words with Mark Ferguson
Ian: Last year was your first convention. You've probably done a few more since then? Mark: No, no, no. This is my second! Ian: You're doing 'The Gathering' though next month, I think? Mark: Yeah. Ian: So what's made you come back? Mark: I was asked! Ian: Didn't you learn enough last time? (laughs) Mark: No. Erm. I had a great time last time. And from the other guys who've done a lot of conventions and signing I think Craig's the one who's done most and done this one. He can't speak highly enough about this one. I think because it's a combination of the signing and getting to meet people. But also because it's a bit more of a show, which we old theatre sluts really quite enjoy because otherwise you know you're sort of invited along and that's great, but just sitting there relentlessly signing just seems to me a little commercial. The thing is as far as the fans are concerned it's a wonderful opportunity, without wanting to sound too rehearsed in the answer, to actually get to meet people who are genuinely interested in you, which to us is always a HUGE surprise. We can never quite believe it, and it's always great fun telling people back home: 'No, they really were. They're really keen'.
A Few Words with Craig Parker
Ian: Last year was your first convention. You've done quite a few events since... Craig: (laughs) I've become a whore, Ian! Ian: Oh hang on, it wasn't recording that. Damn! I nearly got Craig Parker saying he'd become a whore. OK. It's working now. Craig: Yeah. It's a good job you didn't record me saying I've become a whore. (FX: grabs microphone) Thank God you didn't record me saying 'I've become a whore!' Ian: That will be on twenty different Craig Parker fan sites in about an hour's time! Anyway, what's made you come back to this one? Craig: You know the first one is the one you remember always, and erm... I truly had a remarkable time last year, so when they offered, you know, 'Come back to this one', I thought 'Absolutely!' And it is the best... I'm not as shallow as I sound sometimes, but it is truly the best convention party there is I think. Ian: Why do you think that is? Craig: I don't know... I think the Germans are quite good at having a party, I've discovered. And because.. the size of this and people all in the hotel it just has a natural kind of fun.
Ring*Con 2003 Reports and Transcripts Main Index
Don't forget you can check out reports of lots of other Lord of the Rings -themed events in the Web Logs section

Email: ian@iansmith.co.uk