Ring*Con 2008 - Press Conference
Again, a huge thank you to Brigitte (again!), we had the chance to attend Ring*Con's press conference. Unfortunately (well, not in general but for us) the other attendees were quite eager to get their questions out, mainly to the bigger guests like John Rhys-Davis, Brad Dourif and Lee Arenberg. Nevetheless Mark had his fair share, too, and here are the questions he could answer ... Again there's a prettier version with some pictures available at
CraigParker.de.
Question: A question to all of you if you want to answer. How important is it for you, to be here or on another Convention, meeting the fans that keep all these movies going. How important is it for you as an actor to get in touch with the fans that get it all going and give the fans something back?
[The other actors answer the question, one by one and the question slowly wanders down to the end of the table where Mark sits]
Shane Rangi: I have no idea what the question was and I tried to work it out while it came down hear [
laughters, then he answers the question]. And the other thing is, where else ... I mean, I can drink Coca Cola back in New Zealand, but who would have thought that a married boy from the East Coast in New Zealand could do this in Germany? [
drinks Coke like in the tv ad]. Did you get that?
Mark: Have you got the sponsorship then?
Shane: [
swears not to have one]
Mark: Well, they only represent themselves here. Hi everyone, this is a really difficult question and it's been answered incredibly well and I am the last one. This is my [
mumbles, clears throat] seventh Ring*Con [
laughters] and I think everyone is lucky coming back as soon as they can to answer the question? I'm getting closer and closer - and I think about, you know, Ring*Con [
Pauses] 47 [
Shane says something] When I am 47, should be around the same time. I think it has been answered beautifully by everyone and it's always a huge joy to come. I think for those of us who have done a few of them, Ring*Con, as many other Conventions, has grown into it's own style, which is being partly because of us but very much because of the fans. I think we're breaking down a lot of boundaries along the way about how these things should work. When we first started, none of us knew how these things should work. So we made it up when we went along and we continued to do this and I hope we can continue that. I think it's been a great development and about being open ob both sides to where it should go, which is why I'm still continuing and why we're here. And I am stopping now [
looks at bottles on the table and their labels, shuffling them around] One of the sponsors, see what I can get.
Question: This is also a question to everyone here. Literature, as we just pointed out, is very important because without literature there would be no stuff for actors to act on. What is the kind of literature our common fantasy actor does read?
Shane Rangi: [
tells that he doesn't read that much and that he didn't read the Lord of the Rings books] I hope this all makes sense? [
Hands mic over to Mark]
Mark: Oh yeah, pass it to me on. [
Roaring laughters] Shane ... In the seven years I am doing this, you were the first actor who has actually admitted to not reading the books.
Shane: I'm not a reader.
Mark: [
Laughs] I don't know. I saw this coming, I'm used to it. So - one of the things I think is always interesting with Fantasy and I am starting with ... My elder son now, both my sons now, are staring to be interested in Warhammer [
Make Warhammer noises] Yap. So we've gone from reading to movies now to live action. What's really interesting is ... why these books really absorbed and engaged the kids - whether that be Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings or one of the other wonderful series out there for young people ... I think the big reason is very obvious. They have great characters, yes, but they create worlds, they create an environment, they create a reality that is really engaging. It's a good idea for parents to read these as well. I think it's wonderful that kids are coming and getting into these interesting experiences, whether be online or other worlds. Let's go! [
Lies down microphone, leans over to Shane, laughs].
Question: This is a very short question ... I was interested in ... how's the relationship between the actors who performed in Harry Potter and the actors who performed in Lord of the Rings?
Jed Brophy: We hate them [
Laughters]
{
John Rhys-Davis says that the Lord of the Rings actors are envious because the Harry Potter actors still have some movies left which is later repeated by Chris Rankin]
Mark: We'll see how you go with your old - what's it called ... wand versus a sword or a spear.
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