This weekend is the big one for West Coast Ringer fans. There is an embarrassment of riches for every stripe of fan. So much to do! Be sure to check out the variety of panels & discussions all 3 days.

Convention-goers will gather in Burbank this weekend for the One Ring Celebration with many special guests – including surprises from the RINGERS team. The film’s creators will give a live running commentary with RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS! Also Keith Stern reveals secrets of McKellen.com – a special panel ‘Tolkien Animated,’ and even Ostadan & Quickbeam’s ‘The Game’s The Thing!’ For more info on ORC visit: http://www.creationent.com/cal/one_ring.htm

Here’s a fast run-down of some special panels / discussions happening at ORC:

Sunday, March 11, 2007

MAIN THEATRE (ACADEMY BALLROOM) 10:30 am

* “RINGERS: The Director’s Screening” with Carlene Cordova & Cliff Broadway (and maybe a surprise)

Come join a special screening of the award-winning documentary RINGERS: LORD OF THE FANS where the film’s director & writers will be on hand for a special LIVE running commentary. It’s like a “Director’s Commentary” you would find on a DVD — but this is live, uncensored, in real time with the film! Enjoy ribald stories of mischief and globe-trotting mayhem as Carlene Cordova & Cliff Broadway reveal secrets of the pop-culture documentary that could!

FRIDAY March 9, 2007 “HOBBIT TRACK” ROOM

JUNIOR BALLROOM IN THE HOTEL’S MAIN LOBBY 5:00 pm* “The Game’s the Thing”

From the cherished and dusty pages of TORN’s cornerstone blog GREEN BOOKS, join both Ostadan (Mike Urban) & Quickbeam (Cliff Broadway) as your hosts to the world of Tolkien-inspired games. Dice, cards, tokens & yellow plastic rings are all you need to enjoy a hobbit’s holiday. Many clever game designs have been produced over the years — running the gamut from Board Games to Trading Cards to X-Box. Bring a copy of your favorite game — we’ll play!

FRIDAY March 9, 2007 “HOBBIT TRACK” ROOM

JUNIOR BALLROOM IN THE HOTEL’S MAIN LOBBY

Ashlee & Rachel Scott, Carlene Cordova and Josh Mandel – Fan-Filmmaking 101 6:00 pm

Have you been seeing fan films online or at conventions for years now and wondered how to go about making them? Do you have ambitions to move from the Fan Filmmaking field into a more professional aspect of the industry? Come listen to some stories on how our attending filmmakers got started, what equipment they use or recommend, where they get their ideas from and how they talk all their friends into helping them out. (45 min)

Sunday, March 11, 2007 – THE HOBBIT TRACK, JUNIOR BALLROOM MAIN LOBBY 2:15 pm

Greg Wright, Cliff Broadway and Katrelya Angus

Untold Third-Age Tales We’d Like to Hear. Scuttlebutt has it that New Line Cinema intends to make two films out of The Hobbit, and that the second film will include “new” storylines that will connect it to Peter Jackson’s LoTR films.Is this a good idea at all? If it is, what storylines would you like the screenwriters to consider for inclusion?Join what will likely be a lively, entertaining, and maddening discussion! (1 hr)

Forbidden Planet is pleased to announce a signing by Alan Lee to promote the release of The Children Of Húrin (Special Offer Price £14.99). He will be at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR, on Thursday 19th April 6 – 7pm. Alan Lee is best known as co-lead artist on Peter Jackson’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie trilogy. However, as well as the Academy Award he won in 2004. [More]

Forbidden Planet is pleased to announce a signing by Alan Lee to promote the release of The Children Of Húrin (Special Offer Price £14.99). He will be at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR, on Thursday 19th April 6 – 7pm

Alan Lee is best known as co-lead artist on Peter Jackson’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie trilogy. However, as well as the Academy Award he won in 2004, he’s also the recipient of the Kate Greenaway Medal for illustration in 1993 for ‘Black Ships Before Troy’ and the Best Artist Award at the World Fantasy Awards of 1998. Lee has also worked as a conceptual designer on the films ‘Legend’, ‘Erik the Viking’ and ‘King Kong’ and the television miniseries ‘Merlin’.

Painstakingly reconstructed by Christopher Tolkein from his father’s manuscripts, this book tells tales of Morgorth, Glaurung and the World before Sauron. Featuring magical illustrations by Lee throughout, this is a miraculous, missing chapter in the greatest fantasy saga of them all.

Alan Lee will be signing at the Forbidden Planet London Megastore. The largest store of its kind in the world, this store continues the Forbidden Planet tradition of hosting appearances by the greatest names in science fiction and fantasy. Previous guests have Christopher Lee, Andy Serkis, Iain Banks, Douglas Adams, Anne McCaffrey, Clive Barker, Stephen King, William Gibson and H. R. Giger.

Alex Etel writes: Hey everyone, I have posted my very first production diary of my experiences of making The Waterhorse. This is the first time I have done anything like this and I am learning as I go. And it was exactly one year ago today that I got the role! [More]

Lost’s Dominic Monaghan will play an 18th-century gravedigger and Hellboy’s Ron Perlman is attached to play his priest in the horror film I Sell the Dead for producer-actor Larry Fessenden’s Glass Eye Pix, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Monaghan (The Lord of the Rings) and Fessenden (Broken Flowers) will portray London corpse traders who perform services for an aristocratic doctor. [More]

Estel writes: I just wanted fans of Alan Lee to know that he will sign copies of Children of Hurin at Forbidden Planet bookstore, Shaftesbury Avenue, London. The signing will be on April 19th between 6 and 7 pm. Also mail order, phone 020 7803 1900.