fan challengeThe good folks at Warner Bros. Home Entertainment are running a pretty huge contest at the moment – offering fans a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour in New Zealand.

Fans have been voting, since Dec 26th, to pick their favourites from various scenes from all three Hobbit movies.  Tomorrow, Jan 13th, the winning scenes will be revealed. Fans then have until February 2nd to submit their own recreations of those scenes, to be in with a chance to win!

You can see which scenes have been chosen (from tomorrow) here. Then either get going with making your own video, or check back on February 9th to vote for your favourite from the fan creations!

Full details of the contest are at the official competition website, here.  There are of course lots of rules about things such as country of residence, and we’re sorry but you do have to be 18 and over to enter.  Check out all the rules at the competition site – to get you started, here is a brief summary for you:

* Entrants submit their videos (up to two minutes in length) to the official contest entry page on the site for judging. Videos must also be uploaded to YouTube complete with the Hobbit Challenge endcard and official hashtag #hobbitchallenge to quality.

* From February 9 – February 15 fans will be able to vote on their favorite video submissions on the official Hobbit YouTube channel. The top 30 entries as voted by fans will then be reviewed by a panel of judges.

* A winning video from each participating country will be announced starting March 24, 2015. Dates and times vary by country. The winner from each country will receive a prize package including The Hobbit collectibles from The Noble Collection and a Blu-ray of The Hobbit Trilogy.

* The winning country videos will advance to the grand prize judging to be decided by representatives of the filmmakers.

* The Grand Prize Winner will be announced on April 22, 2015, and will receive a trip for 2 to New Zealand and a visit to the Hobbiton Movie Set Tour.

Good luck to all who enter!

 

[Please note, TheOneRing.net is in no way affiliated with this contest. If you have questions or comments about the rules, please go to https://fanchallenge.thehobbit.com and contact the organisers there.]

 

One Last Party fundraiser!

one last party logo Our One Last Party fundraiser on Indiegogo is 80% funded and we’re pretty stoked!

If you’d like to join us as a Party of Special Magnificence in Hollywood in February — a toast to all SIX Middle-earth movies, then now is the time to throw in your support! Even if you can’t make it to Hollywood (or if you’ve already contributed), you can help out by retweeting or sharing our fundraiser across social media to get the word out.

Visit our campaign page to see how you can help — so we can all celebrate Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth movies together!

one last party botfa poster  We’re into the final week of The One Last Party Indiegogo campaign, and only 20% away from our goal! With a last push in these closing days we can get there – and hold a celebration of this journey of fandom we’ve been on together!

We’ve been eager, from the start, to provide ways for fans to be involved with this celebration, even if you can’t make it to Los Angeles. The campaign includes signed collectibles and stunning art work available as perks; an opportunity to get access to a live stream of the party; and a special ‘Thank You’ which we will send to Peter Jackson, with the names of all who pledge.  There are also ‘Supporter of Special Magnificence’ tshirts available, which feature the words, ’17 years is far too short a time to party among such excellent and admirable fans’.

The One Last Party is about the Fellowship of Fandom, and we hope that everyone who enjoys TheOneRing.net will feel able to be a part of it in some way. Which leads us to the awesome GIVEAWAY we have to announce!

Thanks to one very generous supporter, who is keen to see the campaign reach its goal, we have got our hands on a Battle of the Five Armies poster, signed at San Diego ComicCon by:

one last party botfa poster2Dwalin – Graham McTavish
Gollum – Andy Serkis
Tauriel – Evangeline Lilly
Thranduil – Lee Pace
Legolas – Orlando Bloom
Bard – Luke Evans
Smaug – Benedict Cumberbatch
Frodo – Elijah Wood
Galadriel – Cate Blanchett

This poster (measuring 13′ by 20′), together with the holographic wristband that was needed to get it at SDCC, will be given away to one lucky supporter, chosen at random from all the pledges of $10 and above that we receive THIS WEEK (Monday 12th to Sunday 18th January).

one last party botfa poster3The poster will only be given away IF we reach our goal! If we get to $180k by (or before!) the deadline on Sunday 18th, one name will be chosen at random to receive this amazing poster and wristband.  Each new pledge of $10 or higher during this final week will be a separate entry into the draw; the more times you pledge, the more chances you have to win!

(If you don’t want to run the risk of not winning, remember, you could pledge for the ‘Gimli, Son of Gloin’ perk and get a larger poster signed by 12 cast members!)

Help us reach our goal, be part of the celebration, and this fabulous signed poster could be on its way to you!

Huge thanks to the generous supporter who has donated this amazing item; and to all who have supported The One Last Party so far. Together we can make this celebration a reality!  Click here to visit the campaign: theonelastparty.com

 

(Please note, the poster is displayed on a frame in the photographs; the frame is not included in the giveaway! Poster will be shipped carefully packaged in a tube.)

One Last Party fundraiser!

one last party logo Our One Last Party fundraiser on Indiegogo is almost 80% funded and we’re pretty stoked!

If you’d like to join us as a Party of Special Magnificence in Hollywood in February — a toast to all SIX Middle-earth movies, then now is the time to throw in your support! Even if you can’t make it to Hollywood (or if you’ve already contributed), you can help out by retweeting or sharing our fundraiser across social media to get the word out.

Visit our campaign page to see how you can help — so we can all celebrate Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth movies together!

one last party thranduil winterIt’s all happening as we head into our final week of fundraising for The One Last Party. These are the final days to reach that goal, so we can all celebrate the journey of fandom we’ve been on together. You can pledge for a party ticket; but if you can’t join us in person, there are still many ways to be involved:

  • – pledge $10 to be part of the ‘Thank You’ we will send to Peter Jackson
  • – claim a ‘Supporter of Special Magnficence’ tshirt (which reminds us that ’17 years is far too short a time to party among such excellent and admirable fans’)
  • – get access to the exclusive Live Stream of the event
  • – or lay your hands on one of the other fabulous perks on offer!

 

We’ve just added three NEW perk items!

one last party thranduil darkIncredible artist Eeva, who created TORn Book Club’s logo, has drawn two amazing images of Mirkwood’s own party elf, Thranduil. There are only NINE prints available of each of her two illustrations (‘Dark Thranduil’ and ‘Mirkwood in Winter’), and each will be signed by Eeva. Elf lovers should snap them up before they’re gone! See the ‘Thranduil Special’ perks and choose which one you want – or get them both!

We also have a new perk for the Bookworms amongst you! (We know how Tolkien fans love to read!) Our own Kili, of Happy Hobbit fame, is also a talented author. She has generously given us FIVE copies of her debut novel, Darkling, to use as perks. Here’s a description of the book:

“How far would you go to save your family?

Midsummer used to be a day of feasts and bonfires. A day when cares were set aside for the joy of grass between our toes, warm hands in our palms, laughter in our hearts. Our celebrations dimmed with the light. Something upset the balance of our woods. Something so deep that even our bonfires can’t lure the sun back. And he has something to do with it. Of that we’re sure, which is why I’m being given to him.

one last party darklingDARKLING is K.M. Rice’s suspenseful debut novel about a young woman’s sacrifice to save her village and the unexpected strength that comes from first love. ”

None other than Richard Taylor has read Darkling and loved it! He said, “I’ve just finished reading a delightful, … beautiful ghost story book called Darkling. And that’s one I’d definitely recommend. …it’s a haunting, creeping, wonderful story .”

You could have a copy of this book, signed and inscribed to you by Kellie/Kili – just pledge for the ‘Happy Haunted Hobbit’ perk!

Later today, party planners will be joining staffer Sarumann on his TORn Book Club to chat about what we have lined up for The One Last Party – tune in at 12noon PST today to hear more, or to ask us questions!

You can also leave questions or comments for us on the ‘Comments’ page of the Indiegogo campaign – where you can read about all the exciting perks available.

We are so close now – and every little pledge helps. Don’t forget, any pledge made before 11pm GMT today (Jan 11th) enters you in the draw to win the stunning Dragon Bodice created by Marie Porter Costuming! Even a pledge of $1 qualifies you for this giveaway – and helps us get nearer to our goal! Let’s celebrate together the Fellowship of Fans!

One Last Party fundraiser!

one last party logo Our One Last Party fundraiser on Indiegogo is almost 80% funded and we’re pretty stoked!

If you’d like to join us as a Party of Special Magnificence in Hollywood in February — a toast to all SIX Middle-earth movies, then now is the time to throw in your support! Even if you can’t make it to Hollywood (or if you’ve already contributed), you can help out by retweeting or sharing our fundraiser across social media to get the word out.

Visit our campaign page to see how you can help — so we can all celebrate Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth movies together!

kili and dodo

Kili and Dodo Brushwater, a shady hobbit from Frogmorton, want some donuts but neither know how to make the delicious treats. How will they convince Fili to make them… or will they?

Dodo’s Donuts Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cups milk (preferably whole but can be any)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the sugar coating:
1/4-1/2 a stick of unsalted butter (can use up to a stick but just eyeball it)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (Can adjust the amounts of sugar and cinnamon to taste or color!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 doughnut pans well.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

In a small bowl, stir together the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. (Stirring with a spatula or large spoon works best!) Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined.

Spoon the batter into the baking pans, filling each one a little more than three-quarters full. Bake for 17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then tap the doughnuts out onto a sheet pan. You may need to carefully cut around their edges to get them out!

For the topping, melt the butter in the microwave then combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dip each doughnut first in the butter, (if you’re using a wide enough bowl, or else paint the butter on with a brush), and then in the cinnamon sugar, either on one side or both sides.

And pig out like Dodo would!

 

103068An anonymous benefactor has offered to give $5k to this campaign, IF we increase our total by $5k by 12noon EST TOMORROW, Jan 9th.

That means we have 27 hours to go from our current total ($123,470) to $128,470 – if we make it, we’ll get a matching donation of $5k from our generous supporter!

pledge

If you’ve been pondering getting that amazing Movie Guide signed by SIX cast members (Thrain perk), or snapping up the last Mirkwood Elves VIP ticket, or snagging the poster with TWELVE signatures (and which INCLUDES a VIP ticket – Gimli perk), then now is the moment!

(And of course, every pledge received will be entered in the draw to win the amazing Dragon Bodice – see below!) Continue reading “Super Awesome Benefactor Matching Donations for 24 Hours! The One Last Party”

PrintThere are just 12 days left in our Indiegogo campaign and we have passed the 60% funded mark and are very pleased at this point. We know our goal really is within reach, meaning we will get to throw a Party of Special Magnificence for this wonderful fan community. Here are a few little updates, with more to come in the next couple of days.

1) We are very proud to debut the design for The One Last Party attendee shirt. This shirt will specifically be for everyone pledging for one of the ticketed perk levels. This joins the supporter shirt we debuted two weeks ago, designed exclusively for the 4 T-Shirt pledge levels. The final version of these shirts might look a wee bit different, the design is being finessed in order to print properly, but this is pretty much what you are going to get.

Print2) The very happy winner of the ‘Children of Hurin’ book signed by Christopher Tolkien and Alan Lee goes to Patricia M. up in Northern California. Our thanks to everyone who participated in the lottery by pledging during J.R.R. Tolkien’s Birthday celebration this past weekend. Please look for a new Prize draw starting very soon.

3) The ‘Mirkwood Elves’ VIP ticket perk is back on the list, but just a few of them, we are trying to keep the VIP perk as exclusive as possible. Also, the ‘Gimli, Son of Gloin’ perk with the signed DOS poster does include the ‘Mirkwood Elves’ VIP ticket as part of the perk. So there are currently 5 tickets at this level available, and then 2 more ultra VIP tickets available at the ‘TORn Star’ level, which includes VIP tickets and Sponsor status at the party. Poster A smaller

And finally, we really do want to thank everyone who has pledged at any and all levels for your support. We know not everyone can attend and we truly do hope that you value some of the other perks we have been offering, and will continue to offer. There are some exciting new items coming down the pike in the next few days, so keep your eyes on our website and social media channels and maybe you can take advantage of some awesome opportunities.

 

One Last Party fundraiser passes the 60% mark!

one last party logo Our One Last Party fundraiser on Indiegogo has just passed the 60% funded mark and we’re pretty stoked!

If you’d like to join us as a Party of Special Magnificence in Hollywood in February — a toast to all SIX Middle-earth movies, then now is the time to throw in your support! Even if you can’t make it to Hollywood (or if you’ve already contributed), you can help out by retweeting or sharing our fundraiser across social media to get the word out. And there is some cool swag you can get if you are unable to attend.

Visit our campaign page to see how you can help — so we can all celebrate Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth movies together!