uruloki.org recently interviewed artist John Howe. In the interview John talks his influences, childhood and technique. A very cool read for fans of this wonderful artist. More..

In 1998, Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh bought The Film Unit, the only post-production facility in New Zealand capable of processing 35mm film. They needed to have access to such a facility in making The Lord of the Rings. In 2003, they moved the company from Lower Hutt to Miramar (only about a block from the Weta Ltd. headquarters). On January 1, 2005, it was renamed Park Road Post and later added “Production.”

According to the Dominion Post, Park Road Post Production is now expanding its presence by partnering with Film New Zealand to open an office in Los Angeles. Film New Zealand is the government agency that works to attract producters from other countries to bring their film projects to New Zealand. According to the story:

The two groups are partners in an initiative that will see Park Road Post Production marketing head Vicki Jackways, working for Film New Zealand as well when she heads to Los Angeles from 2012.

“We have been travelling to LA for years, but they have been quick trips. What we want to do is turn that on its head,” Park Road Post Production general manager Cameron Harland said.

The past decade or so has seen a growing competition among countries to lure filmmakers from abroad, with financial incentives and the creation of sophisticated post-production facilities. Great Britain, Ireland, and Australia already have representatives in Los Angeles. But New Zealand gained a high profile with the Lord of the Rings film and others, like The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Avatar, and The Hobbit, that followed.

Jackways will head for Los Angeles in 2012, and the office will be open for a trial period of 18 months. As the Film New Zealand rep, she will also promote other film-related companies in the country.

When Weta announced the Orthanc Pre-Ruin environment during Comic-Con 2011 they together with TORn it had a very special contest attached tothis announcement. Weta would be allowing the fans to submit suggestions with one of them becoming the official name to this truly amazing environment. Well, after many submissions Weta and TORn are pleased to announce the name and the Winners of the Orthanc Contest. The grand prize winner is Christopher Turner whose entry was Orthanc – Black Tower of Isengard. Mr. Turner’s prize is the awesome Bag End Collectors Edition while the two runners up Tom Barber and Chris Endicott both will receive a really cool Sauron T-Shirt. You can check out the full release of information from Weta here.

Doug Adams writes: In May of this year, I was contacted by Howard Shore’s office with a rather unique request: Can you write a concert? Wait, let me back up.

Before I came into the picture this inchoate concert was the brainchild of James Cassidy, conductor of the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra. Cassidy had envisioned a concert that would encompass both of the great musical Rings, one Wagner’s, one Tolkien’s/Shore’s. He had brought his idea to Shore, who was intrigued. This, of course, had been a topic of conversation for a number of years. Jonathan Dean had given some Wagner/Shore talks back in the early 2000s, and added some thoughts for the Music of LOTR book. Alex Ross had written a piece for the New Yorker. One of New York’s very first choral performances of Shore’s Rings music featured a sort of back-to-back with Wagner. But these fascinating comparative glimpses were just this — cursory glimpses into a rich vein of subject matter. More..

TheOneRing.net, with major sponsor The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, is returning the Road! While DragonCon may be coming to a end today, the journey continues for our fellowship of drivers as they take the long road back from Atlanta, GA to Los Angeles, CA. The road warriors will begin their trip at approximately Noon ET and will drive straight through over the next few days, stopping along the way to meet up with fans and see some famous places. So while we had occasional non-live elements to DragonCon, we will be back to our LIVE as much as humanly possible for the remainder of the trip. If you have not been following the news, we are on a multi-day road trip to (and from!) DragonCon and, for the first time ever, broadcasting the entire trip 24/7 LIVE via Stickam.com. You can interact with the travelers in our Barliman’s chat, as well through twitter and Facebook. And of course, you can email them atroadtrip@theonering.net. And even better, we’ve set up a special phone number so you can call and text our travelers: 970-210-6130. We have a special sub site set up to follow their progress – just follow the link. [LIVE] And don’t’ forget to support our sponsors: The Lord of the Rings: War in the NorthBadali Jewelry and Anglotopia!  [Roadtrip to DragonCon Sub Site] [Support the Trip – T-Shirts]

ATLANTA – In less than an hour, the road team at TheOneRing.net will present a panel for the crowds at DragonCon but the good news for the home audience is that the entire event will be carried live online. Those wishing to participate in the question portion of the event can text in questions at 970-210-6130. We can’t promise to take them all but we would love to have the home group participate with the live audience.