Gandalf wants youENCORE QUEST: The first hour was massively successful. So much so, we’re going to do it again at showtime, 8:30 pm Eastern, until the winner is named. Get ready to tweet!.

You’ve voted. And voted. And voted! But you haven’t given up, because Hobbit fans are heroes!

We’re down to the final hours of MTV’s “Best Hero” contest and we’re pulling out all the stops to put our favorite hobbit on top! How? We’re launching a VoteQuest!

Short explanation: From 12 noon to 1pm Eastern, we’re going to hit Twitter with a volley of tweets answering the important question: “Why is Bilbo the Best Hero?”

Why a VoteQuest? Because not only is it a great time for Hobbit fans to pull together, but a concentrated hour of tweeting will hopefully land #VoteBilbo in the trending list, getting the important message out to all Hobbit fans everywhere. Which will hopefully mean even more votes!

And it’s so much fun to see what fellow fans tweet.

Follow @theoneringnet and its great staff for updates and announcements.

How is Bilbo doing? Track the voting totals

Read on for all the information on this important event. Also what to do if you don’t have a Twitter account, how to schedule tweets, “Vote Bilbo” avatars & meme images to post to Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and other social media places. AND MORE.

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HERE’S HOW IT WORKS:
Beginning at 12 noon Eastern, start tweeting your reasons why Bilbo is the Best Hero, plus #VoteBilbo http://on.mtv.com/XhsEOV

Example: Can Snow White rescue 13 dwarves? I don’t think so! #VoteBilbo http://on.mtv.com/XhsEOV

Important tips

  • Use no more than one hashtag per tweet. Only one #VoteBilbo per tweet will count; Using multiple hashtags affects Trending algorithms.
  • Avoid aggressively disparaging Snow White or K-Stew fans. It reflects poorly on the Tolkien fandom.
  • Respect your followers. We want to tweet a lot, but you also don’t want to turn people off. Use your best judgment. See below for information about dealing with complaints from followers.
  • Avoid “Twitter Jail!” If you tweet too much too quickly, Twitter will lock you out for an hour. Also if you write the same things over and over. Pace yourself.
  • Can’t think off-the-cuff? Pre-write your Tweets in a text editor & copy/paste during the event.
  • Won’t be around during that hour? Write your tweets in advance and schedule them! That’s another friendly feature in Tweetdeck and Hootsuite. More info on scheduling tweets below.

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NOT ON TWITTER? HERE’S WHAT TO DO

If you don’t currently use Twitter, it’s easy enough to sign up for an account.

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AVATARS & MACROS

#VoteBilbo AvatarsAlso, we have great images to use as Twitter avatars! Get the Bilbo message out there right now! Click here to view & save.

Download the “Gandalf Wants You to #VoteBilbo macro

Many more images to view & download are found here

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FOLLOW THE HASHTAG TO SEE OTHER #VoteBilbo TWEETS

Would you like to see what other fans are posting? Simply click on the hashtag #VoteBilbo and check them out. Or, click here: https://twitter.com/search/realtime?q=%23votebilbo&src=hash

If you use the Twitter web page, it will load the tweets in that window. Click “All” at the top to see everything, rather than “Top”
If you use a desktop Twitter client such as Tweetdeck or Hootsuite, you can create a new column following that hashtag.

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SCHEDULED TWEET INFO:

How to schedule tweets in Tweetdeck

1) Download Tweetdeck for Windows or Mac, or use the web version: https://www.tweetdeck.com/

2) To compose a tweet, click on blue box icon in top right corner of Tweetdeck.

3) Write your text and then click on the Clock icon at the bottom of the text box. In the calendar/time drop down, select the time you want to the tweet to publish, then click TWEET. The Tweet is now scheduled.

How to schedule tweets in Hootsuite:

1) Click on compose tweet icon

2) Write your text and click on “Schedule.” Select the date and time for the tweet to publish.

Important tips:

  • Use no more than one hashtag per tweet, or it will affect trending algorithms.
  • Respect your followers and don’t schedule hundreds of tweets.
  • Don’t write the same thing over and over again — get as creative as you can!

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MUTING TWEETS

As much as we want to reach the widest audience possible, we don’t want to turn people against the #VoteBilbo campaign or TheOneRing.net . if you get complaints from followers, please suggest they mute our hashtag. It is important to respect your followers.

CHROME EXTENSION (works with Twitter web page): https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/proxlet-tweet-filter/kmelikmboobdcnfeaaapkfombnmmbcpc

TWEETDECK: Use the “Global Filter” feature found under “Settings” http://www.thinksplendid.com/2012/02/tip-for-muting-hashtags-on-twitter.html

ECHOFON: http://www.echofon.com/support/kb/ios/muting-hashtags

TWEETBOT: You can mute specific services or keywords by going to the mute tab and hitting Edit, then the plus button. you can mute hashtags by holding down on a hashtag and selecting the mute option

#VoteBilbo may feel serious, but it’s also fun! Download and share these pictures with your followers on Twitter when tweeting your votes!

 

Spread the #VoteBilbo excitement & use these avatars on your social media accounts – Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, or anywhere you regularly post!

Right-Click and save to your own computer, then upload to your Twitter profile editor.

HobbitCon cosplay 1Last weekend was the first really big Hobbit convention after the release of the film, and the perfect time for cosplayers to really show their quality. Ring*con normally holds a big convention in the Fall every year, but they decided to host a special HobbitCon in the Spring and invited the cast to join them, and join them they did. 9 major cast members from The Hobbit showed up in Germany to hang with the fans, and here is a little review from the event. Continue reading “HobbitCon sees some very cool Cosplay”

The Desolation of Smaug sneak peak just ended and those of us who were lucky enough to see it I think will agree it was fabulous! It started with a short tour by PJ and Jed Brophy of Stone Street Studios that ended in the editing room. There, we were treated to many clips, finished and unfinished, of various parts of the movie in response to fan’s questions. It ended with a finished, trailer-like excerpt of Gandalf and Radagast in Dol Guldur, and maybe a dozen other shorter clips from filming and from the movie itself. Fabulous!

For those of you who missed it, fear not! Our staff is busy compiling detailed commentary complete with screen caps!! So, stay tuned here for much, much more. It will be posted here on the Home Page soon. Our friends at Warner Bros. also remind us that If you missed the Peter Jackson hosted first look at “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,”  or just want to watch it over again, a modified version will be archived on the Trilogy’s official website  www.thehobbit.com/sneak.  To access the footage, use your UltraViolet code on your copy “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack or 2-Disc Special Edition DVD.

UPDATE: we’ve just been informed by Warner Bros. that we can post no screen caps of the sneak peek. We apologize for disappointing any of our loyal readers, especially those who weren’t able to see it. We *will*, however, be posting more details and commentary from our staff very soon!

Fictional Frontiers, a radio show specializing in genre entertainment and located on the east coast of the U.S., was part of the media assembled at The One Expected Party and checks in with an entertaining look at the weekend’s art show and Oscar night’s biggest geek celebration. It showcases each of the Oscar nominees, a few interviews, selections from the art show and a good representation of the musical showcase from the evening. Checking in under five minutes, it’s an excellent capture of the event.