Ring*Con 2007 - Press Conference

During the press conference of Ring*Con 2007 we had the chance to ask Mark some questions which you can find below - including the answers, of course :-) Next to the questions we asked (by Starry) you can find the things other journalists were interested to know ... This is just the pure transcript, a version with photos can be found at CraigParker.de.


Starry: I have a question for Mark Ferguson. You've been here every year.

Mark: Sechs.

Starry: Obviously, Ring*Con has changed a lot, over the years. Can you tell us, how it has changed for you? In what way has it changed for you?

Mark: Some things have changed, some things haven't changed. My level of fear has gone down a little bit. When we started, we had no idea what to expect and Craig and I particularly we were absolutely terrified when we suddenly found ourselves alone on stage with a lot of very excited people. Especially the two of us who really weren't in the film very much.
But as time is going on we've realized that this Convention is very much about the people and very much about the interaction and the openness of the guests with the audiences and that's what we've enjoyed so much. So that's the one thing that's been the same. As it's going on, one thing I have noticed, is that the fans have taken over more and more. So we're starting to see more shows, more evidence of their talent and to a certain degree we're facilitating that now. And that's being wonderful, because I think it's being claimed more and more by the fans. And I think it's success and why it's grown. So the more we can help with that, the better. Thank you.

Starry: Thank you

Mark: It's ... fantastisch


Journalist: So my next question goes to Mark again. So, I would like to ask you about the charity. This is the last year of the charity… Didn't you know it?

Mark: I did, but I was not surprised.

Journalist: … so this will be the last time. Can you say something about this and the past years?

Mark: Yeah. The auction and the charity's been very important to us. I think, I mean it's great coming to these events and having a lot of fun. But it's also very important for us that we give something back and being part of something that is bigger than ourselves and I think that the charity really brings the fans and us together. And also… it's very important… We have some interesting items up for auction. One is from Craig, or has been worn by Craig. [Laugthers] Another one - they don't know it yet - but it's going to be some services donated by some of the actors. I'll be explaining that later… to you and to the actors. [Laugthers] But I'm pretty sure that they're being well and hopefully we'll raise, especially for the last one, as much as we possibly can.


Journalist: I have a question for Daniel Falconer, about WETA. … For me, WETA came almost out of nothing, so can you tell me the reason for your big success? Is there any specific reason?

Daniel: That's a difficult question, but … I think, something of the naivety of us starting on the Lord of the Rings. WETA existed before LOTR but it was a much smaller company. I should say, it was two smaller companies. There's WETA Workshop and WETA Digital. For the LOTR I guess there was the attitude 'yes this is huge, yes this is enormous, but we'll give it a go'. Which is, I think, a kiwi attitude, but it was certainly an attitude that everybody in the Workshop had. [Daniel keeps on explaining]

Mark: So, if I could just say to that, for those of us who have been working in New Zealand for a long time, we go way back. There was WETA in the early days and all of us who had experiences, in Xena, in Hercules and those sorts of shows… when you're playing a horse, or a centaur in an early Hercules, and they were very excited cause they'd never done a centaur before, and discovering that you had to put a guy in the back of the suit to actually walk around swishing the tail to really have the effect… yeah, those were the days! [Laughter]

Daniel: Who would've thought! [More laughter]


Journalist: So this is a question to all the actors. The LOTR films were really a major success and now there were really loads of LOTR fans everywhere, but do you think that the more time there is between the release of the films and the conventions, that the conventions will have to open up to other films like POTC or Harry Potter as was just discussed?
Someone in the audience: No!

Mark: Whoa!

Marc B. Lee explains what he thinks.

Mark: But I think it's very important, because I have heard a couple whispers of some hard core fans who are thinking "OOOOOHHH!!" mixing the films and genres is problematic. But I think they need to remember that the cause of Marc saying that it was for financial reasons, that it ends up being a choice of 'do you still want the conventions'? And if you still want the conventions there may have to be some slight changes. And we're still having a convention and it's better to have it than not have it, very obviously.


Starry: I have a question for Mark and Lori about the Improv Acting Workshops you have. I've noticed they are longer this year and also on Sunday, there's an advanced workshop. Can you tell us something about this?

Lori: Yeah. We've had a few workshops, the last year and the year before and people seemed to express an interest and they wanted to learn a bit more. So we thought: 'Well, those that had already been to the first one we were gonna offer them another more slightly advanced one". So we came up with that. So we're just gonna be working on character and story and hopefully they may even get up on the stage and join us at some point and so… But, yes, cause we actually did have some people up on the stage last year that worked out enormously well so there's loads of talent out there and we just get together and we have a good time and we just laugh like crazy. So that's a fantastic ... Yeah, we're gonna have a good time.

Mark: And we went longer to have more of a good time. [Most likely he's referring to the 90 minutes instead of 60 the last years]


Journalist: It's a question for all of you. Can you tell us something about your current projects?

[Everbody tells]

Mark: I've been playing a character in a telly movie who is a Jewish convicted fraudster, who went to jail, converted to Christianity in jail and is now a … Christian preacher who helps the FBI convict other fraudsters. And I got to preach at the destiny church in front of 2000 real Christians!

Lori: Did you send them screaming out of the church?

Mark: No. I think they really liked it.

Lori: Yes, this Sunday Mark will be holding the service.

Mark does praying gestures.


Journalist: There's a question to the actors. We have heard now in the beginning the presentation from Codemasters which created this online role playing game from LOTR. I presume now they would think with all the modern technology it would be easy to capture you digitally to put you in the movie and they will ask you to appear… say for two or three days… as your character from the movie into the game. Would you consider accepting this offer?
Jed: Hell yes!

Mark: Yeah, I think that as actors you really look forward to the different challenges that come up. And whether it be… I think pretty much all of us, all worked as voice actors, on stage, in front of all sorts of audiences and with different technologies and I think the concept of moving to games and just how you actually would play or develop a character that then goes off on its own life, then gets manipulated and used by… well, audiences… Because we used to being manipulated and used by producers and it would be really nice to have that direct line through to the audiences.. So I think, yeah, everyone would really look forward to that.


Journalist: I have a question for all the actors. Filmmaking has developed very much in the last few years. You see Andi Serkis playing Gollum, he's not recognizable as himself, and before that, of course, actors accustomed to act in heavy make-up. Now actors can work in the suits with the dots that can be digitalized. Is it difficult for an actor to adapt to all the changes in filmmaking?

[Everybody answers]

Mark: But I think also you can see very very clearly the approach that different directors take. That some of the directors - I'm not mentioning any names - but people are so obviously very very keen with the more affect ridden characters that they were still being into playing between actors because that's where the magic happens. And that Andy would be there and directing playing those characters with the other actors so they had someone to create those scenes with. Yeah, and I think in the last few years there have been other fantasy types of films with great results leave far more interest in the effects and you see very good actors delivering very dull performances and you're wondering why that is. It's because they're bored, you know, they spend days and days in front of the blue screen and they're not getting that direction and I think it comes through in the … that's where the magic is.

[Other answers]

Mark: Look at Peter's next film, Lovely Bones. I don't know if you read the book, but it's a deeply, deeply personal story about the terrible tragedy … and his life and how they cope with that … even with all the digital stuff it's great beyond that … it's so much about people and in people that's where a good story lies.


Starry: I have a question to all of you who have been here before. I would like to know what made you come back? Was ist any experiences or any special impressions you got? What is it that made you want to come back?

Marc B. Lee: Money!

Mark: No no no, it can't be the money. It's too far to come. I think everybody here who comes to this, and this is what we often have, we have new people particularly from New Zealand as well and we all talk to each other and was like "Ahhh… I've heard about this, should I come, should I come?" And I was like "Yeah, you gotta come." Because it's about the shows, it's about the involvement, it's about partiiiieees and not sleeping and just being involved with a great bunch of people and having grand times.

[Everyone tells]

Mark: And also we came along this year to find out what Johnny Depp's really like.


Starry: I'd just like to hear a little statement of all of you about what you think of Ring*Con, what you expect this weekend to be like, just … whatever you wanted to say and we didn't ask you.

[Everyone answers]

Mark: I'm just looking forward to being here without Craig Parker holding me back.

Jed: I'm looking forward to watch him being here without Craig Parker holding his hand. I think the whole of New Zealanders are waiting with bated breath to see what happens with the other half of the brain away... No, sorry, that was jokes! I still got a lot of stories I haven't told anyone and I'm haunted by them, I need to get them out. So this to me is therapy.

Updates

A new version of the Ring*Con programme is online, not too much has changed. (08.09.2010)

Uploaded a video clip of the press conference to the audio/video section. Please be aware that it's quite big and please right-click and "Save as ...". More to follow. (05.09.2010)

The transcript now has pictures, too. (05.09.2010)

I've added the rest of the press conference transcript, have fun with that ;) (05.09.2010)

Finished the first part of the actual Ring*Con 2009 press conference transcript. I've removed the available fragments, but they will be available bit by bit again, in their right order then. (05.09.2010)

One last part of the press conference for today, fragment 9 this time. (04.09.2010)

21 screencaps from Sons and Daughters episode 150. (04.09.2010)

Added yet another piece to the Ring*Con 2009 press conference transcript, Fragment 8 this time. (04.09.2010)

Added two pictures from Collectormania GMEX (2006), courtesy of Loreley_se. (04.09.2010)

I've added pictures to the work section where available but not yet used, and split it into a bunch of pages which should be easier to navigate now, it got too much for just one page. (01.09.2010)

I've added another Fragment to the Ring*Con 2009 Press Conference Transcript (Fragment 7). I'm sorry this takes so long, it's just a lot of work. (01.09.2010)

Added some infos on the 15 Years of Shortland Street celebration (2007) as well as some pictures of that. (30.08.2010)

q Day tickets for Ring*Con 2010 are now available on their website now, 40 Euro each for Friday and Sunday, 49 Euro for Saturday. Weekend tickets are available from 90 Euro. (29.08.2010)

New stats. (29.08.2010)

40 screencaps from Sons and Daughters episode 40. (29.08.2010)

A bigger version of a previously available picture from Amazing Extraordinary Friends. (21.08.2010)

Added infos on another MC job Mark did: Local Government Unlimited Conference (2003). (21.08.2010)

Three more Quotes, the first three on the page. (21.08.2010)

16 screencaps from episode 148 of Sons and Daughters. (21.08.2010)

Two more promotional shots from Sons and Daughters in the gallery. (21.08.2010)

This year's Ring*Con published the first version of their program, which is available at their website. (21.08.2010)

8 screencaps from Sons and Daughters episode 146. (15.08.10)

4 screencaps from a Shortland Street episode (last four). (09.08.2010

Mark did a Voice Over (year unknown) for a Castrol Magnatec Radio Commercial. (09.08.2010

New stats. (06.08.2010)

This website has a mention of Mark's voice overs for Power Rangers, including pictures of is characters - and many other well known faces, too. (06.08.2010)

16 screencaps from Sons and Daughters episode 143. Unfortunately they are rather small, but the video itself is incredibly small and I cannot make the caps bigger without sacrificing too much quality. (01.08.10)

Another new Affiliate, Tom Felton EU. (26.07.10)

21 screencaps from Sons and Daughters episode 141. (25.07.10)

Some new stats. (25.07.10)

Thanks to Steffie from Lori-Dungey.de, I can now offer you a transcript of a piece Mark's improv work: Marko Fergusscinawinic's tragic attempt to travel to Germany. (25.07.10)

Another new Affiliate, Phelpsaholics. (23.07.10)

A new Affiliate: The Twilight Lounge. (23.07.10)

15 screencaps from Sons and Daughters episode 140 (from the second picture on). (20.07.10)

Some new stats. (18.07.10)

I am extremely busy with work at the moment, therefore Updates are a little rare, sorry. I'll try to get some more things online ;) For now, 11 screencaps from Sons and Daughters episode 139. (11.07.10)

5 screencaps from Sons and Daughters episode 138. (20.06.10)

Uploaded a detail page on Happy Birthday To You (2000). (20.06.10)

Added infos on Ring*Con 2010 and added it at 'Appearances'. (20.06.10)

20 screencaps from Sons and Daughters episode 135. (20.06.10)

Mark will be at Ring*Con 2010 in Bonn, Germany, this time even as the MC of the event! Congratulations to that job, Mr. Ferguson! Details on the event (15th to 17th of October) will follow once I am settled. (14.06.2010)

I'm in the process of moving house and therefore won't be able to update much the next week or so. After this, it should be business as usual ;) Until then - 29 screencaps of Sons and Daughters, episode 133. (11.06.2010)

Added infos on Mark's MC jobs at Thrive throughout the years. There are two pictures in the gallery, too, from 2003 and 2005.

39 screencaps from episode 132 of Sons and Daughters. (04.06.10)

New stats. (04.06.10)

And the last bunch of icons, from Xena today. (04.06.10)

Some new icons again, this time from Sons and Daughters. (29.05.10)

28 screencaps from episode 131 of Sons and Daughters, from the second picture on. (23.05.10)

NZOnScreen now has a detail page about Dead Certs whith a clip from the movie, unfortunately not the part with Mark in it. (23.05.10)

15 screencaps from episode 130 of Sons and Daughters. (16.05.10)

One new icon from Shortland Street. (16.05.10)

25 screencaps from episode 129 of Sons and Daughters. (09.05.10)

Infos on Choppers Squad, a TV series from 1979 in which Mark had a guest role. (09.05.10)

One edited and some new bullets under 'Did you know ...?', sources are different interviews, panels and such. (09.05.10)

26 screencaps from episode 128 of Sons and Daughters.(07.05.10)

NZOnScreen now has a page about Orange Roughies, in which Mark had a guest role in a later episode. (07.05.10)

40 icons from Ring*Con. (07.05.10)

Some new Affiliates: SarahSilverman.org and DanielRadcliffe.tk. (02.05.10)

Mark seems to be on set for a new movie at the moment, you can find the infos on Girl Meets Boy here. (Thanks to Melli!) (02.05.10)

9 Icons in 100x100 from miscellaneous sources. (02.05.10)

Some infos on a National Geographic Channel Documentation Mark narrated in 2004 (third item). If you know more about this: I am thankful for any hint ;) (02.05.10)

5 screencaps from episode 126 of Sons and Daughters. (02.05.10)

Some infos on the Top Shop Awards Mark was an MC at in 2008. (02.05.10)

2 Icons in 100x100 from Elf Fantasy Fair, the last two under 'Conventions'. (02.05.10)

4 screencaps from episode 125 of Sons and Daughters. (02.05.10)

40 Icons in 100x100 from different Ring*Cons. (25.04.10)

7 screencaps from episode 123 of Sons and Daughters. (25.04.10)

A new Link: Mark @ TheOneRing.net. (25.04.10)

7 screencaps from episode 121 of Sons and Daughters. (25.04.10)


Some promo videos for the official Ring*Con 2009 DVD have been released, some of them also feature Mark: Autograph Session, Workshops and Impressions. (11.04.10)


The second bunch of Lena's pictures from Ring*Con 2009 (from 4th row, 3rd picture to the end) are online, as well as infos on some training at the NZ Performing Arts School Mark has given. (09.04.10)


Added the first bunch of Lena's pictures from Ring*Con 2009 (from 5th row, 3rd picture on) and some infos on the RSVP and Nexus Awards 2008 Mark was the host of. (04.04.10)


I almost missed it, but - mark-ferguson.info had it's first birthday in March. Yay! And I've added some more screencaps from "Sons and Daughters", this time episode 120. (02.04.10)


Well, make it some more days ... sorry, been busy with work and stuff. But I'm back now and uploaded screencaps of several "Sons and Daughters" episodes - 115, 116, 117, 118 and 119. (01.04.10)


A pictures-only update today, before I am off for the next 10 days for a holiday in Hamburg and London. Yay! Anyway, uploaded the last bunch of Mimms Ring*Con 2009 pictures (from 4th row, 3rd picture on) and screencaps of episode 114 of Sons and Daughters. (12.03.10)


I've uploaded screencaps from episode 113 of Sons and Daughters and some new stats. (09.03.10)


The march issue of the german magazine "Tv Serien Highlights" has a two page article about Ring*Con 2009, also mentioning Mark and Craig Parker as the "dynamic elven duo" who, together with Lori Dungey show that many people come only for their show. Well said, dear magazine ;) Other than that, I've uploaded some screencaps from episode 112 of Sons and Daughters (from second picture on). (04.03.10)


And how could I (almost, it's still the 28th here) forget that? Happy Birthday, Mr. Ferguson, to your, err, 29th birthday! (28.02.10)


Added infos on a Schmooze Event (2003) Mark hosted and finally, finally, some bits and pieces of the Ring*Con 2009 press conference, more to follow. (28.02.10)


Added infos on Ladies Night (with a picture in the gallery) and 20 Years Entertaining NZ, also with pictures. (26.02.10)


And yet another update, this time some new statistics and some more pictures from Mimm's Ring*Con 2009 pictures (from 4th row, 4th picture on). (22.02.10)


The second part of the Best of Both Worlds 22 pictures are now uploaded (from fifth row on) and I've added some infos on the Nestlé Conference (2002, second but last entry in the "Business & MC'ing" category. (21.02.10)


Sorry for not updating, I've been sick for a while. Anyway - I've added Lhiam's Ring*Con 2009 pictures (from second row on) and some infos on Mark's role in The Lord of the Rings. (20.02.10)


I've uploaded some more pictures from Ring*Con 2009 (2nd row, 2nd picture to the end), this time from Mimms. (10.02.10)


The second part (the last eight) of the Wallpapers from Ring*Con 2009 are online. (07.02.10)


And yet another update ;) Added infos on Hyundai Celebrity Ski and Snowboard Race (2003) as well as the last bunch of Ring*Con 2008 DVD caps (third row, fifth picture to the end). (05.02.10)


I've added infos on Born To Be Big and ASB Classic, (both 2002). (04.02.10)


Just a quick update with some new stats. (31.01.10)


There are three new Affiliates: MissDemi.net, FrodoForever.com and JuicyFlaless.org. (30.01.10)


Added a picture to the gallery. (25.01.10)


There might be a possibility for an extra Kiwi Ring*Con 2009 DVD with the Kiwi's panels and maybe more. There aren't enough votes yet for the DVD to be really made, but you can help with voting in the official poll here (you have to be a member of the board, unfortunately, but joining is super easy) or send an e-mail to me (webmaster@mark-ferguson.info) or Steffie (webmaster@lori-dungey.de, who's gathering votes for Lori-Dungey.de) with your Name and your town and that you'd buy the DVD. Every single vote counts! (24.01.10)


Added infos about a radio spot for the Auckland City Mission and some pictures from the BOBW 21 Convention, again thanks to Peter Fallon. (23.01.10)


There's a german Special about Ring*Con 2009 right here, complete with pictures and videos. (17.01.10)


What a busy week with no time for any updates ;( Anyway - added infos on The Xena Scrolls (1996) as well as the first bunch of pictures from the Best of Both Worlds 22 Convention, thanks to Peter Fallon. (15.01.10)


Added new stats. (10.01.10)


The rest of Nicky's Ring*Con 2008 pictures now is online (from 2nd but last row, 2nd but last picture on). (08.01.10)


Added infos on Scared Scriptless (1999), a show which Mark not only was the host of but also (co-)produced. (07.01.10)


There's another bunch of Ring*Con 2008 DVD screencaps, to be found here (from second but last row on). Yes, Mark is on it quite a lot ;) (04.01.10)


I've uploaded a page with infos on the Xena episode Past Imperfect (1999), screencaps of this can be found at the gallery. (03.01.10)


Nicky send in some pictures from Ring*Con 2008, they can be found here (from 2nd picture on). (02.01.10)


Uploaded infos on Mark's appearance in the Xena episode Remember Nothing (1996). (01.01.10)

Updates from 2009

[All Updates]