AMANDA DYAR: Ron, thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for us. First off, tell us a little bit about yourself and what led you down your own journey into the entertainment industry.
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| Pictured: Ron Newcomb |
Being a closet gamer as a young guy, mostly Dungeons & Dragons, acting was something I did often in the basement at a friend’s house (very Vin Diesel of me I know). Gaming showed me how to tell stories and showed me the value of entertainment; bite two.
I got into acting big time after college, even moving to LA for a time; but Hollywood never really called, so I thought well that’s that. I went on to become a police officer and a good friend of mine and fellow officer, Jim Klock, decided he was going to do an indie film, “My Turn”. This was at the heart of the digital acceptance age. Digital was still considered very independent, but I was amazed at what I saw and the professionalism Jim was able to find. I was so impressed with how he threw caution to the wind and just went for it; bite three. Three bites and I was hooked.
And once you get bit with the film bug, you can’t shake it, I know I tried.
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| Pictured: Amanda Dyar |
RON: Rise of the Fellowship is a buddy-comedy written in honor of online gamers and The Lord of the Rings. Full of Tolkien-references and good-hearted fun, Rise of the Fellowship will appeal to Tolkien-fans and gamers alike, as well as anyone who's never been part of the in-crowd.
It’s a film that we could film as independent filmmakers, and a film we wanted to see. It’s not beholden to Peter Jackson’s work and the story is really a stand alone, you don’t need to be a Tolkien fan to get our film. However, if you are, you’ll get all of the little chips within the cookie; of which there are many to be found.
This is our “love letter” to Tolkien and a fun way we could, in some small way, be a part of his legacy. It pays tribute to Lord of the Rings, by having some parallels. We have many characters that are in the film, however, you'll recognize a few others that did not make it into the LOTR films but were a part of the books.
AMANDA: The film is about a geek named Randall Dooley and his three best friends who find new meaning to life when a Lord of the Rings gaming competition is announced in Orlando, Florida. They are portrayed as geeks and losers with no one understanding their love for games not even their parents. Was the characters based off anyone in particular or any of your own experiences?
RON: When you are one of the writers, if you want to connect with your audience, you must let your soul bleed onto the pages. The more vulnerable you are the better your audience will connect with your film. So there is definitely some of each of the writers in there, myself along with Scott Mathias and Christopher Bunn.
I was a closet gamer growing up and that was probably more of who I really was vs. the exterior I tried to show the world. I was afraid that I would be declared a geek or a loser if it got out that I was a “gamer”, but in reality, like the film shows, there’s a little bit of geek and hero in all of us. We are all geeky about something. For some its sports, and for others its fantasy adventures and for others it’s both.
I’m more of a geek now about telling stories. If I could do this for the rest of my life, then I would be a blessed man.
AMANDA: You don't have to be a Lord of the Rings fan to enjoy Rise of the Fellowship, but it sure helps. Besides being about online gaming and Lord of the Rings, why else should gamers and Tolkien fans flock to see the movie? RON: If you are a gamer and/or a Tolkien fan this film was made specifically for you! There are many nuggets to be found in the film, which will have you bust out laughing and the non-Ringers will stare wondering what just happened. Those are the treasures waiting to be found.
If you watch the film, see if you can spot our Elrond, Gandalf, which Hobbit is who and when Tom Bombadil might show up.
It’s the Tolkien story repacked and retold in a modern day with gaming elements. We are big fans ourselves so it’s really a movie for fans made by fans. Tolkien fans are protective of their story, but when they find you taking care and nurturing the story, they’ll go on the journey with you. LOTR fans, especially early in finding “the precious”, want to consume as many LOTR & Hobbit things they can find.
AMANDA: What did you enjoy most about making Rise of the Fellowship and how did it different from other projects you have worked on?
RON: This was really my first feature film where I was one of the main point persons. It was also very much a film that I wanted to see. Our cast and crew were extremely professional and I got to surround myself with some great filmmakers. I got to learn a ton myself.
We filmed on the RED camera and at the time, not many local films (I’m in the DC area), were using it. The daily takes were so beautiful, it was crazy to see. And then to see your film coming to light was awesome. Production takes so much out of you, but I loved every minute of it and can’t wait to get into it again!
RON: Considering I drove several miles with a bunch of friends to see “Fanboys” in the theater – it’s an honor to be compared to “Fanboys”, and I would say it is actually a really good comparison. The content Kyle showcased in his film was a delicate tribute to Star Wars, much like ours is to Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit.
There are many influences. Especially the 80's films we loved so much like "Karate Kid" and "Goonies". Definitely influenced by Jackson’s franchise, but it had to be something we wanted to see as well. Gaming was another big influencer.
AMANDA: How did you snag the use of Lord of the Rings Online in the movie and do you play the online MMORPG yourself?
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| Pictured: Lord of the Rings Online |
I don’t know that we could replicate that magic, but we tried to look at it from their point of view instead of just begging for us to use their game. We tried to package it as a marketing opportunity. At the time, they were starting to look for a fresh and new avenue to showcase their game and low and behold – they agreed. They were fantastic to work with!
I do play LOTRO and enjoy it. I love going back to Middle-Earth. I have also lost many hours to WoW in my day and currently like to geek it out to “League of Legends”; I love their fast game play.
AMANDA: Well, thank you for your time. We greatly appreciated it. Do you have anything else you would like to mention about the film or any upcoming projects to watch out for?
RON: I’d like to say “thank you” for giving true indie film a voice, it’s the only way we’re going to get out there. People can head to our website to find ways to see the film and thus be able to get out and “vote for the film”, which people do for films every weekend, www.RiseoftheFellowship.com.
I’d also like to say that I am the father of two girls and another one on the way, so it is very important to me to give a reflection of strong female characters that girls can relate to and root for. I’m proud of that representation in our film. No greater than when Stacey rips off her mask and declares, “I am no guy…” and then takes care of business paintball style. Trust me, it works, you’ll just have to see the film.
We also have a very strong “gamer girl” in our film, Kimberly Weigend. She is the daughter of the store owner of the Game Parlor where we filmed. She was around filming a bunch and was a “professional” extra in our many scenes. She has since gone on and is now one of the infamous “Frag Dolls” http://fragdolls.com as “Sabre”. She is still a big supporter of the film and is a force to be reckoned with in the gaming world. We are a big fan of hers!
“Voting” for the film is the one true thing that matters most for indie filmmakers like me, so I do hope fans get out and support true indie film and “vote”!
We currently are working on a web series called “The Rangers” which can be found here; http://therangers.mymiddleearth.com/