Q&A with Gary Berman: Lord of the Rings Fans
Last week, Star Trek alum William Shatner auctioned one of his kidney stones for $25,000. Albeit for charity, the auction proves there are some really hard-core fans out there. No kidney stones were expected at the January 20–22 One Ring Celebration sci-fi convention at the Pasadena Center in California, although Lord of the Rings lovers are, eager to see actors from the film and attend seminars on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien. In addition, director Peter Jackson gave convention organizers a reel of bloopers from his epic film series, which will be shown to convention attendees. Gary Berman, co-CEO of Creation Entertainment, talked to U.S. News about sci-fi conventions and hard-core fandom.
Some of our readers may have never been to one of these conventions. Can you describe the scene?
I'm sure they haven't. It will be quite a production. Our guest speakers will talk after we've shown a clip of them in the movie. Generally, they show up in civilian clothes, not in costume, and talk about their experiences on the set or what they've been up to since the film. They answer questions and sign autographs and pose for photos with fans that have paid a bit more. Another section of the convention includes seminars on scholarly aspects of the films, intricate aspects of the characters, comparing, say J.R.R. Tolkien to other writers. It all gets rather in depth.
In depth, yes. But scholarly?
People take this stuff quite seriously. There's a lot that can be learned from The Lord of the Rings in terms of themes and morality in literature and art. Remember, there are entire college courses that are taught about The Lord of the Rings.
How did you get involved in running these conferences?
Adam Malin and I started 35 years ago as fans of comic books and science fiction. We felt, at age 14, that there was a need for a place to meet other people interested in that stuff. We borrowed some money from our parents and booked a hotel in Manhattan. At our first convention, 800 people showed up, and we knew we had something. Later, we decided to make it into a business and began to run them all over the country. They have changed to cover whatever is popular at the time– Star Trek, Stargate, Xena: Warrior Princess, Lost. Our company has organized over 2,300 events in major cities throughout the globe.
What's the attraction for fans?
Originally, the conventions were the only place you could buy memorabilia or get inside information. With the Internet, we are no longer the first stop for collectors, so they have become more of a social gathering. People get together and party, and lots of friendships and relationships have emerged. And, of course, you get to see the stars live.
What's the relationship between studios and the conventions?
The smart producers and studios have come to realize that their hard-core fans are a very important resource. And not just because they spend money and will be the first ones to buy up DVD sets with all the extras. Many of the hard-core fans become walking billboards for the movies even before they come out. They tell their friends what to see. As the number of entertainment choices has expanded, the studios have become much better at marketing to their fandom, and that niche marketing has become more important.
Has there been a backlash among hard-core fans when shows or movies become so overtly commercial? Say, when someone comes out with Bilbo Baggins-brand band-aids.
There is some, yes. I can't speak for Tolkien fans, because I am not as familiar. But many Star Trek fans have come to accept the commercialization. They understand that it brings in money for the studios. I don't think anyone really loves to see Mr. Spock on a box of whatever, but people collect those boxes, too.
Despite their willingness to be walking billboards, hard-core fans are often the harshest critics.
That's another thing that the studios have come to accept. If the work is good and the producers and directors acknowledge what the fans want, often the praise outweighs the negativity, and the positive buzz can bring a larger audience. The buzz on the new Superman movie has been very positive because the people involved have been aware of the fan movement and been responsive.
What makes for positive buzz?
The best directors and studios feed the fan movement online with pictures and information. It has evolved to the point where studios have become quite brilliant. Peter Jackson, while making King Kong, released short videos from the set to generate interest.
The studios also seem to be having fun with the fans—the blooper reel that will be shown at the Lord of the Rings convention, for example. What will the fans see?
Ha! You think I've seen them? New Line Cinema has been very protective. Tell me again, when will this article be published?
So you haven't seen the main attraction?
Peter Jackson just agreed to let us show the blooper reel at the last minute, and we have to be very protective of how we show it. We will be searching for cameras at the theater. There's a whole security wand system. We can't even allow people to bring in cellphones because so many of them have cameras. I suppose the security adds to the glamour. –Alex Kingsbury