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orc warriorAre you a 'Lord of the Rings' fan? Do you have a little elbow grease and a little internet knowledge at your disposal? As it turns out, you could be well on your way to making your own movie.

That's what aspiring actress and huge LotR geek Kate Madison did. Her 'Lord of the Rings' fan video, 'Born of Hope,' has already garnered half a million page views on YouTube.

I really shouldn't use the term "fan video," though, since 'Born of Hope' is actually a full-length prequel to Peter Jackson's trilogy. Produced on a budget of £25,000 -- most of which Ms. Madison generated by asking for donations on YouTube -- the film is over an hour long, took over a year to film, and features more than 400 actors and extras who gave their time for free.

After the break, learn more about this incredible testament to the power of the web.

First, check out the official trailer for 'Born of Hope.' For a film produced on the cheap, by amateurs, the production values look incredible:



Here's a picture of the film's director and producer, Kate Madison, an awesome 31-year-old geek from Cambridge, England:


She's in character, obviously. Here's a photo of the film's poster. It looks really professional, I think:


While Madison raised a significant amount of money for the film on YouTube, she also invested her life savings into the project and worked as an office temp to get even more funding for 'Born of Hope.' It was all worth it, as the film has garnered praise from some pretty high places. The Times Online gave 'Born of Hope' an extremely positive 4/5 star review (you can read that here). Even more impressive, several of the professionals who worked on the actual 'Lord of the Rings' movies have lauded Madison's creation:
"Amazing stuff. It's incredible to see what craftsmanship, sensitivity and attention to detail is being brought to bear on this ambitious project. Everything so far looks amazing and I can't wait to see the finished film." - Richard Taylor, Director/Effects Supervisor, Weta Workshop
"I really admire what you are doing and would love to support your efforts in some way." - Daniel Falconer, Designer at Weta Workshop
"It looks like you people are putting together an awesome project--I'm looking forward to seeing the film, myself. Best wishes on completion of the project." - Christian Fletcher, Sword Maker
It's wonderful to see someone with passion get to fulfill their dreams -- especially when those dreams were made possible by the power of the internet. Here's the full movie 'Born of Hope,' available to view only on YouTube: