more notes from Genesis of a Fandom (text)
Discussion led by jedusaur in the Genesis of a Fandom panel. (Notes by prophetic, see pictures at minim_calibre's post.) We discussed common characteristics of very popular fandoms, and then used those characteristics to develop our own premises for fandoms that would take the world by storm.
What fandoms and ships do you consider juggernauts?
- MCU
- Sherlock
- Harry Potter
- Supernatural
- Teen Wolf
- One Direction
- Bandom
- Due South
- Stargate Atlantis
- The X Files
- Star Trek
- Inception
- Lord of the Rings
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Xena
Surprise Juggernauts - fandoms whose level of popularity was surprising
- Teen Wolf
- Pirates of the Carribean
- Welcome to Night Vale
- Hamilton
- Hockey
What elements are common among juggernaut fandoms?
- found family
- male characters, slash pairings
- unexplored relationships
- emotionally constipated men
- a possible redeption story arc
- dangling threads/plot holes
- unrealized canon potential
- time gaps (that fandom can fill in)
- antagonistic characters or relationships
- a strong ensemble cast
- archetypal characters
- unnecessary deaths
- finds a middle way between causing fans to rage-quit and perfection (where fandom isn't necessary)
- A REALLY GOOD JACKET
How have elements of successful fandoms changed over time?
- change from a single strong pairing to an ensemble cast with lots of possible pairings
- Netflix, etc. which allow viewers to binge watch a season - changes fans' experience of time between episodes and time between seasons
Aside from the content of canon, what other circumstances contribute to fannish popularity?
- involvement by Big Name Fans
- accessibility of source materials
- break/hiatus time
- can we talk about it?
- infrastructure gets set up - communities, newsletters and mailing lists, presence on different platforms (twitter, tumblr, lj, dreamwidth)
- appeal of a particular actor - fans follow an actor from show to show (e.g., C6D)
- social media plays a huge role
- other media picks it up (stories on other non-fannish news or entertainment platforms)
- a serial, episodic medium
What elements of setting and worldbuilding are common among juggernaut fandoms?
- aliens or extra-/super-humans
- good vs. evil - "characters are all coming together to do the thing!"
- potential for romance
- possibility of alternate universes
- infinite renewal of conflict, unresolved tensions
- unexplored backstory, potential for worldbuilding (that is, additional worldbuilding done by fans)
- destiny - characters are controlled by their destiny in that world
- the world stands on its own - other characters can be placed into it
- instantly recognizable - the world can become an AU for other stories or characters
Do fandom juggernauts tent to have solid interesting premises?
- us against them
- a common purpose among characters, but different methods for pursuing that purpose (which can lead to arguments)
- secrets and secret identifies - information that characters must protect
- an in-group, which facilitates the us/them mission
What elements of character are common among fandom juggernaut pairings?
- British character, has an accent
- a redeemable villian
- a sidekick who wants to help them
- recognizable voice, unique characterization
- a backstory that slowly unfolds
- don't kill an important pairing character
- an easy-to-identify-with character
- A REALLY GOOD JACKET, identifiable clothing
- slash is added by fandom
- a canonically queer character who is unpaired
Then we read the premises for new fandoms created by the panel audience members. They were awesome, and we agreed that we would WATCH THE SHIT OUT OF EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. (Will post or link the premises once they are available.)
What fandoms and ships do you consider juggernauts?
- MCU
- Sherlock
- Harry Potter
- Supernatural
- Teen Wolf
- One Direction
- Bandom
- Due South
- Stargate Atlantis
- The X Files
- Star Trek
- Inception
- Lord of the Rings
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Xena
Surprise Juggernauts - fandoms whose level of popularity was surprising
- Teen Wolf
- Pirates of the Carribean
- Welcome to Night Vale
- Hamilton
- Hockey
What elements are common among juggernaut fandoms?
- found family
- male characters, slash pairings
- unexplored relationships
- emotionally constipated men
- a possible redeption story arc
- dangling threads/plot holes
- unrealized canon potential
- time gaps (that fandom can fill in)
- antagonistic characters or relationships
- a strong ensemble cast
- archetypal characters
- unnecessary deaths
- finds a middle way between causing fans to rage-quit and perfection (where fandom isn't necessary)
- A REALLY GOOD JACKET
How have elements of successful fandoms changed over time?
- change from a single strong pairing to an ensemble cast with lots of possible pairings
- Netflix, etc. which allow viewers to binge watch a season - changes fans' experience of time between episodes and time between seasons
Aside from the content of canon, what other circumstances contribute to fannish popularity?
- involvement by Big Name Fans
- accessibility of source materials
- break/hiatus time
- can we talk about it?
- infrastructure gets set up - communities, newsletters and mailing lists, presence on different platforms (twitter, tumblr, lj, dreamwidth)
- appeal of a particular actor - fans follow an actor from show to show (e.g., C6D)
- social media plays a huge role
- other media picks it up (stories on other non-fannish news or entertainment platforms)
- a serial, episodic medium
What elements of setting and worldbuilding are common among juggernaut fandoms?
- aliens or extra-/super-humans
- good vs. evil - "characters are all coming together to do the thing!"
- potential for romance
- possibility of alternate universes
- infinite renewal of conflict, unresolved tensions
- unexplored backstory, potential for worldbuilding (that is, additional worldbuilding done by fans)
- destiny - characters are controlled by their destiny in that world
- the world stands on its own - other characters can be placed into it
- instantly recognizable - the world can become an AU for other stories or characters
Do fandom juggernauts tent to have solid interesting premises?
- us against them
- a common purpose among characters, but different methods for pursuing that purpose (which can lead to arguments)
- secrets and secret identifies - information that characters must protect
- an in-group, which facilitates the us/them mission
What elements of character are common among fandom juggernaut pairings?
- British character, has an accent
- a redeemable villian
- a sidekick who wants to help them
- recognizable voice, unique characterization
- a backstory that slowly unfolds
- don't kill an important pairing character
- an easy-to-identify-with character
- A REALLY GOOD JACKET, identifiable clothing
- slash is added by fandom
- a canonically queer character who is unpaired
Then we read the premises for new fandoms created by the panel audience members. They were awesome, and we agreed that we would WATCH THE SHIT OUT OF EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. (Will post or link the premises once they are available.)