Over time still the same....
Yeah hi long time from a post, that is what happens when life stays pretty busy though. Guess a lot of people have moved on to other mediums so this has become the more dated way of at least flowing thoughts out.
This weekend we found ourselves adventuring down to one of our first fandom conventions in a long time, the Calgary Comic book Expo. We'd wanted to go to this before due to all the ideas and panels and whom they had booked at the time...though when the announced they had the entire cast of the TNG...actually we didn't care that much. Instead we noticed it might become a crowding and demand problem...
Yeah understatement that. I suddenly had pretty bad flashbacks of the CreationCon days of cramming, overselling, and just downright "maximize profit taking". When one considers the cost to get the whole TNG cast, well I could see the need to make the money back, and then some. But the venue really was not up to the task, so much so the fire marshals cracked down, and people got ripped off value of tickets or even locked out.
I ended up for several people there answering a lot of questions as to why this was happened. (Oh fandom your ignorance is so bliss) This is where as Tanya would have pointed out my "SMOF years" come into play. It is a simple business and math equation, if you can get so much money in overcrowded sales, calculate the actual amount of refunds plus the fines from a marshal and you can still show a tidy profit, then what harm is there in letting unpaid volunteers suffer? Yeah that is the grim math that was used by some cons in the past, and reflections of this came home this time. Was it intentional or really poor planning? Or really diabolical planning? Yeah my Overunit did not like the "SMOF view" of that...or anyone else. But that is the cold hard math of any executive of any convention. Has been for decades, don't know why fans expect differently.
Once again I found "the people" were and still are the main reason to ever attend. The instant and even lasting friendships you can make is still there. There are tales to share, adventure, and while not the same as a Gaming Convention like Gencon...it still has merit and value. Celebs I found more and more as the years went on less and less the real draw. Oh granted there were good ones, and there was the bad as well. This time, while there were certainly ones I was delighted to see, there was irony in seeing the "tilt of the popularity" that 25 years has done to the cast. The Outcast is now the Rock Star (Wil Wheaton) while the
top draws; with some exceptions (Sir Patrick Stewart); now find it hard to be remembered. It is a bit heart breaking to see, and it touches hard on what a magnificent set of instructions one Walter Koeing gave them at a convention. "You're in glory now, but you'll find it fleeting. The day is going to come when you hope you are still remembered for being something inspiring. Enjoy it while it lasts and treat it and your fans with respect."
His prophecy and true words have appeared to come true. And not just for them either. When the vast majority of people don't know David Prowse and his glory, sigh. They just see a broken old man, not the one that created a Superman, or was a Lord of the Sith, or even was that behind the scenes inspiration for many an actor. Unsung stories, forgotten by a fandom that knows not and remembers not.
Then there was of course reminders of why I left fandom and was glad to detach and leave the industry. It really is an ugly industry that can chew you up and spit you out and leave nothing behind...sadly the younger fans and companies never seem to understand this. "Why can't it be done this way and so easy?" they would all appear to ask? And there is the trap, for it is not that easy, and everything has to be vetted and made proper and through channels...there is very little that can go "under a radar". And if it does at least try here and there, you better hope it NEVER gets on the radar, as then it will IMMEDIATELY be deny everything. Because that is the industry...and in the modern age of electronic media, even more so. Maybe back in the days the old stars did "play", but they dare not and will not now, as who knows what and whom is watching. Discretion and denial-ability, and yet the young fan knows not or will not understand this.
Welcome to "SMOF view" and why it is so. And again, it becomes a reminder of why I left. I remember dealing with "potential guest", only to have the convention foolishly and illegal advertise them before securing anything! Withdrawn offers secured earlier because the con refused a perk or answer...then dealing with the need to "deny the offer ever happened" despite it all being recorded. And the worst being told to ask someone what they wanted to attend, getting the answer, relay, repeat...on and on, only to have even the "telephone" game kick in and miscommunication, and once more the "refusal to take accountability" by the executive, despite the letters and writing confirming the request for that help in the first place!
It is a mean business...a "business to make money", nothing else. Fans...just do not get that. Cold hard facts. And when they act naive, it is enough to make the pros just "walk away" and let it all hang in disgust. And then one wonders as my Overunit asks "Are all the conventions that corrupt" because in the end, the ethics leaves.
I had my time, there was good, there was bad. In the end I entered the business itself. There was good, there was bad. And that too had to finally be walked away when it got down to lawyers. Fans...just don't get that. "why can't it be that easy?" Ask the lawyers kids.
Yeah real walk down memory lane again...I doubt I will ever make the effort again. If there is one lesson I learned this convention from trying through "channels" to make proper efforts, is never allow a fan to find out, ever. Guaranteed they will "screw the pooch" because they don't understand the "business" the industry of entertainment really is. Lawyers boys and girls, lawyers. And this includes letting a business even get a wiff, as then they will try not realizing just how many contracts they are violating. "Why I didn't ask you morons, why I didn't ask you...HUGE duh!"
>huge breath< .rubs nose<
Fandom...really is a glorious and wonderful thing. It brings all kinds of people from all walks of life together to share an interest, or a goal, or just a dream. Cherish how unique and blessed such a thing is.
The Business of Fandom...it is there to Make Money. It does not want to be your friend except to make money. It does not want you other than as a source of amusement, pleasure, and of course money. It is a BUSINESS first. And it plays by hard, mean rules. It will use you, it will tempt you, it will corrupt you, and throw you away when you serve no other use of making money. It will betray you, lie to you, and scheme and cheat as much as it can to achieve it's one goal, to Make Money.
The sooner any naive fan or organization understands that, a lot less hurt they will be.
...and frankly I was sick of hiding the bodies long ago.
Be at Peace
This weekend we found ourselves adventuring down to one of our first fandom conventions in a long time, the Calgary Comic book Expo. We'd wanted to go to this before due to all the ideas and panels and whom they had booked at the time...though when the announced they had the entire cast of the TNG...actually we didn't care that much. Instead we noticed it might become a crowding and demand problem...
Yeah understatement that. I suddenly had pretty bad flashbacks of the CreationCon days of cramming, overselling, and just downright "maximize profit taking". When one considers the cost to get the whole TNG cast, well I could see the need to make the money back, and then some. But the venue really was not up to the task, so much so the fire marshals cracked down, and people got ripped off value of tickets or even locked out.
I ended up for several people there answering a lot of questions as to why this was happened. (Oh fandom your ignorance is so bliss) This is where as Tanya would have pointed out my "SMOF years" come into play. It is a simple business and math equation, if you can get so much money in overcrowded sales, calculate the actual amount of refunds plus the fines from a marshal and you can still show a tidy profit, then what harm is there in letting unpaid volunteers suffer? Yeah that is the grim math that was used by some cons in the past, and reflections of this came home this time. Was it intentional or really poor planning? Or really diabolical planning? Yeah my Overunit did not like the "SMOF view" of that...or anyone else. But that is the cold hard math of any executive of any convention. Has been for decades, don't know why fans expect differently.
Once again I found "the people" were and still are the main reason to ever attend. The instant and even lasting friendships you can make is still there. There are tales to share, adventure, and while not the same as a Gaming Convention like Gencon...it still has merit and value. Celebs I found more and more as the years went on less and less the real draw. Oh granted there were good ones, and there was the bad as well. This time, while there were certainly ones I was delighted to see, there was irony in seeing the "tilt of the popularity" that 25 years has done to the cast. The Outcast is now the Rock Star (Wil Wheaton) while the
top draws; with some exceptions (Sir Patrick Stewart); now find it hard to be remembered. It is a bit heart breaking to see, and it touches hard on what a magnificent set of instructions one Walter Koeing gave them at a convention. "You're in glory now, but you'll find it fleeting. The day is going to come when you hope you are still remembered for being something inspiring. Enjoy it while it lasts and treat it and your fans with respect."
His prophecy and true words have appeared to come true. And not just for them either. When the vast majority of people don't know David Prowse and his glory, sigh. They just see a broken old man, not the one that created a Superman, or was a Lord of the Sith, or even was that behind the scenes inspiration for many an actor. Unsung stories, forgotten by a fandom that knows not and remembers not.
Then there was of course reminders of why I left fandom and was glad to detach and leave the industry. It really is an ugly industry that can chew you up and spit you out and leave nothing behind...sadly the younger fans and companies never seem to understand this. "Why can't it be done this way and so easy?" they would all appear to ask? And there is the trap, for it is not that easy, and everything has to be vetted and made proper and through channels...there is very little that can go "under a radar". And if it does at least try here and there, you better hope it NEVER gets on the radar, as then it will IMMEDIATELY be deny everything. Because that is the industry...and in the modern age of electronic media, even more so. Maybe back in the days the old stars did "play", but they dare not and will not now, as who knows what and whom is watching. Discretion and denial-ability, and yet the young fan knows not or will not understand this.
Welcome to "SMOF view" and why it is so. And again, it becomes a reminder of why I left. I remember dealing with "potential guest", only to have the convention foolishly and illegal advertise them before securing anything! Withdrawn offers secured earlier because the con refused a perk or answer...then dealing with the need to "deny the offer ever happened" despite it all being recorded. And the worst being told to ask someone what they wanted to attend, getting the answer, relay, repeat...on and on, only to have even the "telephone" game kick in and miscommunication, and once more the "refusal to take accountability" by the executive, despite the letters and writing confirming the request for that help in the first place!
It is a mean business...a "business to make money", nothing else. Fans...just do not get that. Cold hard facts. And when they act naive, it is enough to make the pros just "walk away" and let it all hang in disgust. And then one wonders as my Overunit asks "Are all the conventions that corrupt" because in the end, the ethics leaves.
I had my time, there was good, there was bad. In the end I entered the business itself. There was good, there was bad. And that too had to finally be walked away when it got down to lawyers. Fans...just don't get that. "why can't it be that easy?" Ask the lawyers kids.
Yeah real walk down memory lane again...I doubt I will ever make the effort again. If there is one lesson I learned this convention from trying through "channels" to make proper efforts, is never allow a fan to find out, ever. Guaranteed they will "screw the pooch" because they don't understand the "business" the industry of entertainment really is. Lawyers boys and girls, lawyers. And this includes letting a business even get a wiff, as then they will try not realizing just how many contracts they are violating. "Why I didn't ask you morons, why I didn't ask you...HUGE duh!"
>huge breath< .rubs nose<
Fandom...really is a glorious and wonderful thing. It brings all kinds of people from all walks of life together to share an interest, or a goal, or just a dream. Cherish how unique and blessed such a thing is.
The Business of Fandom...it is there to Make Money. It does not want to be your friend except to make money. It does not want you other than as a source of amusement, pleasure, and of course money. It is a BUSINESS first. And it plays by hard, mean rules. It will use you, it will tempt you, it will corrupt you, and throw you away when you serve no other use of making money. It will betray you, lie to you, and scheme and cheat as much as it can to achieve it's one goal, to Make Money.
The sooner any naive fan or organization understands that, a lot less hurt they will be.
...and frankly I was sick of hiding the bodies long ago.
Be at Peace