CvG 2009
Well, I survived - almost. I'm sitting out today as my lack of sleep seems to have given me a cold. So much from turning 41 I guess.
In the intervening days I got VERY little sleep. Between chasing down filmmakers to get their submissions, authoring, reauthoring, burning and re-buring Master DVDs and running around trying to get all the stuff I needed for my costume. It was pretty damned exhausting. But -- surprizingly it all came together very!
I had a really good time. There were a few hick-ups with the stuff I was in charge of, but in the end, it was not really a big deal. I had a difficult communications issue with the DVD player in the A/V room. Some how I seem to have tamed it to my will.
Another issue occured as a result of me reading the schedule for the Film Festival incorrectly. I'd some how gotten it in my head that it was supposed to run from 8:30 to 11:30. In reality it was supposed to be until 11pm. This lead to a not so pleasant encounter with the next panel group. It wasn't a huge deal really, but I was pretty taken aback by it. But I walked it off and the gal and I apologized to each other later - which I appreciated and it was all good.
I also realized that I had double booked myself on the 48 minute film project and the TVTV Puppeteer Auditions. Thankfully Justin has all in hand and I was able to break away for the auditions.
I was really happy about the turn out for the Auditions. Some really excellent (from my perspective) puppeteers turned up and even a crowd of people who just came to watch the performers. And I got to hang out with the TV-TV gang several of us went out for dinner afterwords.
The panels I was on went really well, I especially was happy with the Screenwriting panel. The panelist were really great and I think the audience really enjoyed it.
I did however get the feeling That 50 minutes is just not enough for to actually "LEARN" something. Panels seem to be more suited to either anecdotal banter between panelist who have working on a single project together or a debate of some kind. This gave me an idea of creating a new tract that is more of a lecture series on filmmaking. Something that would be extended throughout the CON, that would allow people to be more focuded on learning skills.
I bounced the idea off of each panelist and audience and there was an overwhelming number of "Yes -- please offer something like this" responses.
I'm interested to see what the CONcom gang thinks about the idea. It would take some thinking to make it fit the format of the Con, but I think it could actually work well.
With the exception of the argument with the DVD player and the previously mentioned SNAFU, the 1st Annual Midwest Sci-Fi Film Festival seemed to be excellent. We maintained a steady audience between 30 and 50 people throughout the entire 3 hours (even reached standing room only status during the last half hour with all the people waiting for the next panel. Despite having to wait, they seemed to really enjoy the films - as did the rest of the audience.
I got a really great response during the intermission and afterwords. Even had a few guys come up to me and thank me for doing the festival. They said they had been filling out comment cards for years asking for one and were eladed to finally see it. I got some really good feedback on the selection and quality of the films. I even had a ton of people ask if they can buy the films on DVD afterwords (which of course gave me ANOTHER idea).
AND - -I got a lot of compliments on my costume, which was cool. I was pretty happy with it, but I used to much Texas Dirt with my ToD version and I looked a bit like an orange-ish hispanic Indy. Special thanks go out to MN Jones for helping fill in gaps in my Indy Gear.
One was gal gave me sort of a backwards compliment - one gal stopped me and ask "Who are you supposed to be" I was like -- "You really don't know?" She said "I do -- but you know -- I think you'd make a much better "Ben" from "Lost" than Indiana Jones" I laughed but I agreed with her "Yeah -- it's the french "Jean Reno" googly eyes.
On my way home I think I might have come up with a good costume that would sell the idea. Other wise I'd pretty much just look like me and no one would know I was in costume. Now I just need to find/make a Dharma Initiative Jumpsuit and a Rabbit with an 8 painted on it.
Socially I had a really good time catch up with friends, many of which I'd not seen since last Con. I even saw some people that had no connection with Con at all, that I haven't seen in years and years that had somehow ended up there. That was pretty cool. Ms. Kim even managed to get me out on the dance floor at the Rave for a little while.
Now - the recouperation and post-con depression will commence! Yippy.
Tomorrow -- it's off to Arkansas for a week.
In the intervening days I got VERY little sleep. Between chasing down filmmakers to get their submissions, authoring, reauthoring, burning and re-buring Master DVDs and running around trying to get all the stuff I needed for my costume. It was pretty damned exhausting. But -- surprizingly it all came together very!
I had a really good time. There were a few hick-ups with the stuff I was in charge of, but in the end, it was not really a big deal. I had a difficult communications issue with the DVD player in the A/V room. Some how I seem to have tamed it to my will.
Another issue occured as a result of me reading the schedule for the Film Festival incorrectly. I'd some how gotten it in my head that it was supposed to run from 8:30 to 11:30. In reality it was supposed to be until 11pm. This lead to a not so pleasant encounter with the next panel group. It wasn't a huge deal really, but I was pretty taken aback by it. But I walked it off and the gal and I apologized to each other later - which I appreciated and it was all good.
I also realized that I had double booked myself on the 48 minute film project and the TVTV Puppeteer Auditions. Thankfully Justin has all in hand and I was able to break away for the auditions.
I was really happy about the turn out for the Auditions. Some really excellent (from my perspective) puppeteers turned up and even a crowd of people who just came to watch the performers. And I got to hang out with the TV-TV gang several of us went out for dinner afterwords.
The panels I was on went really well, I especially was happy with the Screenwriting panel. The panelist were really great and I think the audience really enjoyed it.
I did however get the feeling That 50 minutes is just not enough for to actually "LEARN" something. Panels seem to be more suited to either anecdotal banter between panelist who have working on a single project together or a debate of some kind. This gave me an idea of creating a new tract that is more of a lecture series on filmmaking. Something that would be extended throughout the CON, that would allow people to be more focuded on learning skills.
I bounced the idea off of each panelist and audience and there was an overwhelming number of "Yes -- please offer something like this" responses.
I'm interested to see what the CONcom gang thinks about the idea. It would take some thinking to make it fit the format of the Con, but I think it could actually work well.
With the exception of the argument with the DVD player and the previously mentioned SNAFU, the 1st Annual Midwest Sci-Fi Film Festival seemed to be excellent. We maintained a steady audience between 30 and 50 people throughout the entire 3 hours (even reached standing room only status during the last half hour with all the people waiting for the next panel. Despite having to wait, they seemed to really enjoy the films - as did the rest of the audience.
I got a really great response during the intermission and afterwords. Even had a few guys come up to me and thank me for doing the festival. They said they had been filling out comment cards for years asking for one and were eladed to finally see it. I got some really good feedback on the selection and quality of the films. I even had a ton of people ask if they can buy the films on DVD afterwords (which of course gave me ANOTHER idea).
AND - -I got a lot of compliments on my costume, which was cool. I was pretty happy with it, but I used to much Texas Dirt with my ToD version and I looked a bit like an orange-ish hispanic Indy. Special thanks go out to MN Jones for helping fill in gaps in my Indy Gear.
One was gal gave me sort of a backwards compliment - one gal stopped me and ask "Who are you supposed to be" I was like -- "You really don't know?" She said "I do -- but you know -- I think you'd make a much better "Ben" from "Lost" than Indiana Jones" I laughed but I agreed with her "Yeah -- it's the french "Jean Reno" googly eyes.
On my way home I think I might have come up with a good costume that would sell the idea. Other wise I'd pretty much just look like me and no one would know I was in costume. Now I just need to find/make a Dharma Initiative Jumpsuit and a Rabbit with an 8 painted on it.
Socially I had a really good time catch up with friends, many of which I'd not seen since last Con. I even saw some people that had no connection with Con at all, that I haven't seen in years and years that had somehow ended up there. That was pretty cool. Ms. Kim even managed to get me out on the dance floor at the Rave for a little while.
Now - the recouperation and post-con depression will commence! Yippy.
Tomorrow -- it's off to Arkansas for a week.