AniZona: Stress, Waffles and Playing Go With a Moogle.
Well it's done. One year and a nervous breakdown later, AniZona 1 is finally over. All things considered, it went extremely well. I've volunteered at conventions before. I've run my own anime club. But nothing I have ever done prepared me for this job.
First, some things that went really well.
--We capped attendance at 850, but managed to not start a riot when the 100+ remaining attendees (some of whom had come from out of state) were told that we were full.
--Technical kicked major ass. Every time I turned around, Jimmy and his crew were working miracles. He got the Nigiyakaza set up at the last minute, with next to no staff. He and Jason G. got AMVs running after major difficulties with the sound system put us almost an hour behind and still managed not to delay Cosplay by more than thirty minutes. Despite having no float projector, no panel or event that required video was without it, he and his guys were literally tech-ninjas, appearing out of the woodwork with whatever I needed, when I needed it.
--The T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews panel, despite its early time slot was so well reciieved that it actually ran over by half an hour.
--Mr. Amano. I can't say enough how awesome this man is. On Saturday night he actually went out into the hotel lounge and mingled with the fans a bit. He never turned down an autograph or photo request, and even stayed late after sightseeing on Sunday to do a signing for the staff that couldn't attend his panels. We were very lucky to have him and I sincerely hope he'll come back in a couple of years.
--Funimation. Colleen, Travis and Aaron were outstanding guests. Their panels were awesome fun (Especially Travis'), and they never shrunk back from any fan's question. Absolutely some of the coolest american anime industry guests I have seen at any con.
--Karaoke. Open mic Karaoke saved my sanity. Being able to just sit and listen to music really helped when I was stressing out during the programming blitz on Friday and Saturday. Even if all I got to do was stand in the door and listen to a song or two. We need to give them more space next year, no doubt.
--Dance Party. I had forgotten how much I love to dance. I suck at dancing, just about as badly as any other uncoordinated white-guy, but damn it's fun. I danced so much on Saturday night I could barely walk on Sunday. I need to find a good techno dance club here in the valley so I can practice for next year. XD
There was a lot more good stuff, but others have canvased it much more thoroughly than I.
--I worked so late that I missed the hotel breakfast every morning but Sunday. =(
--Major miscommunications with a certain sponsor left areas of programming understaffed on some nights. Thank god for Maria, our volunteer coordinator, who was always able to magically produce warm bodies where they were needed.
--I misplaced media and had to swap shows at the last minute in both video rooms. In one case this worked out since we were able to screen Miami Guns, a show that we had two voice actors from attending the con as GoHs, but in a few other cases I found myself apologizing to people who had planned their afternoon schedule around that show and were now unable to watch it. =(
--The cosplay MC fell and hurt her arm. It gave us all quite a scare. I heard the medical call over the radio and had a brief panic attack as I imagined an ambulace carting off an attendee in a body bag or something. It turned out to be nothing too serious, but whoa...nerve wracking.
Likewise, there was a lot more Bad. But I either can't talk about it for reasons of propriety or I simply don't want to think about it.
--Drunk GoHs. In The Chairman's room. Dear Lord. I won't say who (Other than it *wasn't* Amano, thank God), but it was still rather interesting trying to calm Anthony down as he freaked out about it.
--50 people signing up for the Anime LARP. I have been to A-Kon. I have been to Fanime and Expo. Anime LARP is always small. Like maybe a dozen people if you're lucky. 50. We are going to have to make a new staff position for that next year.
--A staff member complained at breakfast on Sunday that the waffles he'd had were the worst he'd ever gotten. This was right after I'd had one myself. This hotel has a 4-star rated resturant, and he was either the biggest waffle snob in the universe or completely off his rocker. The waffles rocked.
--On Saturday I was wearing my staff shirt, BDU pants and my Cochrane II jump boots. Someone asked me who I was cosplaying as. I replied: "The Director of Programming".
--On Friday night I was trying to unwind after the first day's programming so I pulled out my Go board and was playing Joseki patterns against myself in the lounge/lobby area when a girl in a moogle cosplay asked if she could play a game. We moved to a smaller table so she could reach the stones and began to play. Part of the way through the game, someone sat down at the baby grand piano and began playing Final Fantasy music. So here I am, in a shirt and tie, playing Go with a moogle while strands of the Final Fantasy 7 theme are playing in the background. Truely the most sureal moment of the convention for me, hands down.
I only wish I had pictures of the stuff that went on behind the scenes at AniZona. So much goes on at a convention that the fans never see. I won't say I have never worked on something this hard in my life, things I have done for the military have been much more difficult, but I've never had a job I've been so personally attached to, ever. Part of me is glad it's over, and the rest is already starting to gear up for next year. I'm really glad I became a part of this.
First, some things that went really well.
--We capped attendance at 850, but managed to not start a riot when the 100+ remaining attendees (some of whom had come from out of state) were told that we were full.
--Technical kicked major ass. Every time I turned around, Jimmy and his crew were working miracles. He got the Nigiyakaza set up at the last minute, with next to no staff. He and Jason G. got AMVs running after major difficulties with the sound system put us almost an hour behind and still managed not to delay Cosplay by more than thirty minutes. Despite having no float projector, no panel or event that required video was without it, he and his guys were literally tech-ninjas, appearing out of the woodwork with whatever I needed, when I needed it.
--The T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews panel, despite its early time slot was so well reciieved that it actually ran over by half an hour.
--Mr. Amano. I can't say enough how awesome this man is. On Saturday night he actually went out into the hotel lounge and mingled with the fans a bit. He never turned down an autograph or photo request, and even stayed late after sightseeing on Sunday to do a signing for the staff that couldn't attend his panels. We were very lucky to have him and I sincerely hope he'll come back in a couple of years.
--Funimation. Colleen, Travis and Aaron were outstanding guests. Their panels were awesome fun (Especially Travis'), and they never shrunk back from any fan's question. Absolutely some of the coolest american anime industry guests I have seen at any con.
--Karaoke. Open mic Karaoke saved my sanity. Being able to just sit and listen to music really helped when I was stressing out during the programming blitz on Friday and Saturday. Even if all I got to do was stand in the door and listen to a song or two. We need to give them more space next year, no doubt.
--Dance Party. I had forgotten how much I love to dance. I suck at dancing, just about as badly as any other uncoordinated white-guy, but damn it's fun. I danced so much on Saturday night I could barely walk on Sunday. I need to find a good techno dance club here in the valley so I can practice for next year. XD
There was a lot more good stuff, but others have canvased it much more thoroughly than I.
--I worked so late that I missed the hotel breakfast every morning but Sunday. =(
--Major miscommunications with a certain sponsor left areas of programming understaffed on some nights. Thank god for Maria, our volunteer coordinator, who was always able to magically produce warm bodies where they were needed.
--I misplaced media and had to swap shows at the last minute in both video rooms. In one case this worked out since we were able to screen Miami Guns, a show that we had two voice actors from attending the con as GoHs, but in a few other cases I found myself apologizing to people who had planned their afternoon schedule around that show and were now unable to watch it. =(
--The cosplay MC fell and hurt her arm. It gave us all quite a scare. I heard the medical call over the radio and had a brief panic attack as I imagined an ambulace carting off an attendee in a body bag or something. It turned out to be nothing too serious, but whoa...nerve wracking.
Likewise, there was a lot more Bad. But I either can't talk about it for reasons of propriety or I simply don't want to think about it.
--Drunk GoHs. In The Chairman's room. Dear Lord. I won't say who (Other than it *wasn't* Amano, thank God), but it was still rather interesting trying to calm Anthony down as he freaked out about it.
--50 people signing up for the Anime LARP. I have been to A-Kon. I have been to Fanime and Expo. Anime LARP is always small. Like maybe a dozen people if you're lucky. 50. We are going to have to make a new staff position for that next year.
--A staff member complained at breakfast on Sunday that the waffles he'd had were the worst he'd ever gotten. This was right after I'd had one myself. This hotel has a 4-star rated resturant, and he was either the biggest waffle snob in the universe or completely off his rocker. The waffles rocked.
--On Saturday I was wearing my staff shirt, BDU pants and my Cochrane II jump boots. Someone asked me who I was cosplaying as. I replied: "The Director of Programming".
--On Friday night I was trying to unwind after the first day's programming so I pulled out my Go board and was playing Joseki patterns against myself in the lounge/lobby area when a girl in a moogle cosplay asked if she could play a game. We moved to a smaller table so she could reach the stones and began to play. Part of the way through the game, someone sat down at the baby grand piano and began playing Final Fantasy music. So here I am, in a shirt and tie, playing Go with a moogle while strands of the Final Fantasy 7 theme are playing in the background. Truely the most sureal moment of the convention for me, hands down.
I only wish I had pictures of the stuff that went on behind the scenes at AniZona. So much goes on at a convention that the fans never see. I won't say I have never worked on something this hard in my life, things I have done for the military have been much more difficult, but I've never had a job I've been so personally attached to, ever. Part of me is glad it's over, and the rest is already starting to gear up for next year. I'm really glad I became a part of this.