Hallowhedon Convention
It's taken a bit longer than I expected. Lots of photos to sort out. Here's some teasers
There's more shiny HQ photos on my site here. If you'd rather not look through them all, James Marsters here and here , Nicholas Brendon and here, Mercedes & here, James Leary & here, Mark Lutz and here - with group shots here & here.
And if you want to know what went on read the report, it's hidden under a cut Billed as a whedonverse convention, this was my first Massive Events experience, other than one off guest talks in conjunction with signings. Considering all the top tickets (gold was £195 and silver £135) had sold out quite soon after James Marsters appearance announcement, I had hoped for more guests. A last minute cancellation by the only guest I'd not met, Harry Groener (Mayor Wilkins BtVS S3) was disappointing and there was no replacement. No Dollhouse or Firefly guests either but considering that Dollhouse is still currently shooting and most of the Firefly regulars are working on other projects that's just the way it goes. THe venue was the Thistle - I'm familiar with the hotel, enough said.
General
Gold ticket holders had all photoshoots and autographs included in the package, two group shots - one with you, one without. There were also goodies too - T shirt, Mug (Grrgh Argh) badges and an 8 x10 photo of each guest - these went down well. Reserved seating at the front of the hall and the cocktail reception. The atmosphere and the attitude of the stewards/crew/organisers was wonderful - no, seriously they went out of their way to help and pretty much everyone knew what was going on, most of the time. I can't tell you how much difference this makes at these events.
Opening Ceremony.
We'd heard about James's accident on the set of Caprica a week or so ago but we were reassured by management that he would be attending. Sympathy to the 'Hub' Convention in the UK the previous week which he had to cancel. James was there and in a great deal of pain (you could see it- and quite frankly almost feel it too) The organisers announced that James asked all attendees not to touch/hug him in the photoshoots as it would hurt too much. He would not be sitting during his Q&A's either. Palpable disappointment from the fans that had booked multiple photoshoots - more on that later.
The organisers took the trouble to explain how things would work at the weekend. On a show of hands it became apparent that the majority of the attendees were con virgins, much to my surprise and delight. So good that these shows still garner this sort of interest.
First up on stage was James Leary (Clem BtVS) followed by Nick Brendon (Xander) Mercedes McNab(Harmony BtVS/AtS) Mark Lutz (groosalug AtS) and finally James Marsters (Spike BtVS/AtS) James took the stage to the usual reception but clearly without that boundless energy and enthusiasm that he normally exudes, he lent heavily on his directors chair. We had a brief hello from them all and soon after they left the stage for the Gold ticket cocktail party.
The cocktail party was crowded & noisy.An attempt was made by the PA's to move the guests around the room to each group of gold ticket holders. It didn't work to be honest. Some fans muscled in quite brazenly - or followed a particular guest around. It was hard to hear the guest speaking and they also felt very self conscious. James Marsters was propped up against a wall in our group and fortunately I managed to hear most of what was said. Mercedes I couldn't hear at all. I checked with James Leary that he was the 'James' we could hug and got a one for my sheer cheek. Nic was 'hot' but very chipper. These parties work best with everyone sat at round tables. The guest is the same eye level with everyone at the table and you get a good opportunity to hear/ask questions. Good to find that there was plenty of free wine, soft drinks and nibbles though, so I occupied myself with the wine.
Friday Party.- Theme- Night at the Tropicana
Much effort was put into the parties for Friday and Saturday evening. They had given the gold ticket holders a fake £50 note to exchange at the gaming tables. There were four tables, two roulette, one black jack and one dice (craps?) all handled by experienced croupiers (by the looks of) I hate gambling with real money - if I want to blow cash I'll shop and get something to show for it, but this was great and as I was on my own this gave me plenty to do through the evening, Great fun. There was also a Karaoke set up in the lounge too, If you go to youtube, you are sure to find Nic Brendon singing 'Mandy' for us. The main hall was decorated beautifully and lots of attendees wore costumes, apart from the bar prices it was a great evening.
Saturday & Sunday (same format)
Morning was spent getting autographs and photo shoots. With James's Marsters photos, he was quite happy to hug, or put his arm around you, but he couldn't bear to have anyone touch him. From what I could see he still managed lots of poses for the die hard fans so you'd probably not notice that much. Apart from James Marsters I hadn't had professional shoots with the other guests before (unless you count the one of James Leary in full Clem mode) so that was good. I thought the quality of the photographers at this event to be good. Generally I want to cut myself out of the picture. For the autograph session James Marsters was actually lying down on his front, on a lounger. Propped to the height of the table so he could lean on it and sign. I knelt so I could chat without looking at the top of his head. I told him that I thought that this was probably above and beyond the call of duty and we really appreciate his being there. He smiled and replied "that if you say you are going to do something then you should do all you can to do it". He loved the sketch - "Goddamn that's good" and still managed to chat despite clearly being in extreme pain. Nic also liked his sketch and signed it 'I'm hot' but he could have been making a pithy comment on the air conditioning - who knows. I spoke briefly about seeing him during the parties at night.
Q&A's Saturday and Sunday
Afternoon was just for guest talks - whilst these were being held in the main hall, you could also attend 'guest encounters' if you had made one of the winning bids earlier in the day ( 11 attendees would spend around 30-45 minutes with a chosen guest) - I didn't bother as I like to see all the main talks. They had reduced the amount of flash photography time down to one minute only, so that was a pain. The lighting is good in the main hall but they always dim it (why?) so it's tough to take non flash photos without a tripod. Questions were asked by an organisers MC which they had chosen from those submitted earlier by attendees. I didn't like this much, some questions needed further explanation which the MC was unable to do and the guest, once they have answered, doesn't really get 'feedback' from the attendee
James Marsters spoke mainly about Shakespeare - Macbeth is his favourite play/part. He would love to perform in UK theatre. Working on Caprica (he was careful not to spoil) What he thought of the development of Spikes character (he loved his first incarnation pre chip/Buffy) His favourite Angel episode was 'Destiny' because he got to beat up David, favourite BtVS ep was OMWF, he was 'so proud of the cast'. There weren't many revelations during these talks, he was asked about Torchwood and kissing John Barrowman and recounted his experience on that show. Also he would like to appear in Dr Who as he thought it was one of the best programs produced by the BBC. He talked about Buzz Aldrin and his film 'Moonshot' His Sunday talk was also with Mark Lutz and they did discuss acting quite seriously and how an actor can influences their character/role by just being themselves. Mark's favourite episode was Couplet and also 'There's No place like Pltz Grb' because he too, had the opportunity to beat up David Boreanaz (this seemed to be a theme). Not my vid but here's a snip on Youtube
Nic Brendon had one solo Q&A on Sunday and with Mercedes on Saturday. It was great to see Nic with Mercedes and they seemed to be having a lot of fun. Nic spoke about his new play 'SantaLand Diaries' and his recurring role on Criminal Minds. His favourite BtVS episode was OMWF. He was asked when he last spoke to former regulars from BtVS - Joss he said he spoke to around 3 months ago and talked to him about wanting to do some singing again (Joss please cast him in Dr Horrible sequel) Called Alyson on Mothers day and of course had met the cast here too. Mercedes was asked about Supernatural and being type cast as a vampire. She laughingly told us "Yes, the guys are really cute (that's what you wanted to know right?) and I had fun doing the show". Her favourite episode was originally Harm's Way "as it was all about me" but now she thinks it's 'Harsh Light of Day' as she had some great scenes with James. When asked which other character they would have liked to have played in Buffy both she and Nic replied 'Spike' During is Sunday Q&A Nic was asked about BtVS S8 story arc. "How did he feel about Dawn/Xander?" Nic was decidedly uncomfortable as said it felt a little incestuous being with Little Dawnie. He also was surprised at Buffy/Satsu (I'm sure this was discussed at Paleyfest but I guess he may have forgotten). He did know that he was in charge of a large group of females which made him happy. He said that Joss wanted to kill Xander in S7 but the other writers talked him down to just losing an eye. We were lucky enough to get a stunning performance of the snoppy dance at each Q&A
Mark Lutz & James Leary had us all rolling in the aisles with their Q&A - both really funny guys and it was great to see them riff off each other - the questions were really not necessary. James Leary also had a Q&A with Mercedes and Mercedes liked to hear that in S8 she and Clem share a flat. Mercedes also felt more at home in AtS as she was a regular rather than just an ocassional guest star. James spoke a little about The Occulterers - a webseries he appears in along with Camden Toy. He'd like us to check it out. His favourite episode was 'Older and Far Away' as he was on set for quite sometime rather than the guest spot. He likes his kittens dipped in Ranch dressing.
After the Saturday Q&A there was an auction of memorabilia - some awesome autographed scripts fetched tidy sums but the highlight was the 'Dinner with James Marsters' As this would be alone with James in his hotel room (and most likely James would be lying down). It fetched £900 - I thought it may go to a grand, seeing as the organizers did take credit card.
The final Q&A on Sunday was for all guests - Nic and Mark also stood during the talk with James Marsters, who truthfully was now looking very tired and in pain. But it was great to see them all on stage at one time. This then kind of stumbled into a rather anticlimatic closing ceremony (no real speeches and goodbyes as I've seen before) and the guests left the stage.
Saturday Night Party - Vampire Halloween Ball.
The attendees were nearly all in costume - there were some amazing outfits and it really added to the party atmosphere. I took a couple of photos, personal favourites (also James Marsters liked this one too) Prince Vlad from Dracula (this was one of our photographers and the costume was excellent. A couple of Dr Horribles (White and Red versions) plus Bad Horse and the cowboy posse. Plenty of traditional ghosts, witches and some brilliant zombies. There's a good photo of one attendee (as ANya Bunny) with Nic. All guests - not James Marsters he was busy having dinner ;) Were at the bar and in the main hall partying with us. I saw Nic Brendon dancing with attendees, not sure if there were handbags involved.A bit of a surreal moment for me, was when he was dancing to Smashmouth 'Hey Now yOU're a Rock Star' as one of the first Xander vids I fell in love with many years ago was to this song, it was being replayed right there. Nic was great - he even rode the 'spinning Pumpkin' ride set up in the foyer. Mark, Mercedes and James Leary were also at the party Friday and Saturday night - James doing an 'Indiana Jones'for the Halloween Party. Mercedes told me Sunday morning that she'd left about 11pm Saturday evening - we both agreed that we just can't do the really late nights when there are photoshoots in the morning, although she looked alot better than I did.
Sunday Night Party - Theme -Space Cowboys.
I'd say two thirds of attendees had left after the closing ceremony, so this unfortunately was a very low key affair. But this often the case. Last chance to bust a few moves on the dance floor and hit the bed suitably exhausted.
Overall, a well run Convention, very enjoyable. I think that they could liven up the morning sessions with some other activites, episode screenings or OMWF/ Dr Horrible sing-a-longs. Or even show fan vids - I think I know a few that I would recommend.
I will very likely be booking for next year's event. Anthony Stewart Head is the first announced guest.
There's more shiny HQ photos on my site here. If you'd rather not look through them all, James Marsters here and here , Nicholas Brendon and here, Mercedes & here, James Leary & here, Mark Lutz and here - with group shots here & here.
And if you want to know what went on read the report, it's hidden under a cut Billed as a whedonverse convention, this was my first Massive Events experience, other than one off guest talks in conjunction with signings. Considering all the top tickets (gold was £195 and silver £135) had sold out quite soon after James Marsters appearance announcement, I had hoped for more guests. A last minute cancellation by the only guest I'd not met, Harry Groener (Mayor Wilkins BtVS S3) was disappointing and there was no replacement. No Dollhouse or Firefly guests either but considering that Dollhouse is still currently shooting and most of the Firefly regulars are working on other projects that's just the way it goes. THe venue was the Thistle - I'm familiar with the hotel, enough said.
General
Gold ticket holders had all photoshoots and autographs included in the package, two group shots - one with you, one without. There were also goodies too - T shirt, Mug (Grrgh Argh) badges and an 8 x10 photo of each guest - these went down well. Reserved seating at the front of the hall and the cocktail reception. The atmosphere and the attitude of the stewards/crew/organisers was wonderful - no, seriously they went out of their way to help and pretty much everyone knew what was going on, most of the time. I can't tell you how much difference this makes at these events.
Opening Ceremony.
We'd heard about James's accident on the set of Caprica a week or so ago but we were reassured by management that he would be attending. Sympathy to the 'Hub' Convention in the UK the previous week which he had to cancel. James was there and in a great deal of pain (you could see it- and quite frankly almost feel it too) The organisers announced that James asked all attendees not to touch/hug him in the photoshoots as it would hurt too much. He would not be sitting during his Q&A's either. Palpable disappointment from the fans that had booked multiple photoshoots - more on that later.
The organisers took the trouble to explain how things would work at the weekend. On a show of hands it became apparent that the majority of the attendees were con virgins, much to my surprise and delight. So good that these shows still garner this sort of interest.
First up on stage was James Leary (Clem BtVS) followed by Nick Brendon (Xander) Mercedes McNab(Harmony BtVS/AtS) Mark Lutz (groosalug AtS) and finally James Marsters (Spike BtVS/AtS) James took the stage to the usual reception but clearly without that boundless energy and enthusiasm that he normally exudes, he lent heavily on his directors chair. We had a brief hello from them all and soon after they left the stage for the Gold ticket cocktail party.
The cocktail party was crowded & noisy.An attempt was made by the PA's to move the guests around the room to each group of gold ticket holders. It didn't work to be honest. Some fans muscled in quite brazenly - or followed a particular guest around. It was hard to hear the guest speaking and they also felt very self conscious. James Marsters was propped up against a wall in our group and fortunately I managed to hear most of what was said. Mercedes I couldn't hear at all. I checked with James Leary that he was the 'James' we could hug and got a one for my sheer cheek. Nic was 'hot' but very chipper. These parties work best with everyone sat at round tables. The guest is the same eye level with everyone at the table and you get a good opportunity to hear/ask questions. Good to find that there was plenty of free wine, soft drinks and nibbles though, so I occupied myself with the wine.
Friday Party.- Theme- Night at the Tropicana
Much effort was put into the parties for Friday and Saturday evening. They had given the gold ticket holders a fake £50 note to exchange at the gaming tables. There were four tables, two roulette, one black jack and one dice (craps?) all handled by experienced croupiers (by the looks of) I hate gambling with real money - if I want to blow cash I'll shop and get something to show for it, but this was great and as I was on my own this gave me plenty to do through the evening, Great fun. There was also a Karaoke set up in the lounge too, If you go to youtube, you are sure to find Nic Brendon singing 'Mandy' for us. The main hall was decorated beautifully and lots of attendees wore costumes, apart from the bar prices it was a great evening.
Saturday & Sunday (same format)
Morning was spent getting autographs and photo shoots. With James's Marsters photos, he was quite happy to hug, or put his arm around you, but he couldn't bear to have anyone touch him. From what I could see he still managed lots of poses for the die hard fans so you'd probably not notice that much. Apart from James Marsters I hadn't had professional shoots with the other guests before (unless you count the one of James Leary in full Clem mode) so that was good. I thought the quality of the photographers at this event to be good. Generally I want to cut myself out of the picture. For the autograph session James Marsters was actually lying down on his front, on a lounger. Propped to the height of the table so he could lean on it and sign. I knelt so I could chat without looking at the top of his head. I told him that I thought that this was probably above and beyond the call of duty and we really appreciate his being there. He smiled and replied "that if you say you are going to do something then you should do all you can to do it". He loved the sketch - "Goddamn that's good" and still managed to chat despite clearly being in extreme pain. Nic also liked his sketch and signed it 'I'm hot' but he could have been making a pithy comment on the air conditioning - who knows. I spoke briefly about seeing him during the parties at night.
Q&A's Saturday and Sunday
Afternoon was just for guest talks - whilst these were being held in the main hall, you could also attend 'guest encounters' if you had made one of the winning bids earlier in the day ( 11 attendees would spend around 30-45 minutes with a chosen guest) - I didn't bother as I like to see all the main talks. They had reduced the amount of flash photography time down to one minute only, so that was a pain. The lighting is good in the main hall but they always dim it (why?) so it's tough to take non flash photos without a tripod. Questions were asked by an organisers MC which they had chosen from those submitted earlier by attendees. I didn't like this much, some questions needed further explanation which the MC was unable to do and the guest, once they have answered, doesn't really get 'feedback' from the attendee
James Marsters spoke mainly about Shakespeare - Macbeth is his favourite play/part. He would love to perform in UK theatre. Working on Caprica (he was careful not to spoil) What he thought of the development of Spikes character (he loved his first incarnation pre chip/Buffy) His favourite Angel episode was 'Destiny' because he got to beat up David, favourite BtVS ep was OMWF, he was 'so proud of the cast'. There weren't many revelations during these talks, he was asked about Torchwood and kissing John Barrowman and recounted his experience on that show. Also he would like to appear in Dr Who as he thought it was one of the best programs produced by the BBC. He talked about Buzz Aldrin and his film 'Moonshot' His Sunday talk was also with Mark Lutz and they did discuss acting quite seriously and how an actor can influences their character/role by just being themselves. Mark's favourite episode was Couplet and also 'There's No place like Pltz Grb' because he too, had the opportunity to beat up David Boreanaz (this seemed to be a theme). Not my vid but here's a snip on Youtube
Nic Brendon had one solo Q&A on Sunday and with Mercedes on Saturday. It was great to see Nic with Mercedes and they seemed to be having a lot of fun. Nic spoke about his new play 'SantaLand Diaries' and his recurring role on Criminal Minds. His favourite BtVS episode was OMWF. He was asked when he last spoke to former regulars from BtVS - Joss he said he spoke to around 3 months ago and talked to him about wanting to do some singing again (Joss please cast him in Dr Horrible sequel) Called Alyson on Mothers day and of course had met the cast here too. Mercedes was asked about Supernatural and being type cast as a vampire. She laughingly told us "Yes, the guys are really cute (that's what you wanted to know right?) and I had fun doing the show". Her favourite episode was originally Harm's Way "as it was all about me" but now she thinks it's 'Harsh Light of Day' as she had some great scenes with James. When asked which other character they would have liked to have played in Buffy both she and Nic replied 'Spike' During is Sunday Q&A Nic was asked about BtVS S8 story arc. "How did he feel about Dawn/Xander?" Nic was decidedly uncomfortable as said it felt a little incestuous being with Little Dawnie. He also was surprised at Buffy/Satsu (I'm sure this was discussed at Paleyfest but I guess he may have forgotten). He did know that he was in charge of a large group of females which made him happy. He said that Joss wanted to kill Xander in S7 but the other writers talked him down to just losing an eye. We were lucky enough to get a stunning performance of the snoppy dance at each Q&A
Mark Lutz & James Leary had us all rolling in the aisles with their Q&A - both really funny guys and it was great to see them riff off each other - the questions were really not necessary. James Leary also had a Q&A with Mercedes and Mercedes liked to hear that in S8 she and Clem share a flat. Mercedes also felt more at home in AtS as she was a regular rather than just an ocassional guest star. James spoke a little about The Occulterers - a webseries he appears in along with Camden Toy. He'd like us to check it out. His favourite episode was 'Older and Far Away' as he was on set for quite sometime rather than the guest spot. He likes his kittens dipped in Ranch dressing.
After the Saturday Q&A there was an auction of memorabilia - some awesome autographed scripts fetched tidy sums but the highlight was the 'Dinner with James Marsters' As this would be alone with James in his hotel room (and most likely James would be lying down). It fetched £900 - I thought it may go to a grand, seeing as the organizers did take credit card.
The final Q&A on Sunday was for all guests - Nic and Mark also stood during the talk with James Marsters, who truthfully was now looking very tired and in pain. But it was great to see them all on stage at one time. This then kind of stumbled into a rather anticlimatic closing ceremony (no real speeches and goodbyes as I've seen before) and the guests left the stage.
Saturday Night Party - Vampire Halloween Ball.
The attendees were nearly all in costume - there were some amazing outfits and it really added to the party atmosphere. I took a couple of photos, personal favourites (also James Marsters liked this one too) Prince Vlad from Dracula (this was one of our photographers and the costume was excellent. A couple of Dr Horribles (White and Red versions) plus Bad Horse and the cowboy posse. Plenty of traditional ghosts, witches and some brilliant zombies. There's a good photo of one attendee (as ANya Bunny) with Nic. All guests - not James Marsters he was busy having dinner ;) Were at the bar and in the main hall partying with us. I saw Nic Brendon dancing with attendees, not sure if there were handbags involved.A bit of a surreal moment for me, was when he was dancing to Smashmouth 'Hey Now yOU're a Rock Star' as one of the first Xander vids I fell in love with many years ago was to this song, it was being replayed right there. Nic was great - he even rode the 'spinning Pumpkin' ride set up in the foyer. Mark, Mercedes and James Leary were also at the party Friday and Saturday night - James doing an 'Indiana Jones'for the Halloween Party. Mercedes told me Sunday morning that she'd left about 11pm Saturday evening - we both agreed that we just can't do the really late nights when there are photoshoots in the morning, although she looked alot better than I did.
Sunday Night Party - Theme -Space Cowboys.
I'd say two thirds of attendees had left after the closing ceremony, so this unfortunately was a very low key affair. But this often the case. Last chance to bust a few moves on the dance floor and hit the bed suitably exhausted.
Overall, a well run Convention, very enjoyable. I think that they could liven up the morning sessions with some other activites, episode screenings or OMWF/ Dr Horrible sing-a-longs. Or even show fan vids - I think I know a few that I would recommend.
I will very likely be booking for next year's event. Anthony Stewart Head is the first announced guest.