Dragon*Con and headaches
I had a good time at Dragon*Con. But there are things I would like to have changed. You see, Dragon*Con is all about choices - making the right ones. There are plenty of people who go to interact with each other and dress up and buy stuff and just revel in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Comic/Gaming world. That's not me. I go to get a peek behind the scenes at how TV and movies are made. I don't dress up. I don't march in the parade. I don't go to "parties." I will chat with whoever is around me in the various lines I'm waiting in, but I'm not there to make lasting connections.
So, this is how Dragon*Con works. There are three hotels that all occupy the same block on three different streets in downtown. You can walk from one hotel to the next and to the next simply by crossing two streets. The ballrooms/meeting rooms are set aside for various uses. There are various "tracks" or themes of "programming" that provide panels. Panels are discussions on a specific topic. An obvious theme at a Sci-Fi convention is Star Trek. The "Trek Trak" plans out it's panels according to what guests it can convince to attend. If they can get people associated with Trek to attend, they will set up Q&A panels with these guests. These guests could be anyone from people who have written Star Trek books (these panels would be in small rooms) to actors who had one or two guest starring roles (like the actor who played Q) to series regulars (like the actors who played "Lt. Uhura", "Commander Riker", "Dr. Crusher" and "Data"). It would be an unbelievable achievement to get someone as big as Shatner, Nimoy, or Patrick Stewart.
Unlike other conventions, actors don't get paid to appear at Dragon*Con. They don't have to pay for their hotel or meals. But they can only make money by selling their autographs and photo-ops. So, there is one big room called "The Walk of Fame" where all the famous guests sit while they aren't in panels. Attendees cruise through the room looking for people they recognize. When they spot a guest they like, they walk up to their table (or get in line to do so) and pay whatever price the guest thinks their autograph is worth. Depending on the star and how jaded they are, you can spend a couple of minutes chatting with them and/or taking photos. Most are cool enough to let you take photos. After all, you just gave them money to sign their name on a DVD cover (which also put money into their pocket when you purchased the DVD). No need to bite the hand that feeds you (or as one actress put it, keeps you in Prada).
I always feel so sorry for the actors who sit there with no one to talk to. They wait and wait with a serene look on their face, hoping someone will want their autograph. The one actor that made me the most sad this year was a guy that I actually like. I don't know his name, but I've liked him in everything I've seen him in. He played the professor in Real Genius who was seemed cool but was really selling his students' class project to the government to be a high powered laser weapon. (Not to ruin the plot, but the students end up turning his house into a ginormous Jiffy-Pop.) This man was seated right near the front of the room. You couldn't walk into the place without seeing him. But I never saw a line in front of him. In fact, I don't know that I ever saw anyone talking to him. I didn't get an autograph, but I did take 10 seconds to tell him that Real Genius is one of my favorite movies. He smiled and thanked me. I don't know if it is considered more rude to just walk by or to stop and not buy an autograph. I hope he appreciated someone knowing who he was, even if I didn't give him any money.
Back to the panels. Typically, actors will be assigned to do at least one Q&A panel per day. This is where being a character actor can come in handy (if you like doing panels). People who have guest starred on multiple series can find their way onto two panels per day. But then, that cuts down on the amount of time they spend selling their autograph. The Q&A panels can be a lot of fun depending on who appears in them.
The first time I went to Dragon*Con (this was my second time), the panels I attended were awesome. The actors were funny and incredible entertainers. They really knew how to work a crowd. They told great stories about what it was like to film the show. They'd brought props with them to distribute to some of the fans (the ones who asked questions). They showed up on time and were completely professional.
This time, the lines to get in to panels were REALLY long. If you didn't get in line an hour ahead of time, you risked not getting in or at least being sat in the WAY back (not good for a photographer). I had come to see the guests from Star Trek and Stargate. But those two panels were scheduled back to back every day. I had to choose one or the other. For various reasons, I opted for Stargate. I should have chosen Trek at least once. At least two of the SG people seemed drunk during the panels. A few others looked hung over, but kinda tried to be professional once they were at the panel. Unfortunately, it was the drunk and hung over actors who were the big stars - the ones everyone wanted to ask questions of. These panels were also really large, with 10 actors participating. That was just too many. Too often, the answers turned into opportunities to just riff on each other, leaving the audience nothing to do but sit and watch. As if it weren't bad enough for us to observe that the actors were drunk or hung over, many of the stories they told were about how one guy was drunk or hung over on the set on a regular basis. Other stories were about farting during scenes or practical jokes that involved fake poop. Thankfully, there were a couple of actors present who gave good/interesting answers. Eventually, someone reminded the actors that kids were in the audience and they straightened up a little bit.
I did attend a Trek panel on the last day. But by then, many of the actors had left. So I only got to see the guy who played Q. He is really smart and takes himself a little too seriously. While he appears to like to do this kind of thing (why else would he still be there), he doesn't do well with "silly" questions. When people asked him questions like, "What practical jokes have been played on you while filming on any project?" He answered with, "I don't remember those kinds of things." That made him seem a little stiff and formal. But then he had a great story about how he attended Kent State and witnessed the infamous shooting. He and a friend went to D.C. and made it all the way inside the White House to tell what really happened. So, sometimes, those serious stories were fascinating.
This was also the case when I got to see the lady who'd played "Lt. Uhura" on the original Trek, Nichelle Nichols. She was awesome. She sings a little bit and tells great stories. She was a little less formal than Q, but certainly not silly (and definitely not hung over or drunk). She told an awesome story about Martin Luther King. It was a really big deal that she, a black woman, was cast as the 4th in command on a show that aired in the 1960's. (She and Shatner shared the first inter-racial kiss ever aired on TV.) After the first season, she wanted to quit TV and go back to musical theater. When she told the creator of the show that she was quitting, he said, "Don't you see what I'm trying to do?" The very next night, she was at a fund raiser for the NAACP. MLK approached her to tell her how much he and his family enjoyed the show. He told her that she was a great role model for his daughter. She explained that she had just quit. MLK looked shocked and said, "You can't quit. Don't you see what that man is trying to do?" It really made an impact on her that two men she respected used the same phrase within a 24 hour period. She thought it over and decided to stay on for the life of the show (two more seasons). To this day, it is widely acknowledge that Trek was instrumental in breaking all kinds of barriers on TV.
So, I missed the panels with the Trek actors that I really wanted to see (though I did get an autograph from one the guy who played Riker). But maybe they will be back one day. I sat through a couple of other panels for shows that I don't watch. It seems like an odd thing to do, but they were still interesting. Again, these people know how to entertain. In hindsight, the SG guests were probably the worst panelists at the whole convention. I will know better next time. But I still have lots of photos of them posted on my Flickr account.
While at D*C, I had my backpack on and my camera around my neck and I walked and walked and climbed stairs and walked some more. I didn't get a whole lot of sleep any of the days. So by Monday, I was absolutely beat and I had an horrific headache. I went home and took all the pills in my possession to try to get rid of it. I laid in bed and watched some TV. I finally fell asleep around 9:00, with my headache still in tact. I woke up around 3:00, still suffering. I took more pills. By the time I needed to get up, my headache had been with me for around 18 hours. At that point, I knew there was only one OTC medication that would knock it out, but I didn't have any. I was late to work because I had to wait for Walgreens to open to get some Aleve Cold & Sinus. A little over an hour later, my headache was finally gone. But I am completely wiped out. I feel like I could pass out at any moment.
[and now a word from our sponsors...]
So, this is how Dragon*Con works. There are three hotels that all occupy the same block on three different streets in downtown. You can walk from one hotel to the next and to the next simply by crossing two streets. The ballrooms/meeting rooms are set aside for various uses. There are various "tracks" or themes of "programming" that provide panels. Panels are discussions on a specific topic. An obvious theme at a Sci-Fi convention is Star Trek. The "Trek Trak" plans out it's panels according to what guests it can convince to attend. If they can get people associated with Trek to attend, they will set up Q&A panels with these guests. These guests could be anyone from people who have written Star Trek books (these panels would be in small rooms) to actors who had one or two guest starring roles (like the actor who played Q) to series regulars (like the actors who played "Lt. Uhura", "Commander Riker", "Dr. Crusher" and "Data"). It would be an unbelievable achievement to get someone as big as Shatner, Nimoy, or Patrick Stewart.
Unlike other conventions, actors don't get paid to appear at Dragon*Con. They don't have to pay for their hotel or meals. But they can only make money by selling their autographs and photo-ops. So, there is one big room called "The Walk of Fame" where all the famous guests sit while they aren't in panels. Attendees cruise through the room looking for people they recognize. When they spot a guest they like, they walk up to their table (or get in line to do so) and pay whatever price the guest thinks their autograph is worth. Depending on the star and how jaded they are, you can spend a couple of minutes chatting with them and/or taking photos. Most are cool enough to let you take photos. After all, you just gave them money to sign their name on a DVD cover (which also put money into their pocket when you purchased the DVD). No need to bite the hand that feeds you (or as one actress put it, keeps you in Prada).
I always feel so sorry for the actors who sit there with no one to talk to. They wait and wait with a serene look on their face, hoping someone will want their autograph. The one actor that made me the most sad this year was a guy that I actually like. I don't know his name, but I've liked him in everything I've seen him in. He played the professor in Real Genius who was seemed cool but was really selling his students' class project to the government to be a high powered laser weapon. (Not to ruin the plot, but the students end up turning his house into a ginormous Jiffy-Pop.) This man was seated right near the front of the room. You couldn't walk into the place without seeing him. But I never saw a line in front of him. In fact, I don't know that I ever saw anyone talking to him. I didn't get an autograph, but I did take 10 seconds to tell him that Real Genius is one of my favorite movies. He smiled and thanked me. I don't know if it is considered more rude to just walk by or to stop and not buy an autograph. I hope he appreciated someone knowing who he was, even if I didn't give him any money.
Back to the panels. Typically, actors will be assigned to do at least one Q&A panel per day. This is where being a character actor can come in handy (if you like doing panels). People who have guest starred on multiple series can find their way onto two panels per day. But then, that cuts down on the amount of time they spend selling their autograph. The Q&A panels can be a lot of fun depending on who appears in them.
The first time I went to Dragon*Con (this was my second time), the panels I attended were awesome. The actors were funny and incredible entertainers. They really knew how to work a crowd. They told great stories about what it was like to film the show. They'd brought props with them to distribute to some of the fans (the ones who asked questions). They showed up on time and were completely professional.
This time, the lines to get in to panels were REALLY long. If you didn't get in line an hour ahead of time, you risked not getting in or at least being sat in the WAY back (not good for a photographer). I had come to see the guests from Star Trek and Stargate. But those two panels were scheduled back to back every day. I had to choose one or the other. For various reasons, I opted for Stargate. I should have chosen Trek at least once. At least two of the SG people seemed drunk during the panels. A few others looked hung over, but kinda tried to be professional once they were at the panel. Unfortunately, it was the drunk and hung over actors who were the big stars - the ones everyone wanted to ask questions of. These panels were also really large, with 10 actors participating. That was just too many. Too often, the answers turned into opportunities to just riff on each other, leaving the audience nothing to do but sit and watch. As if it weren't bad enough for us to observe that the actors were drunk or hung over, many of the stories they told were about how one guy was drunk or hung over on the set on a regular basis. Other stories were about farting during scenes or practical jokes that involved fake poop. Thankfully, there were a couple of actors present who gave good/interesting answers. Eventually, someone reminded the actors that kids were in the audience and they straightened up a little bit.
I did attend a Trek panel on the last day. But by then, many of the actors had left. So I only got to see the guy who played Q. He is really smart and takes himself a little too seriously. While he appears to like to do this kind of thing (why else would he still be there), he doesn't do well with "silly" questions. When people asked him questions like, "What practical jokes have been played on you while filming on any project?" He answered with, "I don't remember those kinds of things." That made him seem a little stiff and formal. But then he had a great story about how he attended Kent State and witnessed the infamous shooting. He and a friend went to D.C. and made it all the way inside the White House to tell what really happened. So, sometimes, those serious stories were fascinating.
This was also the case when I got to see the lady who'd played "Lt. Uhura" on the original Trek, Nichelle Nichols. She was awesome. She sings a little bit and tells great stories. She was a little less formal than Q, but certainly not silly (and definitely not hung over or drunk). She told an awesome story about Martin Luther King. It was a really big deal that she, a black woman, was cast as the 4th in command on a show that aired in the 1960's. (She and Shatner shared the first inter-racial kiss ever aired on TV.) After the first season, she wanted to quit TV and go back to musical theater. When she told the creator of the show that she was quitting, he said, "Don't you see what I'm trying to do?" The very next night, she was at a fund raiser for the NAACP. MLK approached her to tell her how much he and his family enjoyed the show. He told her that she was a great role model for his daughter. She explained that she had just quit. MLK looked shocked and said, "You can't quit. Don't you see what that man is trying to do?" It really made an impact on her that two men she respected used the same phrase within a 24 hour period. She thought it over and decided to stay on for the life of the show (two more seasons). To this day, it is widely acknowledge that Trek was instrumental in breaking all kinds of barriers on TV.
So, I missed the panels with the Trek actors that I really wanted to see (though I did get an autograph from one the guy who played Riker). But maybe they will be back one day. I sat through a couple of other panels for shows that I don't watch. It seems like an odd thing to do, but they were still interesting. Again, these people know how to entertain. In hindsight, the SG guests were probably the worst panelists at the whole convention. I will know better next time. But I still have lots of photos of them posted on my Flickr account.
While at D*C, I had my backpack on and my camera around my neck and I walked and walked and climbed stairs and walked some more. I didn't get a whole lot of sleep any of the days. So by Monday, I was absolutely beat and I had an horrific headache. I went home and took all the pills in my possession to try to get rid of it. I laid in bed and watched some TV. I finally fell asleep around 9:00, with my headache still in tact. I woke up around 3:00, still suffering. I took more pills. By the time I needed to get up, my headache had been with me for around 18 hours. At that point, I knew there was only one OTC medication that would knock it out, but I didn't have any. I was late to work because I had to wait for Walgreens to open to get some Aleve Cold & Sinus. A little over an hour later, my headache was finally gone. But I am completely wiped out. I feel like I could pass out at any moment.
[and now a word from our sponsors...]
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1 Comments:
Sounds exhausting...
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