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Complete Idiot's Primer to Becoming a Convention Panelist

I need one.

Do I need to be close personal friends with Mathew Daigle, or would cash be OK?

All right I'm joking, but being a not very social butterfly, how do I position myself, however slowly, however arduously, to be considered as a worthwhile speaker/presenter at an event like Connecticon? (Beyond the obvious, like actually having something interesting to talk about, with enough appeal to fill a room.)
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Comments

  • Well that's more how to run it once you get in. Really all you have to do is have an interesting panel idea and submit it. There is going to be a bit of nepotism in the deal regardless since you are a part of this forum and Rym and Scott run panels at Connecticon anyway but really just submit the panel you want to do, and if/when it gets accepted try and knock it out of the park when you do it. That way you are a known good for that con and you will probably get accepted again.
  • edited February 2014
    I don't have too much fear that Rym or Scott would give me preferential treatment, but boy, aren't they handsome in that video? I mean wow. ;-)

    I have a few ideas but having only been to two Connecticons so far, I need to do some more research and make sure I'm not doing something that's been beaten to death already or that people just don't find interesting.

    And for Connecticon 2014, I've already missed the first submission deadline, but I know they take submissions until mid-April (with a diminishing chance of being selected as slots fill up.)
    Post edited by muppet on
  • 1. Interesting idea - This gets you into the panels lineup. Seriously, if it sounds good, odds are they'll accept as they often have more time slots than good panels to fill them with.
    2. Short but interesting title for said interesting idea - This is the most important step in getting butts in seats. I can not tell you how many good panels were not well attended because either the title sounded boring or got cut off when the schedule went to print.
    3. Put on a moderately good panel - Do a good panel and the butts will stay in the seats.
  • edited February 2014
    I really fucking hate people trying to participate. Even when you specifically mention that there is no audience interaction there's still always a bunch of asshats trying to make comments midway through the panel.

    EDIT: Ah you guys actually address that, but the point still stands.
    Post edited by MATATAT on
  • Good natured ridiculing would probably be my solution for that. Or maybe just a big decorated placard that reads "Shhhhh" that you can hold up (which probably fits within the ridiculing...)
  • Oh a few more.

    4. Do not be a racist asshole.
    5. Do not be a sexist asshole.
    6. No audience participation in which failure results harsh public shaming.
    7. Do not yell, insult, or otherwise start something with the panels staff.

    Doing these things will get you blacklisted at best and ejected from the con at worst.
  • Can't parse 6.
  • muppet said:

    Can't parse 6.

    Then you're good.
  • I also can't conceive of a scenario in which I'd ever be angry enough to discard all reason and pick a fight with con staff. Cripes. Is that a thing that happens? People with ASD? Can't imagine.
  • 1. Interesting idea - This gets you into the panels lineup. Seriously, if it sounds good, odds are they'll accept as they often have more time slots than good panels to fill them with.

    Also, interesting takes on old ideas are good too. There are tons of MLP fan panels out there, but my panel specifically talks about the sound design of it, not only on it's own, but with respect to the history of sound design and the cinema television arts as a whole. There are lots of Initial D panels, but mine compares Initial D to real life racing and figures out what would work and what wouldn't.
    2. Short but interesting title for said interesting idea - This is the most important step in getting butts in seats. I can not tell you how many good panels were not well attended because either the title sounded boring or got cut off when the schedule went to print.
    Most definitely yes. Having a good panel name, one that is easy to remember, catchy, somewhat volatile, descriptive, or a combination of those does wonders for getting attendance. "My Little Pony: Sound is Magic", "Initial D: Fact vs. Fiction", "So you want to make an Audio Drama?", etc. For the exception of Pacific Media Expo, I've never performed for an empty room. I've pretty much always had a full house or close to it.
    3. Put on a moderately good panel - Do a good panel and the butts will stay in the seats.
    If you panel is "OMG I LUV TEH PONIES ARENT THEY AWESOME LET'S ALL SING PONY SONGZZ" you'll have some attendance, but a lot of your initial audience will probably just leave as soon as they know what's up.

    Adding on to George's list

    4. Know your shit. This is especially the case if you like to do more academic panels like I do. There will be moments when something like an unexpected audience interaction will throw you "off script". Knowing your material and being able to talk about casually will let you deal with technical problems really professionally. If your projector blows up, you should still be able to give your panel. This is also great if you run a Q&A and someone throws an interesting question. Skip to 4:51 in the video below to see what I mean.


    5. Decide your rules on audience interaction. Rym and Scott aren't into it. Alex Leavitt is neither here nor there. I love it as long as it isn't obnoxious. If you like a tight script or have a ton of material to cover, don't do it. If you are confident that you can keep your audience in check, go for it. I actually bring audience members on stage in some of my panels and give out prizes. They eat that shit up.

    6. You can publicly shame/kick out an audience member. When performing, you are there to entertain/inform your audience, but no one audience member is more important than another. So, if one of them is degrading the experience for the rest of them, you can feel free to shame them or kick them out. Also, you find that one particular audience member is consistently causing trouble at your events, you can ask con ops to kick him out of line for your event.
    There is one guy who has attended several of my panels at many different conventions and has never failed to be a disturbance. I've also seen him disturbing other panelists during their panels. At Anime Los Angeles, I gave con ops to kick him out of line for one of my panels. They immediately recognized him as a regular trouble maker and took away his badge. Now I never have to worry about him at ALA again.

    Other ideas?
  • "So you want to make an Audio Drama?"

    This was on my short list but now that you listed it as a generic example I'm fearing that it's been done to Heck and back. :-) I mean, I was probably gonna spin it a little but...
  • Practice. I'm a good presenter, and have to give briefs in front of VIPs all the time at work. I still bombed awfully when I gave my first lecture at ConnectiCon. When that happens, figure out what you did wrong. Be your own worst critic. Next time I did a much better job on a PAX East panel.
  • Learn from my mistakes
    1) Do practice runs to make sure you have enough content for your time slot
    2) Do not let the audience participate. The importance of this rule is inversely related to the specificity of the panel material.
    3) Make sure you have something to say that isn't just repeating what's on Wikipedia/TV Tropes
    4) When it comes time to present, have a backup computer. Things will go wrong.
  • I'm good in conversation with people I've met before, but TERRIBLE when I have to talk to somebody I don't know, or when I have to talk to anybody in any position of authority (ie, management). Part of the impetus for doing this is to throw myself in at the deep end and learn to tread water. I feel like two decades of having people on the internet explain in excruciating detail why I'm a jerk has finally prepared me for actual social situations. ;-)
  • IF you want to be better than the average Anime/Gaming con panelist, just show up and do your presentation in a reasonably professional manner.

    IF you want to be good, just watch Rym and Scott and rip off what they do.
  • I've never been in a Rym and Scott panel (oh wait, I was in one, but I forget which.. I think?) but I've seen them on the internet. Yep, they're very comfortable and do a great job.

    I've been in two panels by.. whatsisname.. Mookie? That guy is awesome. He had me cracking up. I feel like I've got two (three) good examples there.
  • edited February 2014
    muppet said:

    "So you want to make an Audio Drama?"

    This was on my short list but now that you listed it as a generic example I'm fearing that it's been done to Heck and back. :-) I mean, I was probably gonna spin it a little but...

    That's not a generic example. That's a panel I've been doing for the last year. Kyle Hebert actually attended the last one and he loved it! ^_^

    Also, don't be afraid to try doing a panel others have done. You might do it better.
    Post edited by Victor Frost on
  • Neito said:

    IF you want to be good, just watch Rym and Scott and rip off what they do.

    The man speaks the truth. I've seen him do it many times to great effect.
  • muppet said:

    "So you want to make an Audio Drama?"

    This was on my short list but now that you listed it as a generic example I'm fearing that it's been done to Heck and back. :-) I mean, I was probably gonna spin it a little but...

    That's not a generic example. That's a panel I've been doing for the last year. Kyle Hebert actually attended the last one and he loved it! ^_^

    Also, don't be afraid to try doing a panel others have done. You might do it better.
    Aww heck naw I'm not going to do anything that's going to get me directly compared with any veterans here. LOL

    I was thinking about mouthing off about working on Minds of Terminus in a "Look what I did without knowing WTF I'm doing" sort of a way, but meh, back to the drawing board. :D
  • Alternatively, panels department is always looking for good staff. Panelisting isn't for everyone, I play a good straight man to my friend Karl, but I don't have fun by myself on a panel.
  • Oh I tell a great story in a group of friends, and I'm pretty good at training new hires and that sort of thing. I LIKE presenting... it's just the ability to pick up with a group of people I've never met and win them over that I'd like to get good at. It's just a matter of finding something to present that's not worn out or boring, I think.
  • Well, most of the work in winning them over is done in writing the title and guidebook description. Once they're in their seats, unless it really sucks, they probably won't leave. I've pulled some heinous bait-and-switch techniques when it comes to some of my panels, but they always stay and I always get at least a few people who said they learned something. Those few are all I care about.
  • Well, I'd probably prefer it if people didn't come out of my panel and say "Whoa, that was total BS that had nothing to do with the program book." :)
  • Well, you're gonna want to mislead people with the title. The description should be relatively straight shooting, but don't worry cause no one seems to read them but the panels staff who put the book together. :P
  • The title just has to be a little controversial: that will draw a crowd in almost any case.

    Our PAX East panel this year is tentatively titled "Why no one will game with you". That'll draw a crowd, but no one will really know what to expect. ;^)
  • I tried some Google searches but can't seem to find any usable panel schedules from previous years' conventions (particularly Connecticon). Is there such an animal anywhere?
  • Anime Los Angeles Pocket Convention Guidebook. It's not the full guidebook, but it shows the schedule and panel names.
  • Also, you can get the full schedules for PAXes on the respective show websites.
  • Thanks Victor! That's super helpful.

    Churba, didn't think to look at PAX (durh). Thank you!
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