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Panels at cons

RymRym
edited August 2006 in Conventions
So I can hear all of your opinions, below is a post I just made to the Otakon 2007 Boards.


Would there be any way to have some sort of quality-control regarding panel selection for the next Otakon?

In the very least, I'd like to see panelists be required to submit a reasonable overview (more than a few sentences), a basic breakdown of the panel itself (rough times for different segments, broad topics), a draft version of any presentation slides they may be planning on using, and at least some sort of pitch as to why the panel should be picked up.

The important part isn't so much to evaluate the content, but instead to weed out panelists who, quite frankly, aren't willing to put forth the minimal effort required to run a worthwhile panel. If someone isn't willing or able to provide at least that minimal amount of work ahead of time, odds are they aren't really fit to run a panel in the first place.

I'm not saying that every panel has to be a professional production, or that only experts and industry should have them. I just would like to see at least a high-school level of presentation skills and a modicrum of planning/preparation.

Too many panels this year seemed to me to be completely unplanned. Panelists would set up late, start late, ramble to the crowd a bit, go off on tangents entirely unrelated to the topic at hand, make inside jokes to one another, or just talk to a few people in the front row. Several of the panels I attended featured panelists who didn't appear to actually know very much about the topic they had chosen or else lacked any measure of presentation ability. Many speakers didn't do much more than read their powerpoint slides. A couple couldn't even keep their audiences under any sort of control.

I won't mention specific panels here, as I don't wish to offend (though we did in our con report, as did Anime World Order and Fast Karate for the Gentleman, who seem to agree with us on this), but in general this is a problem that seems to be getting worse and worse with each passing year.


What can we do to make the panels at Otakon worthwhile? Is there any way to reasonably screen out poor panelists without creating too high of a barrier to entry?

Comments

  • Great idea. With the review part i think they should also include in that a outline or schedule to show what they are going to cover. This also would help get the panels more organized and even speed some of the ones that run longer. I am not saying the long ones are bad but they should at least have some material planed to take up the whole time. This would even mabye free up some time for more panels and giving a wider variety of panels. Why have 5 pannels on 1 subject when others aren't covered because there is not enought time to have them. Also there should be an expereced team of people that have done panels before to actually know that it takes to run a panel so there is no bais.

    Also a good idea would be a checkin for panelists say a day before/ half day to make sure they are there or a check in an hour or so before the panel. Otherwise your late you lose your slot and that room could be opened up for other purposes.

    Ill think on it more but thats what im thinking right off.
  • I agree with both of you guys. I didn't know that there wasn't a review- more like surprised.

    Also arriving an hour early thing sounds great, but all of these panels are back to back. Unless you can space them out, I don't see how one can prepare for their panel.
  • I agree with both of you guys. I didn't know that there wasn't a review- more like surprised.

    Also arriving an hour early thing sounds great, but all of these panels are back to back. Unless you can space them out, I don't see how one can prepare for their panel.
    Usually i would think that there should be a setup time 10 min or so sould be plenty if you have your equipment packed properly. I understand if its thier first time but if they repeat being slow with getting thier stuff together every year at a con that should be up to the commitee or review panel set up to do this. Also depending on the panel the person/s should have at least some background in certain cases on what they are attempting to present. For example if you want to have a panel on say linux. You should at least be able to present and have used linux in the past and show that you do know enough to run it. Even if someone attempted to fake they know something they put some effort forth to write the review and outline so they would of had to prep before hand anyway. If the panel still goes badly they get a mark on thier record and are not allowed to host a panel next year or what ever period of time the con committe agrees on. Prep for a panel should for one start at home. Get background info on what you are presenting and memorize it. It goes back to highschool when giving a speech you should have everything for the most part memorized and have your outline in front of you. Not the notes you took the outline should be a reminder. That is one way to prep for the panel. Also one should practice setting up their equipment quickly before hand and should know how to solve proplems if they arise. Nothing is worse then being at a presentation/panel where the presenter cant talk about his subject. He may be the leading expert in what he does but if he cant properly give out the information it is worthless.
  • And that is why I run a panel that doesn't involve anything but opinions! and questions! Ha Ha!

    Will have to work on moving the panel along though. Damn industry people kept getting asked all the questions at a Anime Club summit!
  • I think one major thing is that Otakon never seems to give enough time for tear down/setup of the panels. If (somehow) they could be better on top of this that would be great.

    Also at Otakon this year almost all of the panels that I was at had technical difficulty with getting the picture to display on the projector. I'm not sure what setup they were using but every laptop that was hooked up was having trouble.
  • There were no problems with the projector connections in any panel rooms. Those problems were caused without fail by the panelists not knowing what they were doing...
  • There were no problems with the projector connections in any panel rooms. Those problems were caused without fail by the panelists not knowing what they were doing...
    *sigh* That's what I was afraid of.
  • I went to a total of three panels at Otakon this year. The "Silent Hill" panel, A fan parody panel, and the podcasting panel hosted by you know who ;)

    The Silent Hill panel was very well put together by some very passionate fans of the series who knew what they were talking about, it went very smoothly. The fan parody panel wasn't that great, the guys that hosted it explianed very briefly (in less than five minutes) how they make fan parodies and spent the rest of the time picking people out of the audience to record voices to be used in a fan parody, very boring in my opinion. As for the podcasting one, it was very well put together and presented, and the panelists definetly knew what they were talking about. So for me the panels were a mixed bag, but I agree that it helps to have a person/people involved that have a plan, and are knowledgeable on the topic the panel will be on.
  • Interesting. Fast Karate for the Gentleman had the exact opposite opinion of the Silent Hill panel. They said it basically just gave bios of the main characters and didn't really say anything of any substance, interest, or value...
  • Science in Anime: Well informed but GOT DAMN boring.
    Mecha Trivia Show: Titanic Mess. Gerald of AWO won. Ask Katsu about the Zerg rush at the end.
    Transformers: A unorganized mess of a panel. No direction or point.
    You'r Favorite Anime Sucks: Off the wall funny. Insulting and joy full at the same time. :)
    Podcasting: Most informative panel ever! Though poor Rym's voice.
    Shiatsu Massage: *right click, rename* How NOT to Touch People
  • I have never been to a con before (shock horror) but I intend to visit the US next year to try to figure out what I want to do with my life and sort out shit with my father. My father happens to live in San Diego and I plan on visiting him around the time that ComiCon is on.
  • I think one major thing is that Otakon never seems to give enough time for tear down/setup of the panels. If (somehow) they could be better on top of this that would be great.
    YES! They definitely need staff to kick the other panel out. Because it should not be the job of the Panelists to rain on another Panel's parade.. Guess I'll be the one doing that next year ^_^
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