Detour Report/Essay. Public, but of a personal report nature. You are forewarned~.
I think it's time for the detour report. (about time, two weeks later :P)
I had a good time. It wasn't as though it was jam-packed fun, which the best cons are; at times, it was even a little boring, but nothing bad happened. And I wasn't disappointed by anything. I even got doujinshi! So I am very pleased with this overall. I may not go next year, with it being in the same hotel (and so unable to grow and add much to itself/programming), but I won't decline going just because I'm mad at it or anything.
A lot of us are expressing that we won't go to cons much longer because they're not as fun as they used to be, or that they're just *missing* something. But I feel more that it's that they simply aren't as exciting as before, because there's less thrill of the hunt than there was. We aren't running around looking to make friends as much anymore, we're happier with ourselves, and really exceptional people that excite us, as youths looking to attach to people who can help without our own development, don't come around much anymore. (I'd say it's partly because we've all met each other and are kind of like solid friends to each other now, old hat, stable people....Ie, thrill of the hunt is off.)
So, I think we're considering cons less fun because we're changing, not them changing. Though it oculd be a little of both. But now that I've seen that, I know what to do to make people's (and you, my friends') con a much better time!
1)host awesome panels (and have awesome pannels to go to about fandoms that make us laugh)
2)make people laugh. And be enginuitive about it. What is new is what we remember as "really cool!"
3)keep people from stress. Usually this comes from being aimless AND ditched. So if we stay with each other for the most part (don't spend the whole con looking for each other) it should be a WHOLE lot more fun. I know it is for me. And that way, people are less disappointed.
4)On that note, say what you want to do before the con, when everybody's together (like in the room. The con warmeeting.) Then, we can figure out people's expectations and try to go with them. So everybody's happy!
Those are my simple rules for con enjoyment. The most memerable cons were ones where I was litterally starving to some degree, but that's because we triumphed in adversity, and I can laugh at how stupidly discomforted I was. So we try to avoid that nowadays. Food is yummy.
I love that word. In any event though! I want to express to myself why I had such a good time at detour, or, rather, the really amazing thing that happened that shows I am happy people.
________________________________________
/end part readers will care about until the end two paragraphs. Go there if you don't want to read War and Peace. Look for the next break lines)
________________________________________
So I was bumbling around on Friday; we were looking for things to do and I remembered there was a guest VA panel about the mechanics of working in the industry as a VA that I wanted to go to. As it happened, it was down the hall and less than half full! Hurray for people that can't get up before noon during a con. (It also probably helped that all the guests had just finished a more fan-based panel, where the majority of the attendees probably assembled.)
So I sat down three rows back (I thought it had started so i didn't want to be annoying and sit WAY IN FRONT in my silly ed costume. xD; ) Sitting in the front row of VA panels can be awkward, but as it was, they ended up looking at me the most anyway. xD; I actually made eye contact and paid attention, and asked involved, intelligent questions (two! :O), so they looked at me for like . . . more than half the pannel. xD; I was secretly thinking, 'please stop looking at me now, I feel like I'm taking up all the attention and I need to change my facial expression...' xD;;; silly me, I try too hard. But yes, I did it to myself because I asked the first question ("so...anyone have any questions off the bat?" and after half a second of glancing around to make sure I didn't steal the spotlight from anyone who needed it more, I instantly raised my hand in a sort of 'ooh me! memememe' way. xD; I get excited when good things happen....)
But the moral of the story there is that if you ask the first question, you may get to ask more (I asked more than anyone else...). And they pay attention to you. x3 Don't be shy with asking questions right off. At least, if you've thought about them. xD!
So, I asked what they found the differences between voicing for Anime vs American produced-cartoons is (like pressure from different production groups?), which they took to mean dubbing pre-made animation vs. doing the voicings pre-production. Which was totally not what I asked but they don't know that and it was okay anyway. xD I got a really good answer about the query they answered. -^__^; The other thing I asked was: "Yeah, this is a quick question, for anyone who wants to answer: Do you prefer acting standing up or sitting down?" (because I've seen it both ways) to which they all burst, very emphatically, "Standing up!" Which made me feel special. :D And then Greg Ayers told a rather amusing story about a woman he knows who will voice everything sitting. And do it well. So that's cool.
What they told me about that is that they act physically to part, so if they're drained, or depressed, they'll bend in, or be small in order to be quiet, so this tracks with what I was thinking of: I've seen commentary from Advent children, and Cloud's va was sitting most of the time, and it makes sense, because he's mopey. ALL the time.
So, these VAs (the five of them) reiterated what I was thinking in solid terms, so going to this pannel was a very good thing for me as far as understanding acting and all. But we haven't even gotten to the good story about it yet!
So, after Ayers, the first person that opens her mouth is a woman with big, frizzy red hair that I'd never seen. She says one word, and I go, "Holy Crap! VT!" (from an ep. of cowboy bebop.) I was excited, because I don't really fangirl (i didn't really understand it until now), but this va is someone that, from the first time I heard her in that role, I've been trying unsuccessfully to find out who she is, and where exactly she came to anime from (because her performance sounded SO good. I knew she had to be a very well-trained actress.)
One thing that was said during the panel was that, when acting, esp. for anime, inprov has to be the best thing for you to know how to do. There was a story about it, and then she said something to the effect of that, when you do a character, you have to create a background for them in your own head; as an actor, that's how you get into your character and know your character, and since in anime dubbing you can't use your body to help like on stage, and you don't know anyting about your character unless you say something baout yourself in the role somewhere. (Getting a script 2 minutes before go time is impressive, and you don't get to see anyone else's lines usually, just to help you out with you doing of your character.)
So this lady was telling us that when you know how to act, you start knowing the character very well. They even start to speak to you--at this points she says not in a crazy way, mind you--and you can know wether a line you're given is one they would actually say or not; you know who they are and can be them. (they also tied this in toward changing scripts on the spot--being able, as the actor, to add to the continuity of the story if your script isn't done so well. You watch out for your story, as the charcter!) Now, I knew this about writing. That, once you've developed the characters, it really doesn't matter what you want, they will finish the story for you, take it in the direction they want to go, because, no matter what you want, if it's not in character for them, it won't work. They write the story if you're doing it right. And I had never equated this to acting before. It was the epiphany thought of the night. Though, granted there were a few for me.
So! I got a better look into acting. (which I've always wanted to do more of.) But! The best part of all came when I went up and talked to the woman! (to VT! squee!)
I didn't know if I could talk to them; we looked like we had to vacate the room and they are busy people after all. The book didn't say anything about being able to talk to them afterward. But, i decided I was going to, because you don't opps like this twice! (reliably, anyway)
So I did my half-second glancing again and darted for the table. ('me first' omg xD) I ran up to her and started blathering in a half controlled manner, but managed to say this (really, I just wanted to know her name! hehheh f^^; [and that name is Melodee M. Spevak. To my surprise, my mom knew the name spevak. Maybe b/c of M's husband?)) :
Hi! May I talk to you for a second? I just wanted to say, I know exactly what you're talking about with the characters talking to you! As a writer, and a dad who writes and is an opera singer, I've heard it a lot, that the characters will talk to you once you get them developed enough. And I'd never related that to acting at all! Thank you so much for saying that, that makes so much sense!
(then she said something following up on that.)...gosh, I'm horrible that i don't remember that part. xD;;
then, I added: "But there's something else I wanted to say to you!" (all this time I'm gesticulating emphatically, lol) "I remember you as VT from Cowboy Bebop. I know you said [during the panel] that it's hard to remember all your roles, do you remember that one at all?"
Melodee: Oh yeah, I remember VT! I loved her! I'm so glad someone remembers her!
Me: *sparkles at good reception* Yes! Her! I just wanted to say that I'm so glad you did her voice. From the moment I first saw/heard her, I was amazed at how good whoever it was that was doing her voice was! And I've been trying from them on the figure out who you are, and what you look like!
Melodee: Oh yeah? *smile!* And just what did you think I looked like? >D
Me: erm...well...(don't say anything about the wrinkles! ee!) I really couldn't figure it out. (don't say that I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman!) I coudlnt' tell if it was an older ...person or a younger person, but ... I did get the hair. I htought there'd be BIG hair and a squarer face. Not like the little tiny youngin's over there." *guestures to the rest of the people at the table. Her husband, who was next to her, and grey, was up at the moment working on the sound equip, so he wasn't included. xD;)
Melodee: Huh. :D (ie, the typical response to, "yes, I have no diplomacy at all and I'm nervous and don't want to call you old, no matter how old you are, lol, whoops.")
Me: But yes! (that's proabbly what i said next.... I was starting to get the sparkly eyes back again at this point, especially since I didn't think I'd get to say everything I wanted to and here I am able to!) "I just thought that you did a perfect job. (you even outshined the other characters in that episode!) As writers or actors, we tend to get involved in our own heads, or roles, because we are just ourselves, and tend to lose sight sometimes of how well each charater or part adds up to the whole, and I think I liked that series twice as much just because you did that one episode! And I knew that you were somebody that had talent, and knew what they were doing. So, I just wanted to say, thank you so much for doing that role and being so good for us. I'm proud of having someone so good in anime, because people outside of it tend knock it down, but because of people like you, they can't."
Yes, by now I wanted to glom her and squeal but I restrained myself. I did ask her then "But, so, what is your name though? I want to be able to know." And so she pulled out one of her "cheat sheets" with all her acting roles on it, to show me her name. And on the front was her picture. It was an autograph card, neat! I didn't realize that, and so someone stading off randomly asked, "do you want her to sign it for you?' I suppose she was hearing the whole thing. xD; And I said, oh yeah sure...." (am I really so lucky today?) and she did. She asked what my name was, and seh could actually spell it. Hurray, for people that know things about the classics. ^^!
So, her name is Melodee M. Spevak and she autographed it, To _T_, Thanks for remembering my dear VT."
Then I talked to her husband some because I had recently heard his voice for the first time and remembering wondering where they got him from, he didn't sound like a typical va at all. (too old and wisened!) And he actually does a lot of stuff in the film industry as well, and is probably in his 50s or higher. I also was just happy that someone in the arts is happily married, lol. But I didn't say that of course. ( i dont think.)
After Melodee came up and they were leaving, she told him about me. hee hee. And I said, "yeah, I mean, I was really nervous about coming up to you guys because, as a [lowly little] fan, I feel like everyone else has already said everything I'm going to say and it'll just be redundant to you." But he seemed kind of "aww, how can you say that, it's not true!" at me and said, "True admiration is never unappreciated." Being and actor is hard and it makes it all worth it to know that there are people out there that really care for and respect our work. (paraphrasing that part.) And I said, yeah, i'm really happy and proud when I see people who really know what they're doing when they va. Because there are people who really can't." and then we got into a discussion about how the industry is hiring big name people that are underqualified and ruin things. AND they could have hired twelve good va's for that amount of money.
So we had an emo moment of the typical society detritus and then went on our ways. So something really good happened to me because I took a chance, and didn't give in to just accepting defeat, or that I wasn't good enough to have my desire/dream happen. And, Melodee seemed like she wouldn't have minded seeing me around the con again, even though it didn't work out. I was smiled at by someone I adore! Hurray for victory!
________________________________________
on a further note, another thing she said at the pannel that was very apt was that, "So long as you are making enough money by acting that you don't have to have another job, you are a success. With how much money, then the amount of success just varies by degrees."
Also to tie up the entry, the people I was rooming with, the ISU cosplay club including Lisa and peeps, won an award in the middle category for costuming. I am so proud of them! :D And now they want me to be Rip Van Winkel in their helsing group. I say fine, even though this comes about from my ability to do a rendition of omfg Crazy Eyes. (though who says that's a baaad thing? lol) I've always watned to be part of a really big, show-stopping cosplay group. I don't need to get down the hallway at all, no not me. :D
dang, now it's definitely time for dinner!
and once again, my detour photos are at cosplay.com here: http://images.cosplay.com/gallery.php?member=41536&cat=500 I'm think i"m going to organize them in an additional way, with folders with the best pictures of each of my costumes. Because...that might be the way I'm supposed to do it on the site in the first place. whoops. xD;; And I finally found other people's c.c's...Cat and Chimera's, and I don't know if GatedDiscord has one. fOo I forget.
I had a good time. It wasn't as though it was jam-packed fun, which the best cons are; at times, it was even a little boring, but nothing bad happened. And I wasn't disappointed by anything. I even got doujinshi! So I am very pleased with this overall. I may not go next year, with it being in the same hotel (and so unable to grow and add much to itself/programming), but I won't decline going just because I'm mad at it or anything.
A lot of us are expressing that we won't go to cons much longer because they're not as fun as they used to be, or that they're just *missing* something. But I feel more that it's that they simply aren't as exciting as before, because there's less thrill of the hunt than there was. We aren't running around looking to make friends as much anymore, we're happier with ourselves, and really exceptional people that excite us, as youths looking to attach to people who can help without our own development, don't come around much anymore. (I'd say it's partly because we've all met each other and are kind of like solid friends to each other now, old hat, stable people....Ie, thrill of the hunt is off.)
So, I think we're considering cons less fun because we're changing, not them changing. Though it oculd be a little of both. But now that I've seen that, I know what to do to make people's (and you, my friends') con a much better time!
1)host awesome panels (and have awesome pannels to go to about fandoms that make us laugh)
2)make people laugh. And be enginuitive about it. What is new is what we remember as "really cool!"
3)keep people from stress. Usually this comes from being aimless AND ditched. So if we stay with each other for the most part (don't spend the whole con looking for each other) it should be a WHOLE lot more fun. I know it is for me. And that way, people are less disappointed.
4)On that note, say what you want to do before the con, when everybody's together (like in the room. The con warmeeting.) Then, we can figure out people's expectations and try to go with them. So everybody's happy!
Those are my simple rules for con enjoyment. The most memerable cons were ones where I was litterally starving to some degree, but that's because we triumphed in adversity, and I can laugh at how stupidly discomforted I was. So we try to avoid that nowadays. Food is yummy.
I love that word. In any event though! I want to express to myself why I had such a good time at detour, or, rather, the really amazing thing that happened that shows I am happy people.
________________________________________
/end part readers will care about until the end two paragraphs. Go there if you don't want to read War and Peace. Look for the next break lines)
________________________________________
So I was bumbling around on Friday; we were looking for things to do and I remembered there was a guest VA panel about the mechanics of working in the industry as a VA that I wanted to go to. As it happened, it was down the hall and less than half full! Hurray for people that can't get up before noon during a con. (It also probably helped that all the guests had just finished a more fan-based panel, where the majority of the attendees probably assembled.)
So I sat down three rows back (I thought it had started so i didn't want to be annoying and sit WAY IN FRONT in my silly ed costume. xD; ) Sitting in the front row of VA panels can be awkward, but as it was, they ended up looking at me the most anyway. xD; I actually made eye contact and paid attention, and asked involved, intelligent questions (two! :O), so they looked at me for like . . . more than half the pannel. xD; I was secretly thinking, 'please stop looking at me now, I feel like I'm taking up all the attention and I need to change my facial expression...' xD;;; silly me, I try too hard. But yes, I did it to myself because I asked the first question ("so...anyone have any questions off the bat?" and after half a second of glancing around to make sure I didn't steal the spotlight from anyone who needed it more, I instantly raised my hand in a sort of 'ooh me! memememe' way. xD; I get excited when good things happen....)
But the moral of the story there is that if you ask the first question, you may get to ask more (I asked more than anyone else...). And they pay attention to you. x3 Don't be shy with asking questions right off. At least, if you've thought about them. xD!
So, I asked what they found the differences between voicing for Anime vs American produced-cartoons is (like pressure from different production groups?), which they took to mean dubbing pre-made animation vs. doing the voicings pre-production. Which was totally not what I asked but they don't know that and it was okay anyway. xD I got a really good answer about the query they answered. -^__^; The other thing I asked was: "Yeah, this is a quick question, for anyone who wants to answer: Do you prefer acting standing up or sitting down?" (because I've seen it both ways) to which they all burst, very emphatically, "Standing up!" Which made me feel special. :D And then Greg Ayers told a rather amusing story about a woman he knows who will voice everything sitting. And do it well. So that's cool.
What they told me about that is that they act physically to part, so if they're drained, or depressed, they'll bend in, or be small in order to be quiet, so this tracks with what I was thinking of: I've seen commentary from Advent children, and Cloud's va was sitting most of the time, and it makes sense, because he's mopey. ALL the time.
So, these VAs (the five of them) reiterated what I was thinking in solid terms, so going to this pannel was a very good thing for me as far as understanding acting and all. But we haven't even gotten to the good story about it yet!
So, after Ayers, the first person that opens her mouth is a woman with big, frizzy red hair that I'd never seen. She says one word, and I go, "Holy Crap! VT!" (from an ep. of cowboy bebop.) I was excited, because I don't really fangirl (i didn't really understand it until now), but this va is someone that, from the first time I heard her in that role, I've been trying unsuccessfully to find out who she is, and where exactly she came to anime from (because her performance sounded SO good. I knew she had to be a very well-trained actress.)
One thing that was said during the panel was that, when acting, esp. for anime, inprov has to be the best thing for you to know how to do. There was a story about it, and then she said something to the effect of that, when you do a character, you have to create a background for them in your own head; as an actor, that's how you get into your character and know your character, and since in anime dubbing you can't use your body to help like on stage, and you don't know anyting about your character unless you say something baout yourself in the role somewhere. (Getting a script 2 minutes before go time is impressive, and you don't get to see anyone else's lines usually, just to help you out with you doing of your character.)
So this lady was telling us that when you know how to act, you start knowing the character very well. They even start to speak to you--at this points she says not in a crazy way, mind you--and you can know wether a line you're given is one they would actually say or not; you know who they are and can be them. (they also tied this in toward changing scripts on the spot--being able, as the actor, to add to the continuity of the story if your script isn't done so well. You watch out for your story, as the charcter!) Now, I knew this about writing. That, once you've developed the characters, it really doesn't matter what you want, they will finish the story for you, take it in the direction they want to go, because, no matter what you want, if it's not in character for them, it won't work. They write the story if you're doing it right. And I had never equated this to acting before. It was the epiphany thought of the night. Though, granted there were a few for me.
So! I got a better look into acting. (which I've always wanted to do more of.) But! The best part of all came when I went up and talked to the woman! (to VT! squee!)
I didn't know if I could talk to them; we looked like we had to vacate the room and they are busy people after all. The book didn't say anything about being able to talk to them afterward. But, i decided I was going to, because you don't opps like this twice! (reliably, anyway)
So I did my half-second glancing again and darted for the table. ('me first' omg xD) I ran up to her and started blathering in a half controlled manner, but managed to say this (really, I just wanted to know her name! hehheh f^^; [and that name is Melodee M. Spevak. To my surprise, my mom knew the name spevak. Maybe b/c of M's husband?)) :
Hi! May I talk to you for a second? I just wanted to say, I know exactly what you're talking about with the characters talking to you! As a writer, and a dad who writes and is an opera singer, I've heard it a lot, that the characters will talk to you once you get them developed enough. And I'd never related that to acting at all! Thank you so much for saying that, that makes so much sense!
(then she said something following up on that.)...gosh, I'm horrible that i don't remember that part. xD;;
then, I added: "But there's something else I wanted to say to you!" (all this time I'm gesticulating emphatically, lol) "I remember you as VT from Cowboy Bebop. I know you said [during the panel] that it's hard to remember all your roles, do you remember that one at all?"
Melodee: Oh yeah, I remember VT! I loved her! I'm so glad someone remembers her!
Me: *sparkles at good reception* Yes! Her! I just wanted to say that I'm so glad you did her voice. From the moment I first saw/heard her, I was amazed at how good whoever it was that was doing her voice was! And I've been trying from them on the figure out who you are, and what you look like!
Melodee: Oh yeah? *smile!* And just what did you think I looked like? >D
Me: erm...well...(don't say anything about the wrinkles! ee!) I really couldn't figure it out. (don't say that I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman!) I coudlnt' tell if it was an older ...person or a younger person, but ... I did get the hair. I htought there'd be BIG hair and a squarer face. Not like the little tiny youngin's over there." *guestures to the rest of the people at the table. Her husband, who was next to her, and grey, was up at the moment working on the sound equip, so he wasn't included. xD;)
Melodee: Huh. :D (ie, the typical response to, "yes, I have no diplomacy at all and I'm nervous and don't want to call you old, no matter how old you are, lol, whoops.")
Me: But yes! (that's proabbly what i said next.... I was starting to get the sparkly eyes back again at this point, especially since I didn't think I'd get to say everything I wanted to and here I am able to!) "I just thought that you did a perfect job. (you even outshined the other characters in that episode!) As writers or actors, we tend to get involved in our own heads, or roles, because we are just ourselves, and tend to lose sight sometimes of how well each charater or part adds up to the whole, and I think I liked that series twice as much just because you did that one episode! And I knew that you were somebody that had talent, and knew what they were doing. So, I just wanted to say, thank you so much for doing that role and being so good for us. I'm proud of having someone so good in anime, because people outside of it tend knock it down, but because of people like you, they can't."
Yes, by now I wanted to glom her and squeal but I restrained myself. I did ask her then "But, so, what is your name though? I want to be able to know." And so she pulled out one of her "cheat sheets" with all her acting roles on it, to show me her name. And on the front was her picture. It was an autograph card, neat! I didn't realize that, and so someone stading off randomly asked, "do you want her to sign it for you?' I suppose she was hearing the whole thing. xD; And I said, oh yeah sure...." (am I really so lucky today?) and she did. She asked what my name was, and seh could actually spell it. Hurray, for people that know things about the classics. ^^!
So, her name is Melodee M. Spevak and she autographed it, To _T_, Thanks for remembering my dear VT."
Then I talked to her husband some because I had recently heard his voice for the first time and remembering wondering where they got him from, he didn't sound like a typical va at all. (too old and wisened!) And he actually does a lot of stuff in the film industry as well, and is probably in his 50s or higher. I also was just happy that someone in the arts is happily married, lol. But I didn't say that of course. ( i dont think.)
After Melodee came up and they were leaving, she told him about me. hee hee. And I said, "yeah, I mean, I was really nervous about coming up to you guys because, as a [lowly little] fan, I feel like everyone else has already said everything I'm going to say and it'll just be redundant to you." But he seemed kind of "aww, how can you say that, it's not true!" at me and said, "True admiration is never unappreciated." Being and actor is hard and it makes it all worth it to know that there are people out there that really care for and respect our work. (paraphrasing that part.) And I said, yeah, i'm really happy and proud when I see people who really know what they're doing when they va. Because there are people who really can't." and then we got into a discussion about how the industry is hiring big name people that are underqualified and ruin things. AND they could have hired twelve good va's for that amount of money.
So we had an emo moment of the typical society detritus and then went on our ways. So something really good happened to me because I took a chance, and didn't give in to just accepting defeat, or that I wasn't good enough to have my desire/dream happen. And, Melodee seemed like she wouldn't have minded seeing me around the con again, even though it didn't work out. I was smiled at by someone I adore! Hurray for victory!
________________________________________
on a further note, another thing she said at the pannel that was very apt was that, "So long as you are making enough money by acting that you don't have to have another job, you are a success. With how much money, then the amount of success just varies by degrees."
Also to tie up the entry, the people I was rooming with, the ISU cosplay club including Lisa and peeps, won an award in the middle category for costuming. I am so proud of them! :D And now they want me to be Rip Van Winkel in their helsing group. I say fine, even though this comes about from my ability to do a rendition of omfg Crazy Eyes. (though who says that's a baaad thing? lol) I've always watned to be part of a really big, show-stopping cosplay group. I don't need to get down the hallway at all, no not me. :D
dang, now it's definitely time for dinner!
and once again, my detour photos are at cosplay.com here: http://images.cosplay.com/gallery.php?member=41536&cat=500 I'm think i"m going to organize them in an additional way, with folders with the best pictures of each of my costumes. Because...that might be the way I'm supposed to do it on the site in the first place. whoops. xD;; And I finally found other people's c.c's...Cat and Chimera's, and I don't know if GatedDiscord has one. fOo I forget.