Random thoughts

The Usual Suspects - Phina Oruche was only there Sunday so she is not in the group shot.

Finally typed up the brief notes from Saturday's Q&A (I didn't bother for Sunday) and tweeked the photos.

Here are a couple of teaser photos.


Charisma (really that pose is  so Cordy)  and Amber


Adam and Tony.

All the photos are on my website  - you'll find links in each Q& A text.

Bit of an disappointing preamble to this event. Over extended organizers had not announced any new guests since February after Amber, Adam and Charisma were on board. Sean Maher was confirmed as late as 7th October and then by 27th he had cancelled.  Late replacements were the awesome Anthony Head (but just one day) and Phina Oruche on the Sunday only too.  Considering a year in the making this was a very light guest list and didn't hold up to promises made at the earlier two events. But that's not to distract from the guests who were there, because they were great - I just felt we should have had a couple more at least. I cannot understand how those who had paid at least £895 for the VIP pass ever felt that they had value for money.

Radisson Edwardian Hotel in Heathrow is far more upmarket than the usual venue - The Thistle,  however the main Hall is far narrower making the rows smaller and the views more restricted/distant even when you had low number Gold tickets like myself. I think the Renaissance across the road had better rooms for the events.

 For some strange reason Massive Events had decided to put intense stage lights straight onto the guests and drop the rest of the hall in darkness. No-one could see the audience and in the Q&A's who was actually asking the questions despite many comments from the guests especially Charisma that the lights were awful and needed to be lowered. Reference to gestapo and torture were also made, but to no real effect. If you seen some pained expressions in the photos some of that is as result of the lighting.

Held up in traffic on the M4,  Tony was not part of the 'Opening Ceremony' and we just had Amber and Charisma so that was very low key. Personally I would have hoped they would have held on until Tony arrived and just start late. Other organizers have done this to no real impact on the rest of the evening.  The meet and greet was a washout and the worst at Hallowhedon to date.  Held in the pretentious and pretty useless Atrium in the Radission (a series of illuminated bridges and large decorative pools which take all the space) large groups of ticket holders huddled round tiny glass tables and struggled to hear/see the guests for the very brief time they spent trying to talk to us. Just two guests mind you so there needed to be plenty of free wine which thankful, there was so I spent most of that evening drowning the disappointment. Apparently Tony arrived just after the Meet and Greet was declared over. I don't know why they just don't sit the attendees around proper tables in well lit rooms so we can all at least get to know each other before the guests get to the table.

Charisma Q & A Here  ( Gorgeous Charisma gets younger not older )
Tony Heads Q & A here( Much Ado about Nothing?  )
Amber Benson Q & A( Is there anything Amber can't do?  )
Adam Busch Q & A( Would have been great to have Common Rotation play at the event... )


Group Q & A photos here

So the guest list for Hallowhedon is changing daily like a pair of smelly socks. I won't be able to ask Sean Maher now about Much Ado production  :-( but I will be able to ask Tony Head why he couldn't appear in it as Leonato - as originally cast, seeing as he is now going to be at Hallowhedon on the Saturday.  They have also announced Phina Oruche (Olivia in Buffy ) for the Sunday so it kind of makes up for Sean cancelling.  These one day only appearances whilst some consolation, make me think that they couldn't afford fees  for the three days? 

I am not impressed with the lack of updates and late guest announcements from Massive Events for this year's convention. They did say attendance was only 300 so I think poor ticket sales may have impacted on who they afford to sign up. It's chicken and egg though as a good guest will sell your tickets for you. The whedonverse is now four shows - I'm sure they could have found at least another guest or a writer/crew member of interest.   I understand totally about cancellations but they left a guest list with three names on it since February and couldn't even give the party themes until two weeks prior.  So feeling sorely neglected and it will have to take a pretty good guest next year to get me to commit.  I'm sitting on my hands a little trying not to bitch too much on their forum but I'd rather they didn't run these things like they are doing us a favour, we do expect something for our cash. 

{/ rant}   On a positive note I finished the Cordy sketch and am just pulling out the watcher's guides for signing.

As Halloween falls on Monday I'll actually be home this year which is nice.  Sweets are here and the pumpkins are waiting to be carved. Ellie hasn't decided on her outfit yet  - we've got the decorations out of the loft and will sort through those later.

Hey Hey - I'm back from the Convention and I bring teaser photos and a brief run down of events.

On to the shiny guests :

 

Seriously witty, charming and entertaining people. Tony Head giggling at Alan's antics and face pulling during the photo sessions ( I swear there's a different expression in every photo I've seen) Robin Sachs, charming and a very very naughty man. Sweet and funny Jewel and vivacious Stephanie.  Some more teaser photos:





Briefish report and links to the rest of the photos here ( Read more... )

This is for the Hallowhedon II Convention - for ASH to sign - not SMG as I very much doubt she'll ever attend anything like this and I can understand that.. Early (and young) Giles and Buffy. 



Click thumbnail for the bigger picture.   Comments are loved.

I've already have an Alan Tudyk sketch squirrelled away from a previous Con that he cancelled, but have still to do the gorgeous Stephanie Romanov as  Ms Lilah Morgan. If there's going to be more guests I hope they hurry up and announce them - just in case there some newbies I want to do. I hate to rush these things. 

Phew - I'm back after an eventful drive home from 'Hallowhedon' convention.  Five godamn hours in the car - not the 2 and a half that Heathrow usually takes.  I think I went via Dundee or something.  I guess the only thing about doing the con on my own this time was that I didn't subject my lovely con buddy acrazywench  to the traffic jam hell.  P.s.  you were missed my dear *hugs*    Apart from the to and from part the Convention was good fun and I really enjoyed myself.  They've already announced another next year with Anthony Stewart Head as the first confirmed guest.  (So tempted)  My only regret is that it would mean another Halloween away from home. *thinks of a cunning plan* 

I'll have con reports and photos up as soon as I've started sorting things out. James Marsters was there (lying down most of the time) yeah, yeah get your minds out of the gutter.    I'll expand on that in the next post. 

I flicked through the flist and there were pages and pages of goodies that I have still to digest,  there's a whole swathe of really interesting commentaries to read over at vid_commentary  and a  new vidder profile of the wonderful charmax  by bradcpu  to drool over.  I think Charmax has been one of my greatest inspirations vidding wise - and an all around lovely person to boot. I still have some vid watching to do I know there's a bradcpu  Dollhouse vid that I want to see, hmm plus some others. I shall make some private 'don't interrupt' me time to look at those as a special treat in the next few days I think.