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- Today
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I'll have to relate the story of how I tried to bum a smoke from Chris without realizing it was him one of these days... XD
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- Ray Chase (Him growing up in Vegas is inspirational for aspiring voice actors from Vegas) - Robbie Daymond (Also lived in Vegas for awhile during his college years) - Max Mittelman - Erika Harlacher - Erica Lindbeck - Xanthe Huynh - Xander Mobus - Orion Acaba - Tom Bauer Any of em would be awesome.
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My photos from this year's Otakon: Otakon 2017
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Out of all the stupid things you can do at Otakon...
windseeker replied to GasparAKAShiggitay's topic in Post Otakon 2017
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Out of all the stupid things you can do at Otakon...
windseeker replied to GasparAKAShiggitay's topic in Post Otakon 2017
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That was my thought when the idea of metal detectors came up It would only serve to exaturbate the problem people are already leveling against the bag checks, that is the waits and the lines I don't see that as doing much more than making more waits and more complaints about said waits
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JAM Project's Hiroshi Kitadani prescribed rest after complaining to doctor of "sudden deafness."
AnimeKen replied to Aresef's topic in Post Otakon 2017
Yes, I know this isn't the same thing I was saying I hope it doesn't end up becoming the same thing Depending on the cause it could result in permanent partial hearing loss and then eventually a risk of total loss -
I went to the Smithsonian, and had to be wanded by the guards, because I did not take my flashlight out of my pocket. I forgot it was even there, but then they almost confiscated it. They took my metal pen, though. I don't want the hassle of emptying my pockets every time I go in and out of the building. Metal detectors will make things much worse for traffic getting into the convention center. If you buy a metal die from one of the gaming vendors in the Dealer's Hall, it will set off a detector. The bag check, as it was this year, is fine with me.
- Yesterday
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JAM Project's Hiroshi Kitadani prescribed rest after complaining to doctor of "sudden deafness."
Aresef replied to Aresef's topic in Post Otakon 2017
No, this isn't that. -
I know B-Town is called "Charm City", but somebody is going to have to explain this Baltimore Charm everyone keeps talking about to me I was pretty glad to leave Baltimore behind and don't feel the feeling of loss so many others seem to I definitely remember signage inside the convention center talking about the food area and a mention the screen of at least the Japanese food stand, so I'm not sure what you are talking about there
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JAM Project's Hiroshi Kitadani prescribed rest after complaining to doctor of "sudden deafness."
AnimeKen replied to Aresef's topic in Post Otakon 2017
Brian Johnson from AC/DC had to stop performing or risk total deafness Hope he isn't going the same way -
That would make the most sense but we all know how parents can be... Otakon is just trying to cover its own butt. And yet it keep happening, which means the current procedure isn't working, which means it would be wise to change things up. Staff isn't being unreasonable, but it's the procedure that is bad. You don't know me. Don't presume you know what I would and wouldn't do. Telling people to "come back later" isn't a solution because, as it's already been discussed, it doesn't work. It has nothing to do with who proposed it. It's important to think about how different ideas could go wrong -- better now than at the actual event. When I post an idea, people find faults with it, and I do my best to respond. And I do the same for others' ideas. Don't take criticisms personally; we are all working toward the same goal here of having a well-run Otakon. Otakon doesn't need to devote "endless amounts of staffing and space resources" to have well-run autograph sessions. None of anyone's ideas calls for that. It's all about having a process that involves better organization and communication, not about involving more staffers. After a certain point, adding more staff won't accomplish anything anyway. Feel free to make your own proposals if you think my or others' ideas won't cut it. Ah, metal components. How do other cons with metal detectors handle this? I suggested metal detectors as a way to placate the complaints of the current basic bag check as useless. Perhaps a combination of that plus metal detectors would be better? I dunno. We wouldn't want to add something that would lengthen the security process too much, otherwise waiting becomes a huge issue. That's why I suggested metal detectors, which takes only a second to walk through. But then there's that issue with metal cosplay that you mentioned that we would need to think about how to deal with. But I think that the vast majority of attendees won't have that issue. I think I know the place you're talking about. Is it the same place where the Rainbow Tube is? We still haven't gotten an explanation from staff for why that was closed off. It is listed on the map, so I suspect that it was originally meant to be open, but for whatever reason ended up being closed. Letting people use it would have been helpful and prevent the need to backtrack. When I first arrived at the convention center, found myself repeatedly asking information desks in various places where the built-in water fountains were. But after spending some time there, I realized that they are always outside the restrooms. So look for the restrooms on the map and chances are there will be water fountains nearby too.
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JAM Project's Hiroshi Kitadani prescribed rest after complaining to doctor of "sudden deafness."
GasparAKAShiggitay replied to Aresef's topic in Post Otakon 2017
Oh no! I hope he's among the percentage of patients that recover their hearing! -
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Those were solid, kind of wish I'd gotten more than two Really hope they return for 2018 That's really cool I had a similar experience with Greg Ayres at Anime Mid-Atlantic 2005 Definitely one of the highlights of that con for me
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Marriott Marquis here. PROS: - the room was decent and roomy. - I thought the bathrooms were really nice. - DAT TUNNEL. When it came to going back and forth between the con, that tunnel was a godsend. - Elevators were quick and plentiful. - spots to plug things into in the lobby bar. - mini-fridge. (more on this in the "cons" section) - the little "Otakon" cookies were delicious. Were those shortbread? CONS: - gift/convenience shop was over-priced. ($3.50 for a 20 oz. soda? NOPE.) - Speaking of, no soda machine on ANY floor was working. I tried three or four different ones one night, and none of them took coins. - While it was nice that there was a mini-fridge, it was quite small. - No microwave. EVERYTHING ELSE: - Who needs a gazebo? WE HAVE A BIG METAL STATUE. WORSHIP YOUR NEW GOD, MUWAHAHAHA. - Going outside for a smoke break and ending up shooting the breeze with Tony Oliver was way cool.
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He canceled a Thursday show in Tokyo. http://solidvox.jp/cgi/information/index.cgi?plugin=Tagging&tag=きただに What sudden deafness is: https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/sudden-deafness
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Otakon 2017: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Jonathan Norris Jr. replied to ueda's topic in Post Otakon 2017
I was Disappointed that with the Bigger Space that there wasnt more panels and workshops. it seemed liked there was so much more space to do more and it was less than in Baltimore. even repeating a panel or workshop would have been cool. then we could have made choices on weather to do it on different days. It was good that the organization was there and lines flowed very well. I liked the info screens all over and the reminders, but it didnt mention a food court in the building. I work in DC and it was the first time I heard of the food court. The shoots seem to be organized also well lit areas. and Otakon staff was on there job. I do miss the Baltimore Charm and all the outdoors and the harbor -
I honestly think it's well designed, but only if you have an entrance straight into the building the panel rooms were in. There's a lobby there which would make access a breeze, but for this con it was exit only. The only way in was basically the back way from Mt Vernon center instead of its front entrance.
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May as well throw in my two cents... The Good: Space. Blessed space in both the dealer's room and the artist's alley, and the hallways and escalators/stairs. I didn't have any trouble getting anywhere, and didn't feel crowded. Connection between the Convention Center and the Marriott (where I was staying). Aside from going out to eat Thursday evening, I didn't need to exit the buildings from Friday until I left on Sunday. The digital signage in the Convention Center was very helpful and up-to-date. Con Center Redshirts and Hotel Staff were both happy to be there, as far as I could tell. I especially liked how the Marriott's food service and the Con Center's food venues were offering Japanese snacks and foods. Sure, the prices were on the high side, but you can't get almond Pocky and Ramune from Giant Foods (you can get normal, strawberry, and green tea Pocky from Giant, though! It's cheap!) The free wifi in the convention center in all locations was a godsend. Transitioning between the Marriott's wifi and the center's was almost seamless. The weather. As a longtime DC metro area native, we lucked out for our first convention here. The weather was pretty mild (for a DC summer), and the rain helped keep the humidity and temperature down. And as noted above, I technically didn't need to go outside for the entire convention, so I didn't worry about it. I was unconcerned about the bag check, as it's become a fact of life in DC. All the museums got retrofitted for it, as well as the federal buildings, and newer spaces have locations ready for it. The Marriott was extremely photogenic. Full marks! The Bad: Ironically, the extra space in Artist's Alley worked against it. It made it hard to survey the entire assembly of creative folks in one go by weaving through the booths, and reduced the number of serendipitous encounters bouncing between art tables. There were clearly a lot of people that I missed that I wouldn't have minded having a look-over. Both the Dealer's Room and Artist's Alley needs much better 'Street Signs' indicating which aisle or booth block you are in; it's now much harder to get your bearings as you go along. With observation of the traffic flow from this year given the additional space, hopefully more discrete "lanes" will be allocated on the long hallways to keep traffic moving and not getting sidetracked by waiting lines or impromptu photo shoots. Perhaps have designated "shoulders" to pull over for the latter? Not sure why there was so many unfilled booths in the Dealer's Room, but that didn't look good, and I didn't see that there were vendors on the opposite side until the last day of the con. Now that there's food services available in the Artist's Alley, we desperately need places to sit down with our food - or to just rest our feet in general. A smaller group of tables and chairs in the Artist's Alley would not be out of line for next year, especially as we have enough space for it. Better indicators for water locations are needed -- both the water coolers and built-in water fountains. Maybe have an animation of the $1 Water Guy playing over them? I missed a couple of panels because they filled up much faster than I thought I would, and I got there late. Nobody to blame but myself, I suppose, but these were early-morning panels that I didn't think people would be cramming into. I see there were some panel rooms unused or unexpanded, so I suppose better luck next year? The Ugly: There needs to be a serious re-evaluation of the photo shoot locations for next year. Both the lighting and positioning of the locations worked against them (I can't speak to location 4, as I didn't attend a shoot there). Location 1 (the niche by the rainbow tube) was a place more suited for solo shoots, not even small groups. The lighting was variable, which while nicely dramatic for small things, couldn't really be counted on - and we were more often shooting into the corner, not at the rainbow tube. Location 2 (the L-Street Bridge) had major problems, as it was a major traffic intersection between Video Gaming/Dance/Food Court/Panels and general hangout while going from one place to another. The lighting was very subject to the whims of outside, or by the insufficient lighting when it was dark outside, which meant a lot of faces were underexposed. Location 3 (The Grand Lobby Steps), while well-lit and possessed of rising stairs to put the cosplayers on, was also right at the main entrance/exit of the convention center, which meant the photographers had to bunch up to stay out of the attendee's way. There might be some merit to having smaller photoshoots (like the ones that happened by the Rainbow Tube) up on the third floor Mt. Vernon balcony area -- that area appeared to be pretty unused, and it overlooks the Carnegie Library. Given the sheer size of the Dealer's Room and AA, perhaps some portable bleachers for photoshoots during DR/AA hours could be put up there as well? I admit it's nowhere near as photogenic as the rest of the convention center or the Marriott or outside, but at least there's space for the time being. The guidebook was not handled well on the lead-up to the convention. The Artist's Alley map and lists were late in coming, the Dealer's list even later (and didn't have the map-linking the AA list->map did), and there were the repeated erasing of personal schedules whenever an update was pushed. Fortunately the makers of Guidebook pushed an update during the convention which addressed the deletion issue, so props for that I guess. I would recommend putting Artist's URL's with their entries so we can have a better idea of what they offer when planning ahead of time. It wouldn't hurt to have the same for dealer's entries as well. This way, after the con, if we remember having seen something we couldn't afford at the time, or bought something and want more from that vendor, we can get in contact and continue our transactions that way. Overall, I feel this was a successful convention and I got my money's worth. I'm willing to chalk up the photoshoot and guidebook issues to growing pains adjusting to the new venue and feeling out the new traffic patterns that have developed. Next year's convention will really be the test, as more of the space gets used and panel rooms get expanded.
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The Good: CONVENTIONS.....IN....SPACE!!! Seriously, sooo much space! No traffic jams, no getting sideswiped by a wayward pair of wings in the dealer's room, plenty of seating available everywhere for eating and lounging, etc. Increased signage, especially maps posted everywhere (won't beat the 'you are here' dead horse anymore, I think they get it) Along with the signs, I also greatly appreciated the increased amount of Info Booths and roaming Info staffers. The Anisong World Matsuri, both days, freaking amazing concerts, so glad I decided to go to both! The shaking I felt during Jam Project did scare me, not gonna lie, but once I moved to the less crowded back it was fine. Aside from the Friday bag check line, I never had to wait too long to get into anything and never got turned away. I even got into Anime's Craziest Deaths despite waiting until the entire line was already in, forgetting to get my 18+ band because I wasn't planning on going initially, casually walked down to the 18+ line, waited on that deep though fast moving line, then casually walked back and still found a seat. The expanded food selection. You can't do anything about the prices but I liked the variety. Every Red Coat I interacted with was friendly, pleasant and seemed happy to be there, unlike the Red Shirts of the BCC. I thought the temperature was fine. I was a little hot in the dealer's room and cold in the panel and video rooms but I'd much rather be cold than hot since you can always just wear a sweater. Free and fast wifi! I had a great time and didn't experience anything bad or ugly so I'm just going to label this next section as... The Inconvenient: Friday bag check line. I was in the Marriott so it apparently wasn't as bad as the main entrance, but I still missed half of the first panel I wanted to see. Once they figured out the kinks though I never had another issue with it. I didn't take into account the amount of time it would take to learn the layout of the new building so I got lost Friday morning and missed another ten minutes of the first panel I wanted to see. I got the hang of the place by about Saturday. On that note, the actual layout of the convention center was confusing as hell. You go up two levels to walk over then take another escalator down one level just to turn around to find the level with the bulk of the panel rooms. Who designed this place?? I certainly got my steps in over the weekend, that's for sure. The cancellation of the Game Show. I hold no grudges as to why it was cancelled but it's still a bummer.
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Otakon 2017: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
LittleHobbit13 replied to ueda's topic in Post Otakon 2017
And they're asking you not fill be in that space, not to fill it in anyways to try and force your own preferred autograph experience. This isn't staff being unreasonable. Being in that space regardless of their instruction is just blatantly ignoring their requests which is not cool. Right up until it's you who missed the call and then suddenly I bet it would be someone else's fault, be it staff or another attendee. Just because it's not your solution, doesn't mean it's not a valid one. I'm sorry, but I'm reading through your comments and you're finding fault with every explanation and possible solution except your own. Every compromise someone offers falls short in your eyes. I understand that your main concern is getting that autograph, but you'll just need to accept that right now Otakon doesn't want to devote endless amounts of their staffing and space resources to creating and managing a space for you to sit around 4 hours early. We might have the physical space available for people to line up elsewhere, but they've repeatedly mentioned how staff is limited so they have to be pragmatic about their usage and placement. Someday that might change, but for now it is what it is. Several people have offered good compromises, and you even acknowledge yourself that staff can't be everywhere. Until something changes, we should look for a compromise solution to the autograph line problem that helps everyone a little rather than placing all the burden on one side. It's about costumes that have metal components, not fit. And if you don't even think they'd be helpful, then what is the point of suggesting them? Yes, that's accurate. The Otakon staff is not trained to look for fake IDs, so they use a 3rd-party service. -
Not THIS year but one year in Baltimore. I didn't see charges hit my account till almost the NEXT year. in like early June because they didn't clear the registers. another year I got double billed.
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Awesomecon is before the Tourist season more or less. Unless there is a very early spring the cherry blossoms will not have bloomed and its still cold and clammy in DC.
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Out of all the stupid things you can do at Otakon...
Krabstarr replied to GasparAKAShiggitay's topic in Post Otakon 2017
