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People, by nature, have some interesting things to say. Here are some of my things. Some about acting. All about living ...
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Free night with DAN FAUCI in Austin October 15th
So tomorrow (Thursday, October 15), Dan Fauci will be in Austin for a free evening, speaking on acting, creativity, and vision in your craft and career (followed by a Q&A).Labels: acting process, events, training
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posted by Adam @ 6:24 PM
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posted by Adam @ 11:32 AM
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posted by Adam @ 10:23 AM
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posted by Adam @ 9:53 AM
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posted by Adam @ 10:10 PM
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This was a short day, and we spent it basically just trying to make the most of the Exhibit floor. I talked to some more companies and individuals, looked for last minute schwag, and tried to help my buddy find some gift for his girls (I was useless). Toys: I took a few quick picts of the new DC toys from Mattel, sculpted by the Four Horseman , and looked longingly at the Hasbro Legends series 3 and 4 stuff one last time. Labels: acting, biz, business, comic books, Comic-Con, Comic-Con 2007, events, festivals, inspiration, toys, video games, voice acting Share:
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posted by Adam @ 7:44 PM
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(Sorry for the delay; been wicked ill; as you were.) Comic-Con on Saturday (July 28) was (oddly) less crazy than Friday. Maybe we just got used to the crazy. And Saturday was fun. My buddy and I split up first thing, and he went to the Avatar panel while I hit the Exhibit floor to introduce myself to companies and individuals, meet up with folks I'd only previously known via Email and phone (like Mark Irwin, co-creator behind multi-format property Jack Secret; pitched as "Harry Potter meets Johnny Quest"), talk to a bunch of folks on Artists Row, pick up that Leinil Francis Yu signed Captain America "The Return" poster I'd eyed the day before, and so on. Panels were great this day, too. The Marvel Spider-Man and Smallville panels, in particular, were what I expect panels to be. Poppy, unexpected, with panelists jumping in and out of conversations, having fun, and knowing their stuff. I picked up the "Ramathorr" figure from the Four Horseman's Seventh Kingdom, to complement the "Gauntlet of Vaskkh" figure with which I'd been gifted the day before. They guys offered to sign it, and were surprised when I told them I was actually going to take it out of the box for display. Hasbro also added a bunch of their Marvel Legends series 4 figures to their show floor display case, so I snapped some picts of those, as well as their upcoming Japanese-derivative, 6-inch figures, which nonetheless look cool. The Marvel Spider-Man panel was a blast. It included writers, editors, and artist Dan Slott, Zeb Wells, Bob Gale, Marc Guggenheim, and Phil Jimenez, with Joe Quesada moderating. The panel was snappy, fun, well-moderated, and the guys are obviously having a blast (and taking seriously) the Spider-Man "One More Day" arc, then 3-times-monthly change-up. Writer Marc Guggenheim and artist Phil Jimenez are now exclusive to Marvel, and I felt bad that Jimenez let slip who makes out alive between Mary Jane and Aunt May. And Dan Slott? Perhaps one of the funniest panel members I've seen. He was hilarious, punny, and having a lot of fun with the panel, and the absolute thrill ride that writing Amazing Spider-Man affords. I also attended the GameTap "Re/Visioned" panel, consisting of Jim Lee, Warren Ellis, Peter Chung, Gail Simone, and Brian Pulido, and moderated by GameTap's Ric(k)ardo Sanchez. I'm really liking Simone's down-to-earth take on female empowerment, and it was fun to watch part 1 of Ellis's 3-part arc, at the same time he got to see it. I also got to chat with Peter Chung and tell him "thank you" for the animated Æon Flux, and give him my voice demo. Very quiet, pleasant person. I was also able to meet the producer behind the Re/Visioned series, and let him know I was impressed with it. The there was the Warner Bros. Smallville panel. Again, how I think a panel should be -- a lot of back and forth, people jumping in and out, playful, sexy people (Seriously -- Hartley? Vandervoort? Morris? Durance? Gough? Millar? Wow -- wicked sexy, all). The funniest exchange happened during the Q&A when a fan asked Hartley and Durance how they prepare for their steamy scenes -- and both of their spouses (and Hartley's daughter) were in the front row. Good feedback on the professional side of the preparation, though. This panel was also a great example of how you video summarize an entire series, and tease the next season. Serious kudos to whoever pulled that off. Labels: acting, biz, business, comic books, Comic-Con, Comic-Con 2007, events, festivals, inspiration, picts, toys, video games, voice acting Share:
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posted by Adam @ 7:03 PM
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Panels: Mattel / DC Comics: We attended the Mattel / DC Comics panel, which was fun, and way more upbeat and jovial than Thursday's Hasbro panel. They showed a lot of stuff from the Justice League animated series, and copped to the poor design that makes them top-heavy and tough to display. They also announced new six-inch figures (with build-a-figure components) from none other than Four Horseman Studios. Orion and Etrigan, in particular, look pretty cool. I can't help but wonder if the fan support for Mattel is due to where they are with the license. They're comparatively in the initial stages, and haven't hit the over-under arc where the trade-off for collector and mass-market hits the fan, which is what I think was the tension under the Marvel / Hasbro panel. Joel Silver: Return to House on Haunted Hill and Moonlight: I only caught the last half of the "Joel Silver: Return to House on Haunted Hill and Moonlight" (the Moonlight part), which was a bummer. I'm not a gore fan, but I wanted to see the innovative "Navigational Cinema" stuff they're allegedly putting on the Blu-ray and HD DVD versions of the film. I'd like to see someone do something with the new technology. Moonlight looks and sounds compelling, but it's going to need to work to stay out of Angel's shadow, and Blade's (the TV series) curse. This was my first time hearing Joel Silver speak, and he's pretty interesting. Halo Universe: I was semi looking forward to this panel, and semi expecting it to be a disappointment. Brian Michale Bendis doesn't disappoint, and he was talking about the new comic book series (I took picts, but I'm not going to post stuff before the series goes to retail), so that was good. WizKids Brand Manager Mark Tuttle did a great emcee job, which was good, given his company had done the big Halo reveal the day before. The Topps trading card discussion was pretty mheh, and Eric Nylund, while a great author, was (like everyone) hamstrung by what he couldn't say. Since there were no Bungie or Microsoft folks on the panel, not much Halo 3 stuff was going to be revealed. (I did see them in the audience, about six rows in; with sniper rifles, I'm sure, should any of the panelists revealed too much.) Warner Bros. Animation: The Batman / Legion of Super-Heroes: This was a great panel, if for no other reason than Phil Morris, voice and on-camera actor, and comic fan; and Andrea Romano, single handedly responsible for casting some of my favorite voices in Batman: The Animated Series; Animaniacs; Pinky and the Brain; Superman; and Justice League. The next seasons of both The Batman and Legion of Super-Heroes looks to up the ante, get a little darker, and build on the intensity and team dynamics. I'm looking forward to it. I even got to run alongside Ms. Romano as she headed to the Warner Bros. booth for a signing, so I could say "thank you" for her work on things like Animaniacs and Pinky and the Brain, and for the extras stuff she shares on her craft on many of the DVD extra features. Ray Harryhausen and 20 Million Miles to Earth: 50th Anniversary Edition: Ray Harryhausen is a hero of mine. I've seen his films. I read his coffee-table crushing book. I was inspired to do my own stop-motion as a device for getting my voice out there. And 20 Million Miles to Earth was a film he'd wanted to do in color, but didn't have the budget to do so. 50 years later, we were able to watch the newly colorized version of the film -- for the same first time as Mr. Harryhausen -- and have him give live commentary on the film, his processes, and his views on fiction and criticism. He will probably not do this again. From a Biz perspective, I arguably "should" have been at the Doctor Strange premiere, trying to connect with Craig Kyle, Marvel's senior VP of creative development animation. But this film, with Ray Harryhausen, was historical. It was being there for a guy that informed a part of my creativity. Other Cool Stuff: I spoke with Leinil Francis Yu, mainly to say thanks for his work on New Avengers in general, and issue #22 in particular. Really pleasant, talented guy. I also noticed he had forward-thinking, hopeful "Captain America: The Return" print that I thought I wanted, but needed to think about. The Four Horseman "Gauntlet of Vaskkh" gift from my buddy absolutely rocks, and hit me in a soft spot. And the 20 Million Miles to Earth screening was a piece of history, and getting to attend it with a friend who gets it as much or more than me? Awesome. What Sucked: Those %&*^$#! Red-Shirts. And not having hair gel. Pictures: Twitterings: Labels: acting, animation, biz, business, Comic-Con, Comic-Con 2007, events, festivals, inspiration, toys, video games, voice acting Share:
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posted by Adam @ 12:44 AM
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And the WizKids folks? Top-notch, every one of them. Brand Manager Mark is a machine, and Rae and Jenny (both of whom I'd known earlier only via Email) are phenomenal, and super-community and super-business minded. I made sure to introduce myself to all of the WizKids folks, who were all kind and helpful. And (without me asking) they hooked me up with a Target exclusive two-pack of the Master Chief and Arbiter. Normally you only get this by pre-ordering Halo 3 from Target. Look for that to show up on my toy blog soon. And a guy in full Spartan armor was there throughout the day. Just for effect. Panels: Just two panels for the day -- the "Hasbro Marvel" panel and the "DC Group Therapy" panel. Hasbro: The Hasbro panel was a bit ugly. We missed the first few minutes of it, but there were some angry folks inside for some reason. It might be due to some folks being upset about the Hasbro take on Marvel Legends (kinda understandable), but there were some (2) vehement folks in the room. It felt more like they were mad because they're completests(ists?), and things like chase variant figures make it hard to be a completest. My thought is (a) don't be a completest, and / or (b) realize that if we didn't have at least the figures as chase, we wouldn't have them at all. I think collectors need to realize that Toy Biz version of legends catered to the collector, but Hasbro is all about the mass market. There are trade-offs there. More on that when I talk about Friday's Mattel / DC panel. Hasbro did reveal some really cool stuff, like the Marvel Legends Wave 4, which seem to even more improve on the line, and includes first-appearance Daredevil (and red-suited variant), Black Bolt (and blue-suited variant, but I wish he was yelling), Punisher (with Crossbones variant). Wal-Mart will be getting two-pack exclusives of Cannonball & Domino and Cable & Marvel Girl, and on the Icons side we'll be seeing red suited Daredevil (with a first-appearance variant), Phoenix (with Dark Phoenix variant), Colossus, and Nightcrawler. In the case I also saw what looked like an Astonishing X-Men Cyclops Marvel Icon. There are also going to Marvel Legends of Tigra, Nova, and Astonishing X-Men Beast, probably before December. I also met writer / columnist Troy from Newsarama.com, who was knowledgeable and very pleasant. DC Group Therapy: This was a fun panel, and while I'm not a huge DC fan, per se, I really like Dan Didio, and all of the panelists -- Geoff Johns, Sean McKeever, Gail Simone, Tony Bedard, Eddie Berganza, Mike Marts, Mike Siglain, and (especially) Dwayne McDuffie. Other Cool Stuff: I missed the Marvel / MAXUM Games "Demons of Mercy" panel, which I really wanted to attend to check out the comic book / video game interaction. But I was in the room a couple of panels after that, and found that someone had left their Comic-Con Demons of Mercy comic. So, score! And I got to meet a ton of cool people, and connect with folks I hadn't seen for a while. The Cartoon Network MMO folks in particular, are a great group of folks, and were very helpful in letting me try out the "alpha" version of the game answer questions, hook me up with a prelude comic, and just generally have fun. I also talked to several game and animation companies on the voice acting front, and they were much more helpful and responsive than I've experienced (sadly) in Austin. What Sucked: We had big plans to see the Superman Doomsday premiere that night, and the panel following that would include Bruce Timm, Gregory Noveck, Brandon Vietti, Lauren Mongomery, and Duane Capizzi. But remember the lines I complained about? This night, we were victims. After waiting in line for an hour, we were the first people not allowed into the ballroom. We're talking they literally stopped us at the door, we could see in, and they wouldn't let the two of us inside. And then things got ugly. People who allegedly had been inside couldn't get back inside. People who had friends inside that were saving seats couldn't get inside. Then the fire marshal was doing a sweep, said there were too many people, and they were going to eject more. After about a half an hour of this ugliness, we left, bummed to have missed the premiere and the panel with one of our mutual idols. The silver lining? The fine folks at Microsoft made the panel available for download over Xbox Live. Score again! Pictures: (Reverse chronology.) Labels: acting, biz, business, comic books, Comic-Con, Comic-Con 2007, events, toys, voice acting Share:
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posted by Adam @ 1:41 PM
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I am freaking exhausted. But it's that great "I - just - worked - my - tail - off - had - a - blast - met - brilliant - inspiring - people - maybe - have - new - relationships - and - opportunities - on - the - horizon" kind of exhausted. Other than the last item, these were the roles under which I was going to play at Comic-Con, but as an abstraction, I was going to Comic-Con for camaraderie, passion, and potential. Passion: Make no mistake, I am a huge fan of all of this stuff. I wasn't there to placate a friend or to exploit people for work. I am a lifetime comic book, toy, cartoon, video game, and film fan. Comic books and toys informed my creativity and story telling as a kid, and continue to inspire me with their artistry. Cartoons and video games got me into voice acting. Film got me into my current on-camera work as I bust my tail on the training front, and come alive under the lights. I want to act in cartoon, comic book, video game, and film properties because I'm a voracious consumer of all of this stuff. I get it, and I want to give it. I'm like Phil Morris (I so admire and am happy for that guy). Comic-Con was the place to be to get an inspirational re-charge, get closer to the creative and logistical process that gives me these things I enjoy, meet the folks responsible and say "thanks", and see what stuff is coming down the pipe, before anyone else knows. Sure, stuff makes it out on news wires and such shortly afterward, but it's nothing like being there and watching it for the first time it's ever been shown, with the creators (often seeing it themselves for the very first time), and talking to them afterwards. Opportunity: I am a working professional. I work ridiculously hard at creating opportunities for acting, for technical development, and for management. I do this for me, I do this mutually for other people, and I do this for people independent of whether there's anything for me. I almost never stopped moving at Comic-Con as I tracked down the right people to whom to give a voice demo, head shot, or resume. I hit up the companies I'm passionate about from a creative or business perspective, and there were so many of those, that I didn't hit many "new business opportunities" while I was in San Diego. That means I was hitting up the folks whose stuff I love, and asking to work for or with them. There were more than 50 companies and people I wanted to meet in the four days. I knew this was shooting for the stars, but not only di I connect with roughly 30 of those, but some additional, unlooked-for, awesome, what could become "I was discovered" kind of moments. Great stuff. I also sought out the PR or events folks for booths that I was particularly impressed by, just to say, "Good job." It is important to give the workers their due. And my new demo has (so far) been very well received. What sucked: Nothing bad happened that can take away from the overall amazingness. Plus, I'm going to send a thoughtful note each to Comic-Con and the San Diego Convention Center calling out some of the challenges and offering some suggestions. But yeah, it wasn't all roses. The "Red Shirts" -- folks who were supposed to help attendees out, were very disconnected and caused some serious pain to my buddy and me. More on that later. And I had one of those "This is Hollywood, be-otch!" experiences with a biggie that was a good reminder for that I wasn't in Kansas anymore. I reset and changed my tack with a couple of opportunity folks that seem to be not so relationship-oriented. Seriously, I manage multi-million dollar, international programs and services, so if people want to go toe-to-toe on that hard-ass front, I can play. Oh, and too many people. Lines kept us out of things we'd liked to have seen and done, because the prospect of hours in line with no guarantee of getting in didn't appeal to us. And we had a bad Thursday night experience. More on that later. Not that we were going to see everything anyway. Between my split personality roles and passions, a top-notch packed programming and events roster, and my working so hard to make sure my opportunities didn't impact my buddy, I knew we were going to miss stuff. Which is fine. As in the rest of life, what should have happened did; what shouldn't have, didn't. So what happened? I'm a big tease, so I'm not going to tell you. Actually, I will, but this post is already too long, so I'll do separate, day-by-day posts of Wednesday through Sunday. I'll try to hit them from the perspective of the roles and abstractions that were my "filters" for attending, and I'll also try to break stuff up by summary, cool stuff, genres, panels, twitterings, and pictures. As far as pictures, there will be some, but not many, and they won't be overly high quality. The reason is I honored the "no-flash" rule during panels and reveals (I think I may have been the only one). Between that and popping my hand up and down quickly to snap a pict (so as not to block people behind me), the picts are a bit blurry. And there are some things I snapped picts of that have not been released to the general public, so I won't be posting those picts. Creative and business folks work hard for their IP, and I'm not going to do them a disservice by leaking stuff they're working to release in a controlled, exciting way. More later ... Labels: biz, business, comic books, Comic-Con, Comic-Con 2007, events, festivals, inspiration, other actors Share:
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posted by Adam @ 12:24 PM
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Labels: acting, acting process, events, Filmed in Austin, inspiration, meisner, other actors Share:
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posted by Adam @ 12:18 PM
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Labels: comic books, Comic-Con 2007, events, inspiration, toys, video games, voice acting Share:
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posted by Adam @ 11:43 AM
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Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Catch Adam in Austin before he leaves
Before I leave Austin, I've got rolling shindigs between now and next week.
Below are the more public ones, and don't feel like you have to fit into any particular "bucket" -- come to the one that works for you, because I'd love to see you.
What: Soyanara Texas! Hola, North Carolina! (The "Working Stiff" Edition)
Where: Opal Divine's Marina (north)
When: 4 p.m. to whenever
What: Soyanara Texas! Hola, North Carolina! (The "Biz/Acting/Gaming" Edition)
Where: Opal Divine's Freehouse (downtown)
When: 4 p.m. to whenever
What: Agency party (not for me, per se, but another place to say, "Bye!") | | | TinyUrl | Twitter
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Showcase!
Last night's showcase went phenomenally well.
Hectic and down to the wire, we of the Bohemian Theater Troupe got into the space (Beerland in Austin) for the first time at 5 p.m. -- for a 7 p.m. showcase.
Given seven scenes and three monologues, each of us only had time to run through the most problematic parts of our blocking quickly, as lights were being struck, microphones placed, and furniture and props positioned.
We also had the incomparable CK McFarland guest sitting in as we went through our craziness, and giving us last-minute blocking and set suggestions before she ducked out to teach her own class.
For my scene partner (Risa Schroder) and me, this was particularly tough, as we had added the Tango to our Angels in America scene (the shared dream sequence between Prior and Harper), and our space kept shrinking as furniture obstacles were added. Even after we'd "figured out" our blocking (and never having the chance to work through our full scene), we were told the couch for two scenes was going to stay onstage, and be moved to extreme upstage between those scenes. That meant we had to change our dancing from downstage to upstage (front to back) to stage left to stage right (side to side). And we were told we had to avoid going too far to stage right, as a permanently mounted ceiling speaker was creating a blind spot for the lights.
And we didn't get to try any of this blocking with the new directions.
Further cutting into our available time was me -- as the one guy with the truck -- picking up curtain stanchions, computer carts, couches, and so on.
Oh, and I had like 45 minutes of makeup to get into drag. And I had to get into costume, and we were second up (after a fantastic monologue from Levan Owens).
Our coach / The Bohemian Producer Steve Prince framed it pretty well for the audience at the outset, though.
He basically said the showcase was us putting scenes on under "extreme duress". Our doing the scenes for the audience was the first time we were doing the scenes. There was no tech rehearsal, there was no full-on walkthrough. If we can do this, in theory we can blow up auditions.
The goal is for us to just go up there and make things happen.
I feel really good about how our scene went.
First, I looked and felt fabulous. Lynn Burnor did an amazing job on my makeup, and I'm so grateful she shared her mad makeup skilz to drag queen me up -- which cut into her prep time (which didn't show at all in her and John O'Connel's scene -- funniest thing of the night).
I looked fabulous, with industry friend Tonya lending me a cute blue kimono, and me spending yesterday shopping for matching sexy women's underwear and frumpy house slippers.
And because the lead-up to actual performance was so crazy, we were incredibly free to do whatever. There was no "getting it right" in this context; we were there to make something happen.
No, it wasn't perfect. There a few "acty moments" as we tried to balance moving the scene forward with unexpected projection needed when the sound system came up a little short. But Risa (she is amazing) and I did a great job.
While Risa and I had memorized our lines (flat) separately, since we both knew what was happening in the scene, we agreed not to get tripped up if we missed or jumped lines.
That said, I don't think we missed a single line or exchange. And I wasn't thinking about acting; I was just amused by this conservative Mormon invading my gay dream, and then finding out I actually liked her and wanted her there.
And Jeff Carley generously stepped in at the nth hour to by our "angel", and fully bought into his role. Good guy, that.
The payoff?
People were incredibly generous and complimentary (and several gentlemen offered to buy me drinks).
But my favorite was a particular casting director shocked and amazed that I would do what I did, and pull it off. She wants me to be daring, and now there's a whole bunch of room between what I "normally" do and what I did last night. Bring on da work!
Man, I'm jazzed.
Then it was off to Fadó to hang out and enjoy time with fellow cast members and friends who came to watch the show. Great times. | | | TinyUrl | Twitter
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
See Adam in drag tonight!
Tonight, you can see me and several other members of the Bohemian Theater in our second live public showcase.
The event kicks off at 7 p.m. at Beerland (show up early, seating is limited), and I'll be playing Prior from the play / film Angels in America. This is obviously challenging for a bunch of reasons, and I'm looking forward to really putting myself out there. Dunno if it'll "work", but we're going to make something happen!
If the thought of cross-dressing ol' me isn't enough of a draw, there will be nine other scenes and monologues from some of the top acting talent in Austin. Come see what these folks have to offer, and enjoy a night of great acting.
I hope to see you there!
(Oh, and in case there was any confusion, this is not a family-type event.) | | | TinyUrl | Twitter
Sunday, September 09, 2007
And the Emmy goes to ...
Yesterday (September 8, 2007), The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences "awarded
the 2006-2007 Creative Arts Primetime Emmys for programs and individual achievements at the 59th Emmy Awards".
Who got recognized?
Lots of hugely deserving folks.
And we got some deserved local love, too, as Beth Sepko was co-recognized for Outstanding Casting for a Drama Miniseries (location casting) for Friday Night Lights -- filmed here locally as well:OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES
Nice. If you need Principal Casting and Extras casting, Beth and Sheila are top-notch.
LINDA LOWY, Casting
JOHN BRACE, Casting
BETH SEPKO, Location Casting
Friday Night Lights | | | TinyUrl | Twitter
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Comic-Con: Sunday
Previously:
Other Cool Stuff:
What Sucked:
Having to leave. Oh, and our Dallas connection getting canceled; but I spun on a dime and got us to Austin ... by way of San Jose. An hour later, but at least we got home.
Pictures:
Twitterings:
(Reverse chronology.)
@luge Congrats! 11:39 AM July 29, 2007 from web in reply to luge | | | TinyUrl | Twitter
Comic-Con: Saturday
Previously:
Toys:
Panels:
Other Cool Stuff:
Talking with Leinil Francis Yu and getting the signed Captain America "The Return" poster?
Meeting writer/creator Mark Irwin in person and being the first to see the new Jack Secret preview art?
Talking with Peter Chung (and saying "thanks" for the animated Æon Flux; and giving him my voice demo)?
Chatting with artists like Chris Batista & Tom Nguyen?
The incredible (and incredibly redeeming) Marvel Spider-Man and Smallville panels?
Getting to meet and say thanks to Scott Porter in person for Friday Night Lights?
What Sucked:
Not having mentally linked clones of myself to run around the exhibit floor and attend all of the panels. Seriously, that's a good use for mentally linked clones.
Oh, and I was stuck in the Smallville line for forty-five minutes with a real-life, unfunny version of The Simpsons Comic Book Guy. Dude seriously hated every comic book arc since 1969, and every comic book TV show or film that didn't have George Reeves. I politely engaged him for 40 of those minutes, and expressed my opinions counter to his, until he started belittling someone in line merely for being born in 1982. I then told him I didn't understand why he was at Comic-Con given that he hated everything, and that we could either talk about something he actually liked about comic books, or something other than comic books. He stopped talking. Very sad, really.
Pictures:
Twitterings:
(Reverse chronology.)
(This is the END of the "Smallville" season 7 panel.)
(GabrielleSays was asking who "Phil Mor¬" from my truncated Twitter post was.)
(This is the START of the "Smallville" season 7 panel.)
(This is the END of the GameTap "Re/Visioned" panel.)
(Should read, "Gail Simone's Tomb Raider is the anti-Laura -- 12 years old, pre-pubescent, and chestless.")
(Should read, "--but they're all in one place!")
(This is the START of the GameTap "Re/Visioned" panel.)
(This is the END of the Marvel Spider-Man panel.)
(I have a copy of this issue; and the letters.)
(This is the START of the Marvel Spider-Man panel.)
(This was supposed to be "@StandIn You are absolutely right! ;-) "; he was saying my "overheard" comment earlier should be the start of an "Overheard at Comic-Con" reveal.)
This is should be Allen Bellman; my sincere apologies for miss-spelling his name.)
checking out the Sierra booth ... 11:40 AM July 28, 2007 from web | | | TinyUrl | Twitter
Friday, August 03, 2007
Comic-Con: Friday
Previously:
Friday (July 27) was the first full-on "crazy day" of Comic-Con. Bodies everywhere. We showed up early again, and rather than wait in line for the exhibit floor, we were trying to find the line to San Diego's Hall H so we could catch the Warner Bros. showcase.
This turned out to be a bad, bad experience.
Why?
Because of the "Elite III" staff. Or, as I came to call them, "Those %&*^$#! Red-Shirts". Hey, they were nice and all; just incompetent, and gave very authoritative, contradicting information -- today and throughout the week/end. We were trying to find the line to Hall H, "if it wasn't too long". We got sent back and fourth to the two opposite ends of the Convention center -- two times each -- before I'd had enough. We decided to divide and conquer, and I had my friend wait in line for the Exhibit Hall while I tried to find the fabled "The Line to Hall H" (tip: It's not in the same location as Hall H itself).
This eventually led me outside to a line that wrapped around the entire San Diego Convention Center. I made it two thirds around the building, asking every %&*^$#! Red-Shirt I met if these folks were going to get it in. I finally found a guy who said, "No man. No way. Most of these folks are in line for the second or third show in the Hall. If they're lucky."
So I walked back to the front of the Convention Center, only to find the entry line even for badge holders now snaked off across the convention lawn. So I called my buddy, told him to go do whatever he wanted, and I would sync up with him whenever I got in.
After a half an hour in the sun, I ended up where I'd been an hour before -- just inside the front doors. And as I walked in, soaking wet from sweating (and angry), I was greeted by a smiling %&*^$#! Red-Shirt who said, "Welcome to Comic-Con! Can I help you with anything?"
He was so lucky I was out of hair gel.
That said, I'm a glass - is - half - full - and - how - do - I - fill - the - other - half kind of guy, so I quickly spun through the Exhibit Show Floor and met with people and companies that were on my list. As you can see from my Twitterings below, I was a machine, and really enjoyed touching base with these neat folks and companies with whom I'd really like to work.
Toys:
In my "go this way, go that way" crisscross of the San Diego Convention Center, I did pick up my Comic-Con exclusive "Vanishing Bugs Bunny" from DC Direct. This was the "official" Comic-Con exclusive for the show, and I'd paid for it when registering for the conference. It's a slick, well-done little sculpt, but I'm debating what to do with it, as it doesn't really fit into my collection, per se.
I also picked up some Shockinis from Shocker Toys (a custom and the Wizard World skeleton exclusive), and talked to the guys about using their toys for my stop-motion efforts. They were really nice, and very supportive of me using their toys, carte blanche. Which is better than some other toy companies have been with me.
My buddy sneaked away and got me the Four Horseman figure "Gauntlet of Vaskkh", which is a bad-a$$ looking rhinoceros warrior action figure, and part of the Four Horseman's own "Seventh Kingdom" line of toys. This is a perfect gift for me, and another Comic-Con exclusive. And it makes me want the Four Horseman to do figures from the Hip Flask universe.www.flickr.com
(Reverse chronology.)
(This is the END of the DC Animation panel.)
(This is the START of the DC Animation panel.)
(This is the END of the Halo panel.)
(This is the START of the Halo panel.)
At the "Haunted Hill" / "Moonlight" Comic-Con panel ... 03:57 PM July 27, 2007 from web
(This is the END of the Mattle / DC panel.)
(This is the START of the Mattle / DC panel.) | | | TinyUrl | Twitter
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Comic-Con: Thursday
Previously:
Thursday (July 26) was the first full-day of Comic-Con. We showed up early, and waited in line for an hour and a half to get into the exhibit floor. The plan was to get to the Hasbro booth to get tickets that let you get in line to buy stuff. Like convention exclusives.
That didn't happen, because they let the folks registering for one-day Thursday badges in before all of us that had already shelled out for four-day badges. That was poor, and it could have made for a frustrating day. That is, if I hadn't been willing to pay folks (and my buddy hadn't been willing to front me the cash) who did have tickets to buy exclusives they weren't going to buy for themselves. Like the super hero My Little Pony. (What? I'm a sensitive guy.)
The exhibit floor was better than on preview night, because people were split between attending the panels and the show floor. that was an improvement.
And I totally blended in with my fellow geeks, as airport security had confiscated my gel (I suspect they thought I would use it to make deadly hair spikes and gore fellow passengers), and I was breaking out like a teenager (probably from the stress of them blocking my goal of goring fellow passengers). Nice.
Thursday was ostensibly about toys and Halo.
Toys:
There were a whole bunch of new things at the Hasbro booth that hadn't been out the night before, including three things for which I've been waiting.
First up was Marvel Heroscape. I like the craft and extensibility of the existing Heroscape, but it's this comic-book themed release for which I'm been waiting since it was announced in January -- of 2006. So, 1.5 years later, it was nice to see in person, and since it's finally going to retail, I didn't worry about purchasing it.
Next up was Marvel Legends. Hasbro took over the fan-favorite line from Toy Biz, and promptly unfan-favorited it. Seriously, the sculpts for series 1 and 2 were poor in quality, appropriate articulation, and likeness. But I've said before, series 3 looks to improve upon the formula, with a 1940s Captain America, and a Hydra soldier (and variant) that look like they'll nicely complement my Baron Von Strucker Face-Off variant. (Or compliment Von Strucker: "Ja, Herr Strucker, you look wery nice!"). And series 4, announced at the panel, look even better.
Then there were the additions to the Marvel Super Hero Squad, a semi-super-deformed offering that I dig. Made for kids, the series has found new life with collectors and fanboys. There are a ton of new offerings, and I'm interested in the upcoming new Mega Packs, which add the likes of to-scale(ish) Galactus and Sentinels, and (revealed at the show) Apocalypse and Ultimate Giant Man.
I wasn't so gung-ho on the Hasbro Comic-Con exclusives of Marvel Legends renditions of Stan Lee and She-Hulk (picts below). I'm glad Stan's getting an action figure, but the whole changing him out of actual clothes makes him a little too ... doll-like to me. I fight that battle enough as is. The good news is (as of right now) those two exclusives are still in stock on HasbroToyShop.com.
Halo Action Clix:
Yeah, this gets its own section, both because -- just by impact relative to their size and scope -- WizKids owned the show floor Thursday. And because they owned a big chunk of my afternoon as well.
I was there for big reveal of the Comic-Con exclusive version of the Halo ActionClix scarab (it was one of the big things to which I was looking forward at the con). This is a battle-damaged, limited edition (500 total) version of the largest, playable clix-type figure WizKids makes. It is stunning and brilliant, and that plus the fast-paced version of the Halo entry, over the already stellar HeroClix, has got be pretty stoked. And, since I won a ticket that allowed me to purchase one of the limited edition monsters ... I did. And I spent a ton of time in line, or checking the booth to see if I'd won, when I could buy, when I could give them my shipping info (thing's a freaking monster), and whether I won an on-the-spot version (didn't).
I'm still weighing the purchase, but for me, things are bought to be used and played with -- not resold at markup. Besides, I'm a community kind of guy, and if I have the scarab, that helps me draw and center Halo ActionClix tourneys.www.flickr.com
Twitterings:
(This is the END of the "DC Group Thereapy" panel coverage.)
(Didio said this like it was common knowledge. Funny.)
(Noticed m.twitter started truncating posts. Should have read, "While I'm not DC fan, per se, I'm a fan of these creatives, and the process is cool.")
Interesting to hear DC's Didio cop to Marvel's market dominance ... 08:10 PM July 26, 2007 from web
(This is the START of the "DC Group Thereapy" panel coverage.)
(This is the END of the Hasbro Comic-Con panel coverage.)
(This is the START of the Hasbro Comic-Con panel coverage.) | | | TinyUrl | Twitter
Monday, July 30, 2007
Comic-Con sum-up ...
So I feel great.
In a previous post, I said I was hitting Comic-Con as a comic book & cartoon fan, toy collector, video game aficionado, voice & film actor, for professional (technical and management) opportunities, and for camaraderie.
Camaraderie:
Like I said, "I'm looking forward to sharing this experience with someone who gets all of this as much as I do." I've been meeting with a mentor pretty much every week, for at least six years. Not only is he a life / religious / business mentor, but he's an incredible friend and comic book and cartoon nut (like me). We mutually encouraged each other (led astray?) to go to Comic-Con this year, and we each probably would not have done it without the other. We were a great pair. There were things I was interested in and he wasn't (largely gaming), and we'd go to our respective panels, then re-sync and share. Or, there would be two panels we both wanted to go to, so we'd "divide and conquer" and fill each other in. Or we'd attend each other's event of interest, and broaden our horizons. Or there were panels or experiences we both wanted to do, and we'd experience them together. That last was the best, because we both "get it", and had common, amazing shared experiences. And we were there with like 100-150 thousand other folks who get it -- to some degree or another -- like us. And we realized we are far less geeky than some other human beings. | | | TinyUrl | Twitter
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The "Wire in the Blood" Brits ...
Last night I went to a ReelWomen.org event, where the speakers were two of the blokes from the Wire In The Blood BBC television series -- director Declan O'Dwyer and producer Bill Boyes.
Bill and Declan are in Austin, because they're filming an episode of Wire in Austin, with Texas actors and crew. this is a big deal, as a BBC television episode is feature-length, so this is a movie, shot with Texas talent.
The two of them were phenomenally forthcoming with insight into their history in the Biz, British differences (surprising number of parallels to us across the pond), and advice for actors and other Biz folks.
And they were absolutely hilarious. We're talking an updated British Amos 'n Andy vibe, with meaty content for an actor hungry to get better and meet new people.
The two were also pleasantly self-deprecating, which is ironic considering they're really big guns in the industry (Boyes is a lifetime journalist / producer who was a one-time exec for the BBC, and O'Dwyer is one of the most sought-after directors in the UK, working non-stop across multiple projects (including the British Robin Hood series, which I love) for the last five years straight.
One of the things that struck me about the evening was the almost spot-on parallels (in particular) between Declan's advice for actors, and my current coach's (Steve Prince) philosophy (which, while Meisner-based, is supplemented with things he's learned over the years in the Biz).
What stuff in particular?
Declan said acting is weird, because "You're telling lies. But you still have to be truthful about it." This is a akin to Steve's definition of acting as "Living truthfully under imaginary circumstances."
There was also a lot of talk about making a break into the industry via authentic relationship building (longtime followers know how this strikes a chord with me).
And there was a breakdown of the difference between knowing the mechanics of acting, and the danger of making those a bigger priority than being in the scene. It's about being connected to the people in the room, in the scene, or in your head (depending on the situation) in a real, "organic" (overused industry buzzword) way. And you'll see that in folks' eyes. When it's off, it's what my coach calls, "Dead shark eyes." And you need both the connection at the mechanics.
Afterwards, I hung out and chatted ("bunnied", "rabbited") with Bill and Declan to say thanks for the gift of sharing their insight with around a hundred Austin actors and industry folks, and to wish them well on the shoot. They're both very pleasant, very approachable, and very funny. Good folks.
I also really like the premise underneath Coastal Productions, the company behind Wire In The Blood, and co-founded by series star Robson Green. It's a successful company, with at least one of its goals being "supporting local young people who want to get into the industry."
And I ran into a ton of acting friends and acquaintances last night, which I love. I so enjoy getting my hug on with these amazingly talented folks with which my life has been blessed.
Good times ... | | | TinyUrl | Twitter
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Countdown to Comic-Con 2007!
A week from today, I will be in San Diego for Comic-Con -- the grand-daddy mecca of all things comic- and toy-related.
I'll be there for all four days (plus the preview night on Wednesday), and am totally stoked, inspired, and ready to maximize the experience.
I'll be hitting the week from a bunch of fronts:
Comic & Cartoon Book Fan:
I'm a reader and collector, so I'll be there to get what I can from artists, creators, the indie scene, and I'll see what I can do to patch some holes in my collection. And there'll be a bunch o' animated (and anime) stuff to soak in.
Toy Collector:
Do you read my toy blog? Why not? I'm a collector, and I play with (and make fun of) my toys. Comic-Con has "convention exclusives" -- toys that are only available at the convention. I've got my eyes on some Hasbro, Four Horseman (why don't they do Hip Flask toys?), STIKFAS, Shocker Toys LLP, Toynami, and Wizkids stuff (at least). And I'm still looking for Dragon Man ...
Video Games:
Oh, there will be video game announcements next week. Oh, yes ...
Voice & Film Actor:
This is a huge chance for me to meet other voice and moCap actors, studio and sound folks, and catch up with Biz folks and coaches I know around the nation, but don't get to see very often. There are current and potential clients, casting directors, and general creatives who I really like and respect, and with whom I'm excited to collaborate on future projects.
Toy job:
OK, this isn't about toys, per se, this is about my big-gun, non-acting persona, where I lead worldwide teams and initiatives. I'm always looking for the next step in my career, and that melding of my leadership, technical, and creative skills in one place (if such a place exists, I should find it at Comic-Con, no?).
Camaraderie:
I'm not going to Comic-Con solo. I'm heading there with my mentor and fellow comic / cartoon / movie geek buddy, and we're going to rock San Diego like it's 1999. Until we get kicked in the teeth by the time zone change, then we'll likely kick it like it's 2007 (and hit snooze). I'm looking forward to sharing this experience with someone who gets all of this as much as I do.
Call me!
Are you going to be at Comic-Con? Want to meet for Biz or fun? It's going to be wicked crazy, but get a hold of me, and let's see what we can shake out. | | | TinyUrl | Twitter
Previous Posts
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