Author Topic: 2008 Programming Nominations and Discussion  (Read 5526 times)

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Offline EcchiSpice

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2008 Programming Nominations and Discussion
« on: September 11, 2007, 08:59:20 pm »
Formal discussion will be held during elections. However, it is strongly encouraged that all candidates keep up on the forums during this time. This will give you a better idea of what will be expected of you should you win a new position.

Programming
*This description is based on my personal experience with the directorship. The following description is similar to, but may differ from, a finalized version of this department's official description in the charter.*

Director of Programming is in charge of all events, panels, dances, and other entertainment provided at con and at supporting events. The Director of Programming will, along with the staff and panelists, create the schedule in timely fashion, and distribute the information as needed to all departments.

The Director of Programming will work with the Director of Publicity to ensure that the schedule and con book blurbs are complete and ready for publication by a date agreed upon by the Director of Programming and the Director of Publicity.

The Programming Director will work with the Treasurer to ensure that all expenditures are accounted for in the department budget by the date specified by the treasurer and agreed upon by the Director of Programming.

Failure to actively persue the above responsibilities is legitimate cause for a motion to dismiss by any member of the staff. 

Please post your comments and questions for the nominees who have accepted the nomination for Director    of Programming below.
« Last Edit: September 20, 2007, 09:23:39 am by guspasho »
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Offline EcchiSpice

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Questions
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2007, 09:00:09 pm »
Programming nominees,

  • How soon do you plan on having an official draft of the schedule for 2008?
  • What events do you wish to give more support to in the convention?
  • Are there any new events that you wish to create?
  • How many events do you plan to run yourself as the Director of Programming? Or will you find staff to run all events for you?
  • Are there any convention events that you wish to shut down?
  • Do you have an idea of what room layout you will suggest be used for the 2008 hotel?
  • In an ideal convention stucture, how would you allocate the responsibility for A/V? How much responsibility should Operations have? How much responsibility should Programming? How much, if any, should be allocated elsewhere, and if so, in what department?
  • Would you like to see Kumoricon expand into outside events, and what kind of other events would you like to see?
« Last Edit: September 24, 2007, 10:33:57 pm by TomtheFanboy »
You'll be loved, you'll be loved, like you never have known. When memories of me will seem more like bad dreams. Just a series of blurs, like I never occurred. Someday, you will be loved.

Offline TomtheFanboy

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Re: Questions
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2007, 04:57:29 pm »
Programming nominees,

  • Do you have an idea of what room layout you will suggest be used for the 2008 hotel?

To help in answering this question, I present this map to the nominees.


« Last Edit: September 26, 2007, 06:32:33 pm by TomtheFanboy »
Tom the Fanboy
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Offline Jamiche

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Re: 2008 Programming Nominations and Discussion
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2007, 12:41:20 am »
How soon do you plan on having an official draft of the schedule for 2008?
    I would like to have a preliminary schedule by June 1st, and send it out to panelist and director's for review, so we would have a couple of months for comment before it needs to be finalized.

What events do you wish to give more support to in the convention?
    I'd like to see the events that we debuted last year that had some problems (Masquerade Ball, Cosplay Scavenger Hunt) be fine-tuned this year.

Are there any new events that you wish to create?
    Currently, no new events are planned.  But we are always open to suggestions (it's what brought Cosplay Chess and the Suzimiya dance to the convention this year  ;D)

How many events do you plan to run yourself as the Director of Programming? Or will you find staff to run all events for you?
    I only run 2 events/panels - Parent's Guide and Cosplay Chess.  Other events will be run by panelists or other staff.

Are there any convention events that you wish to shut down?
   I'd like to switch up some of the viewing options, but no events that I would shut down.

Do you have an idea of what room layout you will suggest be used for the 2008 hotel?
    I have an idea for the layout, and will have the sketch at the elections, but I disagree strongly with a couple of suggestions made previously:  1) the viewing rooms cannot go into the executive meeting center - the rooms are too small (18), and it would be too loud, and 2) the manga library cannot go into the Portland Room - it is conference style, and only sits 12 people.  The 2007 library was 25 people, and exceeded capacity for the majority of the weekend.

In an ideal convention stucture, how would you allocate the responsibility for A/V? How much responsibility should Operations have? How much responsibility should Programming? How much, if any, should be allocated elsewhere, and if so, in what department?
    Programming is best suited to handle the A/V equipment at con - we are responsible for setting panels up, and know where the equipment is needed.  Operations is usually understaffed... allocating A/V to Programming frees up Ops staff for other uses.  We handled the equipment this year, and had no difficulty in locating or setting up the equipment as needed, and we were aware of where the equipment was at all times.

Would you like to see Kumoricon expand into outside events, and what kind of other events would you like to see?
   Any chance to spread the word about Kumoricon to outside events is a great opportunity.  Mini-con was fun, and I'd like to see more events like that... we want to play more than once a year  :D.
2015-2016 Director of Programming
2014 Assistant Director of Programming
2008-2013 Director of Programming
2007 Tech Manager & Video Room Coordinator, Manga Library & Cosplay Chess
2006 Video Room & Karaoke Manager
2005 Video Room Coordinator

Offline Prinz Eugen

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Re: 2008 Programming Nominations and Discussion
« Reply #4 on: September 30, 2007, 05:35:24 pm »
First of all, I appreciate the nomination, and if I am elected I will apply my efforts to meet your trust in me in all applicable areas. Tom's questionnaire was great, and I will post my answers here as well:

* How soon do you plan on having an official draft of the schedule for 2008?
Mid December, 2007. I'd host an XLS file that anyone can download at any time. This would be updated regularly as a set deadline approaches. I'd freeze things in stages, with last and most most flexible aspects getting structured by about 4 weeks before the con.

I'd also like to see a Live Programming Grid on display at the hotel in a designated location. This is an array of clear, transparent book-report covers or envelopes taped up somewhere, with times along the side rows and room names as column headers. Cards of paper are slipped into the array locations to show what's happening where. Open slack spaces can be filled last-minute by anyone with a new panel idea and an open room, or a time overflow. ('Folks, we need to get out of this room now because 'NNN' is coming in, but we can continue in Room 'X' for another hour. Follow me.' And the panelist leaves the room free for the next event, and a small throng of people follow him or her to the unused room. Meanwhile 'NNN' starts on-time.) This system also works great as a contingency if a room is flooded by a pipe-burst and an event must be moved elsewhere or delayed. The REASON for the re-shuffle can also be posted, to help dissipate frustrations.

* What events do you wish to give more support to in the convention?
As we grow bigger, I think the critical core of Kumoricon is the 'by the fans, for the fans' focus of panels and events, such as fanfic, the Creation station, costuming and cosplay, prop-making and basic illustration skills. In these sorts of programs, the skills and enthusiasm flow TWO ways - people gather and SHARE what they can do and what they have done. Then, we celebrate our skills and creativity with costume dances, tea parties, role-play events and multimedia shows.

What I would want to avoid is treading the Dread Path of Exalted Industry Experts - one-way communications which mostly boil down to: "This is what *WE* are producing, and what *YOU* will buy. Period. Here are the upcoming release dates. We are the Professionals, You are the otaku consumers. Praise us and feel grateful for a chance wait in huge lines and pass by us in throngs. Oh, and this, this, and that all got licensed, so quit making things on your own - just buy the finished goods from US. We do it *so* much better than you anyways." That attitude has pretty much taken over AX, like a 'Hollow' in Bleach.

* Are there any new events that you wish to create?
Perhaps it would be possible to bring in animation instructors for common programs such as Maya or Animation Master, or basic music theory in a MIDI program - again, the focus is bring in the Pros so all of us can learn to create our own art. Certainly the members themselves come up with cool ideas like Pocky club, Cosplay Chess, Scenes from a Hat, and the Suzumiya Dance instruction - and we need to respond and support that as well.
 Goth/Lolita/J-rock stuff seems be still growing, and I'd like to support them and help them grow and diversify their programming track and activities. There may be a new costuming/role-play/activity/hobby fan-base yet to emerge in early 2008 - we don't yet know what it's going to be, but we need to keep our antennae up so we can pick up on it and include it.

* How many events do you plan to run yourself as the Director of Programming? Or will you find staff to run all events for you?
I would like to continue handling AMV Contests, showings, and related panels myself. That way you'd all know where the Programming Director is whenever you'd need to find me!

Anime is so huge now that no one is a Fan-of-ALL, and I'd recruit managers for events outside my own ken - such as cosplay, A/V programming (music bands) and a Guest programming manager who would work with Publicity (which is not under Programming) to schedule what the visiting Pros do and where they'll be.

* Are there any convention events that you wish to shut down?
No, I really liked the mix of panels and events we had in the past 3-4 years, and I like the way things are growing. If I had to give up something, it would be whatever seemed to be LEAST attended in the past year or two - and I'd put up a questionnaire or poll to assess what would (regrettably) have to get squeezed out.

* Do you have an idea of what room layout you will suggest be used for the 2008 hotel?
Given the layout attached, I'd schedule the least accessible, distant rooms to be places for events which have small but REALLY HARD CORE fanbases, or check-in and sign-up stations such as for in-con RPG gamers, or in-con quests such as a scavenger hunt. Central event spaces would be for large-draw crowds and also for panels where members can drop in, try something, and move along to the next area to try something else new.

* In an ideal convention stucture, how would you allocate the responsibility for A/V?
* How much responsibility should Operations have?
* How much responsibility should Programming have?

I'd like to see physical equipment logistics be separate from Programming itself (and most probably be a part of Ops.) These are the folks who know where things are stored over the year, what's available, and what equipment needs to be rented, and how and when it gets delivered to the con and when it gets picked up and hauled away. Programming will have an Equipment Logistics Manager or Liason who will know what physical equipment is available and when, and when these things get shut down so that Take-down can begin (and so we can return rented equipment on-time with no penalties.) This person is the one who knows how many portable PA systems are available, for example. When the schedule is made, this person can now know what needs to be set up where and when.

I'd also like to appoint a blessed soul to be a Health & Sanitation Monitor, and that job is to make rounds about every 3 hours (which can sometimes be delegated) and verify that drinking water and clean glasses or cups are available at their designated locations, and to work with hotel staff whenever garbage cans get filled in some event halls, or if any other fan location is getting FILTHY (hospitality, green room, gaming) that during scheduled slack times these spaces get kept up. It's a lot easier to keep an eye on these things than to send everybody home and now you have 8 volunteers left, staring at a mountain of discarded junk, 8pm Monday night. This person also kindly nags the Hotel when the TP runs out in the women's room somewhere.

I'd also like to have a Messy Room for fan creations and you do this by removing furniture, covering a floor and up to 6" up the walls with disposable canvas-backed drop-tarps held down by duct tape, then replacing the furniture. When we are done with that room we roll up the tarps into a Katamari-of-Death, (feather clippings, strands of threads, drops of hot-melt glue and all) and the floor underneath looks 3/4ths decent to the hotel staff.

* How much, if any, should be allocated elsewhere, and if so, in what department?
I'd like to split up (if it's not so already) the Set-up volunteers and the Take-down / Clean-up volunteers so that no ONE gang of people has to take days off before AND after the con.

Over-simplified Summary:
Ops is about What Stuff We Have and When We can Use it.
Programming is about What Happens in What Rooms, based on
the equipment we can move in or have operating there.

Both organizations share a contingency planning function
for What Do We Do Next if Something Goes Fzzznort
(with the smell of cooked insulation and solder.)

* Would you like to see Kumoricon expand into outside events, and what kind of other events would you like to see?
a. If by 'outside events' you mean events more peripheral to anime then the first areas I think of are 'non-anime-but-anime-inspired' art, comics and cartooning, such as creators of Korean and Chinese animation. or other imitative works such as Code Lyoko and Skyland (both French) or American artists like Fred Gallagher. If the fan-base interest is there, then we should expand to meet that interest.

b. If by 'outside events' you mean events held OUTSIDE -  in the SUN and RAIN next to the hotel - then I'd be thinking of that wonderful group of spin-the-glompers, cosplay photography, live diorama photography, etc. But then I would also bring up the safety of the con-goers because the 2008 location is in a somewhat unsavory part of Portland, so security measures would have to be included to assure that creepy neighborhood passers-by don't crash the party or disturb the fan activities. Not the worst part of town, but definitely a place to turn up one's sense of 'situational awareness' a few notches.

- G










Offline MichaelEvans

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Re: 2008 Programming Nominations and Discussion
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2007, 03:27:04 am »
These are just the things that I wanted to voice my own opinions on.

* How soon do you plan on having an official draft of the schedule for 2008?
Mid December, 2007. I'd host an XLS file that anyone can download at any time. This would be updated regularly as a set deadline approaches. I'd freeze things in stages, with last and most most flexible aspects getting structured by about 4 weeks before the con.

I'm against an XLS file in specific, because of the closed source nature of the storage solution, there are other formats.  However, I'm also against a single File at all.  It channels all activity through a single individual, when we already have an automated system for generating the content on the fly, based upon the latest database updates.  I feel that we did a good job this year, given when the project was tasked for work to start, but that it will be even better by next year; also this offers a wonderful read-only up to the second update at the very latest ideas for the schedule.  Snapshot versions and comparisons were ideas still left on the table, but would have required too much time to complete before the 2007 convention.  This year the schedule even needed updates during the convention, a paper display may work, but if we can set up a digital one it could be even better.

Q: Do you support or reject a year-round live scheduling system?  It would consist of at least an instant update section (as it does now), as well as a high probability of seeing timeslot approval, snapshot, and comparison features by late spring. (A good chance of seeing such things by the end of winter, but I'm giving time for someone else to step in and replace whoever's tasked if things go horribly wrong, which is a very slim chance indeed.)

I'd also like to have a Messy Room for fan creations and you do this by removing furniture, covering a floor and up to 6" up the walls with disposable canvas-backed drop-tarps held down by duct tape, then replacing the furniture. When we are done with that room we roll up the tarps into a Katamari-of-Death, (feather clippings, strands of threads, drops of hot-melt glue and all) and the floor underneath looks 3/4ths decent to the hotel staff.

All hail the Katamari-of-Death, may it make a beautiful star! (Alas, the edges of the star probably must use the blue painters tape... less sticky but more wall friendly.)

b. If by 'outside events' you mean events held OUTSIDE -  in the SUN and RAIN next to the hotel - then I'd be thinking of that wonderful group of spin-the-glompers, cosplay photography, live diorama photography, etc. But then I would also bring up the safety of the con-goers because the 2008 location is in a somewhat unsavory part of Portland, so security measures would have to be included to assure that creepy neighborhood passers-by don't crash the party or disturb the fan activities. Not the worst part of town, but definitely a place to turn up one's sense of 'situational awareness' a few notches.

- G

While I've not seen it yet, I understand there is a mall close by.  It's hours and 'common sense that might not be' should also be included in the pocket guide so attendees have guides on the local laws and such.  It may have some additional settings that would be interesting to take pictures in, if it's allowed. (If it isn't that should Definitely be noted.)
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2010-2008: Website Development (So very very much in the last month before the convention at last; Good thing I'm looking for work x.x and have the spare time ~.~)
2007: Website Administration (Mascot Voting Input, Live Schedule)

Offline RemSaverem

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Re: 2008 Programming Nominations and Discussion
« Reply #6 on: October 04, 2007, 12:13:08 pm »
I'm thrilled with the level of detail in each reply. We are blessed to have candidates who have already been involved in programming, shown dedication and innovation, have technical knowledge, and focus on fans rather than industry.

I do not know what an XLS file is.

I like the idea of something programming staff could visually see at con that helps map and explain any changes in scheduling (such as occurred with the unexpectedly huge turnout at masque making leading to a change and shortening of timeslot for firearms in anime).

I like the idea of facilitating cleanup in rooms by finding ways to protect floors (and table tops).......but some items should be cleaned up right away, not just at the end of the day (especially notorious allergens, such as feathers).

I was wondering what each candidate feels are some ways we could better gage in advance how large turnout might be for various newly introduced events. How much would you want to use the forums for such? Are there any events for which you think we should consider advance registration? How would you like to see that work, if so, either pre con, at con, or both? (example: for dolly-making or teddy-bear felting in the creation station).

What would you each do or recommend that others do, to facilitate panelists having all their materials at the time of their panels--such as, for example, craft supplies and prizes?

What is your orientation towards how much or how little micromanagement is helpful or needed of the managers, coordinators, and assistants working with you in programming? For example, do you want each subunit (such as gaming) to turn in its own proposed schedule, manage its own contest coordinators/panelists, or to centralize it through you and your assistant?

Personally I'm open to a wide variety of approaches and love you each personally, blessings for your support of fan creation work in general and the creation station and our specific crew in particular.

BTW I also very much support the idea of having more hands-on demos teaching attendees how they can do certain things themselves. For example, of the various Webcomic workshops the creation station crew have fun at our various cons, the most appreciated seems to have been the one on how to use Photoshop. If I had had the time I would have wanted to attend the how-to AMV clinic, because I have visions in my head of what themes I might match to what tunes, but zero knowledge of how to use any of the tools it would take to manifest such. I'm sure there are others in the same boat. I also love that you both have parts of programming that you enjoy so much that you would want to continue them. That's indicative that Programming is the right department for you, because it's where you find your passion within the con.

Maybe there could be more positions within each department, so that every amazing candidate could get some special role :)

« Last Edit: October 04, 2007, 12:17:17 pm by RemSaverem »
Ellen. 2003: Fanfic panelist & contest judge.
2004: Beta Station Coord. 2005: Fan Creation Station Coord.;pre-event assistant to the con chair.2006: Fanfic Mgr/C.S. Coord.
2007, 8, 9, 10: Fan Creation Manager. 2011: Writing & Editing Coord (Publicity).

Offline guspasho

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Re: 2008 Programming Nominations and Discussion
« Reply #7 on: October 05, 2007, 09:13:32 am »
An XLS file is an Excel spreadsheet.

2008 Facilities Liaison

Offline RemSaverem

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Re: 2008 Programming Nominations and Discussion
« Reply #8 on: October 05, 2007, 01:56:18 pm »
Oh. Thank you.
Ellen. 2003: Fanfic panelist & contest judge.
2004: Beta Station Coord. 2005: Fan Creation Station Coord.;pre-event assistant to the con chair.2006: Fanfic Mgr/C.S. Coord.
2007, 8, 9, 10: Fan Creation Manager. 2011: Writing & Editing Coord (Publicity).