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Conventions Hi! This page is meant to be a general information page for anyone attending conventions or film sets. The guidelines are not set in stone, but are meant as aids for everyone on common fan behavior and courtesy in these situations. We, as fans, come into contact with each other, with non-fen, and with our favorite actors and actresses at these types of functions. It's helpful to know what to expect ahead of time so not only our own experiences, but the experiences of others as pleasurable as possible. In that way, we and our favorite stars will meet again and again in a relaxed, companionable atmosphere, and take away many happy memories of each other. This is a compilation page from several kind people who've allowed us to put their experiences and ideas here. Outside of spell checking and adding a forgotten word here and there, the ideas on this page are just as they were given to us. If you have other experiences or ideas to add, please let us know so the page can grow and change to meet our growing needs as fans. Thank you.
Many thanks to the people who've submitted suggestions to this page:
If you have any suggestions or additions to this page, we'd love to hear from you and add your experiences to our list. Please contact Dana or Cat.
Do's and Don'ts: Conventions in General
From Brenda Stansberry aka BJKira, 11/1998 DON'T BRING INFANTS OR SMALL CHILDREN TO CONVENTIONS - the bitter ramblings of a single person without kids? You bet! Conventions are usually day long affairs, some lasting from morning until evening. The last thing I want to hear during a convention is someone's child whining or screaming. Kids aren't built for this. They generally, to paraphrase a line from TS, have the attention span of a gerbil. They do not care who RB, GM or any of those folks are, they cannot sit for the long periods of time that conventions usually dictate and they are generally not in control of their emotions so that when they get upset -- everyone knows it. I don't know how many times I've missed stories or important facts from Q&A sessions because some inconsiderate soul brought their 2 1/2 year old who is either screaming from boredom or entertaining themselves by singing to their parents (and everyone else within earshot).
From Celestial Cat, 11/1998 I do know people who would take exception to banning children from conventions altogether, <g> and there are some adults who were raised at conventions and started going when they were very small. As a general rule, small children should not be made to sit for long hours at functions because they do become bored and cranky and make life miserable for the adults around them. Conventions are, after all, adult playgrounds. Parents of children should realize that small doses of the convention at a time are more than their children can take, and should regulate their own activities accordingly. Some conventions provide areas for small children, and many hotels will provide babysitting services for a fee. If you do take a child to a convention, please remember to keep him or her under adult supervision at all times. No one at a convention appreciates children running in and out of function rooms (dealers room, video room, panels, art show) making noise, disrupting things, running into people and, in general, making nuisances of themselves. Unattended children can get into trouble. Not only are they in a hotel or convention center where strangers abound (and some people are pretty darn strange), but if they wander into the dealers' room or art show and break or damage something, mom and dad can consider that they've just bought that item, which could be worth hundreds or even thousands of dollars. There are also items a child might injure him or herself on, such as a batlith (SP) or other sharp object. And, there other items unsuitable for children to see, like certain zines or artwork, so it's always best if at least one parental unit or other responsible party check out all areas before the child is taken into them.
From Brenda Stansberry aka BJKira, 11/1998 DON'T COME UNWASHED - you'd be surprised at the number of people who show up at conventions with filthy hair, dirty clothes and a definitely pungent aroma of body odor (or worse). I'm not saying you've got to dress up for the function, I generally wear jeans and some sort of decent shirt, sweater, whatever. For the sake of all, familiarize yourself with a bar of soap and clothes that have seen a washing machine.
From Celestial Cat, 11/1998 Not only should you bathe regularly and use deodorant, but make sure you have one or more changes of clothing, and lots of underwear. There's nothing worse than seeing someone wandering around a convention in the same unwashed clothes for four days or the same underwear they arrived in. If you don't have room for a lot of extra clothing in your suitcase, get together with a couple of friends and make a run to the nearest coin laundry, or inquire at the front desk of your hotel if they do guest's laundry for a small fee.
From Celestial Cat, 11/1998 ANIMALS AT CONVENTIONS - The same sorts of rules that apply to children, also apply to animals. Some conventions allow animal attendance and some don't. Taking a pet to a convention is always tricky. Most dealers' rooms and other convention functions do not allow animals, except the dealer's own pet behind that dealer's table, or working guide and helper animals. Pets can become irritated and cranky because of the excitement, other animals, and all the people who constantly want to come up and pet or hold them. The pet's owners must contend with potty breaks, walks and the general care and well being of their pets. Plus, many hotels have restrictions on pets left unattended in hotel rooms, especially when housekeeping needs to go into that room. Even the most gentle and well behaved animal can become confused and upset at a convention and might attack another animal or a person. If you take a pet, consider its well being first. Keep an eye on it, and if it seems tired or irritated take it somewhere quiet for a few hours. Don't expect your pet to stay in a cramped hotel room or in a cage all day, either. You brought the pet, you must take care of it, even if it means missing your favorite panel or not going out to eat with friends. It's just as bad to keep your animal locked up all the time as it is to take it to all the convention functions and expecting it to be on its best behavior. Yes, our beloved pets are two year olds in fur, feathers, and scales, so please have a care. If you have roommates, ask before bringing your pet. Someone might be allergic, or be shy around certain types of animals, or perhaps the idea of sleeping with an animal, and all the accompanying odors is off putting to them. Make sure your pet is clean and vermin free. There's nothing worse than trying to sleep in a room with a dog that was out running the fields or in the cow pasture the day before, or a pet that's covered with fleas or ticks.
Dos and Don'ts: Conventions with Guests
From Brenda Stansberry aka BJKira, 11/1998 DON'T USE Q&A TIME TO MAKE PERSONAL REQUESTS - namely for hugs, kisses, pictures or personalized autographs. Aaaarrrgghh! There is nothing that annoys me more than this. Autographs are available at the autograph line at the pre-determined time. Hugs, kisses and pictures are purely optional and at the discretion of the actor. They are part of the actor's comfort level - if they're not comfortable with it, don't pester them to do it. DON'T ASK THE ACTOR, "WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN ON THE SHOW?" - yes, the actor does what the writer's write, but he's not a psychic and doesn't know what is upcoming - he or she only knows what they have filmed. DON'T GET UPSET IF THE ACTOR DOESN'T KNOW ALL THE EPS BY NAME - if you are asking a question about a specific episode, phrase your question like this: "In the episode "insert ep name here", the one about the "insert a BRIEF description of episode story". The actors can't be expected to remember every episode title, but normally can remember scenes they've filmed. DON'T ASK ABOUT PRANKS ON THE SET - ASK ABOUT FUNNY STORIES - I know it may sound like picking nits, but in my experience they will tell you about a funny story (usually a prank). I heard it described by an actor at a convention that they wouldn't tell us stories about pranks because they didn't like the connotation of the word. But usually the actors are quite amiable to talk about funny things that happened on the set. DON'T MISTAKE THE SENTINEL UNIVERSE WITH REALITY - What do I mean you ask? Ok, we all know that Sentinels do not exist. People's senses DO have different levels of sensitivity, that's what makes one man able to be a perfumer by picking out the different 'notes' of fragrances and one man a pianist by listening to the nuances in sound - but RB doesn't have heightened senses and so does NOT know what it would be like to have these 'talents'. DON'T ASK THE ACTORS OR ANY OTHER GUESTS ABOUT SHOW INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET - admit it, we've all "borrowed" pics of the guys to post on our websites, but in actuality, they're not ours. At most of the conventions I've attended, the actors are pretty much unaware of all the debating, fan fiction, rumors, etc., ad nauseum that float out there on the internet. THIS IS NOT A CONDEMNATION OF THE INTERNET! I love the internet, but I don't believe everything I see on it. It is a tool and as such can either be used for "good" or "bad" purposes. In fact, most actors I've ever seen at conventions don't own a computer, much less spend any time reading the enormous amount of info about their shows on it.
From Ann Teitelbaum, 11/1998 For the attendees:
From Celestial Cat 11/1998
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From Ann Teitelbaum, 11/1998 For the Convention Committee:
Dos and Don'ts: On A Film Set
From Tonie Eaton, 11/1998 I've been to a few outdoor shoots. First and foremost, is to be quiet when they are filming. No talking to your friends, no laughing, no noise, period. Do be polite. Do stay out of the way. Do not approach anyone working, not even crew who don't look busy. Wait for them to approach you. If/when the actor approaches and speaks to you, you may ask if you may take their picture and/or if you may have your picture taken with them. (I have some lovely shots of the late Lee Van Cleef, taken just a month before his death. He was one of the sweetest men I've ever met) If you make a comment that is overheard and the actor says something about it, you may reply. (Mine was when the guy who owned the bar that they were filming at (in Fiddletown) asked Mrs. Van Cleef for an autographed photo of her husband. She asked from what picture and he said 'Oh, The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, I guess.' I suggested one from 'A Few Dollars More', Mr. Van Cleef, across the room, between takes, stood up on his tiptoes, swiveled around and asked "Who said 'For a Few Dollars More'?" I replied that I had, that it was my favorite, because he was a good guy in it, he blushed and stammered "It was my favorite, too.") ALWAYS BE POLITE! DO NOT CALL THEM BY THEIR FIRST NAME UNLESS YOU'RE INVITED TO. IT IS ALWAYS MR. OR MS., SIR OR MA'AM. It shows respect for the fact that they are not people you are familiar with and removes a lot of their nervousness about having strangers around while they work. It also helps ease any concern about the 'stalking' types of fanatic. (If you look at the reports of celebrity stalkers, they almost always refer to the object of their obsession by their first name, or even a personal 'nickname') I think that's enough. I can't think of much more at the moment. It's been a few years since I saw any filming, but the rules are the same. Oh, if someone who's working looks askance at you, you may request permission to watch. Usually they'll say yes, and warn you to stay out of the way and be quiet. If you're just with a group of watchers across the street, for example, none of the above applies, as you're out of their 'space', although yelling at the actors is still considered poor manners. Oh, and if you're fortunate to have been hired to provide horses for a shoot, stay with your animals as much as possible, until you're asked otherwise. If they ask to ride your horse, you may let them, but only if your horse is dead broke, you don't want to be responsible for anyone getting hurt. (Yes, this happened to me. One of the lighting guys wanted to ride. My friend offered her horse, and I went with him to make sure he was OK) (Had a blast, too.)
From Daria Littlejohn, 03/1999 It is a privilege to be allowed to tour a set, or be on a set during filming. Please be courteous, quiet, and leave the set with just what you brought to it. If items turn up missing, after we leave, it reflects on us all.
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