Escapade/Escapade 2008

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Escapade 2008

Escapade 18 was held March 7–9, 2008.

It had a smaller-than-usual vid show which led to conversations about how Escapade was no longer as central to cutting edge vids.

There was lots of conversation in panels and out about the OTW.

There was a follow up to the Race and Fandom panels in '06 and '07.

Programming

cover of the 2008 program book

Program Book (PDF)

Friday:

  • Welcome to Escapade (Start off the weekend right. Select the Wayback Panel, check in with old friends.)
  • Wayback Machine (At the start of the con, we'll look over a list of some of the great panels from Escapade 1998. What were the hot topics 10 years ago? We'll pick one, get a couple of volunteer moderators for it, and see how the conversation might be different this time around.)
  • TS: J/B Ten Years Later—Old Married Couple or Just Old News by Russ McMillan (Will The Sentinel enter the pantheon of old shows with enduring core fandoms, or will it fade away? With only one season on DVD and so many new fans saying "huh?," what can we do to keep the show's memory alive? And if you're tired of the meta, let's discuss what Jim and Blair might be doing today...)
  • So Who Would Bear Fardles? by Taz, Denise Raymond, Stacey (Everyone likes a well-researched story. But no one wants to feel like they're reading your homework. How do you use historical detail without making the reader feel like there's going to be a test afterwards?)
  • Costs of Heroism by kassrachel, slinkling (What does a character need to give up to be a hero? Is self- sacrifice a necessary part of heroism, or just something that adds juicy conflicts to the plot? Would it even be heroic to save the world (or some equivalent) if that savior doesn't lose anything of his/her own along the way? Fandoms likely to be discussed include Smallville, Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Due South, Heroes, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and others.)
  • House: Is Wilson House's Imaginary Friend by Michelle Nebt_Het (In House Unauthorized Bradley H. Sinor postulates that Wilson is House's imaginary friend. Are tptb playing with our heads? What does this mean to the subtext of the series?)
  • E-book Readers by Amalthia , De (Sony PRS-505 or Amazon Kindle what's all the fuss about? Introduction to E-Ink and other mobile devices. What are the pros and cons of various devices? Where do you find e- books and fan fiction, and most importantly how do you get fan fiction formatted so you can read it on your ebook reader?)
  • ARS and Improbable Crossover by TreeWishes, Russ McMillan (Once the first bloom of fic is over, (and the second and third), authors increasingly turn to Alternate Realities and Improbable Crossovers. What makes these work, and what makes them fail? Are there parts of an original universe that can't be sacrificed? (And are there parts that should be forgotten?) Bring examples to share!)
  • FNL: Mothers and Daughters, Fathers and Sons by kassrachel, Sandy Herrold (The gender politics of Friday Night Lights. FNL offers us a pretty amazing window into the inner lives of the men and women (and girls and boys) of Dillon, Texas. What are the show's messages about masculinity and femininity, and where do they (and don't they) resonate for us.)
  • Writing: The Process by Denies Raymond, Charlotte C. Hill (Panel of authors discussing how they get from a blank page to "The End.")
  • Where Has All the Subtext Gone? by Katharine Scarritt, Megan Kent (In the age of TMI and everything on the table, with Brokeback Mountain almost a cliche already, what happens to the intense friendships spiced up by repressed angst? It seems like we're forced into digging up deeper taboos to get any grist for the slash mill out of tv for a while now...)
  • HP: Whither Potter Fandom? by TreeWishes, Cordelia V (Well, Book 7 came out and we survived. Then JK gave "supplementary" details in interviews and we survived. (Easier if you were going la-la-la-la-la-I-can't-hear-you, of course :) But how are we really doing? What parts of Potter fandom are going to live on, and what parts will wither away? And why (or why not) will the zillions of new slash fans who came in via Potter stick around?)
  • Slashability by Katharine Scarritt, Mistress Ace (What is it that makes a series/movie/book or RP pairing slashable? Is slashability different than ficcability? Or from shippiness? What drives slashers more—characters or universe? What about a show with actors from favorite previous shows or one with brand new boyz with on-screen chemistry? And then there's the difference between oblivious writers, and a very-transparent "fourth wall" with inside nods to the fans (and sometimes more obvious ones!))
  • SGA: Crackfic, AUs, and Characterization, Oh My! by kassrachel, spring, Rachael Sabotini (SGA canon is full of AUs and crack. Do the show's wacky plot twists encourage us to boldly go further out than other fandoms have gone before? And what happens when we go AU: why are John, Rodney, Ronon, and Teyla so recognizable even when they're planted in Harlequin romance, NASCAR, a symphony orchestra, or a diner in Maine?)
  • TW: Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang by Melina (New to Torchwood? Come see what all the fuss is about by checking out the first episode of season 2, featuring guest star James Marsters. Or if you're a current fan watching on BBC America, come check out the uncut version (in high quality, via HDNet.) Questions, comments and squee at the conclusion.)
  • The Fannish Rainbow by Russ McMillan (How about a session of appreciation/encouragement for people who contribute to fandom in ways other than writing or vidding? What about the archivists, site moderators, fest organizers, con organizers, beta readers/viewers, and many more? This is more than just congratulatory backslapping; fans who consider themselves primarily writers/vidders/creators can learn about ways to stay involved and connected at times when the creative juices aren't flowing so well.)
  • SPN: There's a Feeling I Get When I Look to the West by Kady Mae (We're all in this handbasket, but where are we going? Who is Lillith? What is Ruby's agenda? (And has she lied?) Will Sam's quest to save Dean destroy him? Who's Bela working for? And, will we end up being Kripked or Jossed?)
  • Truth in Advertising by TreeWishes, Charlotte C. Hill (Is that a banana in your pocket, or are you really happy to see your co-star? What's going on with actors/band members/writers who act gay but mebbe aren't really? Stage- gay, gay, bi ... and then there are those guys who will kiss anyone on screen and make it work. How different is all this from the gay actors in the 50s who put on the stage-het?)
  • Immortality, Just a Dramatic Device, or Sometihng More Deep-Seated in the Human Psyche? by Taz, Melina, MacGeorge, Devo (We've got Vampires, Immortals, the Doctor, and now Jack Harkness, all having different spins on the notion of immortality. Yet, it is their very invulnerability that makes them most vulnerable and appealling. The panel will be an exploration of the whys and hows of this unique dramatic device that seems to be ever-more-present in the fandom universe.)
  • Boston Legal: Tweaking the Fandom by Agnes Tomorrow, Charlotte C. Hill (They know we’re watching, and we know it by all the fannish memes they’ve played with and twisted, with a sly wink, so even if we don’t necessarily want to see them naked and sweaty in the same bed (any more than they do!) it’s still fun to watch and talk about.)
  • Ulead Video Editing Introduction by Amalthia (Intro to Ulead Video Studio/Media Studio Pro for those who are interested in vidding but don't have a clue as to where to start. or wouldn't mind a refresher course.)
  • Torchwood Pizza Party hosted by Thalia, darthhellokitty
  • He/He Game hosted by JenCat004 (Come play He/He! A slashy hybrid of a Round Robin and MAD libs, He/He creates a new, hilarious story every few minutes with guaranteed laughs! Easy to play and tons of fun, so come join us and get silly!)
  • Escapade Party (Food, fun & frolic. Be there!)

Saturday:

  • Classic Slash A-Go-Go by Christy, Stranger (Why old movies might have more slash than you think.)
  • HL: Religion/Spiritual Beliefs by MacGeorge, Devo (Are there any? What did Darius believe? What might Methos' beliefs be? Duncan's? How do those underlying beliefs manifest themselves in their lives?)
  • NaNoWriMo by Russ McMillan, Megan Kent (Always wanted to play, but never had the guts? Come and learn more. Played and won (or not)? Come and share.)
  • If Fandom is Serial Monogamy, Is Yuletide an Orgy? by Russ McMillan (Yuletide, slashfest, and other microfandom fests and archives are getting more popular. Is this dividing us or bringing us together? Is that obscure movie/book/show distracting your favorite writer from REAL fandom? What's it like to explore a world where few or no fanfic authors have ventured before?)
  • SPN: John: Bad Dad? by K'Kathy, Sylvia Bond (Leave your weapons behind but I think it would be interesting to discuss what kind of father John Winchester actually was. He has so many good qualities and so many bad ones....people get so riled about this subject, it might be nice to hear some debate on it.)
  • Photoshop 101 by Thalia (Want to use a graphics program, but have no idea how to get started? This panel will teach you enough to be dangerous. Learn about layers, blending modes, brushes and other basics. Most of the concepts will work with other programs, like PSP and GIMP, but some translation might be required.)
  • Identity Politics in Fandom by kassrachel, Jo Rittenhouse (Over the last year, we've seen fannish tempers flare over race and religion. On the upside, this has sparked flurries of good stories and conversations and on the downside it's sparked some frustration & anger. Are you glad these important issues are finally coming to light, or do you wish you could turn them off and just focus on the squee? Is it fair to expect fanfiction to be sensitive to, and educated about, these issues—and/or to expect the same of fans?)
  • Charlie Jade: Don't Miss It! by gwyneth rhys (The best specutalive fiction film noir cyberpunk TV series you will never see, unless you’re a fan. Get an intro to the series, the relationships, and yes, the slash possibilities.)
  • Veritas: The Quest by D (Pimping panel. We've got the complete Fandom in a Page. We've got a couple of vids. We've got Yuletide stories. We're growing, very slowly, but we're growing. Come see what it's all about.)
  • If You Build It, Will They Come? by oulangi, Beth H. (bethbethbeth) (Roundtable on meta fannish infrastructure building strategies. bethbethbeth can talk about some of the specific challenges OTW is facing in its brave new fan territory, while oulangi can talk about why metafandom has flourished while very similar projects have failed, while we'll both discuss some of the challenges of the established meta/fannish structure of new communities, new fans, new technologies—and most of all, how do you keep the meta-fan conversation moving forward?)
  • SV: They Fed My Denial... by Mistress Ace (Clark’s been inside Lex’s head now and seen the good longing to be free - is there still hope (for fanfic, if not for canon)?
  • Unpopular Postions by Sandy Herrold, rachel sabotini (Are there big unpopular positions left in fandom, or is it all just po-tay-to po-TA-to? There used to be huge fights over RPS, public critique, non-con, you name it—are there still actual issues to fight about these days, or it is all just personalities these days?)
  • Pros: Fanon vs. Canon by Katharine Scarritt (How many of the characteristics we love are actually from the show?)
  • Fan Icognito by TreeWishes (International panel of mystery.)
  • What We Want to Talk About NOW? (At the start of the con, we'll brainstorm up a couple of topics that feel like hot issues in fandom today that aren't anywhere on the con schedule. We'll pick one, get a couple of volunteer moderators for it, and have an off-the-cuff panel about something that's so up-to-the-moment we didn't even manage to put it on the schedule in advance!)
  • SGA: The Women of Atlantis by Aral, Sinead (What do we like about how the women of SGA are written and portrayed, and what makes us wince? What do we think about how their issues are being woven into the show's narrative?)
  • Livejournal: Should Fans Take Their Business Elsewhere? by Thalia (A discussion of the pros and cons of fannish communication on the various blogging entities.)
  • Genderswap/Bodyswap by Sandy Herrold, JO Schlekewy (It's been around for awhile, but this year it's everywhere—hell, 1/2 of SPN's best stories have genderswap elements. So what's the appeal, why's it suddenly so big, what's the backlash about? Is it really just away to make one of the guys your Mary Sue?)
  • TW: Fantastic in Every Way? by Melia (Fans know that Torchwood has no shortage of pretty, hot and gay, but is there any there there? What can we say about Torchwood's thematically, both on its own and in relation to Doctor Who?)
  • Point of View: Stop Bashing the "I". It Makes the Contacts Hurt by Denise Raymond, pir8fancier (In free-for-all where I encourage people to bring their biases about point of view. What each POV brings to the writing table, and why not one POV fits all. Once we squabble for a while, I'd like to open up the workshop to an overall participation and discuss whether certain fandoms tend to lend themselves to certain POVs.)
  • The Organization for Transformative Works by Shoshanna, Beth H. (bethbethbeth) (The Best Thing Since Ever, or the End Of Days? The OTW is an incorporated nonprofit organization established by fans to serve the interests of fans in multiple ways, including by providing open-source archive software (and an archive), legal assistance, and various efforts to preserve the history of fanworks and fan culture.)
  • M7: Need Topic! by Megan Kent
  • Stitch-n-Bitch by smutcutter, Hippediva (Hooks or needles at ten paces! Bring your weapons of choice! Knitting, crochet and drop spindle spinning too!)
  • Songvid Show
  • SGA on the Big Screen (The season finale (The Last Man) aired last night, but if you were here, you missed it. So we’re running it on the big screen, after the songvid show. (Starting time approximate.))

Sunday:

  • Art Auction
  • Vid Review (Last night was for watching, today is for analyzing. What worked, what didn't, and why?)
  • Non Con by K'Kathy, Sylvia Bond (Rape Fiction, squick or squee, why we like it, and how we explain it to others when we admit to liking it. What makes a good fic and not just a laundry list of abuse? What are some good rape fiction (or non con if you prefer) that's out there?)
  • How to Find and Use Free Stuff on the Web by Tree Wishes (All kinds of free webapps are available for fic, art, icons, communication, and all sort of other fannish stuff. Come share favorite sites—we can bookmark everything we talk about on del.icio.us in real time!)
  • You Got Meta in My Squee! by Dail (Ashlyn) (There's a lot of discussion *about* fandom, analyzing who we are and why we do things. But is that taking the pure joyous fun out of it?)
  • Sarah Connor Chronicles: Cooler Than the Movie by Sandy Herrold, Megan Kent (How does Lena Headey match up to Linda Hamilton? Can a cyborg be a female kick-ass role model?)
  • Going Analog by Kady Mae (There's just something about putting pen to paper. Who makes the best pens? The best paper? What kind of nifty organizational tools are out there. Let's share finds and ideas.)
  • He's not Heavy, He's my Brother by Kady Mae (A look at brotherly love in TV and Film. Boondock Saints, Prison Break, Oz, Oceans I I-12-13, Friday Night Lights, and Supernatural all feature memorable brothers. What makes a "good" brother pairing? And why do we go to the very specia hell with some of them but not others?)
  • TW: The Long, Strange Trip of Captain Jack (The Sequel) by Melina, Christy (Last year, we looked at what we knew and thought we knew about Captain Jack's confusing and nonlinear life. How has th; changed and developed this year in light of new episodes of Torchwood and his reappearance on Doctor Who? What more can we say about his character, and where were we right and wrong?)
  • Everything you wanted to know ...about gastric bypass. by spring
  • Meta and meta with a side of meta by Rachael Sabotini (Including race, gender, and politics how much—and how?—does fandom echo the issues that are major public questions in our non-fannish lives?)
  • Escapade Review (Seems like we just got here, and now it's time to go. Come and speak your mind about what worked and what didn't, and what we should plan for next year.)

Vid Show Playlist

Song Vidder Fandom
Sell My Soul Barkley & Destina Supernatural
Der Kommissar Gianduja Kiss James Bond
Broken English Gwyneth Pros
Deep Kick AbsoluteDestiny 15
Falling Slowly Laura McEwan Starsky & Hutch
I Don't Care as Long as You Sing SDWolfpup Due South
Once M'lyn Black Hawk Down
My Hero bradcpu Heroes
Sharpest Lives Gianduja Kiss Supernatural
Head in the Game Smutcutter Ocean's 11
Sawatte Kawatte Laura Shapiro Heroes
Loves Not a Competition P.R. Zed Pros
Three Doors Gianduja Kiss Veritas
A Love That Will Never Grow Old Laura McEwan Starsky & Hutch
You Know You're Right Lierdumoa Supernatural
Math Prof Rock Star Clucking Belles Numbers

Vid Show Reviews

Con Reports and Panel Notes

Gallery

References