amnisias: (Default)
amnisias ([personal profile] amnisias) wrote2011-04-15 10:40 pm
Entry tags:

Reflections on VidUKon

I've now been back from Cardiff long enough to feel that I can post

As always, what I enjoyed most was the social aspect of the con - catching up with old friends, getting to know the folks on my flist and meeting people I've never heard of before. I got to hook up again with [livejournal.com profile] bop_radar , [livejournal.com profile] talitha78 and [livejournal.com profile] jackiekjono , got to spend quality face-to-face time with our brilliantly laid back con-organizer [livejournal.com profile] buffyann , the amazing [livejournal.com profile] lithiumdoll , her hilarious husband [livejournal.com profile] doccy , my roomies [livejournal.com profile] jagwriter78 , [livejournal.com profile] such_heights and Phoebe and had the opportunity  to get to know a lot of new peeps like [livejournal.com profile] phantomas , [livejournal.com profile] nemo_r , [livejournal.com profile] brokenmnemonic and [livejournal.com profile] braver_creature .  I even got to meet [livejournal.com profile] thedivinegoat even though she wasn't even attending the con.The mix of people at the con was really great, they where a really diverse, interesting group from different backgrounds and I had a lot of stimulating discussions over the weekend.

I really loved the fact that quite a few people were already there for the more informal programming on Friday, including a Dr Who/Torchwood themed tour of the Cardiff Bay area and an evening meal out. It has to be said that the con-organizers picked a very good location, the hotel was not very far from the train station, the bay area with sea views, restaurants and Ianto shrine (creepy much!)  was right around the corner and there where enough restaurants within 5 minutes walking distance that we managed to sample food from 3 different continents in 2 days.

Friday afternoon was made out of total win. Thanks to [livejournal.com profile] cesy some impromptu vid watching was going on in the hotel lobby which was occasionally interrupted by a hugfest when new people arrived. There were no fixed groups, everybody was just milling around and it was a really lovely relaxed atmosphere that made it very easy to get to know people, and that continued during the walk and later at the dinner (boppy, you were dearly missed!!!) Doccy was a real gentleman and took on the task to keep 20 women in food and drink with only limited support from the waiters. This gave everybody else the opportunity to chat, fold cranes and try to make buffyann drunk.

Saturday was totally committed to con-programming apart from a 1 hour lunch break (Italian). The programme very much matched the diversity of the con attendants, the number of different fandoms represented was astonishing and besides well-known vids from well-known people there where also a lot of vids that where new to many people which kept things interesting. Personally, I find the panels even more satisfying than the vid-shows. Discussing vidding with other vidders face to face is just the best and the highlight of any con. The panels covered a wide range of topics including the technical ([livejournal.com profile] obsessive24 's Colour & Texture panel) the process focused ([livejournal.com profile] bop_radar 's spotlighting character panel and [livejournal.com profile] buffyann 's vidding vs time panel) and the therapeutic ([livejournal.com profile] talitha78 's Learning To Let Go panel) with just the right mix of conveying information and facilitating discussion. Panel notes and vid play-lists can be found on the [livejournal.com profile] vidukon site and I strongly encourage you to seek them out.  Thankfully there was no parallel programming, so I could fully enjoy the vid-shows without having to worry to miss anything else and I didn't have to make any difficult choices, which very much contributed to the relaxed, stress-free athmosphere for me.

Sunday was relatively short day in comparison but it ended on a real high note with the [livejournal.com profile] cesy 's Squee vid show and the following feed-back session, which made it very clear that everybody was keen to keep VidUKon going and produce a lot of ideas. The general feel was that everybody had enjoyed the experience and felt newly invigorated and enthused about vidding (or maybe that was just me?)

There's much more stuff to say about the con, but it's late now and I need food, and sleep, so I'll leave it at this for now.

[identity profile] talitha78.livejournal.com 2011-04-16 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
You have inspired me! I will write my con report tonight. I am resolved.

[identity profile] amnisias.livejournal.com 2011-04-20 06:16 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm glad I did because your report is awesomesauce. And you didn't even mention Pam stalking you down to present you with many gifts. I hope you managed to get everygthing back home safely?

[identity profile] talitha78.livejournal.com 2011-04-21 01:09 am (UTC)(link)
Yes, I got home with all of my loot intact. I didn't mention it because I thought it might seem weird to people? I don't know. Like maybe I brainwashed poor Pam or something. LOL.

[identity profile] laurashapiro.livejournal.com 2011-04-19 08:19 pm (UTC)(link)
So pleased to meet you! You were one of my favorite people to talk to.

[identity profile] amnisias.livejournal.com 2011-04-20 06:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh my, thanks a lot. That's what I liked best about the con, how easy it was to get to know new people and join into conversations. Besides vidding and fandome I got to talk about psychology, the NHS & European Healthcare, dinosaurs, psychopathy and to listen to people's life stories. Vidders are such a divers and interesting species....

[identity profile] laurashapiro.livejournal.com 2011-04-20 11:02 pm (UTC)(link)
We really are! I appreciate the wide-ranging conversations every time I go to a con.

[identity profile] bop-radar.livejournal.com 2011-04-20 08:18 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, con! ::remembers it fondly despite illness:: :D

[identity profile] amnisias.livejournal.com 2011-04-20 06:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah, boppy, we remeber you fondly despite illness, too. A shame that you had to come down with the bug from hell that week-end. I'm glad you could come out for the meal on Sunday, it was so nice to hang together like that.