confabcon | 2019 Programming Brainstorming Post

chaneen posting in

Hello fellow fanpersons, your Programming Team here with some announcements!

Programming submission time is here! We will be running submissions starting on Monday, April 8th, 2019 and closing on Sunday, June 30th, 2019. We will be accepting submissions for any of our three tracks of programming: one track of panels, one of group discussions, and one of workshops. After the submission period ends, programming will be voted on and chosen by you, the attendees.

Here's a handy guide to the types of programming we have to get you started:

Panels — Programming about a topic that applies to multiple fandoms (soulmate AUs, vintage fandoms, found families, diversity in genre TV, femslash, incest) or a more general fandom universe that has multiple smaller fandoms that fall under its umbrella (Video Games, Anime, K-Pop, Hockey, the MCU, DCEU/DC TV). Panels run for one hour, and can have up to 4 panelists, including a moderator, whose job is to keep discussion moving and ensure that the panel stays within established time limits. Panels usually involve a discussion between the moderator and the panelists with less feedback from the audience than Group Discussions. If you don't want to mod your own panel, we can find someone to help you. Previous panel topics have included boy bands, queer animated shows, fandom history, the MCU and the apocalyptic media. We look forward to seeing what new topics you’ll bring us.

Group Discussions — Programming about a single fandom (like The Magicians, or BTS, or Critical Role), or a niche topic within fandom. Group Discussions can be run by one person, but can have up to 2 facilitators.Discussions will be one hour long, and are meant to be conversations between facilitators and attendees.

Workshops — Programming where attendees get a chance to learn something new or hone their skills. Past workshop topics have included things like live beta reading, art tips and tricks, making fannish plushies, tabletop RPGs 101, and more, but they can be about anything you're interested in! If you submit a proposal for a workshop, you must be willing to run it. Workshop sessions run for one hour, but you may offer more than one session of your workshop across multiple days, or request a single day session of longer than one hour (in one hour blocks, only).

We look forward to hearing your amazing ideas for programming! Help make CONfab an awesome experience! We will be accepting submissions for all types of programming from everyone, whether you have registered for the con yet or not. This is your chance to get the programming you want by submitting your ideas. What are you excited about? Share it with the group!

Comment on this post with your programming ideas and questions. Find friends and strangers to help you flesh out your ideas, or offer assistance in planning your presentation, and get ready to submit your proposals starting on April 8th! A new post will go up with submission instructions and a link to the submission form on Monday, April 8th.
The comments on this post will be open throughout the submission period, so feel free to use it as a resource and a sounding board for new ideas that you want a second opinion on before submitting. We can't wait to see what you come up with.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment on this post, or email the Programming team at programming@confabcon.com. We’re happy to be a sounding board!

Current Mood: excited

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

hannah

Is there some way we could organize a fandom USB swap? Given that we can fit dozens of TV shows and movies onto cheap USB drives, it'd be a great way to share fandoms and get stuff that isn't on streaming services out for higher consumption. Maybe some sort of sign-up for people that want to distribute and people that want to receive, and the individuals can work it out between themselves - the drives may be cheap, but they aren't free.

From:

mythplaced_logic

Hi, this will be my first time going to the con and I would love to have some group discussions about the impact of alternate universe fan fiction. Things like canon divergence, where small (or not so small) changes make for huge differences in how characters meet and story arcs unfold. If anyone has ever read Making Headlines by maydei on ao3, it’s an excellent example. Hannibal fandom, where Will is Genderfluid. There are many changes because of this, including a much earlier meeting with Hannibal, although the essentials of Will’s character are there. That’s what’s so fascinating about AU fic, how authors can speculate and spin out amazingly different worlds from canon and yet the characters are still recognizably themselves.

Maybe also a panel on crossovers? I’ve read a few that really made me go back to the original source material for both sides of the crossover and rethink the characters and the storylines. It’s also been a huge gateway for me into new fandoms. I believe that I originally discovered Suits that way, and it’s also how I got into Teen Wolf and Inception. Having a beloved established series smashed up with an interesting new world makes that new fandom more accessible I think. And accessibility for certain fandoms is really difficult. Maybe that would be a different panel entirely, but some fandoms like Hetalia are so much fanon that it takes time to dissect it. Also, some of the best stuff is not archived. A lot of it is on kink memes and other livejournal master lists/rec posts, you really have to dig it up and follow the breadcrumbs to the real gems, which is true for a lot of older fandoms as well. Thank god for AO3, but they can only do so much!

So sorry for the long post, I’m just really interested in talking to some like-minded people about awesome fanfic!

From:

countessmry

I’m thinking about doing a thirst panel. Where people could basically submit photos or a video of their thirst object and we talk about that with a possible PowerPoint presentation to illustrate the object of the thirst.

Thoughts?

From:

countessmry

Oh man. One do my favorite websites from back in the day was Twisting the Hellmouth, a Buffy crossover site. So much awesome.

From: (Anonymous)

Completely agree! I still check it out occasionally but it’s fairly dead now. I admit a weakness for Xander Crossover fanfiction. That was one of the main archives years ago, and it was so fun that it had so many different options.

From:

countessmry

Remember there being one with Legolas and Willow where he basically lived until modern times and they ended up together and I can’t remember why or how but I remember loving it…

From: (Anonymous)

I haven’t read that one, but there’s a lot of great Lord of the Rings crossovers out there. Sadly, there’s also a lot of abandoned fic -_- I would love to have a meetup about this stuff, but I don’t know how to run something like that.

From:

ride_4ever

Panel on crossovers for the win! I would <3 to attend a panel on this subject!

From: (Anonymous)

If I submit a panel on crossovers, does anyone want to be on it with me? I’ll ask for a moderator so we won’t have to worry about that. Let me know!

From:

countessmry

Well you can either run it as a flash panel in the fandom lounge or suggest it as formal programming to see if people have interest in a panel about it.

I’m so down. I’m also curious about people’s thoughts about crossovers and AUs and how they feel about the change. It feels like there are more AUs these days whereas crossovers were more popular before. Of course that may also be my own reading habits.

From:

mythplaced_logic

The anonymous posts were mine, I accidentally posted without my login, still getting back into gear with dreamwidth haha. I think I will submit it and see if anyone is interested. There’s so many other linked ideas that we could get into, like fusion vs crossover, and all the many kinds of AUs that have a life of their own. I mean, Sentinel!fic is its own AU subtype but is sort of all Fusion fic. I love the idea of exploring some of this stuff in a larger group. We’d have to figure out some kind of structure!

From:

mythplaced_logic

I’m having a hard time articulating the topic on the submission form. It’s really difficult to narrow it down. Maybe two submissions? I agree that alternate universe fic is more prevalent now than crossovers, but both topics are too large as is for just one panel unless we get a little more specific. One can be for Crossovers, talking about the good, the bad, and the ugly mashups we’ve seen. Maybe also how it’s introduced us to new fandoms, and also allows some characters more room to grow than their original canon-only setting.

Then also one about AU. We could get into the main sub types, like Soulmate, Time Travel, Canon-Divergence and why that kind of thing is so popular. Both small and large changes can really have interesting effects, and it says a lot about an authors view of the characters depending on what changes they make and how they think that character would spin based on the change. We could give examples of a change to canon and have people make a case for what they think a character would do based on that small change. Make it interactive that way? It could also be a fun activity for a writer workshop. Any thoughts?

From:

countessmry

I'm totally down with two panel ideas. That way people have some options! :)

From:

countessmry

Yes. I am absolutely interested in being on this panel. Submit away, man!! :)

From:

featheredschist

Hi, I just got in the door. I do like the idea of both of these, if you needed more support. I write mostly canon divergence, and have one crossover fic (series some day). Would definitely be interested in a panel or discussion of these things!

From:

mythplaced_logic

Awesome! I’m new to doing panels of any kind and I’m kinda nervous about it. I submitted them both for consideration, but I’d love to have some additional people who want to be involved. This is exactly the kind of thing I would love to talk with people about, I think it will spark some great conversations, fun recommendations, and general fandom love 😁

From:

featheredschist

I did panels my first year (2 years ago), and totally get the nerves that accompany the idea!

I’d be happy to come talk about what I love about crossovers and AUs!

From:

mythplaced_logic

Awesome, if either of them get picked, maybe we can try to structure things a little more? I know a few specifics that I’d like to talk about but it would be fun if it was fairly organic as well. Do you know when things will be finalized?

From:

featheredschist

That would b e fabulous! And I can’t remember the turn around, but I don’t think it’ll be too long.
If you would, could you send me the prospectives you sent in? I’d like to see if I can work on some ideas that fit with your theme. You can email me directly at miriel dot crawford @ Gmail.com

From:

mythplaced_logic

Hi, just wanted to make sure I got your email right and you got my message 😁

From:

featheredschist

No, I’ve not received anything new yet about Con Fab.

From:

mythplaced_logic

Just tried again, I double checked and the address is right, but maybe my side glitched. Hope it works this time!

From:

featheredschist

Yup, got it and replied!

From:

celli

Would anyone be interested in a New Media RPF panel? I know a lot of people who have bounced around in Buzzfeed, podcast, and web series RPF for the last few years (I've been in mostly Crooked Media and Buzzfeed Unsolved RPF lately). Does the canon feel more available? Is it easier to get background info? Is it more timely/prevalent?

From:

rainbowslinky

I really want to submit a group discussion for media featuring robots/AI/androids, if anyone is interested in that sort of thing?

Also. I have seen some discussion on my twitter feed in regards to a Farewell to Supernatural type panel. I missed a couple seasons there in the middle so my knowledge isn't all-encompassing, but I would happily be involved in this, as well, if anyone needs spurring on to submit it, or I can if others will help out with the panel.

From:

brynspikess

We can't do anything official, because we don't want the convention to be held liable for anything. But I'd be happy to help run an unofficial swap, if people are interested?

I whipped up a quick and short form for people to fill out: Fandom Speakeasy Form

Edited Date: 2019-06-27 03:38 am (UTC)

From:

flutterwolf

Love the Crossover/AU panel idea. I was toying with the idea of a Crossover Worldbuilding panel but it seems to me that is something that could be incorporated into your idea. And since you see to have a better idea of what you'd like to do maybe I'll not submit this idea of mine.

I'm pretty new to DW but I'm open to helping you plan however I think other people might make a better co mod than me.

From:

mythplaced_logic

You could still submit it! I just want to talk about fun stuff, whether it’s me or someone else running it makes no difference. I’m really new too, and if either of mine even get picked, I’m going to need help. I’ve never done it before so I’m really not sure how to put everything together in a coherent manner. I kinda picked huge topics, so they’ll prob have to be whittled down too... please do join me! I may even bring cookies 😆. Seriously though, could use any help, and worldbuilding is a huge part of what makes a believable crossover or AU. Lots of intricate details to piece together on some of those epics we love in Fandom!

From:

flutterwolf

Ok quick and dirty list format. This month sucked and I did not get a chance to go about this properly.

IDEAS You can snag:

S
Drabblemania- Many moons ago I went to Writerscon in Atlanta and attend a panel like this and as I recall they talked about how to write them and general writing tips then I think we were given a prompt and 10-15ins to write a drabble of our own.

What's old is new again- Many shows I don't watch (and a couple I do) have reboots now. Roswell, Charmed, Hawaii 5-0, 90210, etc- how about a discussing this current trend and how fandom feels about them and whether we like this version or that version of the show.