DRAGON CON

[mijan]

Oh my unexpected squeefulness... I'm going to Dragon Con this year!!!

w00t!!!

SO EXCITED!!!

OMG... I need to start hurrying on my next set of costumes!!!

*flail*

SQUEEEE!!!!

Comments

[pinkfinity.livejournal.com]

Hurrah! Hope to see you there!

[mijan.livejournal.com]

OMG SQUEEE you're coming? YAYAYAYAYY!!!!

What hotel? Will you costume? I've never been to such a big convention, so I don't know what things to do and what to attend. Advice for a DragonCon n00b?

[pinkfinity.livejournal.com]

Maybe. Depends on whether I can spend a day away from the kids so close to the start of school. But if I do it'll be for just one night, and I'll crash with someone from Team Infinitus.

While I would love to wear a certain costume from the Doctor Who Xmas special, I don't think it would fit on the escalators, so if I do put on any costumes, it'll just be Penny's from Doctor Horrible again. But you should be in a costume the whole time! Give yourself a few hours to acclimate to the space and the crowd, and if someone is giving away free water, grab a bottle.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

LOL! Got it.

And... instead of being someone from the Doctor Who Christmas Special... why not cosplay as Donna? I'll bet you could do it.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Hurrah! Hope to catch you at the con, then.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

OOOH! You're going to be there? Awesome! What hotel are you staying in? And... do you have any advice for a DragonCon newbie? What things are "can't miss" and what should I try to participate in? I'm just overwhelmed at how big this thing is.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I think we're in the Hyatt this year. The Marriott is my preferred hotel for the event, but somehow I think they sold out in a weekend or something this time. :( So my first piece of advice is try to get a room now, if you haven't already done so :)

Stuff at the Con that I try to hit every year:
- Saturday morning parade (You can register as a parade participant for a few more months yet. There is a regular group for both Potter (Mischief Managed) and for Hobbits (Arms of Middle Earth). I believe that both are open to people jumping in for parade purposes.)
- Concerts and parties. Last year the Mad Scientist party was unreasonably entertaining, especially since it was the first year they've had a public party. There's a Tolkien party usually, last year they had Emerald Rose play, so that was apparently pretty cool. There's also usually a Yule Ball for the Potter people, but I have not the faintest idea what that's like. Also, as the con draws nearer, take a look at the performance guest list; there's usually a pretty good spectrum of entertainment. Last year I saw Abney Park and Mindless Self Indulgence, and didn't make it to about 6 other bands.
- Crypt of Trailers. This is a program they'll do a couple of times during the convention, where they just show a whole bunch of upcoming film trailers, from blockbuster to indy film to spoof. It's sort of a low-impact program, but it's usually damned entertaining, and gets you primed for the next year of films.
- Something involving Dean Haglund. I fucking love Dean Haglund.
- Costuming track, generally. The convention is absolutely huge for costumers, and you can go to programs and learn everything from corsetry to making plate armor out of felt. A lot of the tracks suited to particular fandoms will also have panels on costuming for their fandom - I know I've seen Arms of Middle Earth do one on Elven scale mail, for example.
- The art show. While I do try to hit the whole range of convention shopping opportunities (there are two 'exhibit halls' and a 'dealer hall' as well), I usually find more stuff that I'm impressed with/wish to walk away with in the art show.
- Individual track costume contests.

Stuff I skip every year:
- The main Masquerade contest. It's big, it's over-crowded, there's a huge wait, it goes on for-ev-er, and it's on TV in your hotel room if you really want to see it. I always think that I want to see it, and turn it off halfway through the twelfth overly lengthy and incomprehensible cosplay skit.

General advice:
- Daily, sleep at least three hours, eat at least two meals, take at least one shower. Schedule time to do these things, as if you don't, you'll get distracted and forget.
- We always pack in some food for quick meals/snacks in the hotel room. There is usually food available in the ConSuite, (and mostly always snacks and drinks), so it's valuable to learn where that is as well, but the type and quality of that food is variable. Try not to buy food from the hotels if at all possible; we have been overcharged and made ill thereby in the past.
- Wear comfortable shoes. This is the hugest convention ever, and generally people do a lot a lot of walking.
- Everybody is drunk, but mostly everybody is friendly and polite. If people are not friendly and polite, Con security is never far away.
- When crossing from the Marriott to the Hyatt, you can get into the bowels of the Hyatt quickly and easily by using a handicap-access ramp to the right of the main stairs. That takes you to a hall where many of the track rooms are, and it's usually less choked than the main access.

... There's got to be more, but already that's an indigestible chunk of information. :)

[mijan.livejournal.com]

WOW, that's one hell of a list! *takes notes*

- I've heard about the parade, and I'm desperately debating whether I want to jump in with the Middle Earth group or the Potter group.

- Mad scientist party sounds... mad. MUST GO. :D

- The small-scale costume contests sound great. However, I've competed in masquerade before, and I'm debating whether or not I want to try for this one. Perhaps I should stick to small scale stuff at my first BIG convention as far as competition goes, but I also want to watch a big-time masquerade so that I'll have some idea of what I'd be competing against. I plan to enter large-scale masquerade competitions starting next year. But yes, I know what you mean by the overdone and ridiculous cosplay skits that make no sense and are incomprehensible. I've seen them at Arisia, and they're pathetic.

- I try for the 5-2-1 rule: Five hours of sleep, two meals, one shower. Although with my costuming, I've been known to shower twice to get rid of makeup or do a complete hair-change.

- I'm used to conventions, and I know all about vital convention food supplies. I went to Trader Joe's for our Arisia food supply and came back with healthy sandwich fixings, orange juice, fresh fruit, and so on. And coffee. Fresh ground coffee. :D

- I never wear uncomfortable shoes... although as Frodo, I wore no shoes. I really need to make Hobbit feet. *sigh*

- I'll probably attend a lot of the costuming track.

- I definitely ALWAYS check out the art show at things like this. :D

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Seriously. Last year, the Mad Scientist party featured (among other things) singing Tesla coils and a bartending robot. Win percentage high. :)

WRT costume contests, there are a bunch of them that happen at D*C. In addition to the big Masquerade, there is also a 'hallway' contest, where you just go and have your picture made, and people vote, there's a Dawn-only contest (which is nearly as big a hassle as the main contest), for the last few years there's been the "not safe for the halls" contest (also difficult to get in to see!), and the track contests. If you're into the smallest details of the thing, it might be worth it to try and get a seat for the big contests. I believe that if you want to get into the big contest, you have to register before the Con, but I have no idea how people do that.

If you're going to be going shoe-less, I recommend that you learn the locations of the 'habitrails'. I would not want to walk the downtown ATL streets without footwear. (Insert Mr. Yuk-Face here.)

[mijan.livejournal.com]

I know that I would never walk outside without some sort of foot protection. At Arisia, I ran around barefoot, but it was all indoors, in one hotel. I even had furry feet! MUAHA!

I was planning to register officially. Why, do some people not actually register?

And yeah, I'm really into costuming. REALLY. I'll show you sometime. I'm going fabric shopping tonight for costumes that I don't expect to complete until next year. The planning is insane. And yes, I'm a total detail whore. I compete in masquerade, but I'm also totally game for the hall costume contests. I've got several costumes for that. :D

And... ROBOT BARTENDERS FTW!!!

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

No, I mean I think you have to sign up for the Masquerade in advance of the convention (though some people do show up day-of to buy their con badges, as well). :)

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Actually... from the DragonCon website:

Masquerade Costume Contest

Costume Contest Rules & Information

1. There will be a limit of fifty entries. A group performance is considered to be one entry. Registration will be at the Con only; there is no pre-registration.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Ok, cool. I never try, so I didn't know, really. :)

[mijan.livejournal.com]

LOL... some conventions allow you to pre-register for masquerade, but the rules are different for each one. I got sucked (read: suckered) into doing masquerade competition for the first time two years ago at Arisia, and I won three major awards in the novice category. I came back this year for my second masquerade, and won Best in Show for both craftsmanship and presentation in the Journeymen division, performing with stormsdotter. Did you see the pictures I posted?

[auroraceleste.livejournal.com]

Perhaps I should stick to small scale stuff at my first BIG convention as far as competition goes, but I also want to watch a big-time masquerade so that I'll have some idea of what I'd be competing against.

**inspiration**
Ya know, I'm looking for a fourth for my Dawn contest entry. I've been trying to do this idea for years, but I've never found 3 other reliable people to get it off the ground with.

Also, I have the dvds of at least 2 years of Dawn, and a Masquerade or two at least.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Well... what did you have in mind? I don't particularly like costuming as a girl, but I could make an exception. Were you thinking of doing elemental goddesses?

[mistresangelfur.livejournal.com]

Congrats! I'm so jealous, this is the first year I'm not working KCRF and available to go, but since I just lost my job will not be in a financial position to go. Have fun for me!

[mijan.livejournal.com]

Oh no! SAD!

What are you qualified to do? I do know some places hiring around here, but it depends on your specialty.

[mistresangelfur.livejournal.com]

Reception, legal assistant, personal assistant, clerical, data entry, general office work.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

There's a clerical position at KU MED listed here:
https://jobs.kumc.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1233349141584

You can do searches here:
https://jobs.kumc.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/frameset/Frameset.jsp?time=1233349141584

Worth a try, perhaps?