Convention Etiquette: Discussion and Advice on Do's and Don'ts

[BlueJello]

My two cents . . . .

It would be appreciated if you're taking pictures not to repeatedly stand at your seat. Please go to the side of the room. We want to see and take pictures too and not of your back.

[Arctic Goddess]

Very true. Some people, however, do not realize they are annoying others, It's human nature to assume that someone is just being a prat, but if you want to resolve the problem and not just fume about it for the entire convention, take that person asside and let them know it interferes with your ability to see. They really may not realize they are bothering you. They may be horrified that they were getting in your way and be thankful you let them know.

[BlueJello]

No, I was not fuming about it the entire convention. I'm usually the kind of person that would just let it go thinking the person would do it once and immediately sit down which would have been okay. I know we all want to quickly sneak in that one picture but being several rows behind the people made it kinda hard to get the person's attention. Could I have made a point to speak to person afterwards? Perhaps, but at the moment decided it wasn't worth it. Just thought I would mention it here only to remind others for future reference that there are people trying to see as well.

[BruTak]

Also, when told to stop taking photographs by a member of convention staff - DO IT!

[Jersey13]

Please don't think that I am defending people who break the rules by taking take photographs or videos when it's against the rules, but perhaps most people that do so don't care because they are under the impression that convention staff only bother to put rules like that in place because they want to make a few extra bucks by making videos and pictures exclusively available only by convention DVD sales. I haven't really had a whole lot of experience as an actual staffer even though I have volunteered on numerous occasion, so I can't really say if I believe it or not, so perhaps you can tell me. Is this true most of the time, or is there usually more to it than that?

[BruTak]

Maybe I should clarify.

At the major cons I've attended in the past, photo time (with the exceptin of official "With the Guests" photos) is strictly regulated to the first five minutes or so of the guest coming on stage.

I meant that people who take pics outwith this period are told (quite often repeatedly) to stop by con staff, and usually don't.

[Jersey13]

Ahh, I see. I suppose that would get kind of annoying for someone on stage to be trying to answer questions 15 minutes through a 45-minute Q&A session and be struggling to focus while people's camera flashes have been going off the whole time.

I have been to conventions that prohibit photography of convention guests at any time except for officially sanctioned photo ops, though. I'll give you three guesses who had organized cons with such policies that stick in my memory... *grumbles*

[BruTak]

The only exception I can think of, was when Dan Shea was a guest at Wolf SG-10 a few years ago.

He had a few kids from the audience up on stage and was demonstrating a simple stunt with them.

[Jersey13]

LOL, cute. It's so nice to see that so many con guests aren't afraid to pull people out of the audience and interact with them a little these days. I was pulled on stage by Paul McGillion once, and he made fun of me in front of 4000 people for being so nervous that I started shaking. That's the kind of stuff that makes cons memorable... I can't imagine being denied a picture of that moment!

[Arctic Goddess]

That is really interesting. Creation Entertainment allows picture taking any time during the Q & A's in the ballroom at it's cons. Pictures are not permitted during more intimate gatherings after a certain point, such as their dessert party when two or three celebrities are visiting tables and, of course, at the photo shoots. So, I guess that means Creation Entertainment is a tad more liberal with the picture taking policy at it's cons.

That's not to say it applies to any type of picture. They prohibit video cameras completely.

[Jersey13]

No, it was at least one creation convention that I was referring to... and those may be their rules now. I haven't bothered to attend a creation convention in, oh, 10 years though.

[prion]

That is really interesting. Creation Entertainment allows picture taking any time during the Q & A's in the ballroom at it's cons. Pictures are not permitted during more intimate gatherings after a certain point, such as their dessert party when two or three celebrities are visiting tables and, of course, at the photo shoots. So, I guess that means Creation Entertainment is a tad more liberal with the picture taking policy at it's cons.

That's not to say it applies to any typ of picture. They prohibit video cameras completely.

Once upon a time, Creation let fans take all the photos they wanted. THen, they became rather draconian and banned photos and videos. At the same time, they were taking videos to sell. Gawd, they were the worst videos ever made. I don't think they sold many once word got out. Part of prohibiting videos is that Creation wants to make more money (see above) and part may be that the actors might go "no, no, no videos in case I make a fool of myself" (never mind that someone can sit in teh audience and text to the world what is going on nowadays).

Usually most cons prohibit videos - for one thing, there may be people in the audience who can't be videoed (due to jobs - I remember at a Boston con many years ago a news crew by with a videocamera and one girl ducked under a table. I asked why and apparently she works in a sensitive government job which prohibited public exposure like that, but she dind't have to worry as the reporter was only videotaping people in costume, as usual)

As for the actors, it's just a different sort of job, and only a few really make incredible money (think Brad Pitt, etc.). Most have day jobs, investments, something to keep the rent money coming in (which is why we groan when we see Paul McGillion devoured by a CGI Nessie in a SCiFi flick, but hey, gotta pay the bills).

[prion]

My two cents . . . .

It would be appreciated if you're taking pictures not to repeatedly stand at your seat. Please go to the side of the room. We want to see and take pictures too and not of your back.

Yes yes, please don't. ANd also please don't make those awful cat-call sounds.

[BruTak]

This actually raises a good point.

The gap between the higher end camera phones and the lower end digital cameras is getting smaller and smaller all the time.

In fact, there's times I get better results with my camera phone than I do with my proper digital camera.

Then of course there's the fact that most camera phones are also video capable.

How are cons legislating for this, if at all?

[Arctic Goddess]

Yes yes, please don't. ANd also please don't make those awful cat-call sounds.

Cat- call sounds?