DragonCon by the Numbers
Date: 09/03/2002
From: SL4ever
I had a TV set up to show Sliders episodes. The interesting thing was watching people pass by our table. When they saw the TV they would be transfixed by what was on the screen even if they were just walking past and not even slowing (which indicated they didn’t recognize what was on the screen). I noticed this especially with kids. Kids could NOT help watching the TV as they passed. But even adults were trapped by the images on the screen until they had walked past it. I’ve never seen a more literal example of the power of moving images on a TV screen.
Anyway, the other two ways I enticed people over was a clock (because there are few large clocks on the walls and a lot of people didn’t want to wear watches with their uniforms) and a bowl of candy (Jolly Ranchers and mini Snickers).
Here are the numbers from two full days of running the fan table plus a third day of leaving out the handouts and remaining fan fiction. (we got hosed on the time though because despite what the website told us, fan tables could only remain open until 7pm each night.) In addition, I had Sliders website flyers and schedule flyers on four other free handout tables. I know how many copies of those two I made so I calculated how many taken by how many I had left after I went around the last day and collected the remainder.
Sliders Petition Signatures: 218
Number of Sliders website flyers taken: 117
Number of Sliders schedule flyers taken: 200
Number of fan fiction printouts taken (all writers): 28
Number of Sliders Soundtracks taken: 21 (I still have five left if anyone is interested in one. I only gave them to the really enthusiastic fans since I had a limited number)
Number of people who stopped for candy but didn’t sign petition: 5,000,000,000 (give or take a few)
Number of people who liked the first couple seasons but refused to sign because the last three sucked: 18 (unofficial count)
Number of people who had never seen the show but took a flyer and promised to check it out: At least 14
It was cool meeting MSZ. He was selling autographed copies of “World Killer” so I mentioned that outrageous hair Quinn had. He told me that JOC loved that wig and still has it. I felt no surprise at this.
It was a lot of fun. There are a million things I would change to improve the presentation and have more impact. I wish this had occurred to me earlier and that I could have involved WrongArturo. More time would have also allowed me to be more prepared.
But I’m already planning to do this again next year if Sliders does come out on DVD. If the first season is released on DVD, for instance, our goal would be to promote it heavily to get loads of people to buy it so that TPTB would be encouraged to release the rest of the seasons. We couldn’t sell it from the table but we could promote the >:-# out of it! Also, with more lead time we could have CD send us a crate of his albums to sell from the table. That would have been great if we’d had the time to put that together.
Anyway, I’ll be mailing off the petition to the SF channel today. Thanks to everyone who contributed ideas, fiction, graphics, or any other kind of support!!!!
Thanks for giving us a presence
Date: 09/03/2002
From: DieselMickeyDolenz
People hating BT: 3,567
At least you managed to make a few more people out there aware of Sliders. Every little bit helps. :)
DMD
He told me that JOC loved that wig and still has it. I felt no surprise at this.
Rockin'.
Date: 09/03/2002
From:
SpaceTime
Too bad you didn't have Mini Three Musketeers or copies of Hakavonn's stories - you'd have been MOBBED.
Did you pinch MSZ's nipple like I asked?
Peace,
Space
Thanks for your effort
Date: 09/03/2002
From: SouthernSlider
I notice that BT gives no effort.
I hope you had a good time, and thanks for all you did to get Sliders out to more people. Hope you enjoyed your stay in Jawja.
SS
TMA
Date: 09/03/2002
From:
misswells
I'm still confused about BT ...
TMA = Too Many Acronyms ...
Who is MSZ, who/what is TPTB, and ... I want a Sliders Soundtrack! :)
Anyway, I wasn't around early enough to hear about all this, but it sounds cool. (I wanna do it next year ... )
Anyway,
misswells
fin-chan.tripod.com
Totally cool.
Date: 09/03/2002
From: Tigs
It's awesome that you got so much accomplished. Wow. I'm totally impressed. Way to go.
Woohoo!!!!
Date: 09/03/2002
From: Slider_Quinn21
BT deserves no WOOHOO at all!
Great job! You did a Hell of a job for the cause!
SL4Ever for President! :-)
Quinn
http://slidersweb.net/otherworlds/214
PS-Did you include my fanfic? I know you were busy and you might not have had a chance, so its all right if the answer is "no." :-)
Was the clock moving backwards? ;-)
Date: 09/03/2002
From: MissingSliderRyan
BT loves previewing the replies, but hates being ignored.
Thanks for your getting the word out and the trouble it took to print out all the material you brought. Glad to hear you had a lot of fun.
YOU ROCK!
MSR
BYOS
Date: 09/04/2002
From: SL4ever
BT never brings his own shrimp!!
misswells,
First of all, is that the correct website URL? It didn't take me anywhere.
MSZ = Marc Scott Zicree Here is his DragonCon bio: http://www.dragoncon.org/people/zicreem.html
TPTB = The Powers That Be. Usually meaning "suits" in the most foul way you can mean that word. >:-X
Sorry about the shortcuts but I'm a lazy fat bastard who would write everything in shorthand if he could get away with it. :-P
Nice!
Date: 09/04/2002
From: Yeontoo
You had enough candy for 5 billion non-slider fans?!
Hoorah!
The fan tables closing early? Odd... but it did give you a chance to pace the convention floors with all the other scifi nuts... maybe that was the reason?
My email imploded again, and tech support will be at least 12 hours fixing it.
This weekend? I want to PLAY GLOOMVILLE.
Blessings
Yeontoo
ps. I want soundtrack... do I get it with my copy of the dvd you made me?
It can't be said enough
Date: 09/04/2002
From: TemporalFlux
You guys did an outstanding job! From you getting it together to AlternityOrange's help in manning the table, I know the amount of work and people it took to get all of this together...which was only enhanced by the somewhat last minute nature of it all. It was by no means an easy task. Your dedication paid off too...hundreds of people is nothing to sneeze at. You also don't know how many of those passers-by watching the screen were enticed...people who could very well ask around later to find out what that was they saw or recognize it on television and tune in a little longer than usual. This type of thing is what helps Sliders...bottom line.
Here's to next year! :-D
Tf
temporalflux@hotmail.com
http://dimensionofcontinuity.com
Which is why I'm saying it again!
Date: 09/04/2002
From:
ThomasMalthus
BT can't be put down too much.
Great job, SL, AO and everybody else who worked on this!
And that's pretty much all I have to say.
ThomasMalthus
Shrimp??
Date: 09/04/2002
From:
misswells
Maybe BT doesn't like shrimp. I don't.
Anyway, SL, thank you for the clarification. I'm sure it's not all your fault. I (probably) should have known at least TPTB.
By the way, the URL is correct, as far as I know, HOWEVER, we don't like w's. So, if you put www. in front of it, it won't take you anywhere.
http://fin-chan.tripod.com
is the entire correct URL.
Anyway, thanks again,
misswells
Job well done!
Date: 09/04/2002
From:
HurriKain
BT is a lazy, good for nothing, bastard!
I'm glad that you have more people being aware of our cause. And if things go well, I want to help you at next year's con. I can man the table, patrol the halls with a large book of flyers... hell, I'll even patrol wearing a candy bowl hat. :-)
But for this year's efforts, I salute you!
<salut>
HK
P.S. I wanna soundtrack too... and maybe Shadow Dog's autograph... nah...
I think I"ll hold out on the autograph until Traverse 2 is done :-)
Way to go!
Date: 09/04/2002
From: Grizzlor
end
Hear, hear!
Date: 09/05/2002
From: Callie21V
BT should never be seen or heard!
Welcome back, SL4, and thanks for all your work representing the Sliders fans!
> Kids could NOT help watching the TV as they passed.
> But even adults were trapped by the images on the
> screen until they had walked past it. I’ve never
> seen a more literal example of the power of moving
> images on a TV screen.
Er... were you playing a "Jiggle Me, Baby" scene?
>>> C/21
Original URL http://bboard.scifi.com/bboard/browse.cgi/1/5/545/1502270
Nominated by Blinker
