Con Survival Series: How to Run a Panel

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So do you want to go to a convention and get in for free? Do you have a topic you are an expert on? Do you have something you want the rest of the anime community to know about? Do you constantly get asked the same questions again and again in real life and on the Internet? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you might be perfect to run a panel. It is great because you almost always get in for free and you get a little soapbox to spread youe addition to the anime gospel. The real question is why doesn’t everyone do it? Because is it is a lot of work. If you do it right, even a simple panel is enough work equal to the price of admission. So let’s get down to business. How do I do a super special awesome chocolaty fudge-coated panel that will get me invited back again and again?

You’re right, everyone’s first inclination for running a panel is that you can get in for free. Though you have to check that before you get excited, many smaller cons only give you a discount on your ticket or none at all. Doing a panel because you want to and are actually going to put in the effort necessary without getting paid, that is when you separate the men from the boys. It is really important to think hard about doing a panel before signing up, you are placing yourself as a event of the convention. It is a responsibility.

Clearly the first thing to decide is what you want to talk about. There are a wide variety of topics you could do a panel or workshop about. Next is deciding who to do your panel with. If you are really confident, you can go it solo. However, the on stage banter between two or more people can keep the panel fresh and lively. If you are super cautious, you can check what panels the convention ran last year. Typically if the same person is doing the same panel year after year your are much less likely to get accepted as a panelist on the subject. Now it is time to write your proposal. When you submit your panel idea you want to sell it hard. First list all the accolades that would sell your panelists. If any panelists have professional, scholastic, or amateur experience mention it in the proposal. For example, studying for a literature or animation degree, heading an anime club or other fan activities, or a job related to your topic are all good things to put down. Also if you have ever run any other panels mention that, too. You want to present yourself as overqualified. You want to sell the person reviewing your proposal that you know what you are talking about. Don’t just write a two line description if you can avoid it.

Panels are just more fun when you are doing them together. Of course, it throws in a set of problems like making sure everyone shows up and puts in the needed effort. Nothing is more frustrating than having one member totally unprepared. Once your panel is accepted there may be a little bit of paperwork involved depending on the convention. Typically there is some sort of release form that each member has to sign and turn in prior to the panel. Now it is time to start working on the actual panel. Do not leave this till the last minute! Start work on your panel atleast a month before the convention.

If you are already quite knowledgeable about your panel subject then it is a simple matter of organizing your thoughts. Otherwise you are going to have to sit down and do some research. Once you have decided on the subject make a quick outline. Decide all the things you want to talk about in a big brain-storming session. Then take all those ideas and sort them into categories. Once that is done, write down what highlights you want to touch upon in each category. You don’t have to write everything out like it was an essay, just lay down talking points so you always know the flow of the panel.

Now when planning out the panel it is essential to think about your time frame. Some subjects will be too grand to cover in a mere hour and some things too narrow. So after picking your subject you should break it into segments. Here is a breakdown for our Anime Recruitment panel as an example:

  • Intro to us/panel – 5 mins
  • Do’s and Don’ts – 10 mins
  • Recommendations – 30 mins
  • Q and A – 15 mins.
    total: 60 mins.

You actually need to run through the panel to make sure your breakdown is realistic, too. It is wise to set aside some time for questions at the end, however if it is your first time running a panel leave only about 5 or 10 minutes. Otherwise you may have dead space in your panel. My advice is to also ask your audience to hold all questions till the end because you need to make sure to get through all your subject matter. I find this to be the biggest folly at panels. And it is better to have more questions than you can answer that flow into the hall. Also in that time be packing up your stuff to make way for the next panelist.

The old joke is someone asks, “Pardon me sir, but how do I get to Carnegie Hall?” and the other man replies, “Practice, practice, practice.” The best panels have probably been rehearsed at least three times before they were ever given. This is even more true for any workshops, demonstrations, game shows, and scripted events. Even if you have it all written down in front of you, it will flow off the tongue more naturally if you practice before hand. Rounding people up to watch you practice is even better. It gives you a good opportunity to make sure you are making eye contact with the audience and you can gauge their reactions. Ideally you would have one person in the audience that has no idea what your panel is about and one person who is knowledgeable about it then get their thoughts at the end. Also an audience can shoot you some questions so you have some idea ahead of time what you might be asked at the actual panel.

While it isn’t necessary, we highly recommend the use of visuals like a PowerPoint presentation. It gives some pop to your panel, makes sure the audience isn’t only looking at you, and makes you look slightly more professional. This can easily keep the audience from getting bored and it makes your job that much easier in trying to describe things. You can also create hand-outs for the audience to keep with them after your panel. For example, if you are talking about many different shows the hand-out could list them, who released it, and how long it is. You can also use that space to promote your blog or website. Finally, a good way to draw attention to your panel is to give things away. Does that sound sleazy? Who cares! It works. In the convention guide be sure to mention a giveaway in your panel description. Then just gather up a few DVDs, books, etc. you aren’t too attached to and presto! Instant audience!

Now that everything is done it’s time to cover your behind. You want to throw any presentations, videos, handouts, and notes on at least two separate back up sources. They can be either laptops, CDs, DVDs, portable hard drives, or written copies of all the panel information. That means no matter what happens you should be able to do the panel. A girl who was giving several panels had her laptop die right at the beginning of the Providence Anime Convention. Her presentation contained rather scholarly panels with a great deal of information, pictures, and charts on her PowerPoint slides. Since she had a backup CD and a portable HD she merely borrowed a laptop from someone in the audience or staff and ran her panels without a misstep. Ideally, everyone on the panel should bring along a backup copy of all the panel materials. No matter who drops out the remaining members can still do the panel without them.

Now comes the moment of truth, you have to get up there and do a panel. Our first panel, I was slightly nervous but the convention was small so it wasn’t too terrible. My second experience was much more nerve racking! Otakon was a whole different ball park with a lot more people. Plus, you had to get up on this stage area! Something about being elevated made it far worse. Don’t panic, if you are nervous when you get up there tell the audience so. Start talking with them to loosen yourself up. In any case, I’m just pointing out that I get terribly nervous but make it through. And then you feel a nice exhilaration after it is all over! But when it is all over, how do you know if it went well? People will clap, hopefully, and some will probably talk to you after the panel. These are good signs. Con staff in the room are also good people to ask because they are typically keeping an eye on the audience. And finally check out the forums and ask around. Remember, all panels have the potential to be good it just takes some foresight to make it memorable! Good luck!

Ongoing Investigations: Case #037

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I quickly dug into the rest Fairy Musketeers. It was all in all a solid if unremarkable magical girl show. Which is not to say it was not entertaining because it was very well done and boatloads of fun but it won’t win over anyone who did not all already like magical girl shows. The characters are enjoyable, cute, and cool when they need to be. Akazukin interestingly enough reminds me a lot of Narutaki other than the fact that Narutaki only wishes he had a magical wolf companion and was the greatest dual sword fighter in the world. Highlights of the show include the evil sorcerer/playboy named Dude; Ringo saving everyone by being a wuss; a music duel worthy of Macross 7; an episode about religion; and as always Val bringing the manliness to counterbalance all the girl power cute. I was a little disappointed my theory about Cendrillon’s motivations was incorrect. It has a solid ending that does not prevent a sequel but does not beg for one. It leaves you with a warm and pleasant feeling which is all you can ask for sometimes and possibly just what you need.

Read the third book of Switch. I was of course delighted by Hal and Kai having to infiltrate a high school drug ring. It was a decent arc but seemed a bit predictable and the ending didn’t surprise me much. There was also not enough Hal in it which always takes it down a notch for me. The new arc dealing with a new section of the team that deals in information manipulation starts off really well. Looking forward to that continuing story in the next book.

After hearing a good deal of positive reviews I went back and watched Xam’d: Lost Memories from where I had stopped the last time. I was intrigued with the show but Narutaki’s interest waned so it was a matter of me getting back into the grove on my own. That this show came from Bones and its director was a man heavily involved with Eureka Seven is unmistakable. I enjoyed the tighter storytelling in the shorter Xam’d. There was less filler but there was almost no time to catch your breath. They moved quickly from important plot development to important plot development. Eureka Seven’s filler was usually enjoyable and helped you again insight into the characters so there are benefits to taking your time as well. I really enjoyed all the female characters which is a plus. Nakiami is pretty bad-arse while still being human. Haru Nishimura was my favorite character but she was the queen of making some rather foolish decisions. I will also reluctantly admit to being way to intune with Furuichi feelings and conflicts. Another good ending that leaves time to have a sufficient amount of conclusion without dragging it out. I am a little worried that all these good endings to series is setting me up for some big disappointment in the future. Another series I highly recommend especially if you liked Eureka Seven.  They have to get it out there some way that is not just the PlayStation Network because while I loved Xam’d I’m not buying a PS3 to own it.

Read Naughty But Nice by Naduki Koujima. In a strange turn of events, the cover art is unappealing while the interior work is pretty nice. This book actually contains two BL stories, Naughty But Nice (which is only the first half, it continues in a book called Spicy But Sweet) and Bouquet of Love. The first one is mediocre at best going along without any real rhyme or reason. Even though I like teacher x student I just couldn’t get into it. It moves at too clipped a pace throwing us Wakasa’s past ungracefully. Though surprisingly they didn’t jump into bed. The second one was quite a bit better. Kazuki is very cute, he works at a flower shop, and when he helps a man who is allergic to flowers a bond forms. It has a little bit of contrived drama, but otherwise is a sweet story. However, since it is the shorter of the two it doesn’t seem worth picking up. You can read a preview here.

I read the first book of Queen of Ragtonia by Chika Shiomi. It is a standard fantasy adventure but enjoyable. Falna is looking for a magical sword that can slay the evil necromancer that has taken over the kingdom and killed her family. This is a hard task because the necromancer has stolen her ability to walk and one of her eyes. Cardus is a huge sword-wielding warrior who also lost an eye fighting a demon at the beginning of the book. When they fight together they can defeat even the most powerful demons and save lost souls. The book is fun but the pacing is really odd. I can’t put my finger on it exactly but it seems to oscillate between being fast and slow. Cardus reminds me of Gourry in both of them are big powerful swordsmen that are sort of goofy and slow but kindly and brave. Falna is a character that wants to be a strong female character but is hampered by her physical handicaps and her inner weaknesses. So far she has mostly strives to be stronger which is good enough for me. Chika Shiomi has tried to show the motivations behind all the characters including the demons (though we haven’t seen the necromancer yet). It does not always work but it kept the monsters from being evil for evil’s sake. Apparently Queen of Ragtonia was originally a doujinshi that has been turned into a professional work. In the afterward the author shows some panels from the original compared to the panels in the new version. You can read a preview here.

I picked up the Black Jack Illustrations Museum, pocket-sized, from Book Off! It is filled with pictures of, you guessed it, everyone’s favorite surgeon. A few of the pictures involve other characters like Pinoko but 85% are just the man himself. The book is 320 pages long with 78 color pages, which includes some writings. The rest are all black and white images and the end has some writing as well. It’s a really nice piece and quite affordable.

This weeks pic is the Haru who leapt through time:

The Haru who lept through time


Kurozuka = Kuro + Kuromitsu = Kurosuck

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Guest review by Lothos

As one might expect from the title (kuro = black), Kurozuka is a dark tale. Betrayal, violence, and many twisted experiments run rampant throughout the series. Much of the overall tone of Kurozuka reminds me of the live action film Izo by director Takashi Miike. Izo had brilliant cinematography, some great special effects, and was surrealistically alluring. However, without knowing about the historical figure the movie is based on, you’d be thoroughly at a loss to understand what the hell is going on and why this angry, screaming, masked man is killing everyone he meets. Similar elements found in Kurozuka include: time jumping, a protagonist who doesn’t quite understand what is going on around him, a guy who brings a katana to a uzi fight and wins, and strange musical interludes (the Noh openings though are not quite as weird as the musical styling of Kazuki Tomokawa). However, Izo while being quite confusing and off kilter, is still a very interesting piece of work by the end. Kurozuka eventually gets to the point where you don’t really care how it ends.

Our story begins with Kuro and Benkei, his disciple, running through a forest and fighting some strange zombie samurai. We learn that Kuro is ill, so Benkei suggests that they find a place to stay the night. They see a fire in the distance and make their way to a lone cabin in the woods. Once there they meet the house’s owner, a beautiful and mysterious woman named Kuromitsu. She notices that Kuro is obviously ill (he faints from a fever) and tells them that they may stay as long as they require, but her one condition is that they do not enter her room. As the days go by Kuromitsu takes care of Kuro while Benkei tends to the daily chores. During this time Kuro develops a bond with Kuromitsu, partially due to his fevered state and also due to the times he his cognizant and realizes she is taking care of him. Kuro then wakes up one night, recovered from his illness. It is storming outside, and he feels a strange compelling force drawing him towards the forbidden room. Despite his apprehension, he peers between the cracked doors, seeing Kuromitsu’s secret, and thus their story begins.

We next see Kuro waking up wearing modern-looking clothing. He’s on the outskirts of a large, futuristic city. He doesn’t remember how he got there, all he really remembers is Kuromitsu and that they were separated. He enters the city and begins asking people if they’ve seen a woman matching Kuromitsu’s description. He’s met by a man who tells him he might have some information regarding the woman, but he’ll need to talk to his boss. They go to a bar, and then for some unknown reason some armed storm troopers arrive and begin killing everyone. Kuro, armed with his sword, proceeds to take out all of the attackers. Finally their leader, who looks like M. Bison with dreadlocks, comes in and proceeds to beat the snot out of Kuro. But, he’s in a good mood or something and lets him live. Finally, Kuro is taken to meet the boss and we learn that Kuromitsu is alive, and was in fact working with them at one point, but has since gone missing. We also learn that in this future her blood is sought after by some sort of militaristic omni-corp (who the storm troopers belonged to). So begins Kuro’s search for Kuromitsu and his journey to make sense out of his fragmented memories.

The characters in Kurozuka can all be summed up in one of two categories. Enigmatic or inconsequential. All the main characters are for the most part shrouded in mystery, and anyone who’s not a main character is usually only around for an episode or two and doesn’t really contribute much to the plot. For example, Kuro and Kuromitsu, you don’t really learn anything about either one of them until long into the series. Kuro is trying to find out where Kuromitsu went, and Kuromitsu is pretty much absent from most of the story except in Kuro’s hallucinations/fractured memories. Benkei also disappears for almost 90% of the series after the first episode. You then have some other characters introduced (not really introduced, more interjected into the story) but there is not much, if any, exposition about who they are or why they’re really joining up with Kuro. The vast majority of the characters in the series are also extremely one dimensional, which I can forgive when I’m watching a series just for some good action sequences, but unfortunately that expectation couldn’t be met either.

Things get a little complicated as the storytelling jumps between various time lines. One scene will show Kuro back in ancient Japan, with swords against other samurai. The next might show them being pursued by armored soldiers with guns. The viewer knows that what we’re seeing is in the past, but we don’t know how far back it goes. Whether the previous events were just a few years ago; shortly before Kuro’s most recent bout of amnesia; hundreds of years ago after he first met Kuromitsu; or any point in between the two is mostly unclear. This didn’t particularly bother me, and you begin to figure out the major parts of the time line as the series progresses.

Everything was progressing fine, albeit a bit muddled at times, then came episode nine. One would have thought the director/writers suddenly changed because the tone of the series does a complete 180. Out of nowhere terrible sight gags and horrendously corny action sequences (which seemed as though they were directed by Michael Bay) being to infest the series. The misplaced comedy only stuck around for that one episode, but unfortunately the damage was far from done. Ridiculous plot twists and villains that didn’t really even seem to serve a purpose began to run rampant. The show went from being a super slick and dark action/drama to being . . .well . . .stupid.

Kurozuka did at least perform well in one area, animation. The animation was fluid and the art was most of the time above average. The fight sequences were all pretty well done with quick action and lots of detail. Anytime Kuro went into his “hyper-mode” was always the highlight of the episode and was presented very nicely. The main thing that kept sticking out in my head was the overuse of a Star Wars-esque “blaster” sound during one of the final fights. Mind you, there were no blasters in this fight. There was a gun, but it wasn’t making the sound. The music, while nothing really memorable, was also not bad enough to draw any attention. The Noh pieces at the beginning of each episode were the same animated sequence with different lyrics, and the sound was pretty authentic. Not that I’m any expert on Noh theater, but from the live action performances I’ve seen this matched up pretty well with them.

Kurozuka started out so well. It was quite promising. I mean, who wouldn’t be interested in a show about zombies, samurai, vampires, and a story spanning a thousand years all wonderfully animated by Madhouse? It had style out the ass, a kickin’ opening theme, and enough hack and slash action in the first ten minutes to keep you glued. But then . . . God . . . oh God . . . The calamity ensued starting around episode nine, from then on I kept watching because of the grim fascination one gets when watching a documentary about a train wreck and seeing the impending disaster recreated in cheesy CG on the History Channel. I just had to see how terrible this could get, no matter how horrifying I knew it was going to be.

Top 5 Trainwrecks of a Series:

(Trainwreck meaning you don’t want to keep watching but can’t help it, not necessarily that it’s bad)

5. Welcome to the NHK
4. Koi Kaze
3. Neon Genesis Evangelion
2. Saikano
1. Narutaru