FACTS 2008, the day after

[Malkavian]

Hi Guys first of all i want to say i had alot of fun, just like every year. Since you guys moved towards ICC i never missed a year, and i still love it.

Am gonna post some Positive, Negative points, so you guys can maybe work on it or make it even better (maybe handy if everybody that replies with comment does the same style)


Positive
- COMICS, for the first time in many years i really felt like i could browse comic boxes for hours. Great job, the comic retailers were great. On the top of my head i counted more than 7 different stands with at least 7 comic boxes.

- Artists, the amount of comic artists was great, the price they asked was SUPER. Steve Niles was brilliant, it was awesome to also see a comicwriter on FACTS. MORE MORE

- Amount of Shops is awesome, alot of choice from books, games, tshirts, statues, boardgames, comics, ....

Negative
- the TV stars were great but the price was a bit too much. I understand that it costs money, but the 10 euro for a picture was a big downer for me. Last year it was 20 euro for a signed picture and a foto with the star. Now it was 30 euro. If you for instance take the 3 Stargate stars thats 90 euro , previous year the same thing would cost me 60 euro. Somebody from FACTS told me its the agency that wanted that. But you all noticed there wasn't a big cue for the actors and thats a shame. Maybe go back for one BIG star and 2 "lesser known" stars?

- After all those years, why isn't there a Combi-Ticket? Last couple of years i go the 2 days towards FACTS. Yet i still have to wait in line on sunday.
Why isn't there a 2-day ticket, with a special price. I would say as example 15 euro for the 2 days (normal) , 12 euro for 2 days (cos-players). You pull more people back for a second day, more winnings for the shops, maybe even more for the actors/artists. And you lower the waiting lines at the entrance on the second day.

[cartoonjessie]

I also noticed that the line on Saturday moved a lot quicker than it did on Sunday. Reason is kind of obvious: Half of the ehm... kassa's (what's the English word again?) were closed on Sunday.

As someone participating in the cosplay competition on Saturday, I have to say that - though there was much better lighting than there was last year - the organisation wasn't all that. Or as some folks joked to me: "What organisation?"
Because I wanted to perform for 4 minutes on stage with my friends and wanted to see the end of the show as well - I spent 4 hours on the cosplay competition. At 13:30 we had to get into the room where the cosplayers had to gather, then we stood in a hall for what must have been hours and then by about 17:30 all winners had finally been announced.
Also heard from a lot of people that the judges were illogical - or maybe just prejudiced towards perfect-sized-girls - weren't there 3 categories that they needed to judge on? How come people without an act could actually win prizes? And the technical errors? Who could even keep track of them?! Having to run out to get a battery in the middle of an act?! Or arriving 5 minutes late when you have to actually be the sound technician of the organisation or something? That's no organisation.

It has been said many of years before - but the cosplay competition needs to change. There are events where these competitions go SOOOO well! Why not get THOSE people to do the cosplay competition at FACTS? Is that so hard?

I really hope improvements will be made by next year, cause there are a lot of frustrated people amongst the cosplayers because of this organisation. When people go: "I won't even bother again next year" - something's terribly wrong.

So please please pleaaaaaase do something about it by next year.

Positive stuff... Loved Aztek-TV's stand outside the cosplay area. ^^ That was awesome.
Also loved the fanvillage and the Dance Dance Revolution thing - even more awesomeness!

I'll definately come up with more suggestions in the following weeks and months. But I'll give them a bit more thought before posting them.

[Tyra]

I agree with Cartoonjessie.
Once again the cosplay contest wasn't what it's supposed to be, and it's a shame. How much of a bother is it to check your equipment BEFORE the competition?
On to the positive stuff
the lighting was better than last year and I was soooooo glad that the Dutch announcer didn't try to pronounce names he could't pronounce. I liked the atmosphere better the second day, the French announcer was really funny.
And I liked the Hamlet quoting, d**n he's good, it was better than that poor excuse for a waltz they did the first day.
All in all the contest improved, but someone please, PLEASE tell the tech guy to check his equipment before the show next year... and to actually show up on time.

[KillingRaptor]

Yeah, the equipment used for music on the cosplay competition wasn't that good at all... If people give their music used in the act, at least check it before the competition starts so that we don't have any trouble with that anymore.
Positive: well for the rest it was another great edition of FACTS and I can't wait already for next year.

[Stoney3K]

Oct 13, 2008 12:43:39 GMT 1 KillingRaptor said:

Yeah, the equipment used for music on the cosplay competition wasn't that good at all... If people give their music used in the act, at least check it before the competition starts so that we don't have any trouble with that anymore.

I think there's one thing to be said with that: If you want the job done right, hire a professional. Keep in mind that all of the FACTS people are volunteers and there is a chance that someone makes a mistake once in a while.

I can agree that the music timing on the cosplay competition was, so to speak, a bit off. Every track was played through the laptop and on most of the acts, it took at least 30 seconds for the crew to load up the track, and start it. I may have a somewhat critical view on that as an AV professional, but if you're waiting minutes and the presenter starts to recite Hamlet because it's so quiet, you're doing something wrong.

If you want to be on the absolute safe side, burn the music to an audio CD. That's the quickest, most fail-safe and easiest to start (any monkey can slam a PLAY button), and that's especially important where the music of your cosplay act contributes to the surprise effect.

[windcaller]

Negative:
It was way too warm at the Artist Alley. Some airconditioners would be a very big plus! Or even some vents would do, just get the air in there flowing, even the artists had trouble with it sometimes.

The food was lousy! Get a french fries stand in there and make a lot of people happier. I mean, come on, hamburger is more then a pieve of meat on a bun, and a hotdog needs mustard. Grilled cheese? that is just not food, that is a snack. The prices were way to high for stuff like this. I did like the fact they tried to make it funny with all the names they gave the food, but a little more thought into it would make it go a lot further.
The register to get 'credits' for the food was in an akward corner and not easy recocnizable.

The floorplan is too 'bare'. Why not put the standnumbers on it and below the floorplan the names of all the stand holders? That way you can lookup your favorite stand in a second and even get better bearings when getting inside.
As a firsttimer, I realy could not get a good fix on where I was according to the floorplan, and neither could the 3 guys I had with me. It is easy enough to make the floorplan a bit more clear.

The room inbetween the stands was a bit too narrow. I get that all the stands have to be crammed in the building, but I saw more possibilities for more room and an easier access to all the stands. When a COS-player wants to look at a few things he gets no room whatsoever to move around. And when I want to pass a COS player, I need to be aware of everything sticking out of the costume to not be poked in the eye or even be decaputated, this happend to me on 2 occasions and is no fun for the COS player or me. So more room in the isles is realy nessesary.

Positive:
Enough FACTS volunteers to ask a lot of questions. I had no trouble finding crew.

Diversity! There were a lot of stands with merchandise, but all and all the did not have the same items over and over again. It made watching fun.

Clean toilets! What a blessing, the cleaning-lady realy did her job!

[drslump]

The judges need a table, like in America Idol.

For the food: next year Sushi & Noodle bar.

Check the equipment ... and One more thing...buy Mac.

[Saiyen_bra]

i loved it , i really did ^^ you see me next year for sure

Wat can be different then :
- slots on the locker , and maybe a bigger locker
more mirrors , like the little one' that you could see you whole self in
- acts on time
- idd look at the costume and not the pretty face
- chairs to sit down wen the acts start
- i hope that anime is separated in the groupers ( the categories)
-4 kassa's
- and a public price , one that the ppl like ^^

[Myka]

Oct 14, 2008 20:47:46 GMT 1 drslump said:

Check the equipment ... and One more thing...buy Mac.

-> hahaha ok this made me laugh for quiet some time. XP

Anyways, yes. F.A.C.T.S is in Belgium. Why not show that a bit. Fries would be an excellent idea. Although you're cheaper, better, faster off getting the food somewhere in the city. Only problem is that you need someone that knows the area to tell you were to get some descent food.
The time you stand in line, get the credits, stand some more in line, [getting told you're at the wrong section and STILL have to stand in line till you meet the next guy at the counter - repeat this], till you get food, is about 30min+ around eating hours? Not to mention the credits are far too expensive and a few friends of mine got cold "hot" food. A cold hotdog or toast? :s no thank you.

[Stoney3K]

Oct 14, 2008 20:47:46 GMT 1 drslump said:

For the food: next year Sushi & Noodle bar.

Seconded!

A good view of the people responsible for the FACTS organisation was a bit missing. But remember, the people in the yellow shirts were running their respective body parts off to make this year's FACTS possible, and they may not have been available for questions/remarks from either booth members or fans.

An information desk upstairs may be a suggestion. Our booth was straight in the line of sight when everybody came off the escalators, and everyone thought we were the upstairs information desk and asked for directions.

[stargazertje]

There would maybe help a map or something like that? I just remember how hot it was. When I first came in I even couldn't breath properly and just wanted to turn back right away. especially in costume it was very very warm.

[stargazertje]

Oh, somebody said also that there was not much Stargate merchandise and they had aspected more stuff, certainly with 3 SGguests.