jetpack_monkey | Vividcon 2013 CON REPORT Part 1

Holy crap, what an amazing time I had at Vividcon this year. I can't even begin to tell you. Arrived on Thursday (left my wallet on the plane and somebody had to retrieve it for me, oops). Hugged a bunch of people immediately upon entering the hotel, because that's just what you do. Dropped off my stuff at the hotel room, where I met up with echan and our con roomies Third Mouse and Shati. Hugged some more people, registered, then got my Fiasco on for the first of three games this weekend.

Fiasco Game 1 - Thursday at 7:30PM
Players: Jetpack Monkey, Lizbetann, Diannelamerc, Laura47, and Kerithwyn
Playset: White Hole
A war criminal hiding out as a military chaplain, a drunk engineer with vengeance on the brain, a thief with a soulbond like a bad Vegas wedding, the Bloodworm-worshipping Mother Superior at the other side of that soulbond, and an alien bartender who knows the score around these parts and happens to be very, very fertile. Oh and did I mention that they're on a space station that's falling into a White Hole and the only spacecraft left is a two-seater? Some seriously fucked up gameplay. It was magical.

After that I'm pretty sure that I crashed, because I didn't get a lot of sleep the previous night. Well, I didn't get a lot of sleep that night either, but who cares, because we move onto...

VIVIDCON DAY 1 - FRIDAY

Woke up early, grabbed breakfast (hugs and hellos), then did con suite training and VJ training. More hellos, more hugs. This weekend was major on the hugs. I'm a hugger.

First vidshow of the day was "History of Challenge" which was a lovely little eyeopener, full of some really wonderful vids, many of which I'd never seen before and several of which I was all too happy to see again.

I don't know what mad genius decided to put Glitterguts as the second vidshow of the day, but kudos. It really worked there. A lot of great, disgusting(ly awesome) vids there and my own vid seemed to get the reaction I wanted. When I do my recs list later, there's definitely going to be at least one vid from that show in there.

I went to panels for the rest of the day. In "Chill the Fuck Out", I found that if vidding wasn't already Sisabet's archnemesis, I totally would be. I'm not one of those people who finds that vidding hates me. I find making vids frustrating sometimes, but it's always a matter of my own limitations as a vidder, being unable to see the path forward. I usually work it out and I've had a couple vids turn out exactly as I intended (that is, they had clips all throughout the timeline and were enjoyable to watch). Vidding is my anti-stress. Keep in mind, however, that I have an awful emotional memory for anything that isn't abject embarrassment, so this could all be lies.

Then I went to AbsoluteDestiny's two-hour Song Choice panel, which was really great. I loved his triangle of Song Choice, Edited Source, and Idea. It really made me consider vids I'd made in the past that hadn't worked as strongly as I'd hoped and where they fell down on those three points. It also drove home the realization that I've been resting on my music laurels for the last several months, which may be why my vidding has slowed down (also the whole "burned out after making 16 vids in eight months" thing). Lots of great conversation and some fun illustrative vids as well.

I skipped the last panel of the day for reasons I'm not entirely clear on -- I may have just wanted to hang out with some people or decompress or do some pre-Club Vivid prep. I don't really recall. I helped out with the Club Vivid set-up because I AM THE TALL. RAR.

Then it was Club Vivid! I cosplayed as Number 6 from The Prisoner and Sweetestdrain cosplayed as Number 2 (it's a shame we never did get pictures taken). My cosplay didn't last long because the jacket was hot and (thankfully) my Prisoner vid played early.

It was the greatest night of my life. Okay, that's not true. However, if you'd asked me at the time, I probably would've said as much in all honesty. I don't know what crazy magic happened, but everything came together and was glitter and butterflies and wonderful joy forever. So many great new vids, so many beloved favorite vids. I tired myself out so many times, only to sally forth and get my groove on once more. I was a living mass of throbbing muscles and sweat by night's end. WORTH IT.

I'll leave off here and pick up again tomorrow with Saturday and Sunday, including both Sunday Fiasco games.