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NEWS: Anime Expo Parent Ends Ties with BAM! Marketing


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LordRobin



Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Posts: 354
Location: Akron, OH
PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 7:03 am Reply with quote
I wonder, perhaps they couldn't afford BAM!'s services any more? Or perhaps they just don't need a "public face of Anime Expo to the anime industry" as much as they used to, given the shrinking state of the anime industry.

I've always been curious what the final state of Anime Expo would be. This convention thrived by evolving into a gargantuan trade show. Anime industry sponsors paid for everything, it seemed. How does the con evolve to fit a new world in which that money just isn't there?

------RM
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DomFortress



Joined: 13 Feb 2009
Posts: 751
Location: Richmond BC, Canada
PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 2:41 pm Reply with quote
LordRobin wrote:
I've always been curious what the final state of Anime Expo would be. This convention thrived by evolving into a gargantuan trade show. Anime industry sponsors paid for everything, it seemed. How does the con evolve to fit a new world in which that money just isn't there?

------RM
The answer to that would be obvious; without a public relationship coverage, the convention fan base will just have to represent themselves as who they are without a hired face/farce. The question is, what kind of fans will be representing the convention?
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor


Joined: 05 Jan 2002
Posts: 7912
Location: Anime News Network Technodrome
PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 2:45 pm Reply with quote
LordRobin wrote:
I wonder, perhaps they couldn't afford BAM!'s services any more? Or perhaps they just don't need a "public face of Anime Expo to the anime industry" as much as they used to, given the shrinking state of the anime industry.

I've always been curious what the final state of Anime Expo would be. This convention thrived by evolving into a gargantuan trade show. Anime industry sponsors paid for everything, it seemed. How does the con evolve to fit a new world in which that money just isn't there?

------RM


Er, the convention just brought in a new CEO. New CEOs frequently come with their own marketing team. Staff and contractor replacements are a frequent occurrence when there are big changes at the top of any organization.
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Mohawk52



Joined: 16 Oct 2003
Posts: 8202
Location: England, UK
PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 2:59 pm Reply with quote
DomFortress wrote:
LordRobin wrote:
I've always been curious what the final state of Anime Expo would be. This convention thrived by evolving into a gargantuan trade show. Anime industry sponsors paid for everything, it seemed. How does the con evolve to fit a new world in which that money just isn't there?

------RM
The answer to that would be obvious; without a public relationship coverage, the convention fan base will just have to represent themselves as who they are without a hired face/farce. The question is, what kind of fans will be representing the convention?
I would expect the usual suspects. Why would they be any different? Wink
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DomFortress



Joined: 13 Feb 2009
Posts: 751
Location: Richmond BC, Canada
PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 4:23 pm Reply with quote
Mohawk52 wrote:
DomFortress wrote:
LordRobin wrote:
I've always been curious what the final state of Anime Expo would be. This convention thrived by evolving into a gargantuan trade show. Anime industry sponsors paid for everything, it seemed. How does the con evolve to fit a new world in which that money just isn't there?

------RM
The answer to that would be obvious; without a public relationship coverage, the convention fan base will just have to represent themselves as who they are without a hired face/farce. The question is, what kind of fans will be representing the convention?
I would expect the usual suspects. Why would they be any different? Wink
Surely you jest! Surprised For there must be more than the mere image of today's anime convention fan base, that could be of any interest being noteworthy to the general public. Wink
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esw01407



Joined: 21 Apr 2006
Posts: 9
Location: PA
PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 6:08 pm Reply with quote
I don't know whether its a good move or Anime Expo or not, but I can't say I'm going to miss reading Chase Wang's horribly annoying PR e-mails.
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HayateTokidoki



Joined: 06 Jul 2007
Posts: 37
PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 6:34 pm Reply with quote
Lots of PR emails or not, Chase pretty much ran the show at AX. I can't even tell you how many times he was the only one that knew the answer to something or had to step in to solve a problem. I can't even imagine the con running without him to fix all the problems brought about by AX's generally poor planning..
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Cyan Bloodbane



Joined: 12 Mar 2005
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 6:43 pm Reply with quote
HayateTokidoki wrote:
I can't even imagine the con running without him to fix all the problems brought about by AX's generally poor planning..


Oh I think you can imagine it. Think about how bad the last 6 years of AX have been, and now magnify the problems tenfold.

Board of industry advisers dictating AX Policies = ruined convention.

I mean, corporate sponsorship is fine and all. It's the only reason some cons exist. However, once you start trying to exert your control over the convention, dictating policy, draconian cosplay rules, industry only panels, ruining the video rooms with your crappy dubs, disallowing the showing of fansubbed shows (even unlicensed ones) and generally taking the con away from fans and turning it into no more than an anime style car trade show, you've outstayed your welcome.

This is coming from someone who's attended AX for close to 12 years now. I've watched the decline.

The only thing we can do is not give AX our money, and hope they learn their lesson.

The fans made you, the fans can break you.
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LordRobin



Joined: 25 Feb 2003
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 6:50 pm Reply with quote
Zac wrote:
LordRobin wrote:
I wonder, perhaps they couldn't afford BAM!'s services any more? Or perhaps they just don't need a "public face of Anime Expo to the anime industry" as much as they used to, given the shrinking state of the anime industry.

Er, the convention just brought in a new CEO. New CEOs frequently come with their own marketing team. Staff and contractor replacements are a frequent occurrence when there are big changes at the top of any organization.

You're absolutely right, of course, and it was just idle speculation on my part. Still, the story as presented was just that AX was letting go of a marketing team with six years of experience, not that the team was being replaced by such-and-such a team. Thus, the speculation. When the next press release comes out saying how they're going to do their marketing from here on out, we'll know the score.

------RM
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DomFortress



Joined: 13 Feb 2009
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 7:11 pm Reply with quote
Cyan Bloodbane wrote:
... I mean, corporate sponsorship is fine and all. It's the only reason some cons exist. However, once you start trying to exert your control over the convention, dictating policy, draconian cosplay rules, industry only panels, ruining the video rooms with your crappy dubs, disallowing the showing of fansubbed shows (even unlicensed ones) and generally taking the con away from fans and turning it into no more than an anime style car trade show, you've outstayed your welcome.

...The fans made you, the fans can break you.
Are you suggesting those irresponsible behaviors towards anime is something that should be allowed in an industry sponsored convention, because somehow they're supporting the industry with it? How and why should they be considered as good plannings? Confused
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nargun



Joined: 29 Mar 2006
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 7:12 pm Reply with quote
Cyan Bloodbane wrote:
disallowing the showing of fansubbed shows (even unlicensed ones)


Well, you know, it is illegal.

You can run a perfectly good, even a brilliant, screening schedule without fansubs. Requires thought and structure rather than whatever you can grab off the intertubes; there's lots of things I'd bitch about madman [or, you know, if it weren't horribly unprofessional] but telling us not to show fansubs at Manifest never.
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor


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PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 7:22 pm Reply with quote
Cyan Bloodbane wrote:


The fans made you, the fans can break you.


Uh huh. Your average congoer is 15, shows up in a Naruto headband, does some shopping and spends the weekend partying with their friends. Few of them give a crap about no fansubs being shown and the "industry only" panels are usually only about half full even when they do let in general admission passholders (which I've never seen them not do, I've never seen an "industry only" panel that was actually industry only).

If they throw the con, and have decent guests, a masquerade, and a dance, the kids will show up. Period.
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Rusty_Angel



Joined: 26 Sep 2009
Posts: 8
PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 7:37 pm Reply with quote
Cyan Bloodbane wrote:

Oh I think you can imagine it. Think about how bad the last 6 years
of AX have been, and now magnify the problems tenfold.

Board of industry advisers dictating AX Policies = ruined convention.


Uhh....

What "Board of industry advisers"?

Everyone currently on the SPJA Board is a former AX staffer, and
none of them have connections to any of the Anime companies,
either domestic or Japanese.

And there is no separate "advisory" board either, so I question your
assumptions on this matter.

The specific complaint you have about not showing fansubs,
and only the "crappy dubs", has already been addressed above
regarding the fact that fansubs are, simply put. *illegal*. AX is
currently the largest anime convention in the US, and thus also
gets the highest amount of scrutiny. AX plays *only* what it has
specifically received permission to play, to avoid any potential legal
issues. If AX wants to bring over the director or voice talent for
the most current hot property, it doesn't make sense to offend
the company who *owns* the property by having unauthorized
showings of the anime in question.
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Cyan Bloodbane



Joined: 12 Mar 2005
Posts: 117
PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 9:03 pm Reply with quote
I'd like to point out something before it devolves further.

Showing Fansubs of licensed shows is illegal, and should not be encouraged.

However, the banning of fansubbed Un-licensed shows is my main concern. None of these anime companies have any interest AT ALL in bringing some shows over to the west, so they'll never see a commercial light of day over here. We are only allowed to watch what they can make a buck off of in the dealers hall. Smells and stinks of trade show.

It's wrong in my opinion to deny anime fans the chance to see some great shows, dictated only by whether or not they will be a commercial success.

Imagine if you will that Cowboy Bebop came out today, instead of 1998. And now imagine for some reason or another, none of the big companies thought it would a worthwhile investment to bring over, so no one licensed it (I know, almost impossible, even if the show wasn't received as well in Japan) Now imagine if the only way to watch it was fansubs through the community because the industry wanted no part in it, and decided it was wrong to show it at the convention since it wasn't one of their "money makers".

That to me is not what promoting Japanese animation is about. That's business, surely, but this is more than a business. This is an artform a great many care about. Would you honestly take anybody seriously if they told you that you should only buy American made CD's and not import music, because there's no way at the moment for the American Publisher to make money off it?

Ridiculous. Great anime should be seen and promoted. That is what the true promotion of Japanese animation should be about.


Quote:
Are you suggesting those irresponsible behaviors towards anime is something that should be allowed in an industry sponsored convention, because somehow they're supporting the industry with it? How and why should they be considered as good plannings?


Once again, you only highlighted out the part of my complaint that has to do with fansubs, which I have adressed above. The other items mentioned (exert your control over the convention, dictating policy, draconian cosplay rules, industry only panels) you seem to have glazed over.

Quote:
Uh huh. Your average congoer is 15, shows up in a Naruto headband, does some shopping and spends the weekend partying with their friends. Few of them give a crap about no fansubs being shown and the "industry only" panels are usually only about half full even when they do let in general admission passholders (which I've never seen them not do, I've never seen an "industry only" panel that was actually industry only).

If they throw the con, and have decent guests, a masquerade, and a dance, the kids will show up. Period.


Sadly, you're right. The Cancer has taken over most anime conventions.

I at least will do my part in not supporting the con anymore. Hopefully other like minds will do the same. Perhaps give our time and effort to more deserving, fan run conventions who still have the correct mood/setting for an anime convention.
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Tempest
I Run this place.
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Joined: 29 Dec 2001
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 26, 2009 9:41 pm Reply with quote
Cyan Bloodbane wrote:
I'd like to point out something before it devolves further.

Showing Fansubs of licensed shows is illegal, and should not be encouraged.

However, the banning of fansubbed Un-licensed shows is my main concern.


I don't want to disagree with your sentiment, just address an issue with the facts. The way you phrased your statement might be construed to imply that screening fansubs of unlicensed material is legal. This is not the case. Screening fansubs of any Anime, whether licensed or not, requires the permission of the copyright owner, or their assignees or licensees. Without that permission, the screening of unlicensed fansubs is illegal.

I also know, for a fact, that many Japanese companies do not want fansubs of their shows screened. Conversely, I know some Japanese individuals, that have no problem with fansubs. But as a whole, they are now in the minority among the Japanese industry.

I'd also like to repeat something I've stated in the past. Under US law, if an unlicensed fansub is screened or distributed, the future licensee will have legal recourse even if the copyright owner takes no action.

In otherwords, if "con A" screens fansubs of unlicensed "Anime X," and company "C" later licenses Anime X, C would be able to initiate legal proceeding against Con A.

-t
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