Forum - View topicInterview: AX PR Head - Chase Wang
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.Sy
Posts: 1266 |
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I like having an exposure to other cultures, and I really think concerts are a fun activity to attend. Even though anime conventions are for anime and manga, concerts liven things up a little.
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Andromeda
Posts: 119 Location: Florida |
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Since I watch both sub AND dub (it depends on the show and how good the dub is. I watch SM subbed, but shows like Bebop I watch dubbed), and because the voices are such a big part of enjoying the animation to me, I don't mind at all when tehy have VAs. ANd, looking at it from the budget perspective, English VAs are less expensive to bring in. I would rather a con not go under because of trying to get Yoko Kanno and a bajillion other famous Japanese names that they can't afford. Well, OK, maybe for Yoko Kanno. Or Yoshiuki Sadamoto, but I draw the line after those two.  And even then, jeez... can you imagine how much that would cost.
Also, American VAs are NOT boring. Not the ones, certainly, that I met at last year's FITcon (in Florida). They had Tiffany Grant! I loved her as Matsuya (in Excel Saga). Plus, she DID do stuff other than a VA panel; she was there for all three days, and was there for an Evangelion panel (which had some new info on the movie and a discussion about the series as a whole), and a "Strong Women In Anime" panel (that was fun!), and a panel on religious symbolism in SF anime, alongside the two VA panels, one of which she co-hosted with her husband, who ya'll might recognize as the VP of ADV Films? And, since she and her husband work for ADV, they also hosted an ADV panel, and they had a little trivia game at the end and gave away some DVDs and stuff. Plus, they were both VERY ncie and approachable when I asked (being interested in animation myself) about DVD production and distrubution, and combining audio and animation and things like that. And she had some really funny stories to share - I got to walk alongside her to a couple fo her panels and chat.
I wouldn't call that wasted. I'd call that "The best darn con I've ever been to!"
Would I prefer to meet Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, one of the co-creators of Evangelion and its current manga-ka? Hell yes. But, considering FITcon has always been small and low-budget, and they still had a great con with fun games, interesting panel events, and some neat showings (like Someday's Dreamers before it was called Someday's Dreamers, or an episode of the then-new live-action Sailor Moon that was absolutely hysterical), and considering they at least had the time and money to snag Matt Greenfieild, Tiffany Grant, and George Manly (who was quite nice and fun himself)? ANd considering how hard it probably is to snag Yoshiyuki Sadamoto? Do I regret it? Nope. I'm just glad that they tried their best and managed to come up with three really good guests (other than the guy who does Anime That Sucks at JACON. Last year, he did Anime That Sucks for FITcon, too. That was FUN!  ).
As for musical guests... depends. The Pillows, Yoko Kanno, the Seatbelts (who did the theme to CB), Megumi Hayshibara or Ayumi Hamasaki who've done a lot fo work for anime... they're worth it. But just make sure they're known enough and good enough to be a real draw for fans is all. Would I still prefer Sadamoto to pretty much any of them? Yeah. But I wouldn't mind seeing them, either. Whatever a con can get, I say... BUT, if I ever hear of a con favoring Puffy Ami Yumi over Yoshiyuki Sadamoto... well, I won't do anything, but I'll shake my head at the lack of sense. (Of course, though, as you may be able to tell, I'm a complete Sadamoto fangirl by now anyway. )
More manga-ka would be AWESOME, though. I actually collect and read more manga than I do anime, mostly because it's cheaper, but just... in general, I like comics. I remember last year getting to meet the Peach Fuzz folks at JACON... yeah, they weren't Japanese, but the manga is cute as heck, and we had a great discussion about manga and ferrets (both I and they have two, and the manga's about a girl and her first pet, a ferret).  It was fun meeting the creators of one of the manga I like so much and read. It would be beyond fun to meet some of the other authors of manga I read, like... obviously, Sadamoto, but also Natsumi Ando (Zodiac P.I.), who is seriously underrated IMHO, or the one who did Petshop of Horrors, etc. Naoko Takeuchi is a given (ah, sweet nostalgia), but isn't she sorta semi-retired? I know she has a family now, at least.
-Andromeda |
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BattleHork
Posts: 8 |
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Musical guests are okay if they're relatively cheap and most importantly don't suck. For instance Anime Weekend Atlanta this year had Peelander-Z who happened to be on tour already and Yoko Ishida whom also happened to be on tour in the US already, one heavily sponsored by Geneon at that. They were both awesome shows (albiet in completely different ways) and it probably didn't cost much to get them there. It's one thing to get an independent band like Peelander or an act that's actually being promoted in the US such as Yoko Ishida and others. It's entirely another with the people unrealistically expecting them to fly over <name your favorite Japanese band> for ONE show that would cost a small fortune that may not even really have much of a following here to start with. In other words don't expect to see a big name musical artist/group at any con unless Sony or Geneon wants to pay for it
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Starwind Amada
Posts: 981 Location: Easton, PA, USA |
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Completely untrue. You're just trying to say that your preference is superior, which it is not. And anyway, I'd rather meet someone whose voice I recognize and speaks my native language rather than some Japanese VA who needs an interpreter or may speak English, but with a barely-understandable Japanese accent. And anyway, I prefer dubs, so why would I want to meet someone I don't know or care about? Also, you have to remember that there are people of all ages at cons - if they only invited Japanese VAs, the younger fans probably wouldn't attend the panels because they don't have the patience to watch anime in Japanese. Also, English VAs are American (or Canadian) and so they understand the culture and how people are, unlike the Japanese guests who always seem to be nervous and only speak when spoken to. From personal experience, meeting Dave Wittenberg and Johnny Young Bosch at Anime Boston 2005 was better than listening to Daisuke Moriyama ramble on about Chrono Crusade (which I love, BTW) IN JAPANESE (he had an interpreter, but still) and be serious the entire time. And I agree with the budget thing - if a con can't afford to get someone like Yoko Kanno and/or Shinichiro Watanabe, they shouldn't bother. I'd much rather meet Steve Blum, anyway. |
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SemeUke
Posts: 1 Location: Chicago, IL |
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Chase Wang is a delightful man to work with. He is a professional and fun-loving public relations genius.
I know this posting appears like because I know Chase it must mean I'm overly-biased towards him  , but I consider myself a fan of his charisma and innovative ideas which have made AX conventions absolutely stunning cons for everyone, planners included. This man knows how to do his job and do it well. He has the critical insight to realize how to ensure as many people as possible can enjoy the programming that his clients created -- that spells success to me. Cheers to yet another successful PR project by BAM! Marketing, Publicity & Promotions.
Indeed, it was a great interview. I can't wait to see what AX06 looks like. Way to go, Chase! Nuríko |
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ACDragonMaster
 Posts: 405 |
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I'd like to point out, that at a con of 1000 people attending, it's near impossible for any one person to encounter every other attendee, let alone actually notice any/all costumes that would be inappropriate. Now think how hard it'd be to pick out the tiny handful of people at a con 20 times that size who decide to wear something indecent. Con staff are only human and can just do what they can. It's really up to the attendess themselves to help with things like, and just because a costume slipped under the radar one year doesn't mean it'll manage that again another. |
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hagakure|returns
Posts: 407 |
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You mean there's no securty gaurd at the door that make sure the right people with passes get in? 
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