Provo Sci-Fi and Fantasy Symposium...I need panelists!

(Edit: I do need to mention, this is in no way having anything to do for profit. Everything is free, including the symposium, which only uses volunteers.)

You may or may not have heard of Life, the Universe, and Everything, a Science Fiction and Fantasy Symposium. It's held every year, right here in Provo! LTUE this year is February 12-15 (Wed.-Sat.) at the Wilkinson Center at BYU and is free to the public. (more info at http://humanities.byu.edu/ltue )

I'm on the commmitee and in charge of finding media panelists (basically, people willing to talk to each other about geeky sci-fi and fantasy subjects) for panels about sf/f media.

I'm very, very short on panelists (i.e. I'm desperate), and thought even if none of you were interested in being panelists, at least this would be good PR. Spread the word!

Panels can be scheduled anytime from 9 am to 6 or 7 pm on Feb. 13-15, so please, take a look, and either respond here, PM me, or email me at mayflowers701@yahoo.com if you're interested in being on anything. Some of these panels may have one, or possibly two people already signed up, but I still need more panelists on all of them! Thanks!

Panels:
General:

For Every Good There is an Evil: A discussion of how good and evil are portrayed in SF media using actors, set design, lighting, costuming, and the works.

Religion, Science Fiction, and Fantasy: Are the three compatible? Does being a fan of SF debunk faith and religion? If not, then why not?

Galaxy Quest Syndrome: A discussion of why our society speculates with SF through the media.

Star Trek ... Today?: Will the shows of science fiction today become reality someday?

Science Fiction and the Laws of Physics: You may scoff, but can the two terms be used in the same sentence and still be used accurately?

Fantasy Magic: A look at the different types of magic used in Lord of the Rings, Charmed, Buffy and Angel, etc.

Dragons at the Movies: The use of dragons in films such as Reign of Fire.

Spielberg's Work: A look at some of Steven Spielberg's SF films (Jurassic Park, A.I., Minority Report) and their role as social commentary.

The Sound of Music: A look at music used in early SF films and tv shows.

Humor, SF, TV... Why Not?: Aside from Buffy and 3rd Rock, have any programs explored the potential for laughter in sf? Surely Roswell and Dark Angel folded partly because they only had one funny episode, let alone continuous reparte.

Cancelled: Farewell Farscape and All Failures (Strange Luck, Space Precinct, Roswell, Dark Angel, etc.) Powerful corporations devote enormous commitments of time and talent and money to produce a pilot, let alone a season. Why\How do programs get cancelled? Could\Should we do anything about it? How and when?

Superman Genealogy: The history of the superhero.

Double Identities: Most of us can identify with Walter Mitty (the colorless character with the colorful fantasies of his own heroism). Since Superman, most superheroes have secret identities; this parallels our having our real self and a fantasy self. Geeks may have meat space and multiple cyberspace identities (for various games, newsgroups, chat, MUDs, etc.). Deep cover agents have multiple real identities. What does the dual identity of the Superhero have to say about us?

The Fickle Finger of Fandom: Why and how does a program (Star Trek) gain legions of fanatics?

Copyright Crisis: Exactly how far do copyright laws extend? Find out how scared George Lucas and other media bigwigs are getting.


Books to Film and Vice Versa:

To Read or to Watch? Books, TV, and Film: Books allow you to use your own imagination. Television shows expand the world the characters are in because of multiple seasons. Films can tell the story in a bigger way. But which medium portrays SF best?

Book to Movie and Never Back: How do you have to change a book to make it work as a movie? How did Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter do this? No one has ever written a novelization of or from film\TV that worked particularly w

 

I'd really love to participate, but I'm no longer in Utah.

 

Greetings Mia,

This sounds like alot of fun.

I would love to help out with this. As a former BYU student, I have heard of the Symposium,; I've just never been. Maybe we can make something of this and have it be the group activity for February.

I am somewhat an authority on costumes and their construction. You can see a few of the costumes out of my collection in the Halloween and Media Play photos at http://www.starwarsutah.com

It might be fun to turn this into a costume event for the group. If this is a possibility, I can create a costume sign-up list like we have in the past and have people from the group fill my costumes. I can also have 10+ Stormtroopers there at the event.

Mia, please reply in this thread or send me an E-mail at mike@tombofthejedi.com and let me know how we can help.

EDIT: Fixed hotlink.

Regards,

 

Mia, I have known about this con for the past couple years but have never been because of schedule/work/project conflicts. I would love to participate! Please respond here or email me.

 

I go to the symposium every year. Seriously. My mom was once the art track director. Maybe you've heard of my parents, David and Jeanne Burnett? Anyway, I'd be more than happy to help with panels. Anything Star Wars, Buffy, costuming, or whatever. I need a panel that's after 5 on Thursday (unless I skip class to go, which I don't mind doing, I'm learning how to waltz and, hello, already know that), anything after 3 (again with the school thing) on Friday, and just about anything on Saturday.

And I would like to take this opportunity to state the following:

I WANT THE LEGOLAS CARDBOARD STANDUP IN THE TOLKIEN DISPLAY IN THE BOOKSTORE!!!!!

Dana

 

work and school will probably not allow me to go, although id love to. what requirements are there to be on a panel? ive never gone to anything like this (being a 'closet nerd'), but i have read a great deal of sci fi/fantasy, and watched my fair share. if someone could tell me what being on a panel meant, i would definitely rearrange my life to be involved with this.

and Dantana, which dance class are you taking? whos youre instructor?

 

Thanks for your responses, guys, this will honestly help a lot. And it will help destress my life. And it's always good to get fresh blood at the symposium, from what I hear. This is only my first year on the committee; they dragged me in young! *whimper*.......

Dana: ROFLOL! There's only one problem with that. He's MINE.

You can actually order the cardboard standups from the official merchandise site, but the only one they have of Legolas is a combo of Legolas and Gimli!

-Mia

 

LakSivrak, don't worry, I was a closet nerd too, for many years. I still get strange looks, but then people end up admitting they like sci-fi too.

Being 'qualified' to be on a panel, from what I know, is just if you're comfortable talking about it in a Q&A type setting. There will most likely be a moderator there, helping guide the discussion, etc. You may start out with a sort of 'this is my stance' lecture before more Q&A stuff.... Oh boy. This isn't sounding right. Somebody please correct me! My brain is missing neural pathways, I swear it on my Star Trek tapes.

-Mia

 

Mike, I tried to email you and got an error message, saying there is no server of @tombofthejedi.com.

Do you have another email address or should I just post in here or send you a PM?

-Mia

 

Ooooopsss! Sorry about that, Mia! I accidentally allowed TomboftheJedi.com to expire. I just renewed it and it will be working in the morning. Sorry for the inconvenience.

You may also E-mail me at mike@starwarsutah.com or mike@handyfamily.org which all goto the same mailbox.

It looks like you'll be able to get some good participation on this from the group. I am personally available anytime of the day for whatever you have in mind.

Later,

 

i feel like a child among giants, but i have read quite a bit about episode three, and posted a lot on the episode three boards at fan force. . .i dont know if i feel qualified to be on a panel, but if you need help. . .i can. im torn though, just so you know.

 

hey what if I just want to participate and support a certain panelists?

 

Hey, I'd also love to do the Tolkien/Peter Jackson one! Having just read the books, and being obsessed with the movies, I think I'm qualified!

Dana

 

Yes, please come and support your local panelists! *g* This is going to be a real fun event, everybody. There's an opening reception Wed., Feb. 12 at Barnes & Noble to start this thing off, followed by panels and readings all day long for 3 days!!!

I'll dispense more info as it becomes available and we solidify times.

(Yes, if I sound out of it...I am.)

-Mia

 

where in the WILK is the symposium? in the terrace?

 

3rd floor, somewhere in the 3200 block? I dunno, I just follow the signs.

Dana

 

Yup, the symposium will be on the 3rd floor conference rooms in the Wilk. Media panels specifically will be in room 3224. About rooms 3211-3250 will be used *most* of the time by the symposium, there are a few time blocks we're not in a few of the rooms.

Can't remember what room registration is in (registration not costing a cent, but simply where you pick up your program book, etc.), but we should have it up soon on the website.

-Mia