HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: shadow@trantor.cc.umb.edu (Jim Belfiore)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Subject: Re: Film/video room
Date: 4 Jan 93 19:17:35 GMT
Organization: University of Massachusetts at Boston
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]

>David Lillard (zardoz@sycom.mi.org) wrote: (a lot...)

In 1990, I ran the Video room at the premiere ARISIA convention.  My
choice of programming followed this formula (in order of importance):

	1.) Did I have the license to show it?
	2.) Was it entertaining/unique SF/Fantasy that I felt the
	    membership might enjoy?
	3.) Was it hard to come by?

Now, not every item I programmed met these criteria in this order, but
as a guideline, it worked.  But it still felt small, since everything
was on the small screen.

To compensate, I tried to include thematics into the program (i.e.:
Saturday and Sunday morning brunch is served in the Video Room while old
1930's-1950's serials are featured, hence the somewhat known, "Breakfast
Serials" of ARISIA).  This has tended to increase the enjoyment our
audiences have (reportedly) had.

Still, it needed to grow (if for no other reason that a terrible void
in east-coast media-programming had developed and begged to be filled).

In 1992, I expanded the Video Room into the Video Theatre, complete with
laserdiscs as the primary source of playing media, a full 1200-watt
surround-theatre sound system, and simulcasting of all video programming
to the hotel guest rooms.  The theatre room sat 200 people (comfortably)
and the small screen had grown to 7.5 X 10 (front projection).
Suddenly, the theatre experience had, through video technology, been
revived at a convention.  As many of you know, 16mm film is becoming
more and more expensive to obtain (as far as rental prints are
concerned).  With our theatre last year, we offered both the latest and
some of the rarest (including not seen works-in-progress) selections at
a cost that was fractional to film, yet had almost every quality of the
big screen/theatre environment of the local film-house. 
For 1993, we are growing again, mostly due to the large appreciation and
demand of our attendees from 1992.  

The point of all this is that its
not so much what is shown, but how.  Video rooms (and film rooms) of 
future conventions need to determine who their audiences are, and
potentially can be.  Then finding something that isn't common to the 
"gee, I coulda rented that and watched it at home instead of coming to
the con" attitude needs to be exploited.  Sometimes, its as simple as
writing up program notes that gets an audience in the door, and
in the same mindset as everyone else there.  Othertimes, it may be
tremendously difficult, but just about anything that is on the shelves
today, or that's been locked up for years has the capacity to be a
positive and important complement to a video/film program.

Jim Belfiore
Director of the Video/Film Theatre, Events, and Exhibits - ARISIA '93
Chairman - ARISIA '94
(Spending a year dead) - ARISIA '95
From: David.Dyer-bennet@f341.n697.z1.tdkt.kksys.com (David Dyer-bennet)
Sender: FredGate@tdkt.kksys.com
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Subject: What Really Happened After Boskone 24 (was Re: Arisia Vs. Boskone)
Date: Tue, 05 Jan 1993 10:24:19 -0600

 CPZ> Pardon me, but what's the purpose for flogging this dead/buried/decayed
 CPZ> horse?

Historical interest? Trying to sort truth from falsehood in rumors
heard? While it's a little late to worry too much about allocating
"blame" (if any) (and I've got a standard rule about allocating
blame: there'll be enough to go around), trying to understand what
actually happened (particularly if you weren't there yourself, and
only watched from a distance or heard about it later) seems to me a
praiseworthy activity.

From: David.Dyer-bennet@f341.n1905.z1.tdkt.kksys.com (David Dyer-bennet)
Sender: FredGate@tdkt.kksys.com
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Subject: Film/video Room
Date: Tue, 05 Jan 1993 10:19:03 -0600

 BT> This is off the topic of whether it's ok to show these things at cons.
 BT> Once again the standard rationalization we see in almost all such
 BT> violations comes forward.  "Come on now, I'm not hurting them."
 BT> (Or better still, "Hey, I'm giving them free publicity.")
 BT> Copyright law has a remarkably simple system to deal with this question,
 BT> which is you ask the copyright owners for permission.   They get to
 BT> decide.  Yet somehow few of the "come on now, I'm not hurting them"
 BT> crowd take the time to ask.  Sometimes they're right, and the copyright
 BT> holder gives permission.

 BT> On the other hand, if it's a public showing at a con you have to pay money
 BT> to enter, they have every right to expect and demand a piece of the
 BT> money.

I'm really not in favor of people violating copyrights; too many of
my friends make their money in fields that depend on copyright
enforcement, if nothing else.

On the other hand, tv/movies aren't about making lots of money;
they're about making fucking *obscene* amounts of money.  Some
reasonable share of the gate at a con, or even all of it, isn't worth
their while to collect simply in administrative expenses.  It isn't
even worth their time to *think* about whether it might hurt them;
just saying no is cheaper.  I doubt any proposal to Paramount about
showing Trek stuff at a small con without a lot of money would get
serious consideration; it might not even get a response.

(According to some friends who've dealt with them, the japanimation
companies (no idea what the big names are) *do* seem to be interested
in cooperating with conventions, which is nice for those who both
respect the law and like to see the stuff.)
From: shadow@trantor.cc.umb.edu (Jim Belfiore)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Subject: ARISIA '93 to preview Babylon 5
Date: 5 Jan 93 14:42:56 GMT
Organization: University of Massachusetts at Boston
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL8]


Special Announcement:
---------------------

ARISIA '93 (January 15-17 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Tower) will
be showing a Boston exclusive sneak preview into the making of, and production
segments from the upcoming science-fiction television series, Babylon 5.

In addition, other works in progress from computer animation, and film 
studios will be shown, as well as unseen promotional materials from recent
science-fiction films.  

Three-day, and one-day memberships are still available (at the door).

For further information, consult our general press-release, or send e-mail
to this address.  

Jim Belfiore
Director of the Video/Film Theatre, Events & Exhibits - ARISIA '93
(shadow@trantor.cc.umb.edu)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
From: jet@boxer.nas.nasa.gov (J. Eric Townsend)
Subject: worldcon in SF info, please?
Organization: Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation, NASA Ames
Date: 6 Jan 93 16:17:24


Anybody got a fact sheet or something with info regarding worldcon in
SF in 1993?
--
J. Eric Townsend --  jet@nas.nasa.gov -- 415.604.4311 (DoD# 0378)
"It is the cunning of form to veil itself continually in the evidence
of content.  It is the cunning of the code to veil itself and to produce
itself in the obviousness of value." -- Baudrillard
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
From: chris@keris.demon.co.uk (Chris Croughton)
Subject: Re: Arisia 
Distribution: world
Organization: Keristor Systems
X-Mailer: Simple NEWS 1.90 (ka9q DIS 1.19)
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 06:40:16 +0000

*PLEASE* can you all keep the message width down?  There's a lot of us
with 80 character screens who can't read your messages...

72 characters per line should be possible for anyone...

Thanks...
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
From: mhr@hpuerca.atl.hp.com (Mike Reaser)
Subject: Re: What Really Happened After Boskone 24 (was Re: Arisia Vs. Boskone)
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 00:02:09 GMT
Organization: a stone mountain of Kudzu

In <1993Jan6.144216.24791@mail.cornell.edu> phydeaux@guru.med.cornell.edu (Dave Weingart) writes:

>Besides, fen are always interested in keeping a good feud going (ever hear the
>phrase "Plunge all fandom into war?"), especially when it's something essentially
>meaningless.

>On a more serious side, you _do_ want to prevent these things from happening
>again.  (Heck, even the NESFen have admitted a mistake! B{) ).  
          ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Since when?  

All the self-admitted NESFen I've met will tell you to your face that
not only can they walk on water but their little toesies don't even 
get damp.  ;-)

>Why go out of
>your way to repeat what's being viewed (and rightly so) as insulting and
>obnoxious when you can find new ways to do it? 

Because that's the essence of fandom -- beat a dead horse until it's
hamburger, beat it some more, form a _new_ horse from the leftover
entrails, kill, repeat.

--
=======================================================================
 Mike Reaser, Hewlett-Packard N. Amer. Response Center - Atlanta
 Internet:  mhr@hpuerca.atl.hp.com
 NBCS: B5 f t w g+ k s              I barely speak for myself, so
 #include <standard.disclaimer>       don't make me speak for HP
=======================================================================
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
From: coon@binah.cc.brandeis.edu
Subject: ARISIA Information
Reply-To: coon@binah.cc.brandeis.edu
Organization: Brandeis University
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 17:07:33 GMT

General ARISIA Information:
--------------------------

ARISIA will be held next weekend (January 15-17) at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel
and Towers (sing/doub $72, trip/quad $82).  At the door weekend rates are $40,
day rates are also available (Fri $20, Sat $25, Sun $15).

Our GOH is Ellen Kushner (_Swordspoint_, _Thomas the Rhymer_), our Art GOH's
are Charles Lang and Wendy Snow-Lang, and our Fan GOH is Monty Wells.

ARISIA is a multimedia convention, covering all aspects of science fiction,
fantasy, and other Fan interests.  This year our events will include a World
Class Masquerade, a large art show and auction, a filk concert and "one-shots",
a dealers' room and dealers' row, a Regency ball, a Friday night Icebreaker 
dance, and a film and video theater (including a sneak-peak of the new TV
series, Babylon 5).

We also have gaming!  There will be two live role playing modules (one by SIL
and one by NERO), as well as gaming rooms for D&D, Star Fleet Battles, etc.

Our panels are also diverse and cover such topics as: literature, science,
filking, art, costuming, tech, fan, as well as our popular Earth Girls Are
(/Not) Easy.  There will also be readings and space alloted for discussion
groups.

So, if you want to experience a full weekend of fun and fandom, come to the
Boston Park Plaza Jan 15-17 for ARISIA!

For more information, you can call our BBS (617) 364-1576, or e-mail me.

Heather Coon
Head of Programming, ARISIA 93
(coon@binah.cc.brandeis.edu)
From: clements@vax.oxford.ac.uk
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Subject: Re: Film/video room
Date: 4 Jan 93 13:43:31 GMT
Organization: Oxford University VAX 6620

In article <1993Jan03.021241.12466@clarinet.com>, brad@clarinet.com (Brad Templeton) writes:
> In article <1i53j0INN33g@werple.apana.org.au> kat@werple.apana.org.au (Kathryn Andersen) writes:
>>For example, Australia is about 3 years behind in the showing of Star Trek
>>the Next Generation - so the latest episodes of the series are a good
>>thing for a video room over here
> 
> And almost certainly ilicit showings, since they take away from the
> audience for the legit showings with Australian advertisers.  It's nice
> to get it earlier, but you have to realize that for these popular items,
> selling advertising, or getting people together in a room and doing a
> screening is how the producers make their money.  If you show Star Trek
> or other stuff you're doing something that legit people have to pay a
> good sum of money to do, even if the video room were free to all comers.
> 
> Leave video rooms for the non-mainstream stuff that the producers are
> glad to get exposed.

There is another side to this story...


The UK satellite TV station. BSkyB has recently bought the rights to show STTNG
in the UK. The majority of the populace do not have satellite dishes, and are
unlikely ever to (IMHO), so conventions, and other not-so-legit-methods
are going to be the only way we get to see it. The producers have already made
their money by selling the rights to BSkyB (as I understand it), and we're not
watching BSkyB's advertising anyway, so nobody is actually losing.

Dave
 
> -- 
> Brad Templeton, ClariNet Communications Corp. -- Sunnyvale, CA 408/296-0366
-- 
================================================================================
Dave Clements, Oxford University Astrophysics Department
================================================================================
clements @ uk.ac.ox.vax			|  Umberto Eco is the *real* Comte de
dlc      @ uk.ac.ox.astro		|           Saint Germain...
================================================================================
From: andrem@pyrtech.mis.pyramid.com (Andre Molyneux)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Subject: WorldCon/ConFrancisco
Date: 4 Jan 93 23:17:16 GMT

My wife has asked me to try to get some information regarding the upcoming
WorldCon in San Francisco.  I've scoured all of the SF related newsgroups
without finding any specific information (such as dates).  The Hugo awards
ballot in this newsgroup mentioned supporting membership ($25) and attending
membership ($110).

Could anyone please let me know the following (if there's a FAQ or something
with this info, please direct me to it):

	Dates & exact location
	
	Deadline (the Hugo post indicated January 31) assuming it hasn't
	already passed.

	An explanation of the two membership levels (I assume you need an
	"attending" membership to get in the door).

	Any other relevant information for someone considering attending.

Thanks for your help.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Andre Molyneux   KA7WVV     "Insert your favorite disclaimer here"       |
+-----------------------------------------+--------------------------------+
|      -=-------- PYRAMID TECHNOLOGY CORP |Internet:                       |
|    ---===------ 3860 N. First Street    |  andrem@pyramid.com            |
|  -----=====---- San Jose, CA            |Packet:                         |
|-------=======-- (408) 428-8229          |  ka7wvv@n0ary.#nocal.ca.usa.na |
+-----------------------------------------+--------------------------------+
From: jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com (Jim Mann)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Subject: Re: What really happened after Boskone 24 (was Re: Arisia vs. Boskone)
Date: 4 Jan 93 15:48:57 GMT
Reply-To: jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com
Organization: Stratus Computer Inc, Marlboro MA
NNTP-Posting-Host: gondolin.pubs.stratus.com

In article <9212311816.AA20997@enet-gw.pa.dec.com>  
dee@ranger.enet.dec.com ("Donald E. Eastlake 3rd, LJO2/I4, > The  
restrictions adopted were just one a praticular set of restrictions.   
I 
> don't see that NESFA "had" to or was "forced" to adopt that  
particular set.  
> Many consider them draconian but they could have been more  
stringent or less 
> stringent.  As is somewhat understandable under the circumstances,  
with a real 
> threat to the existence of Boskone, they turned out to be  
significantly more 
> stringent than was actually necessary.  Some of the restrictions  
were relaxed 
> in following years but some still are in force.  In some cases it  
was easy for 
> NESFA to decide to relax the restriction and in some cases it only  
happened 
> after a big internal fight.
> 

No, to a very real degree we were forced into many of the
restrictions that year.  I was in all the meetings with 
potential new hotels. All of them asked up front: "What are
you going to do to prevent this type of thing from
happening in our hotel?"    We had to assure them that
we were taking steps to a) reduce the size of the convention,
b) stop drunken behavior, and c) in particular, discourage
high-school age kids who were coming because of the perceived
free booze.  (The latter was one of the major problems at
the Boskone from Hell.  We had a number of high school kids
who didn't seem the least interested in SF, but who had
heard that a con was a great way to get away from their
parents ("It's OK mom, I'm just an SF con. Panels and all that.")
and get stoned all weekend.)  The actual number of these kids
was probably only a couple of dozen, but they certainly contributed
to the rowdyness. More importantly, though, the hotels were
really worried about this.

What got us back into a hotel was being able to present a
list of new policies, to show that we were addressing the
hotel's concerns.

By the way, in many ways we tried to allow loopholes.  While
we wanted to discourage the non-fans of high-school age, we really
wanted to allow those who really were interested in SF to come.
That's why we put in all the stuff about "if you belong to a
club, or if you know one of us, or ..."  Of all the rules
we imposed, the under age rule is the one that bothered me the
most (even though I'm one of the ones who drafted it); that's why
we dropped it the next year (since we decided that one year
should be enough to change the pattern for those who weren't
really interested but were just coming for a drunken weekend).

In retrospect, we may not have needed the rules in the sense that
the con would have been much the same without them. But we DID
need them to get into the hotels in the first place. 

--
Jim Mann            
Stratus Computer   jmann@vineland.pubs.stratus.com  
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
From: louise@cirrus.com (Louise Rowder)
Subject: Potlatch2 Inquiry
Summary: Help finding phone number/contact
Keywords: Potlatch Convention Berkeley
Organization: Cirrus Logic Inc, Fremont, CA
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 21:53:26 GMT

	I received the PR #2 for this convention in Berkeley.  The phone
number listed for Spike Parsons is wrong.  Does anyone have another phone
number for contact on this convention otherwise I'll just use the old
SASE again.

	Thanks,   Louise



Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
From: phydeaux@guru.med.cornell.edu (Dave Weingart)
Subject: Re: What Really Happened After Boskone 24 (was Re: Arisia Vs. Boskone)
Nntp-Posting-User: @cornell.edu
Organization: CUMC
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 16:15:27 GMT


To put in my $0.02 on Boskone.  I for several years and put up with the fire alarms,
the crowds, etc., because I had fun.

I went to Springfield.  Once.  I discovered that the "new and improved" Boskone
basically bored me.  I discovered that the dealers room was not only something like
40% books (mind you, this isn't inherently bad except A) most of them were _new_
books I could get locally and B) the concom stated during the gripe session that
they were trying for 80%).  I discovered that NESFA wanted to put on a sercon.  Great.
More power to 'em.  It's their con and they can do what they want.  I excercise my right
to not give them my money.  (I excercise this right with other conventions that I
didn't enjoy greatly, so it's not just a NESFA thing.)

And yeah, there were an awful _lot_ of us out here who were insulted by the wording
of the Boskone High Command Proclamation.  (It is, however, their right to do so.)
Possibly a public-relations coup on a par with Pat Buchanan's speech the the
Rep. Natl. Con.

For the record, in addition to reading, I _enjoy_ filk, costuming, art shows,
science tracks, movies, etc...

-- 
73 de David Weingart  KB2CWF    In the event I am captured or killed, the
phydeaux@cumc.cornell.edu       Cornell University Medical College and the
phydeaux@guru.med.cornell.edu   Department of Academic Computing will disavow
phydeaux@src4src.linet.org      any knowledge of my opinions.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
From: durrell@pinball.arcade.uiowa.edu (Bryant Durrell)
Subject: Re: Film/video Room
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 00:54:19 GMT
Organization: University of Iowa

In article <726273792.AA02801@tdkt.kksys.com> David.Dyer-bennet@f341.n1905.z1.tdkt.kksys.com (David Dyer-bennet) writes:
>On the other hand, tv/movies aren't about making lots of money;
>they're about making fucking *obscene* amounts of money.

And giving tiny bits of it to all the actors getting paid scale.
It's really a very clever system; I can't rip off the studios
without diminishing someone's residuals.

-- 
Bryant Durrell					   durrell@chop.isca.uiowa.edu
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                 I feed on the flesh of the living, and I vote.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
From: kasprj@isaac.its.rpi.edu (Jim Kasprzak)
Subject: Parties and masquerades (was Re: CONVENTION MASQUERADE)
Reply-To: kasprj@rpi.edu
Organization: The Big Wedge 
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 12:40:06 GMT

In article <61.46.uupcb@hal9k.ann-arbor.mi.us>, victor.volkman@hal9k.ann-arbor.mi.us (Victor Volkman)  writes:
|> DW>|> I always find them boring and a little bit embarrassing to watch.
|> DW>|> Especially people who wear the same costume for three days in a row
|> DW>
|> DW>Then why watch?  That would be like me going to a panel on Deryni magi
|> DW>And I refuse to be responsible for people who can't or won't change th
|> DW>clothes.
|> 
|> Hmm... a valid question I suppose.  Probably because none of the decent 
|> room parties start until after its over I guess.  Just me being bitchy!
 
 Maybe you've been going to the wrong cons. I've found that the best parties
are the ones run by the people who are truly dedicated to the Party Principle,
i.e., the party is the important thing and, while it's running, the rest of 
life is secondary. These people don't mind the masquerade, or any other 
scheduled events that may overlap their party; they're going to make their
party the best possible at all times. If you can't find one of these parties
which is going on during the masquerade, your best bet is probably the con
suite. I find that the environment in the con suite tends to be at its best
during the masquerade.
 
 As far as masquerades themselves: I find that Sturgeon's Law applies to 
them as much as anything else. Whether I go or not depends on whether I'm 
in the mood to sit through twenty or thirty boring costumes in order to see
two or three outstanding ones.
------------------------------------------------------------------
     __  Live from Capitaland, heart of the Empire State...
 ___/  | Jim Kasprzak, computer operator @ RPI, Troy, NY, USA
/____ *|          he who refuses to do nonsense  
     \_|          is doomed to talk arithmetic.
      ====  e-mail: kasprj@rpi.edu or kasprzak@mts.rpi.edu
From: phydeaux@guru.med.cornell.edu (Dave Weingart)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Subject: Re: What Really Happened After Boskone 24 (was Re: Arisia Vs. Boskone)
Date: 12 Jan 1993 17:10:19 GMT
Organization: CUMC
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: guru.med.cornell.edu

In article <C0ps3n.CKH@hpuerca.atl.hp.com>, mhr@hpuerca.atl.hp.com (Mike Reaser) writes:
|> All the self-admitted NESFen I've met will tell you to your face that
|> not only can they walk on water but their little toesies don't even 
|> get damp.  ;-)

Aha!  That's the problem!  You're talking to _admitted_ NESFen...these are the people
who are probably in recovery ("Hi!  My name's <___________> and I'm a NESFan."), or
else merely insane (look how many admitted Communists there are in the former East Bloc
for comparison.)

B{)  <-- included for the humor impaired

-- 
73 de David Weingart  KB2CWF    In the event I am captured or killed, the
phydeaux@cumc.cornell.edu       Cornell University Medical College and the
phydeaux@guru.med.cornell.edu   Department of Academic Computing will disavow
phydeaux@src4src.linet.org      any knowledge of my opinions.