Hey again! Shubz here, still kickin it in Room 202 live blogging at Expressing Your Creativity Through Audio with Julie Hoverson, Gwendolyn Jensen-Woodard, and Rhys Torres-Miller!
Note: They’re speaking to this from the audio drama perspective, but it can be applied to other genres of podcasting.
Learn to do the tech work yourself.
It is time-consuming. If you want to get it right and share your creativity, take your time, and invest your time.
You can podcast inexpensively. You need (at least) a laptop and a mic.
Find your audience. It will be slow unless you want to pay for advertising. Keep in mind, that paid advertising doesn’t not guarantee more listeners and fans.
Network with other podcasts. Offer to do a review of their show. Be a part of the community.
Voice acting:
Reliability: Don’t over-commit. Commit to what you realistically can do.
Find out how much work you ACTUALLY need to do to complete it.
No one goes into voice acting because you love to entertain.
Hi everyone – Shubz reporting! Come through to Room 202 for How to Do Your Own Kickstarter with Caytlin Vilbrandt and Tristan J. Tarwater!
Planning your campaign: decide if your project will happen “no matter what.” It will determine how you write your pitch and your donation tiers.
Kickstarter vs. IndieGoGo
About 10% of your audience will be willing to donate.
Have a budget. How much will it cost to make product, ship product, etc. Plan for the worst case scenario.
Figure out your tiers. The main price point that most people hit: $25
Treat the people who are backing you as patrons. Give them great incentives for donating.
Make sure you have enough time for your campaign. Check shipping times for people giving things to you.
Communicate with your backers. Stay in contact.
People want to give! If you have a great project and are good to your patrons, they will be excited to be your fans and give you feedback.
Learn from prior kickstarters – what works and what didn’t work.
Promotions: Word of mouth, Twitter, Facebook, Website
Stretch goals: Create them! What will you do if you’ve exceeded your initial goal? If you had the money, what would you do?
Tell people to buy your stuff! Be direct about your promoting, be excited about it, and DON’T BE SHY about your project. Cross-promote with friends that have other projects going.
How crucial is video?: DO IT! Get your face on the video. This creates a human connection.
Points to take home
Budget
Take it seriously
Treat your patrons well. They are your customers.
This is taxable income. It is NOT free money!
Do NOT cold message people about your project. Create rapport first. It is also against Kickstarter TOS.
Research!
What’s up, everyone! Shubz Blalack here! For those of you at the Con, join us in Room 303 for this moderated roundtable discussion with Anita Sarkeesian, Alejandra Espino, Suzanne Scott, and moderator Miley Martinez!
Alejandra Espino (AE): How can we create being politically engaged while not losing the pleasure of creation?
Anita Sarkeesian (AS): How can we be fans AND be critical? What does that mean and how do we actually do that?
Suzanne Scott (SS): Race, fandom, and social justice. Teaches about race, fandom and video game culture. How do you manage the “squee” in a critical fashion? We need to find a meaningful critical ground.
Check out the organization of transformative works!
Topics and questions raised:
How do we talk about representations of economic classes?
Chauvinism in favor of the STEM fields.
Creating characters in a feminist context in a culture of sexism.
Points made: AE: Being critical is what fuels creativity.
Who is being represented in geek culture is not always who is consuming geek culture.
What times of fandom are industrially valued?
AS:There are a lot of interpretations of feminism and what that means.
AE: I create fantastic characters with the idea of the “outsider” in mind, someone that is marginalized.
AS: Storytelling needs to be the way we change the world.
AS: Art is to make change.
SS: More attention towards the industrial structures that promote not promote social change.
It will take a social movement for oppressive storytelling to change.
We need to spend more time to what will create change versus what will pull the focus away from it.
Closing Statements SS: Discomfort often exposes the prejudices people have. Having a conversation about that will be a great step towards social justice.
AE: Don’t let others cease the criticism you may have.
AS: Your anger towards social injustice can be used to create something to fight it.
Are you bringing your child, grandchild, niece, or nephew to GeekGirlCon ‘12 — or are you considering it?
We highly recommend you do. Last year, around 20 percent of all attendees were children under the age of 10. We are an extremely family-friend convention.
Unless specified, GeekGirlCon programming can be enjoyed by all ages (at parental discretion of course). However, some of our programming and events are particularly geared towards geeklings (or geekling-adjacent), their parental-types, and kids of all ages. And we wanted to be sure to call them out for you in one location — so check out some of these kid-focused panels and workshops below. Saturday
11:30 a.m – 12:20 p.m.
Making Science Fun (with NASA)! (RM204)
12:30 – 1:20 p.m.
From Jedi Princess to Sith Witch: An Exploration of Female Characters in Star Wars (RM204)
12:30 – 1:50 p.m.
Girls Leading the Robot Uprising: FIRST Robotics (RM303)
1:30 – 2:50 p.m.
Customizing My Little Ponies: Tips, Tricks, and a Basic How-To (RM202)
2:30 – 3:20 p.m.
A Family that Games Together… (RM205)
2:30 – 3:20 p.m.
Sporty Geek: How Roller Derby and Quidditch Are Changing the Game for Women (RM204)
Stunning Space Science: Voyager — 12,396 days and counting (RM204)
12:30 – 1:20 p.m.
Intro to Costume Craft and Cosplay (RM204)
6:00 – 7:50 p.m.
Closing Celebration (RM301/302)
And, of course, check out the GeekGirlConnections room and our gaming on the Lower Level all weekend long! Fun games for all ages, activities, and interactive workshops.
It is the moment you have all been waiting for, one of our last big reveals for GeekGirlCon ‘12: our exclusive GeekGirlCon merch!
We know you’ll be busy catching panels, checking out games, and networking at the GeekGirlConnections room. But don’t forget to stop by the Exhibitor Hall on the third floor! You won’t regret it. In fact, you’ll likely empty your pockets after you see what the amazing exhibitors and artists have on display.
Find exclusive GeekGirlCon merchandise at Booth 300!
Preview some of the nerdtastic and geekarific products we’ll have available for purchase this year. These are exclusive and custom-designed items, folks! T-shirts, tote bags, and buttons – OH MY! We’ll also have limited (only 20!) dice bags and limited (only 50!) six-sided die, as well as a whole stack of severely awesome GeekGirlCon bumper stickers.
Here’s the pricing for our merch: • T-shirt: $17 • Tote Bag: $12 •Dice Bag: $7 •Dice: $2 •Bumper Sticker: $2 •Buttons: 2 for $1 (We have 12 awesome designs!)
Be sure to stop by Booth 300 to get some Fresh Merch! You know you want some of that geeky goodness!
What else are you hoping to snag at GeekGirlCon ‘12?
We learned a lot from running our first convention last year. We learned there was incredible demand for a con that celebrated the female geek, geared towards geeky girls and women, and with no “geek cred” required. So much so, that we sold out GeekGirlCon ‘11 on both days. We learned that the famous quote from Field of Dreams is true: “If you build it, they will come.”
That goes for attendees, but the same can be said for our guests as well. We learned that experts in science, technology, comics, and other fields were extremely supportive of our mission. And we are so lucky to have a range of amazing returning and new guests coming to GeekGirlCon ‘12 — guests who enjoyed the excitement and vibe last year or who heard all the buzz and couldn’t wait to attend.
Guests like comic book writers Gail Simone, Jen Van Meter, and Greg Rucka. Or local geeks M.J. McDermott, Purple Reign, Jamala Henderson, and Corrinne Yu. Women with incredible experience, like illustrator and Womanthology creator Renae de Liz, or television writer Jane Espenson, or actress and Her Universe founder Ashley Eckstein.
Finally, we learned that you all wanted more time with these guests and other panelists, more time to learn how they achieved what they did and get tips for jumpstarting your own career.
That is why we are so excited to offer GeekGirlConnections, a room open the entire convention that will provide a place for attendees to network, make connections, and receive career advice.
It has always been the goal of GeekGirlCon to spotlight, support, and celebrate women in fields like comics and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). This year, we are taking that one step further and giving our attendees direct access to professionals who have the answers to your burning career questions.
This includes professionals like women from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory’s Education and Public Outreach team (perhaps they can talk about Curiosity’s little (okay, HUGE) trip to Mars…), professional designers, technologists, editors from Dark Horse Comics, and more.
Here’s a preview of what you can expect to find in the GeekGirlConnections room:
• Career planning support • The opportunity to networking with professionals • Organizations looking for YOU!
No business card? No problem– use the GeekGirlConnections Card below to share your contact info with all the new GeekGirls you meet at the Con. (Click on the image below and download.)
The biggest thing we learned from last year’s convention was that GeekGirlCon should be a place for you to make connections — with old friends and new friends, interesting careers, cool geeky products, or with your favorite writers, producers, creators, and artists.
So be sure to stop by GeekGirlConnections in Room 101. We can’t wait to help you connect to your future!
One of GeekGirlCon’s strongest advocates is none other than Gail Simone, the fantastic comic book writer at DC Comics who has worked on Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman, Batgirl, The Fury of Firestorm, and many other great comics.
We are so fortunate to have her back for GeekGirlCon ‘12, where she’s already scheduled to participate in two panels:
Saturday, August 11, 11:30 a.m. – Gail Simone and the Batgirl of San Diego
Sunday, August 12, 11:30 a.m. – A Fate Worse than Death: The Last “Outsider” in Popular Culture – Disability
However, we knew you couldn’t handle just one panel with Gail, so today, we are happy to announce that Gail will have her own spotlight panel on Sunday, August 12. Check out the details below.
Sunday at 1:30 – 2:20 p.m. (Room 205) SPOTLIGHT ON GAIL SIMONE
This spotlight will start with a freewheeling discussion with critically acclaimed author of comics and animation, Gail Simone, and include a question and answer session at the end. She will be discussing her comics work, from Deadpool to Simpsons to Birds of Prey to Batgirl, as well as her views on females in comics and other social issues. This promises to be a lively hour with this popular and entertaining writer! Moderated by Erica J Heflin
Gail will also be doing a media signing starting at 12:45 p.m. on Saturday (check out our full signing schedule). And just to top off this super sundae of awesomeness with a huge bowl of cherries, Gail will be hanging out in the GeekGirlConnections room from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. on Sunday. During this hour, Gail will be reviewing portfolios and talking to aspiring writers one-on-one.
Gail has been one of our most vocal advocates from day one. She likely convinced many of you to head to our convention (because when Gail Simone tells us to do something, we listen!). Just today, Gail posted this great blog on her website, previewing the convention and its GeekGirlConnections room.
She also had this to say about GeekGirlCon and the GeekGirlConnections room: “One of the most rewarding things, one of the best reasons for me to go to conventions, is to get to meet aspiring creators, and hopefully help give them a little bit of encouragement and real-world advice on how to attain their goals. It’s inspiring to see someone new and watch them learn to share their art and imagination with the audience.”
We can’t wait to have Gail in town for the weekend and are excited to have two more opportunities for you to interact with her during the convention.
When we say geeks of all types are welcome at GeekGirlCon, we truly mean it. You won’t be challenged to prove your love for Star Trek: The Next Generation by sketching the seating chart for Ten Forward, demonstrate your Star Wars knowledge with the cargo capacity of an Imperial I-Class Star Destroyer, or name every item in Batman’s utility belt. Whether you know everything there is to know about one thing, one thing about everything, or are just starting out in your geeky journey, you are welcome at GeekGirlCon!
Don’t believe us? Check out this No Geek Cred Required blog post we shared in advance of our convention last year.
Starting with a foundation of “no geek cred required,” we also believe it is important that we actively support women and girls in a range of passions—to make sure they feel supported, welcomed, and encouraged. We want to put this in action by helping geek girls support one another.
Credit: xkcd.com
And as GeekGirlCon ‘12 approaches in just a few days, we want to dissect what it means for geek girls to support one another. We believe there is an important underlying message at the core of this phrase—one that emphasizes support over cattiness, encouragement over judgment, collaboration over competition.
Women and girls today live in a society where they are constantly encouraged to care about how they look rather than what they know or what they do. Much of mainstream television showcases female relationships where women compete with one another, attack or belittle one another, or otherwise get ahead by undercutting other women. Other media and advertising bombard us with messages that our bodies aren’t good enough, that we aren’t whole without larger bra sizes, smaller tummies, or perfect skin.
It is no surprise these constant messages impact our behavior. Women can also be harsh critics of other women. How often do we hear things like, “I can’t believe she’s wearing that,” or “Lay off the ice cream,” or bond with other women by “hating” someone for being prettier, skinnier, or younger?
But we know there is a different path, a path that recognizes we should be supporting each other. That’s particularly true in geekdom. We all know that women can face rejection, hostility, or harassment in video games, online communities, science, and technology. So how can we start solving this problem?
We can be encouraging fellow geeky women and girls to find out where their passions truly lie, to find something to believe in that goes beyond the harmful media messages. Instead of telling a woman she needs to go away because she isn’t enough of a geek, we should be excited she wants to venture into our world in the first place. We should be inviting these women—friends, coworkers, family—to Doctor Who or Buffy marathons, or passing along our favorite comic books or craft projects. We should help each woman find her niche, niches, or just learn about something we know and love—and celebrate it with her.
Think about your best friend in the world. Think about what makes them a good friend. Perhaps it’s the fact that they’ll tell you when you have something in your teeth. Or maybe they are a great friend because they are the kind of person who will share the last piece of cake with you.
Chances are, this person has remained a best friend because they believe in you. They believe in your potential, they support you in your endeavors, and they celebrate your successes.
So, for those who are new to GeekGirlCon, we say “welcome,” and “we believe in you.” Whatever you love, whatever you “geek out” about, we think it sounds awesome. For our veterans, thank you for helping us create a community full of best friends who believe in and celebrate one another.
We hope to see you at our convention—it is one of the best ways we can show the world that geek girls exist, and we support each other.
Many of you expressed total excitement when you saw the artwork of dresses that embodied Avengers characters. These drawings came from Amanda Hemmons, a 25-year-old Seattle artist.
Amanda is also daughter of Big Fish Games’ Portuguese language editor, and when she reached out to her mom about creating a similar drawing featuring video game characters, Big Fish Games jumped at the opportunity.
Check out Amanda’s designs below, which Big Fish Games will have on display at GeekGirlCon ‘12. As GeekGirlCon President Erica McGillivray mentioned in a Wired interview about the designs, we love that they feature a range of clothing styles and include different body types and ethnicities. On top of that, these are some really great interpretations that we think will inspire cosplayers.
Could you guess all the video game characters? You can confirm your guesses over at Big Fish Games’ blog.
Be sure to check them out in person at our convention this weekend (and don’t forget to buy your passes before we sell out).
