Fan Expo Canada 2013

Metro Toronto Convention Centre
August 22 to 25, 2013

Friday August 23th, 2013

Cut off for media passes came suddenly this year as is I wasn't able to get a pass for any day. Once again I headed to Metro Toronto Convention Centre this time by usual means of transportation, bus.

LEGO everywhere

 

Lego display this year wasn't the main attraction for me this year. Instead I found the most imoressive Lego build not at the Lego booth but at one artist alley tables. An complete build of Serenity's Firefly space ship with cutaways of the insides with shuttles.

North Hall

 

For a change, North Hall had Sports section which was sponsored by another group \ through Fan Expo much like the horror section is. Frankly I thought that William Shatner's signing fees were outrageous... that is until I saw that some of the fees for hockey legend Bobby Orr left that pale by far. Once again there was hassles in taking this photo because the guest signing area was directly below. All I wanted was this overhead shot of the floor which can only be got in the North Hall.

 

Cars once again part of Fan Expo and this year had a diffent Batmobile and KITT 2000 from Knight Rider fame. Plenty of photos of cosplayers in spite of Sports theme though it seemed a little barren compared to past years. Largely due to the signing section was in the North Hall and little chance of taking photos of those waiting in line or in the general area due to regieme against any photograph in the general area of North Hall.

Break with hotdog stand and Timmies would come with another added annoyance. Being forced to trek back through the North Hall... again. Already ticked at being forced to walk through what I already covered was more than I could stand. I simply took the elevator and headed to the South Hall. Even passing overhead, I noticed the guest signing area was sparcely attended. By herding their guests into closed area they cut off the passing traffic by being too rigided with the crowds. Not that I cover guests on my website other than in passing by or chatting when things are slow. usual chatting wasn't about their roles but how they found Toronto or Canada and what they were up to since. I would end of hoping they enjoyed their stay in Canada. I'm amazed how many times, I've been asked if we met before or if I was coming back tomorrow.

Consider that Friday has become the NEW saturday at Fan Expo. End of the day came early at 7PM so it was different since there was NO masquerade on Friday.

Sunday August 25th, 2013

BovieWan previously of Deaths Door Prods covered Sunday at Fan Expo this year. We are happy to host his photos. Check out @BovieWan new facebook page, Notably Nerdy for updates.

Vocaloid Party

from Bowiewan's blog posts

I recently got some info wrong on a report about a Vocaloid event in Canada. This was quickly corrected in the comments (thank you Al). The event, which took place on August 25th, was a screening of footage from a live Vocaloid concert. For more info, see my event review.

Before the screening actually began, a representative from Crypton Future Media (the people that made Miku) came out to give a brief explanation of the event as well as some very exciting news.

This screening was arranged when Crypton Future Media began making inquiries about how strong a following Vocaloid had in Canada. Naturally, they asked the organizers of the largest fan convention in Canada, Hobby Star (Anime North would actually know more on the subject, but I digress). Hobby Star (they organize Fan Expo) responded by saying they don’t know. The screening was then arranged and announced and tickets started selling like hot cakes. The response was strong enough to leave Crypton feeling really good about the possibility of a concert in Canada. They even took a picture of the crowd to show off in Japan (can you spot me in there?)

Courtesy of Death's Door Prod.

While this screening and excited crowd have done much to help bring a full Vocaloid concert to Canada, there is more still that can be done with very little effort. At the screening the Hatsune Miku FindMe app was introduced. This is a simple webpage where you can request a Vocaloid concert in a city near you. If enough requests are given for a city, it will get a Vocaloid concert at some point. Canadian cities being currently considered are: Montreal, Calgary, Toronto, North York, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Mississauga, Scarborough, Vancouver, and Etobicoke. So, if you are a Vocaloid fan and want to see a live concert, get over to mikubook.com/findme and let Crypton know you want Miku to come here.

Original Post: Death's Door Prods

BovieWan’s Hatsune Miku Fan Expo Screening Review

As mentioned in my other article regarding this event, Crypton Future Media set up a whole screening of some footage from Hatsune Miku Live Party 2013 to see if Canada was ready and receptive enough for a Vocaloid concert. How did the event actually pan out? I am about to break it down in this review.

The footage that was shown was not from the DVD release of the concert, as was previously suggested. The footage was, in fact, exclusive footage shown only at Fan Expo and formatted to the theatre’s large but oddly shaped screen. The difference in the footage was primarily which shots they chose to use and when. I watched one of the songs on the DVD version and found that this meant more close-up footage of the performance and less oddly angled sweeping shots of the crowd. With the music being blasted through theatre surround sound, it was still an engaging experience.

The event setup was done very well. The choice to make the announcement before the actual screening was definitely a good idea as it made the crowd very excited. The seating seemed pretty full on the main level, I never got a chance to see what the crowd was like on the second level. Considering the size of crowd and Fan Expo’s notorious history of lines and crowd handling, I think the entry and seating was handled fairly well.

Right from the beginning, I knew that the biggest factor in this event would be the crowd. When you’re going to a theatre to watch video footage of a concert, you’re going to have to have an energetic group of people around to fully enjoy yourself. Include in this equation the fact that Crypton were watching to see how good the reception for this event was, and a good crowd was key. There were no disappointments in this department (Okay, there was a lack of glow sticks). The crowd was very pumped to hear the news and see the screening. Everyone seemed content to act as though they were actually at a concert. There was waving, cheering, and even a call for the encore that everyone knew was coming anyway.

The screening at Fan Expo was a fun social experience and a chance for a smaller Vocaloid experience. It also served to send a strong message that Canada is ready and excited for a full Vocaloid concert. If you haven’t already, go to mikubook.com/findme and request a Vocaloid concert in a city near you.

Original Post: Death's Door Prods