The future of comic cons shouldnt be digital

Date:
Sun, 21 Nov 2021 14:00:03 +0000

Description:
The likes of DC FanDome, Disney Plus Day and Netflix's Tudum had their place in lockdown but cons work better live.

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It won't be a revelation to anyone that global pandemics and mass gatherings are a bad mix its been a fact of life since the world went into lockdown in early 2020, with comic cons and other fan events becaming a casualty of the Covid-19 world.

Bringing thousands of people together from all over the world, squeezing them into cramped indoor spaces, and inviting them to mingle is traditionally part of the con experience. But it's not a brilliant idea when theres an
infectious novel virus on the loose and, even in non-pandemic times, people coming home with undefined con flu goes with the territory.

Movie studios and streamers were quick to adapt to the new world order,
coming up with alternative plans to ensure upcoming releases remained part of fan conversations. Over the last 18 months, weve seen an explosion of virtual events including DC FanDome , Star Trek Day , Netflixs Tudum and the recent Disney Plus Day , as well as an online-only version of San Diego Comic-Con, Comic-Con@Home .

Much like their live-action counterparts, these virtual events have unveiled new trailers and footage, announced upcoming projects, and assembled stars
and creators to talk about their projects.

When most of us were trapped in our homes, they were a great way of maintaining a sense of connection. But, now that the world is approaching a semblance of pre-coronavirus normality with live events back on the calendar it would be a shame if online-only events became the norm. Yes, the convenience of participating on our phones, tablets and laptops is a bonus but wed be losing a lot more than we gain. How to watch Star Trek in order
How to watch Star Wars in order Best Netflix shows The real thing Seeing the original Avengers make their first live appearance at San Diego Comic-Con was a real "I was there" moment. (Image credit: Disney/Marvel Studios)

Viruses aside, live-action events arent without their drawbacks. Tens of thousands of people making a beeline for a single destination translates into a sizeable carbon footprint, while even the biggest venues have restrictions on their capacity. This means cons are inherently exclusive, the sort of events most people get to experience via a lucky few telling you how cool
they were. Learning that the attendees of the San Diego Convention Centers vast Hall H have been treated to exclusive, never-to-be-seen again clips from the next MCU movie is a peculiarly cruel form of torture for a fan.

But the real thing is so much more rewarding than sitting in front of your computer, watching a montage of famous faces on YouTube, or monotonously tapping refresh until the next Twitter update appears.

In the same way that live music and comedy are infinitely more exhilarating than watching a gig on TV, the shared enthusiasm of a crowd can be for want of a better word infectious. Being at San Diego when Kevin Feige unveiled
the original Avengers line-up on stage for the first time was a real I was there! moment. Its a shared experience, where the audience is engaged with whats happening in the room, rather than splitting their attention across multiple screens, or responding to an announcement on social media.

Then theres everything else that happens at conventions away from the presentations on the main stages: con floors packed with exhibits and obscure merchandise you never knew existed, or the chance to socialize with like-minded fans or associates. Events like San Diego and New York Comic-Con are where significant amounts of business are done. Sure, lockdown has proved that much of this stuff is feasible over Zoom, but the curated, everything under one roof ethos of a good convention is almost impossible to replicate online. Best Netflix movies Best Amazon Prime Video shows Taking back control Netflix is big enough to unveil Stranger Things news at its own Tudum event but what about smaller operators? (Image credit: Netflix)

Perhaps the most significant development in the era of online-focused events, however, is the fact that each company can control its own bespoke conventions.

This is nothing new for Disney, whove been hosting their own D23 live events for years. But with notable, fan-friendly exceptions like the Star Trek franchise, few other media entities have a fanbase big and engaged enough to make similar gatherings worthwhile. On the face of it, then, going online lowers the bar for entry.

But this isnt quite the great democratisation it appears. Instead, you risk a 'survival of the fittest environment' where viewers happily tune in for Disney, Netflix and Warner/DC presentations, but smaller players struggle to get a look in. One of the best things about a big, non-brand aligned convention is that you can wander between genres and studios sometimes you might learn about a really exciting indie project while youre waiting for the blockbuster attraction you came for. If you only get to see the franchises
you already know, youll never discover anything new.

And as attendees make the shift from participants to viewers, the more the line between conventions and keynote presentations starts to blur. Disneys Investor Day in December 2020 which featured appearances from Kevin Feige
and Kathleen Kennedy, the respective overlords of Marvel Studios and
Lucasfilm never hid the fact it was business oriented. It gained as many column inches as a convention announcing numerous Marvel and Disney projects is going to have that effect but definitely wasnt a convention. A con should do more than simply supply you with information, and having fans in the room adds to the experience. Asking the right questions The organizers of the online Star Trek Day know that if they build it, fans will come. (Image credit: CBS)

Of course, the practical benefits of going digital are obvious to a studio. Telling a load of stars and creatives to spend an hour in front of a web cam is rather easier than driving or flying them across the country or even the world. They also get to deliver a carefully managed PR message.

But if participating talent only answers pre-orchestrated questions, you tend to end up with a more sanitised, boring presentation. Indeed, you can rest assured that attending journalists and fans will ask more interesting questions than whats been fed to a moderator even an I cant answer that non-answer to a spoilerific question can tell you something. And no, submitting your query in advance via an online forum is not the same as
asking it in a live auditorium.

There are plenty that conventions can learn from the online experience, and inviting fans to view the action from around the world is one of the benefits of a connected digital world. But as soon as an event goes online only, and fails to replicate that instant human element, you can no longer call it a con. Online events have been a wonderful way to get us through lockdown but they should only be viewed as a stopgap. As long as live, in-person events
are safe and practical, they should go back to being the norm with online
bits and bobs as a handy bonus.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/the-future-of-comic-cons-shouldnt-be-digital/


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