Oz Comic-Con 2023
Nov. 24th, 2023 11:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
meteordustSo several weeks back I went to Oz Comic-Con in Sydney. It was actually my first time back at a pop culture convention since the pandemic started. So yeah, four years on, and attendance looked like it had returned to previous levels. I went on the Sunday, which is always more chill, and apparently Saturday was packed.
Due to the then SAG-AFTRA strike, the actor guests weren't able to promote their current projects. So there was lots of general talk about acting and about their past projects.
Kat Barrell, Tim Rozon, and Michael Eklund
I've only seen the first two seasons of Wynonna Earp, but I have no idea when I'll watch the last two, so I figured I may as well go along to the panel and not worry too much about spoilers.
Michael brought cookies for the audience!
On convention experiences:
- Tim: One month into the show, at a Lost Girl convention, there already was a long line for him. Then at San Diego Comic-Con, there was a small meet and greet for him and Dom, and the line went around the block.
- Kat: She was on panel with Emily at a convention for queer characters, where it felt like there were a thousand people. Emily said to her and Dom, prepare to be queer icons.
- Michael: Fans bought billboards in Times Square to save the show. They put out ads and articles.
On favourite scenes:
- Michael: All scenes were his favourite, because Bobo was wild and dark and interesting. But his faves were the asylum in S2, and the epic battle with Tim at the end of S2.
- Tim: Filming when Mel was pregnant, there was a scene when his hand was on her belly, and the baby kicked. His reaction was real.
On acting advice:
- Kat: As a young actor, put on your own stuff, so you can learn the skills and do all the jobs. Do things other than acting, eg directing.
- Michael: Just do it to see if you love it. He didn't take classes, hung around actors, then found an agent, and learned on the job.
On favourite costumes:
- Kat: The costumes for S3 and S4. The hat was cool, but no one likes khaki pants.
- Michael: The S1 Bobo coat and the S2 straitjacket. Then it was downhill.
- Tim: The S4 Albert Einstein leather jacket.
- Michael: Someone outbid him at auction for Bobo's original coat.
- Michael: On a different show, one of the props was a model of his character's decapitated head. He wanted to take it home, so he could put it in his freezer and then ask people to get ice. He was told they couldn't give it to him because it cost $15K. He bid up to $800. Someone else bought it for $6K.
At the end of the panel, a lot of audience members held up thank you signs, like at the first con.
John Noble
I first heard John Noble speak at Supanova 2004 and again at Supanova 2016. He always has something interesting to say.
He was in musicals early on, but stopped getting calls. He's been in one opera, with one line.
He's done a lot of acting, and feels like he's a better human being as them than as himself.
Originally Denethor was only in the the third LOTR movie, but they needed to explain Faramir, so they created new scenes with Denethor, Faramir, and Boromir, to explain the relationships.
The Southern Highlands of New Zealand were windy. So for recording the dialogue, there was a guide track with ADR after, trying to get the emotions back. He lost his voice.
He liked Denethor's detailed costume and the chainmail. He got to meet the guy making them, gluing chain links together.
For the scene where Denethor was on fire, it was done by a stuntperson, in one take. He did the preliminary stuff for the scene, then watched the prep. It was mesmerising.
There was an accent master to teach them, "This is a Gondorian accent." Sean Bean was the first on set, and he has a North Country accent, so the Gondorian accent came from that. Billy Boyd couldn't do it, so he used his own accent.
Emily Swallow and Tait Fletcher
Both looking very different without their Mandalorian armour!
On acting:
- Emily: The director is like, "You can play the part, now we have to look at the symphony." ie who fits into the vision.
- Tait: You need to be in a place where you're offering up yourself, rather than a facsimile of what you think the director wants. And see if that fits the work.
- Emily: Theatre is about rehearsal.
- Tait: In film you crack it open in the moment.
- Emily: In the Last of Us 2, the mo-cap suits look ridiculous. Then you have to let it go, go back to your kid brain that doesn't care.
- Emily: In Supernatural, your arm is out blasting someone, and you have to trust the people putting in special effects after.
On the set of The Mandalorian:
- Emily: They had "This is the Way" Wednesdays, highlighting someone who is walking the Way in their lives, helping other people.
What's it like wearing the armour?
- Emily: "Awkward."
- Tait: "Heavy."
- Emily: "Sweaty."
- Tait: "Good to take it off."
- Emily: "But it looks cool!"
- Tait: "You can't sit down in it, you just have to lean."
On helmets:
- Emily: She's not sorry to not sit in Hair & Makeup for two hours.
- Emily: Her normal speaking voice is very different from the Armourer's. When people meet her at cons, is that really her? But she can switch into the voice at a moment.
- Emily: The helmet has no peripheral vision. You can't see down.
- Tait: There's fog inside the visor. He was counting steps to hit the mark.
On Australian animals:
- Emily: She met a cassowary at the zoo. She wants to meet a wombat.
- Tait: He wants to fight a kangaroo.
Shopping
I picked up a few books: Ferren and the Angel by Richard Harland, The Man with the Axe in his Back by Queenie Chan, and Fence Volume 5: Rise by CS Pacat and Johanna the Mad.
I also saw an ad for a collectable glitter globe at the Bradford Exchange stall, featuring Grogu and The Egg Canister.
Photos
Moderator with Kat Barrell, Michael Eklund, and Tim Rozon.
Moderator with John Noble.
Moderator with Emily Swallow and Tait Fletcher.
Din Djarin cosplayer.
Fennec Shand cosplayer.
Starfleet poster.
There were so many other amazing cosplayers I wish I'd gotten photos of, especially the Armourer, Bo-Katan Kryze, and Xena.
Due to the then SAG-AFTRA strike, the actor guests weren't able to promote their current projects. So there was lots of general talk about acting and about their past projects.
Kat Barrell, Tim Rozon, and Michael Eklund
I've only seen the first two seasons of Wynonna Earp, but I have no idea when I'll watch the last two, so I figured I may as well go along to the panel and not worry too much about spoilers.
Michael brought cookies for the audience!
On convention experiences:
- Tim: One month into the show, at a Lost Girl convention, there already was a long line for him. Then at San Diego Comic-Con, there was a small meet and greet for him and Dom, and the line went around the block.
- Kat: She was on panel with Emily at a convention for queer characters, where it felt like there were a thousand people. Emily said to her and Dom, prepare to be queer icons.
- Michael: Fans bought billboards in Times Square to save the show. They put out ads and articles.
On favourite scenes:
- Michael: All scenes were his favourite, because Bobo was wild and dark and interesting. But his faves were the asylum in S2, and the epic battle with Tim at the end of S2.
- Tim: Filming when Mel was pregnant, there was a scene when his hand was on her belly, and the baby kicked. His reaction was real.
On acting advice:
- Kat: As a young actor, put on your own stuff, so you can learn the skills and do all the jobs. Do things other than acting, eg directing.
- Michael: Just do it to see if you love it. He didn't take classes, hung around actors, then found an agent, and learned on the job.
On favourite costumes:
- Kat: The costumes for S3 and S4. The hat was cool, but no one likes khaki pants.
- Michael: The S1 Bobo coat and the S2 straitjacket. Then it was downhill.
- Tim: The S4 Albert Einstein leather jacket.
- Michael: Someone outbid him at auction for Bobo's original coat.
- Michael: On a different show, one of the props was a model of his character's decapitated head. He wanted to take it home, so he could put it in his freezer and then ask people to get ice. He was told they couldn't give it to him because it cost $15K. He bid up to $800. Someone else bought it for $6K.
At the end of the panel, a lot of audience members held up thank you signs, like at the first con.
John Noble
I first heard John Noble speak at Supanova 2004 and again at Supanova 2016. He always has something interesting to say.
He was in musicals early on, but stopped getting calls. He's been in one opera, with one line.
He's done a lot of acting, and feels like he's a better human being as them than as himself.
Originally Denethor was only in the the third LOTR movie, but they needed to explain Faramir, so they created new scenes with Denethor, Faramir, and Boromir, to explain the relationships.
The Southern Highlands of New Zealand were windy. So for recording the dialogue, there was a guide track with ADR after, trying to get the emotions back. He lost his voice.
He liked Denethor's detailed costume and the chainmail. He got to meet the guy making them, gluing chain links together.
For the scene where Denethor was on fire, it was done by a stuntperson, in one take. He did the preliminary stuff for the scene, then watched the prep. It was mesmerising.
There was an accent master to teach them, "This is a Gondorian accent." Sean Bean was the first on set, and he has a North Country accent, so the Gondorian accent came from that. Billy Boyd couldn't do it, so he used his own accent.
Emily Swallow and Tait Fletcher
Both looking very different without their Mandalorian armour!
On acting:
- Emily: The director is like, "You can play the part, now we have to look at the symphony." ie who fits into the vision.
- Tait: You need to be in a place where you're offering up yourself, rather than a facsimile of what you think the director wants. And see if that fits the work.
- Emily: Theatre is about rehearsal.
- Tait: In film you crack it open in the moment.
- Emily: In the Last of Us 2, the mo-cap suits look ridiculous. Then you have to let it go, go back to your kid brain that doesn't care.
- Emily: In Supernatural, your arm is out blasting someone, and you have to trust the people putting in special effects after.
On the set of The Mandalorian:
- Emily: They had "This is the Way" Wednesdays, highlighting someone who is walking the Way in their lives, helping other people.
What's it like wearing the armour?
- Emily: "Awkward."
- Tait: "Heavy."
- Emily: "Sweaty."
- Tait: "Good to take it off."
- Emily: "But it looks cool!"
- Tait: "You can't sit down in it, you just have to lean."
On helmets:
- Emily: She's not sorry to not sit in Hair & Makeup for two hours.
- Emily: Her normal speaking voice is very different from the Armourer's. When people meet her at cons, is that really her? But she can switch into the voice at a moment.
- Emily: The helmet has no peripheral vision. You can't see down.
- Tait: There's fog inside the visor. He was counting steps to hit the mark.
On Australian animals:
- Emily: She met a cassowary at the zoo. She wants to meet a wombat.
- Tait: He wants to fight a kangaroo.
Shopping
I picked up a few books: Ferren and the Angel by Richard Harland, The Man with the Axe in his Back by Queenie Chan, and Fence Volume 5: Rise by CS Pacat and Johanna the Mad.
I also saw an ad for a collectable glitter globe at the Bradford Exchange stall, featuring Grogu and The Egg Canister.
Photos
Moderator with Kat Barrell, Michael Eklund, and Tim Rozon.
Moderator with John Noble.
Moderator with Emily Swallow and Tait Fletcher.
Din Djarin cosplayer.
Fennec Shand cosplayer.
Starfleet poster.
There were so many other amazing cosplayers I wish I'd gotten photos of, especially the Armourer, Bo-Katan Kryze, and Xena.
