Hello, Japan? Behind The Scenes At the "Godzilla" Panel At Comikaze

Above, panel moderator Jessica Tseang trying to get an Internet connection before the start of the session.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

One of (many) frustrating things about being on a panel (especially when you're also in charge of it) is finding that things previously requested aren't provided and planned agenda items are prevented from happening. 

This is what Godzilla and Pacific Rim panel moderator Jessica Tseang faced last Friday before the session's start.

She planned to have us show slides or videos during the panel discussion, but the requested audio/visual equipment wasn't provided by the Comikaze Expo organizers. After discovering this, she even tried (among other things) to swap meeting rooms with another concurrent session (who didn't need the audio/visual equipment in their room), but they refused her request. This caused a problem with a planned recorded greeting by Godzilla screenplay writer Max Borenstein. We had the recorded message, but no audio equipment was provided for all of the attendees to hear it. Instead, Borenstein's message was played on Tseang's laptop computer with a microphone held next to one of the speakers. Unfortunately, the recording was not very loud to begin with and this resulted in just the first few rows of attendees being able to hear it (and making sense of what he was saying).

Above, Robert Scott Field.  Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Also, prior to the session's start, Tseang was trying to get an Internet connection so she can be connected with Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) actor Robert Scott Field in Japan via Skype. Field said he "waited and waited..." for the connection starting at 5:00 a.m. Japan time. The problem? We found that Comikaze Expo's organizers did not arrange for any Internet/Wi-Fi service at the Los Angeles Convention Center. So Field's participation had to be scrubbed (that's cancelled in NASA lingo).

This is not the first time I've seen SNAFUs crop up for panel sessions. I've seen malfunctioning audio and video equipment as well as special guests being brought in late to their sessions at other conventions by inconsiderate handlers.

At least Robert Scott Field was a good sport and understood the situation. He called Tseang a "peach" and felt she brought her "A-game to the con so all went smoothly." I agree.

Despite the problems, the session did go well and the attendees seemed to enjoy it. That's what really counts anyway.