18blue78 Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 (edited) On my way home & I'm wondering what people's thoughts on Saturday are? Personally I am chuffed to bits, even though I've spent way more at this event then at any other show I've ever been to. Firstly Buzz Aldrin, what can I say? IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT ABOUT ATTENDING ON SUNDAY TRUST ME, YOU WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MEET HIM. Buzz took time & lots of care over his autograph & even took a little time explaining some of the equipment that is shown on my picture of him on the moon. If you think of all the people he has met over the years it's amazing that he is so down to earth (no pun intended). I know there were some credit card problems at the start of the day. I hope they were cleared up quickly. Charlie Duke is another class act. Introducing himself to everyone he met with a smile & a handshake. A really nice person. Richard Gordon is such a great gentleman. Still can't believe his autograph was only £30, a tremendous bargain. With all my autographs collected early I also went to Richards lecture. Absolutely fascinating insight to the early history of space exploration from a humble & humorous speaker. I know Dave Prowse does a lot of these events but he is still one of the best people to meet on the autograph circuit. There where a few guest I didn't meet today but looking around the room Donald Thomas looked on fine form & seemed to be having a lot of fun. And there was a continues queue for Martin Landau who was defiantly a big hit. This was also the first time I've done a photo shoot at an event. To be honest I've been put off in the past by the long wait for photos to be printed & then by the mad crush around the collection tables. But this time I went for photos with Buzz, Ed Mitchell & Charlie Duke and have to say the new instant printing & collection system is simply tremendous. Well done SM for listening to people's concerns & finding a solution. But I had thought this years photo shoots with the Apollo astronauts was going to have the moonscape back drop that was being used for the lectures, or did I misread that? A big thank you to the crew. They kept everyone happy from the guests to the punters. Special mention to the ladies with Richard Gordon & Charlie Duke & the crew in the photo/lecture area who were doing a great job. Are you sure these guys don't get paid? Finally ShowMasters themselves. I don't know how you keep creating these amazing events but I hope it continues for a long, long time. Edited October 13, 2012 by 18blue78 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nostromo Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Well done to all everything super fab! Met mostly 007peeps who were lovely chatty etc but Michael Stevenson. Assistant director on many classics was a gem of a guy. Signed my Lawrence of Arabia book. Great chat Bout Stanley Kubrick. He was only a tenner would have paid much more. For the cinematic gold I was hearing Also Gary Connery. Very pleasant chatty. Signed his name and Olympic Rings added a 7 good bloke Negatives they ran outta of cake in the bar lol really wanted a scone. Lol Well done to all. I'm sure tomorrow will be just as much of a success as today Whoop Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul.W Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I really enjoyed today's show. It was fantastic meeting a legend like Martin Landau - a really nice guy who seemed to be enjoying himself. I also met Catherine Schell and Corinne Clery - both really friendly. It was lovely to go to an event without horrendous queues and it seemed very relaxed. The crew members were enthusiastic and friendly. Only quibble - did a lot of people get in for free? There was no-one checking passes on the door and my wristband was only asked for one. Thanks a lot guys for a great day - looking forward to next time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aldrin Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 In a word - busy. Loads of people there! Dick Gordon's queue was very long when I was there, usually it's the moonwalkers getting all the attention so it was heartwarming to see :) Buzz's autograph queue wasn't that busy but his photo queue stretched right out the door and around, although it seemed to be well policed and running smoothly. Buzz was in great spirits, friendly, talkative and he seemed in very good robust health, yeah a pleasure to meet him, it took the sting out of his fee! Charlie and Ed were ticking over very nicely. There was a good atmosphere and everyone seemed to be happy and relaxed. I'm gonna go back tomorrow for another mooch. Well done showmasters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Count Fooku Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I'd agree with pretty much everything Ted said although it did seem Buzz had a pretty good queue this morning. Very busy show on the whole but very enjoyable. Maybe for selfish reasons I won't complain if tomorrow is a bit quieter! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BACYLON Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Had a great day today - not been to many autographicas so cant comment on whether busier than usual but to me it seemed very relaxed and guests could spend time with you. Went primarily for the space 1999 guests who were all very chatty and great to meet, was wonderful to get the chance to meet Martin Landau again, we had a nice chat about the last time I saw him, when he was walking around talking to Edward James Olmos, a very good friend of his apparently. Good to catch up with a few friends too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topmiler Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 I've also posted this on the Buzz pricelist page but thought it was worth mentioning here again. I was all set for Buzz, I knew exactly what I needed and what to pay and then I got a shock at the desk. The post on page 1 with the price list gives : "APOLLO 11 COMPLETION ARMSTRONG OR ARMSTRONG AND COLLINS £630". So I presented my pic with Michael Collins on it, and guess what..... oh that'll be a crew completion then because Neil Amstrong is dead. That, I'm afraid, is not playing the game. Oh, and they also tried to charge me for the free personilsation. That was until I showed them the agreed pricing list. I did not expect to have a charging debate at the table. They would not give way over the Collins signature though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giuseppe1969 Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 The post on page 1 with the price list gives : "APOLLO 11 COMPLETION ARMSTRONG OR ARMSTRONG AND COLLINS £630". So I presented my pic with Michael Collins on it, and guess what..... oh that'll be a crew completion then because Neil Amstrong is dead. mmm... that's an interesting concept and interpretation of the word "completion", sorry to hear about your "financial" misadventure, topmiler - that was honestly unexpected and the reason given was really odd, to say the least. I did meet Aldrin this morning and got one signature but I have to admit I gave to it a lot of thought; in the end I decided to get it but I had to give up EMS and STAR TREK LONDON. In the end, it was my decision and I am glad I took it as I am sure you did but when you find certain surprises it is really annoying. Did you decide to get Aldrin's signature in the end? The rest of the convention was perfect. I met all the Space1999 guests plus Duke and Corinne Clery and we chatted for a while in Italian (a language sported by Martin Landau as well). Excellent day, look forward to tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pretenama2012 Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Fanatastic day meeting Martin Landau and the other Space 1999 guests. All lovely people. Photo shoots were super quick. Shame Mr Doltrice cancelled. Hope he feels better soon and Showmasters get him to another event. Back for more tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdad Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 That, I'm afraid, is not playing the game. I tend to agree. It would have been simple to update the pricelist when he died so you knew before travelling. However, I can't help thinking that pandering to these silly prices AT ALL gives them a chance to be extra-greedy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timelord81r Posted October 13, 2012 Share Posted October 13, 2012 Had a good day, relatively busy compared to previous recent autographicas, although the space used and twilight event also running may of helped The guests were brilliant, everything seemed organised decently and they are clearly getting better at each event with the new photo ops prints Few questions What happened to the space backdrop for the space photos? I later saw it in the talk area Why are the photographers obsessed with close up shots? How he did buzz shoot should be how he does all photos! So many I'm shaking/holding hands and it's missed as the photographer has zoomed in so much, my dick gordon one is almost like a floating head with me, very annoying, was very happy he got it right for buzz, otherwise I would of asked for a reshoot. I'm glad the lighting was better than at lfcc Rally enjoyed today though, always do enjoy autographicas, thanks dave and Jason and thanks for an amazing line up 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcgon1979 Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 Flew in from Dublin today. Have to congratulate the organizers. Very slick organization. Everything ran like clockwork. The lady managing the photoshoot queues deserves special mention. I saw her look after a man on crutches who couldn't queue. Lovely. The quality of the instant photos is great and I'm very happy with my buzz handshake and photo. Great day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avengers7 Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 Just goes to show that you cant please everybody. I prefer close up shots. Wasnt fond of the other shots. Excellent event though. Only issues i had were minor ones with the hotel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heroes Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 excellent day, met martin landau who was a pleasure to meet chatted briefly about mission impossible. the staff doing the photoshoot was very good, but i didn't get buzz aldrin's autograph as i couldn't justify paying the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loveamyadams Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 It seemed very quiet to me especially around the dealers tables areas during the morning but enjoyed it as i like the peaceful atmosphere compared to other events.Loved meeting Martin Landau, such a friendly guy, old school gentleman i'd call him. Hope Autographica comes back next year, nice venue in Birmingham too. well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrobabe Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 My daughter and I travelled down from Yorkshire just to have a photo and autograph with Martin Landeau as we're both massive Mission Impossible fans, and we were not disappointed :) He was the nicest gentleman you could meet. We had a double photoshoot with him where we told him how much we enjoyed watching his character ` Rollin Hand ` on Mission Impossible and he said thankyou very much and shook our hands. It was our first experience of the new photo system and we were very pleased. It was great to get the photos straight away - well done showmasters - and the prints seemed a good quality as well :) It was our first Autographica event but wont be our last as we had a really great time :)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astro_Nut Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 Excellent organisation in the photo queues Entertaining lectures from the astronauts Interesting guests in the photos, were very bright and cheery Like the instant photos Had a good day I asked about the backdrop and was told that it was too reflective to be used in the photoshoots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Sullivan Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 My wife and I had a brilliant time. My main interest is spacelflight. So I had the chance to meet four astronauts that had been to the moon, three of them walking on the surface. Obtained three autographs, Buzz Aldrins, Charlie Duke and Richard Gordon. I had Edgar Mitchell's autograph from last years event. I knew that Buzz Aldrins autograph was going to be expensive but so what. What an experience to meet this man and all the astronauts. The signing with Buzz Aldrin was a memorable event and such things are priceless as with all the signings with the astronauts. Without Autographica, I would never have met six moonwalking astronauts and many other astronauts. So a very big thank you to Dave and the team for a well organised and relaxed event. I have nothing but positive things to say about Autographica. The photoshoots were quick and efficient and collecting the photos straight away was brilliant. So looking forward to the next event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BACYLON Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 Never once got asked for my wristband...it's still in my wallet. Bet loads inadvertantly got in for free (or early bird instead of the standard they were going to buy!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willoworb Posted October 14, 2012 Share Posted October 14, 2012 (edited) Buzz was great, my partner and I specifically came to meet him. Does anyone know what the guy with the video camera was filming for? My partner got asked if it was ok to film him talking to Buzz but didn't say what for. All in all it was a good show with great guests, didn't get asked once to see the wrist band though and the corridors did get a little busy at times due to the Eternal Twilight event. But as someone who has been to Autographica at all its venues I thought it went well. Sarah Edited October 14, 2012 by willoworb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timelord81r Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 (edited) Just goes to show that you cant please everybody. I prefer close up shots. Wasnt fond of the other shots. Excellent event though. Only issues i had were minor ones with the hotel. with me its more of an issue as im tall so some close up shoots means the guest is like a floating head in my shots, its rubbish, waist up is fine if its guest waist up lol. thats why i prefer further out like the buzz shots, if i want closer i can crop it, i cant crop a close up of a floating head lol. and stuff like a hand shake, completly missed if its zoomed in Edited October 15, 2012 by timelord81r Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazzlerjames Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 A few posts about the space backdrop not being in the photoshoot area - it was tried but for some reason the darkness of the backdrop didn't work with the photographs and the lighting etc so it was moved into the lecture room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timelord81r Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 A few posts about the space backdrop not being in the photoshoot area - it was tried but for some reason the darkness of the backdrop didn't work with the photographs and the lighting etc so it was moved into the lecture room. # to be honest prior I was a bit worried with so much black how the photos would come out esp if any guests were in black, I wore a brighter shirt specifically in case of this, so i wasnt too bothered with it being normal back drop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giuseppe1969 Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 As far as I am concerned I had a great time on Sunday too. All Space1999 guests were very nice and was surprised to see that Alibe Parsons spoke Italian (for me it is always a plus). I got the actors' signatures on a special artwork I made myself (I got envious of kinggodzillak photoshop compositions and I had to do something about it!); nearly all actors congratulated me for my artworks and some asked for a copy! Unfortunately, I had one print only with me, I couldn't imagine they would have been so successful. However, Sylvia Anderson insisted she wanted a copy and asked her agents to share contact details because she would like to display it in her office! Now, that made my day (or year, possibly). Special hello to the guy from Singapore whom I met at Alibe's desk. Second special hello to the ubiquitous Michelle who remembered my name. Third special hello to the lady in charge of Suzanne and Anton on Saturday and Sarah and John on Sunday. Giuseppe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwarfbabe Posted October 15, 2012 Share Posted October 15, 2012 A big thank you to the crew. They kept everyone happy from the guests to the punters. Special mention to the ladies with Richard Gordon & Charlie Duke & the crew in the photo/lecture area who were doing a great job. Are you sure these guys don't get paid? Finally ShowMasters themselves. I don't know how you keep creating these amazing events but I hope it continues for a long, long time. As one of the crew on the event, I can confirm that we are all volunteers. We do it because we love being a part of it all and we do our best to make sure everyone has a good experience so you'll keep coming back and we can continue to be a part of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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