'Over the table' photos

[KrazyKid197]

When I queued the first time, there were 2 people in front of me, but no-one behind me...

 

... but by the time Edward had finished the two in front, there were another 4 behind me... & this happened every time I re-queued.

 

I wanted to specifically talk to him about American History X, as it was one of very few movies that affected me in a big way (through family history).

 

Edward was gracious with everyone else who I was made to queue behind... however, because of this particular crew member, I didnt even get the chance to speak to him.

 

This might have been me. I don't think it was, but I did turn a few people away from that queue for your reason (red t-shirt, large girl, long dark hair in ponytail? - I hung around the Terminator queues most of the afternoon). Apart from the reasons that everyone else has given you - Edward Furlong was a slow signer because he wanted to talk to his fans, but he was also feeling ill which probably didn't help. Due to a few technical hitches he didn't sign for as long as was possible and we always had a long VT queue of people that wanted to pay for his autograph.

 

In that situation? You are never going to be able to just say hi. And any crew member who lets you shouldn't be doing it.

 

And as Jason pointed out, one of the things that the crew are there to do is to be the bad guys. We say no so that the guest doesn't have to. Because truthfully? You will remember that meeting with your favourite actor for the rest of your life. The mean crew member who said you couldn't have a hug? Will you even remember what they look like next week?

 

Just saying.

 

Kip

[Queen_Sindel]

The only way they get that money back is from people buying autographs and photo shoots with that guest.

I remember a time when the general policy was that over-the-table were fine, as long as there wasn't a massive queue to get through... It seems to have changed since I took a two year break from these events.

 

That's not what TooTall meant, Jeni.

 

Over the table photos are still fine if the circumstances allow it, and if you paid for an autograph before.

 

TooTall's post was in response to someone who expected to be able to go up to a guest and get to talk to them without paying for anything.

[Starbuck73]

Kip, I don't think it was you... I am sure I met you at the Supernatural con & this person looked nothing like you.

 

And YES, I do see everyone's point here, but I was just upset by the way I was treated.

 

If it had been explained to me at the time that a photo wasn't possible due to *insert various reasons here*, I wouldn't have re-joined the queue 3 times in the hope of getting one.

 

I also don't think there was any need for extreme sarcasm by 'the count' or sazzra.

[Count Fooku]

Kip, I don't think it was you... I am sure I met you at the Supernatural con & this person looked nothing like you.

 

And YES, I do see everyone's point here, but I was just upset by the way I was treated.

 

If it had been explained to me at the time that a photo wasn't possible due to *insert various reasons here*, I wouldn't have re-joined the queue 3 times in the hope of getting one.

 

I also don't think there was any need for extreme sarcasm by 'the count' or sazzra.

 

Never mind

[buffy2k]

I have to say i wouldnt go up to a guest to ask for photos without paying for an autograph too, i do ask for one when i am getting autos but not unless.

 

If you were in the usa you get charged upwards of $5 for over the table photos and thats if you pay for the $40 autographs as well so i think the people who have gone to LFCC expecting to get basically free photos have been very lucky but i do think its a bit unfair on the rest of us who do it properly. After all i am fully aware how much some of these guests cost to get over and events could not run at all if we didnt keep them running so if everyone starts doing this then in the end we all lose out when organ isers cant afford to bring guests over not to mention the fact it puts the guests in an awkward position too.

Edited July 22, 2009 by buffy2k

[TommyT]

Hmm its a hard one. Maybe the guests DO feel bad about saying no but meh, they have a voice, so if they were against photos without autos they COULD say no.

But some of them at least would not want to risk upsetting their fans; some people just don't "do" potential confrontation.

Some years ago, when I used to hang around the music industry more than i do now, I had the good luck to get talking to a rather well-known artiste, and it turned out that we had a mutual charitable interest. Seizing the initiative I mentioned a forthcoming event and wondered aloud if he could possibly show his face or something similar. I wasn't going to press for a performance but he was very keen and "oh yes, of course I'll come, any chance I could do a few numbers?" I was thrilled. Immediately next day blew my mouth off to my mates what I'd managed to organise, before I'd confirmed it with his manager. After all, Mr X, the star himself had practically demanded to do it. Then I got in contact with his manager and after some weeks of ooh-ing and ahh-ing and umm-ing and err-ing, no, unfortunately Mr X couldn't make it. Give the guy (his manager) his due, he did make sure we got some autographed swag to raffle off, but it was a rather poor second best, and of course yours truly had made rather a Parus major of himself by prematurely shooting his mouth off.

Fast forward a couple of years, and myself and several other friends and acquaintances are sat round in a hotel bar late one night exchanging war stories, and somebody tells how they had been promised by Mr X that he'd turn up and do a benefit gig for some cause he was involved in, and then eventually his manager knocked them back. I exclaimed that the *!'%4* had stitched me up similarly a couple of years back, and how hacked off with his manager I was, before an older and wiser head laughed and explained that Mr X was rather renowned for this sort of behaviour. He wants to be loved and to be everybody's mate, and he's almost clinically incapable of saying no to his fans, so he can never bring himself to turn down a request, or even say "maybe". He'll always say yes to any request for that sort of thing, and then has his manager let people down as gently as possible afterwards. Apparently his manager is a very decent bloke, and very well remunerated, because he has to spend so much of his time and energy "unarranging" all this stuff that Mr X has committed himself to. Basically Mr X employs his manager to be a b@st@rd so he doesn't have to be one himself. Now, i don't think it's particularly a pleasant or decent way to act, but I can sympathise with the scenario. And his manager does do a reasonable job of letting people down gently. (From subsequent experience I would say that Mr X's behaviour is not unique; it's certainly more extreme than most, but it's far from uncommon for famous people to employ folks to do the less pleasant things for them. And as KrazyKid197 says, this way you're only annoyed with some young person in a T-shirt that you'll barely remember next week, instead of being crestfallen forever at your hero's refusal.)

Edited July 22, 2009 by TommyT

[zeitheist]

Hmm its a hard one. Maybe the guests DO feel bad about saying no but meh, they have a voice, so if they were against photos without autos they COULD say no.

But some of them at least would not want to risk upsetting their fans; some people just don't "do" potential confrontation.

 

You're absolutely right. The thing is, actors want people coming away from this event telling people: "oh, so-and-so? Yeah, he was a really great guy". Their reputation is an important part of their selling power, because disgruntled fans are less inclined to spend money on actors who they don't feel appreciate them, whereas happy fans are more willing to follow an actor's work on the merit of them being "a great guy". I'm not saying that all actors do this, as I think some are very genuine in their friendliness, but a great deal of them want to cultivate a public persona of being "a nice guy", because that's what sells.

 

(I know once or twice in the past, I've seen crew stopping people from going up to an autograph table "just for a chat" when the actor isn't busy, and the actors' management has seen and waved them through anyway - again, because it's in the actors' best interests to make themselves appear friendly and available towards the fans).

 

I admit that, in the past, I have asked why certain actors can't just tell us straight-up "no" themselves. I could handle it! I wouldn't argue! But being told "no" is unpleasant. No matter how objective you are, it sours your experience. I'm fairly sure some people would get embarrassed and then confrontational, all of which the actor would want to avoid. By getting the crew member to say "no" for them, the actor can avoid generating the bad press that might come from doing it themselves.

 

Disclaimer: take the above with a grain of salt, or several. It is not a fact. I have no learnings.

[Scruffy]

Quote "I just wondered: Did anybody of you guys have some 'over the table' photos without paying for an autograph?

 

Come on , I can not understand anyone having the boldness to ask for a free photo without paying for an autograph , when these guests costs mega bucks to attend

If guests agree to give an over the table photo at same time as an attendee has just paid for their autograph then thats up to them.

I think its so wrong for someone to chance their hand and put a guest in an awkward position .

If you dont want to pay for an audience/autograph then why not just take a photo from a distance.

[Spookie]

... We say no so that the guest doesn't have to. Because truthfully? You will remember that meeting with your favourite actor for the rest of your life. The mean crew member who said you couldn't have a hug? Will you even remember what they look like next week?

 

Exactly. Well said.

[foreverbella]

I got over the table pictures with Danny, Sendhill, Justin and Alex

But that was after I paid for an autograph. I paid to see Alex 3 times haha.

[KrazyKid197]

... We say no so that the guest doesn't have to. Because truthfully? You will remember that meeting with your favourite actor for the rest of your life. The mean crew member who said you couldn't have a hug? Will you even remember what they look like next week?

 

Exactly. Well said.

 

What? I said something useful. Awesome. ;p But I'm glad the jist of it came across. It's also a plea to not be mad at the crew because they might be just telling you what they have been told to.

 

 

 

Kip, I don't think it was you... I am sure I met you at the Supernatural con & this person looked nothing like you.

 

And YES, I do see everyone's point here, but I was just upset by the way I was treated.

 

If it had been explained to me at the time that a photo wasn't possible due to *insert various reasons here*, I wouldn't have re-joined the queue 3 times in the hope of getting one.

 

I also don't think there was any need for extreme sarcasm by 'the count' or sazzra.

 

Hmm... well you'll never see me at one of *those* again.

 

Did you tell them that you just wanted a photo and to not buy an autograph when you joined the queue? Because that would have explained it. Or did the person at the VQ end let you in and the cash crew refuse you? If that's the case it wouldn't be her fault.

 

As has been said before though, if you find yourself in a situation where you're unhappy - raise the issue with a pitboss at the time. Then you would have had it explained to you that the only chance of you getting a photo like that is if you waited until there was no queue for Edward.

[Starbuck73]

Kip, I don't think it was you... I am sure I met you at the Supernatural con & this person looked nothing like you.

Hmm... well you'll never see me at one of *those* again.

Me either... but I hope to see you at another SM event... this hasn't put me off, don't worry.