Stenun Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 What's the reason that we can buy photoshoots in advance but not autographs? It would be a lot easier if, for example, I could book two autograph tickets for Famke Janssen for Saturday online; rather than turning up on the day and hoping I'm in time. I'm sure with all of Showmasters's experience in running events that they must have a good reason for not doing this; so what is it? :-) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raylenth Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 (edited) Simple reason: Because. Complicated reason: Because it's the way Showmasters choose to run their events. No seriously, it's been requested before and Showmaster haven't chosen to go with that method. It can be complicated as it's very dependant on how quickly guests sign but others have said the system is used over seas and works, but apparently they did try it once with one guest and it was a disaster (I don't know why). So as of yet this is they system they choose to use. Edited July 6, 2016 by Raylenth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrong Name Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 (edited) Basically, with photos, it's Showmasters who's in charge. They do it a lot and do it it well and know how many they can do in a certain amount of time. With the autos it's down to the guests as to how fast they sign so they might sell 1000 tickets but the guest might only get through 100. That's 900 very unhappy people, so it's better to not presell them. Edited July 6, 2016 by Wrong Name 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen_Sindel Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 It's been done once with Jeri Ryan and unless I remember wrong it did not go over well. It was decided not to repeat that. Famke is a Diamond guest anyway, so in a way there were pre-booked autograph tickets. Tons of people were upset last year when Christopher Lloyd barely made it through all Diamond Passes. Adding more guaranteed things is a potential disaster. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoryMcGarrett Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 Every guest is signing at their own pace. Last year in Brighton James Marsters was talking to his fans for a long time, the same John Hurt. Some were just "hi" "bye" and that was it. So I assume that James and John gave less autographs than for example Catherine Tate who was signing really fast and wasn't talking to people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faerie Tanith Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 You'd also need to take into consideration the fact that the photoshoots are over in a matter of seconds. You queue up, you stand with the guest, you have your picture taken and you leave. I've been in photoshoot queues that looked fairly long, but everyone got through in under five minutes because it was so speedy. Now, this is great if you have a lot to do during the day, but it's a little impersonal. Getting an autograph comes with the opportunity to have a chat (not always, mind) which often makes attendees feel they're getting more for their money. A photoshoot is fantastic, and I love doing them. But nothing really beats going up to a guest-- someone I admire-- to get an autograph, and getting to have a quick talk with them, even if it's just a simple "how's your day been?". Sometimes you get a hug or a handshake or a selfie. So imagine if tickets were sold for autographs, and as Wrong Name says, a guest ends up selling 1000 autograph tickets or something. You can kiss any chance of having a chat with your guest goodbye, because that guest is most likely going to be too busy to so much as look you in the eye when you meet them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raylenth Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 And when it's like that you'd actually be lucky to 'meet' the guest at all. I recall people saying with a guest who was a super quick signer that their items were give to the crew and signed before they even got level with the guest and then they were out. Unfortunately it really is a no win situation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoff85 Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 I recall people saying with a guest who was a super quick signer that their items were give to the crew and signed before they even got level with the guest and then they were out. I've experienced that. It does leave a hollow feeling if you haven't managed a "hello". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faerie Tanith Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 (edited) I recall people saying with a guest who was a super quick signer that their items were give to the crew and signed before they even got level with the guest and then they were out. I've experienced that. It does leave a hollow feeling if you haven't managed a "hello". Ugh. I would be devastated. I know that cons draw in just as many collectors as they do fans (I guess collectors wouldn't really care about talking), but I definitely go for the experience rather than the items. When I'm paying £40 for an autograph, I hope to spend more than 10 seconds face-to-face with said guest and have them acknowledge my existence. I would rather risk not getting an autograph because the guest ran out of time than be blanked by a guest who is overloaded. And even if they're fast signers... they're still people. Do they really want to be signing that many autographs? Some guests I've met have been really happy to take a few moments to talk. If it were me, I would lose the will to live if I were sat in a crowded hot hall for hours, doing nothing but scrawling my name on every poster/prop/dvd that was shoved under my nose. They're busy enough as it is. Edited July 6, 2016 by Faerie Tanith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raylenth Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 (edited) That's one of the reasons this is actually covered in the FAQ - that going to events can be risky because a negative experience can have such an emotional effect on you but the guests are only human and are all at these events for their own reasons. We all have to be prepared for the fact that when we get up in front of them we are generally just another face. Some guests are happy to talk, others not so much As much as it's understandable that we are all excited and thrilled to meet our hero's it does pay to remember 'expect the worse, and anything better is brilliant' I personally haven't had any 'bad' experiences but one or two have been a little less engaged (but I think in those cases they had reason to be a little wary of the attendees as they are people with some very obsessive fans) Edited July 6, 2016 by Raylenth 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faerie Tanith Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 I've met disengaged guests. It's perfectly understandable, all things considered. But you're still being acknowledged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy270492 Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 people are also forgetting pre-ordering autographs means selecting a day in advance.... way too easy to miscalculate your spare time you might have if you order say 20 autographs for saturday, turn up on the day realise all your time slots clash... wasted money when you leave realising you missed a couple! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerraHawk Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 people are also forgetting pre-ordering autographs means selecting a day in advance.... Didn't work that way at the event I went to and prebooked, in fact I had to leave my place in the queue just before meeting the guest in question, to just make it to a screening in time, and then went back another day. They simply sold autographs for their guests away from their tables, so it didn't matter if you bought a month before or 5 minutes before, they knew how many they'd sold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy270492 Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 hmm! interesting actually then... so guessing its just the logistics issue of it for SM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammyromie Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 That's one of the reasons this is actually covered in the FAQ - that going to events can be risky because a negative experience can have such an emotional effect on you but the guests are only human and are all at these events for their own reasons. We all have to be prepared for the fact that when we get up in front of them we are generally just another face. Some guests are happy to talk, others not so much As much as it's understandable that we are all excited and thrilled to meet our hero's it does pay to remember 'expect the worse, and anything better is brilliant' I personally haven't had any 'bad' experiences but one or two have been a little less engaged (but I think in those cases they had reason to be a little wary of the attendees as they are people with some very obsessive fans) Makes me all the more appreciative of guests who remember me when I meet them again, even if the encounters are months apart! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsoldierspoon Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 That's one of the reasons this is actually covered in the FAQ - that going to events can be risky because a negative experience can have such an emotional effect on you but the guests are only human and are all at these events for their own reasons. We all have to be prepared for the fact that when we get up in front of them we are generally just another face. Some guests are happy to talk, others not so much As much as it's understandable that we are all excited and thrilled to meet our hero's it does pay to remember 'expect the worse, and anything better is brilliant' I personally haven't had any 'bad' experiences but one or two have been a little less engaged (but I think in those cases they had reason to be a little wary of the attendees as they are people with some very obsessive fans) Ugh, I have. I realize they're just people, but when a fan pays for an (expensive) autograph, at least have the grace to look up and say hi. The actor didn't even look at me or most others in queue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyHorses Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 I have met few guests, who had no interest in saying hi or anything more than that, but that's what conventions can be like, it feels worse if they don't even look up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natedammit Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 If someone didn't look up and at least acknowledge me I'd lean down, force my head under theirs so we have eye contact and say "this autograph cost me £xx, manners cost nothing". (Actually I'd just walk off all sad like.) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apefan1 Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Stenun has asked an excellent question. I would like two queues for each guest. A fast one for those who just want to say hi and get the autograph and a slow one for people with multiple items (sometimes dealers rather than fans) and those who want a 5 minute chat. The fast queue could be for those with pre-paid tickets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy270492 Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 what about those that are happy to pre-pay for tickets, but still want a 5 minute chat? do we risk being turned away on the day by not pre-paying? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raylenth Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Stenun has asked an excellent question. I would like two queues for each guest. A fast one for those who just want to say hi and get the autograph and a slow one for people with multiple items (sometimes dealers rather than fans) and those who want a 5 minute chat. The fast queue could be for those with pre-paid tickets. I doubt this will ever happen. It seems like it would be unnecessarily complicated, and who would you let through first? Do you deliberately hold up the people with more than 1 item in favour of those with only 1? That's really unfair as they might then have to wait ages to get through. For guests that are busy, 5 minute chats aren't usually allowed anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen_Sindel Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Stenun has asked an excellent question. I would like two queues for each guest. A fast one for those who just want to say hi and get the autograph and a slow one for people with multiple items (sometimes dealers rather than fans) and those who want a 5 minute chat. The fast queue could be for those with pre-paid tickets. I doubt this will ever happen. It seems like it would be unnecessarily complicated, and who would you let through first? Do you deliberately hold up the people with more than 1 item in favour of those with only 1? That's really unfair as they might then have to wait ages to get through. For guests that are busy, 5 minute chats aren't usually allowed anyway. What Raylenth said. This version will never happen. Too complicated and too many "what if". Not only on the day. For example: What if you want to prepay, but can't? The shop is set up to accept credit cards and most UK debit cards work fine. What if you don't have those cards? Credit cards are still a fairly uncommon thing in some countries, even in Germany. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy270492 Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 credit cards are uncommon in Germany? Well... you learn something new every day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen_Sindel Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 credit cards are uncommon in Germany? Well... you learn something new every day! Yes. The question I am asked most often by German fans in regards to LFACC is: "How can I get tickets? I don't have a credit card." The Maestro system (so kind of debit card) is widely spread here. Credit cards not so much. One of our biggest electronics retailer chains still does not accept credit cards in their local stores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithy270492 Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 Well, I suppose it means you are less likely to get yourself in debt if you live in Germany lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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