SANVA Realms Con Recap!!

Another weekend ends and the con high levels out into that post-con exhaustion when we realize, Realms Con was a blast. Members of SANVA came out in overwhelming support for our two co-chairmen Mr. Saturday and Sixpence. While there was so much to do at this con, today we will really focus on the Steampunk side of things.

It was very pleasantly surprising that this con had so much time and room devoted to Steampunk culture. There were a good number of panels and events highlighting Steampunks that we almost outnumbered the rest.

FRIDAY

On that note, we kicked off the fun with a quaint sit down with Mr. Saturday and Sixpence with “Bohemian Nocturnal Story time.” Fun was had by all as we started to ramp up the energy to last us through the evening.

After a quick dinner, we got in line for Abney Park’s performance with a lot of our fellow Steampunks and Geeks.  We definitely enjoyed everyone being so eager in asking questions about Steampunk and asking to take pictures with our members. It is very nice to see the larger Geek community become more open minded towards what some would consider a fringe culture.

Once we got into the ballroom we got as close to the stage as we could and snagged a great spot in front. You could feel the collective energy and excitement of the crowd grow as we all waited for Abney Park to take the stage. Almost as if it was perfectly timed, the band took the stage when the anticipation hit a fever pitch. Abney Park put on a great show, which is saying something since they were experiencing some minor sound equipment issues. For the Friday concert, they played a good set on Friday, which rocked. For someone new to the band, the performance was one that would definitely inspire further interest or rabid fandom. We're going with the latter because these guys are amazing.

After the concert, Saturday and Sixpence kicked off a fun game of “To Whom does this line pertain to by chance,” Which is a take on the format of “Whose Line Is It Anyway,” with hilarious results. We really see they shine with Improv Comedy, as the session was extremely funny and entertaining whether you’re Steampunk or not.

We closed out the first night of Realms Con with an impromptu salon where SANVA members relaxed with a drink and good conversation until the early hours of the morning.

SATURDAY

Mr. Saturday and Sixpence hosted a panel on Building A Persona with special guests Steampunk Santa, Viktor Cogsmith, Damia Nightingale, and Jason McLarty, author of the Building a Stronger Persona series on the SANVA Blog. The panel was an amazing success with both a turn and great audience participation. Each of the guests delved into their characters, how they created them, and their best practices for building a developed persona.

We spent the remainder of the day heading to other interesting panels, grabbing some food, and relaxing at the hotel. That evening some of our group caught Abney Park’s second show, which was even better than the first. The rest of the group got to work on a top secret surprise mission, which involved a park, a grill, some of Jon Redcorn’s Seasoned Rub, and meat. Lots and Lots and Lots of meat.

By the time Abney Park’s concert was over the remainder of our group returned to the hotel to find the beginnings of a Beach party cookout! Thus, we kicked off SANVA’s first Beach party. We had an amazing turnout of SANVA members, invited guests, and even ultra super special guests, Abney Park!

Out of respect for Abney Park, we will not post pictures of them from the event up on this blog or our flickr stream, but they really did come and hang out with us for most of the night. They are really laid back, know how to have a good time, and are really just great people. If you ever have a chance to hang out with them, do it because it is a blast. The party rounded off along the shoreline in the wee hours of the morning as everyone trekked back to their rooms for some much needed rest.

SUNDAY

Sunday afternoon brought two more panels with Saturday and Sixpence sharing stories of their exploits along with their new mime Opal and, much to Sixpence’s dismay, an over abundance of mime related puns. We closed the con festivities with a Steampunk 102 panel/Q&A that was packed to the brim with people. Captain Witicker of Airship Isabella and representatives from Neo-Dulcimer hosted the panel with Saturday and Sixpence sitting in as guests. They spoke about a wide range of topics such as how to keep your Airship from imploding to the need for Geeks and Steampunks to band together to bring awareness to others and fight intolerance.

All in all, Realms Con was a strong success. It is safe to say that a return trip next year may be within the realm of possibilities.

The San Antonio NeoVictorian Association Announces Partnership with the San Antonio Food Bank

In keeping with our mission to promote positive social change we are proud to announce our new relationship with the San Antonio Food Bank. With this, we will begin collecting canned goods and other needed food items at select SANVA events.

The San Antonio Food Bank was founded in 1980 and is the oldest of Texas’ 19 Feeding America Food Banks. By receiving and storing truckloads of donated food, produce, and other grocery products, SAFB distributes these items in manageable quantities to over 500 service agencies that help people in need.

SANVA is excited to grow our relationship with the Food Bank to help those in need that live in our community while spreading awareness of Steampunk culture and goodwill. We hope that as members of SANVA you share in our excitement and will lend your support in accomplishing our goals.

There will be more announcements of events and collections in the next few weeks so please watch our Twitter and Facebook feeds for more details.

Building a Stronger Persona: Part 3 Quirks

Last week we discussed the importance of investing time in your persona’s history and background. Now that we have a stronger foundation for our character, it is time to add the finishing touches.

What really makes the difference between one person to the next? While some would say appearance or how they sound, it really boils down to are the special little quirks they each have. Think about it.

When you think of Star Wars,not Steampunk but go with it, what is the first thing that comes to mind? For me, hands down it is Darth Vader. So what made Darth Vader so iconic? It’s the quirks. The raspy ventilator sound, his uniform, and his voice, those all made the character. Not just the tone of James Earl Jones but how he spoke made the difference too. Vader was eloquent and well spoken, rarely did we ever hear him use slang or vulgar terminology. The way he spoke gave him that personal gravity that just drew you in. Think back to Empire Strikes Back in the end sequence between Luke and Vader. Did you see Vader running after Luke? No, you didn’t and you weren’t surprised because all the while he carried that reserved fury. He spoke and carried himself like he was a bad ass, because he knew he was a bad ass.

Another example comes from Geek culture that we may be familiar with; Buffy Summers from Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer is obsessed by the Ice Capades. This is something totally random from her childhood and opposite from her character’s mission to fight vampires. However, it helps to add more depth to make her more dimensional and not a stereotype.

Even the smallest quirks will add that unforgettable flavor. Another more recent example of someone with a LOT of quirks would be Adrian Monk from USA Network’s Monk. This guy had so many phobia and compulsions they almost were a character unto themselves. However, these quirks also added depth without a lot of time spent on back-story. Episode one, you saw that this guy was really messed up, but he was functional and a brilliant detective. In that you understand that he must have went through some serious stuff to be this messed up even though he was so good at being a detective.

Instantly, you’re intrigued and want to know more, probably why Monk lasted for eight seasons and the series finale holds the record for the most watched scripted drama episode in cable television history. Something I’ve always believed, people will tune in for the first episode because of special effects or gimmicks. They will stick around for good story and great characters.

You may be asking, “How do I pick a quirk that fits my character? Can I pick anything?”

For these answers, we will look at; you guessed it, our character’s history. While you can certainly pick quirks at random and it would not damage your persona, tying them back into your character’s history not only makes them more meaningful but it makes your character interesting because you can play into the quirk so much easier. Let’s look back at our example from last week.

With our character Arrow, let’s take a look at what quirks we could add to her that would give her some depth. We’ve established that she had a rough time growing up. She’s withdrawn from getting close to, well anyone. What if she had a fascination with something completely off base, like sock monkeys for instance? She actively collects them, as many different kinds that she can get, she has a shrine of them in her apartment she has that many.

Pretty quirky, huh?

Now if you were hanging out with her and saw her get all excited about finding a rare sock monkey you would be pretty curious as to what the hell is going on, right? Well I know I would. What if her sister had a favorite sock monkey doll that she carried around with her everywhere? Maybe Arrow still has it, her sister was buried with it, or it was lost somehow as the years went by, anything but for some reason Arrow keeps her sister’s memory alive by connecting with these sock monkeys. Her passion for these dolls traces back to her past and boom, instant depth to your character that makes them unique.

I remember watching a movie a while ago where one of the main characters went into every used book store to look for a specific book. She would open the book, look at the first page, and then put the book back. This intrigued not only the viewers but also one of the other main characters until they finally asked the question we had been wondering the entire time, “what’s with the books?” Then we find out that her dad had given her that book as a child before he died and wrote in the cover a note to her, but she lost the book. Now she tries to find it every time she sees a used book store. She knows the likelihood of finding it is small, near impossible but she still looks every time.

By imbuing your Persona with these little quirks or habits you give them that spark of life that take them from being something or someone you created or imagined to something that is real, that has different levels that someone experiencing your character can explore and discover on their own instead of just giving them a info dump on your history.

If you think about it, of all the characters in literature, TV, and movies you love, the ones you love the most are probably the ones that you had the chance to fall in love with their little quirks, habits, and obsessions as you discovered more about who they are and where they came from.

Next week we will talk about putting everything into practice and actually take your Persona out for a test drive by stepping into the role and becoming them.

Coming this October: Steampunk Night at the Drafthouse!

We are coming up on our second event! We had such a great time in September and are excited to make October even better! This time we will be watching The City of Lost Children a fantastically dark Steampunk look into the world of mad scientists and circus strongmen brought to you by French cinema. Directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet before he brought us Amelie, this little-known dystopian gem will make you want to go back and conduct your own crazy mad science experiments (or become a circus strongman like Ron Pearlman in the film).

This film starts at 7:30, but as this is the Drafthouse and a very special night indeed, we ask that you arrive anywhere from 45 minutes to a hour before the actual start of the movie. With the on-screen pre-show, the fantastic outfits, our lovely vendors and whatever else we pull from our sleeves, you'll have tons to experience before the actual film itself! If you would like to vend/perform at our Steampunk Nights and/or are a Steampunk luminary wishing your presence announced, do let us know and we will contact you. Again, to all our dear attendees, dressing up is heavily encouraged and we hope you have as much fun as we will on this upcoming evening of wonder and Steampunk!

We will also have some more fun announcements as we get closer so keep an eye out here or you can also follow us on Twitter @SANeoVictorian for more up to the minute info!

Developing a Strong Persona: Part 2 Background.

Why is a character’s history so important? What does it really do to improve your performance or feel for the persona you create?

These are excellent questions and the answer is everything. History has everything to do with a successful persona.

Think about it this way; look at how you are today. Think about how you act, how you talk, what you consider your favorite, and what you fear. Your experiences growing up shape these behaviors. A lot of times, the events that happen between the ages of 8-11 and 15-18 will build the foundation for every action or decision you make for the rest of your life.

Here is an example. Let us take a character that I created for an upcoming story named Arrow. She is 25, an artist, and exemplifies proper conduct in her culture. She is poised and elegant, yet emotionally closed off from the world. In fact, she avoids getting involved beyond a superficial interest in anything. She is sociable but never deeper than casual conversation save for two people, her best friend and her former lover. We have to ask, why is she like this?

As we discussed earlier, past experiences shape our behaviors. Arrow for example experienced tragedy at a very young age. When she was 10, she and her baby sister were playing hide and seek in their family’s barn. Her sister followed her up into the loft and accidentally fell and died. Arrow, who was once adventurous and outspoken, now felt responsible for the loss of her sister. This guilt led her to push herself to be the perfect daughter to make up for the one her parents lost.

Arrow also hides an alternative lifestyle in terms of sexual preference and has ever since she was a teenager. In high school, she had a friend named Caroline who was also alternative, but was not as regimented in her façade as Arrow. Caroline faced ridicule and harassment from the other students. It came to a head when Arrow’s sexuality also came under suspicion. Instead of standing with her friend, she chose to deny it and retreat from her friend. Again, she feels that she needs to be the perfect daughter, the perfect woman. So, she started dating appropriately to further the façade. Through this relationship, she found art that she would now channel her emotions into. This release came in handy when Caroline committed suicide.

The news hit Arrow like a ton of bricks. Now two people were dead because of her, she swallowed the guilt and became more and more detached, sinking into her façade to where she almost believed it herself. Until her former lover proposed. Arrow realized that this was going far beyond a simple façade; she couldn’t get any closer because she was afraid of hurting them. So Arrow broke off the relationship, because she couldn’t bring herself to live that lie with someone else.

Now Arrow lives purely in the now, barely going beyond superficial casual interactions to keep up appearances or else she face the harassment, and prejudice against her alternative lifestyle.

So what does all this mean for your goals and your persona? Well for one, developing a rich back-story like this you can very easily step into the frame of mind of your character. These decisions can help you decide how your character dresses, speaks, what movies that would like, if they like sports, what their emotional response would be to any particular situation.

You can test this by placing your character into a real world setting or scenario, you will find that this level of research will help you to quickly determine exactly how they would react and speak in that scenario.

Coming back to Arrow as another example. Let’s say that she is going to speak at a school, any high school. How do you think she would be? What would her mood be like? Would she immediately greet others excitedly? How would she dress? Would she speak softly or strongly? What would her reaction be if she saw another girl being teased by other students?

Did you notice how easily the answers came to you? Some of you may have even started seeing those scenes unfold in your head. This is the value of a detailed background and history. So now it is your turn.

I want you to take some time to sit and think about your persona. Where did they grow up? What was their family like? How were their relationships with their parent(s), siblings, childhood friends, and others? Did they experience tragedy? What do they regret? What were they most proud of? What are the most important moments in their life?

Ask yourself these questions and feel free to share your ideas here. If you want to you can email them to us at sanvaonline@gmail.com and we would be happy to offer feedback or help you if you’re stuck.

Next week we are going to talk about details and how even the smallest detail can create a memorable character.

Building a Good Persona

So, you’ve decided to take the plunge. You’ve watched the movies, read the books, hung out with other Steampunks, and now you’re ready to enter into Cos Play.

Now Steampunk Cos Play can differ from you may be familiar with. From what I’ve experienced it actually may have more in common with Live Action Role Play (LARP). What you will find is that many of your new Steampunk friends create their own Steam Persona. They will assume this character when in costume at Conventions or other events. Our own SANVA members have created extremely creative personas such as Mr. Saturday and Sixpence the Mime.

So what makes a great persona? Is it the costume? The Gadgets? The Make-Up? Or the voice?

Well, it is all those things, but the most important part is the story.

That’s right, if you want to create a truly unique and powerful persona you’ll need to do a little work on building the character and its story. So where do we start?

Concept

A concept is the beginning of anything and everything. This inspiration gets you excited to create. Coincidentally, this is also the hardest part to come up with because there is no direct science. My best advice is going with your gut. Sometimes you’ll have a great idea of a look or feeling that you want to capture. Once you have that, run with it and start fleshing out your character.

This process may come easier for writers as it very closely resembles character creation. You may want to look for source material to help solidify what you want your character to be. Here you can turn to your favorite movies, books, comic books, plays, or any other experiences you need. It is okay if your source material isn’t Steampunk, it is ok if it isn’t even in the realm of geek or gamer media. You can use whatever helps to fuel the creative fire.

If you’re stuck and nothing is coming to you try thinking back to your favorite story. One of mine is Shakespeare’s  Othello. Do you have your story?

Ok good. Look back to the story, who was your favorite character? What about that character do you most enjoy or identify with? Is that something you would like to incorporate into your persona? Keeping with my example, my favorite character is Iago because I think he is one of the best villains in English Literature. I like how he orchestrated the fall of Othello through social manipulation. That is something I want to explore in my persona.

That brings us to an interesting question. Good or Evil? Do you want your character to be a good guy, bad guy, or that fun shade of ambiguously gray? Well before you answer, think about it this way.

There is no such thing as an evil person.

That’s right I said it, but it doesn’t make it any less true. There is no such thing as an evil person, no one wakes up in the morning and says, “You know, today, I’m going to be evil.”

Doesn’t happen. We interpret their actions as evil. Villains in stories truly think that they are doing what is right. Look at a character like Iago, in his eyes, his actions were justified. Passed over for a promotion, slighted by the rise of Othello, and he felt that the scales needed to be re-balanced. In our eyes, he did some truly evil things, but to him, he was just trying to get through his day to day.

For you and your persona, it really boils down to how they view the world and what they want from it. What are their goals, why do they have these goals, what drives them, and what shaped them into who they are today?

By the time we start asking these questions, we most likely have a good idea of what and how we want our persona to be. Next, we need to learn more about why they are the way they are. How do we do that? Well, the sum of a man is the collection of his life experiences. The same is true with any character created. There is a saying among writers that your viewers/readers will really only see 10% of what we create for our characters. For a character like Iago, we are only seeing 10% of the back-story and work that Shakespeare most likely did in creating him. So why do it? Because the other 90% heavily affects how that 10% acts and appears.

Next week we are going to go into some exercises on how to flesh out your persona’s background and why it is important.

Steampunk Night at the Drafthouse

We want to thank everyone who came out and made our first ever Steampunk night a great success. We had a total of 83 people come out and join us for some great fun! We are already hard at work getting ready for next month and are excited about all the great ideas we have.

This is where we need your help! We want you to tell us what you would like to see happen for Steampunk Night, after all this event is for you! So feel free to leave a comment here or even on our face book page about your ideas for what we could do for Steampunk night.