Northumbria University
Newcastle upon Tyne
The Conference Day Two
The second day started better than the first as there were no fire alarms although I did need to check out before I left and was getting worried that no one would arrive before I had to leave but luckily they did although I do have to say they weren't very nice or cherry, granted it was 8 in the morning. As I waited I was talked to one of the guys in my room who actually goes to Warwick but is an undergrad so was traveling during the summer as he unlike me did not have a room for the summer. So I stopped once again at my Pacific Northwest cafe and found the building much easier this time although I had help since I saw people from the conference entering the building so I mainly just followed them, so I guess I cheated a tiny bit.
The day started out with a panel that I had been looking forward to that was not on Doctor Who. 'Adapting and Transforming Cultural Identity.' Karen Bowdre from Indiana University, who I had spoken to the previous day started the conference with a paper on Guinevere from the BBC's Merlin and the fact that she is Black and yet a main character. I really liked what she had to say. Robert Dew talked about the transition of Maid Marion from chaste maiden to action heroine. I found his presentation a little unorganized and once again he didn't read from a paper plus I tried watching the new Robin Hood and just couldn't get into it. Michael Ahmed had an excellent presentation on Department S and the character of Sir Curtis Seretse. I was able to follow and understand his points without ever hearing about the programme. His presentation was also nice because it had video clips embedded in the powerpoint presentation just the way I like it. He also teaches the practical side of film editing at UEA so I can understand him having the skill to do it which I'm thankful for. I always find it funny that everyone works on studying technology related stuff but yet don't know how to work the technology. Gail Nina Anderson gave an interesting presentation but yet again on something I had never heard of. Her presentation was a little disconcerting as she wouldn't look at anyone directly while speaking but instead would look up at the ceiling. I understand being nervous though but maybe if she could just focus on the back wall it wouldn't be as noticeable.
This panel led straight into the next one on 'Gender and Science Fiction Narratives' and was the last panel of the conference. Alan Gregory talked about Steven Moffat's Empty Child and military masculinities. Unfortunately he didn't talk loud enough for me to really understand a lot of what he was saying and he didn't have a powerpoint to emphasis his words. Victoria Byard was one of the women I had met the previous day talking about women in the Quatermass serials. She had a good presentation with good clips even though she had to do it online because the powerpoint she brought with her didn't work. The failings of technology, maybe that's why academics are fearful of it. Sarah Wylie, the woman from Glasgow talked about the failure of the programme Outcast, enough programme I had not heard of. This conference has given me a lot of new material to look at while is fantastic given my consumption rate of television. Wylie's presentation prompted the biggest discussion. Pauline Archell-Thompson talked about elements and faeries in 'Sapphire and Steel' and Torchwood. Although I haven't heard of Sapphire and Steel I did see the episode of Torchwood she was talking about. She was very nervous and didn't have a powerpoint and finished 5 mins early but I liked what she had to say I just wished she had more confidence and had timed her presentation better so she couldn't have said more instead of cutting everything out.
Lunch finally came and I ate with my Scottish contingent which was nice compared to the previous day of eating alone. I also I guess was feeling super social and went to talk to Julian and Karen, or maybe I just felt comfortable talking to Americans. I wanted to say how much I enjoyed Karen's paper and we started talking about it and it was just a great feeling to be accepted and being asked for an opinion on something that I know and other people want to talk about.
Helen Wheatley from Warwick gave the last keynote address about uncanny children in Children's Gothic television. I definitely got some good ideas from her paper and now I really need to read her book on the Gothic which I've looked at before. She also had timing issues but it was still a good presentation that had a proper ending. She was able to think fast on feet which is always appreciated if you haven't prepared properly for the presentation in timing it. This is why I love making video presentations instead of talking live because I can get everything I want and need to say timed out correctly and its professional.
We had a quick tea break and then the roundtable started with Catherine Johnson, Jonathan Bignell, James Chapman and Dave Rolinson. It really started a good discussion about fandom and if academics can or should write about things they love. And also the problem of the term 'telefantasy' and how cannons can be formed. The roundtable ran a little over time so we didn't really have a proper break. I said goodbye to the people I was talking to, to go to the final event of the conference which was 'Tachyon TV Presents...' The best presentation of the conference just because it was so well timed out and had lots of clips and lots of humor. Two guys presented it with a script and everything. It was very well thought out and they worked well together. Here's their website if you're interested, http://tachyon-tv.co.uk/.
Also if you're interested Frank Collins of the Cathode Ray Tube blog was blogging during the conference and you can read what he has put up and some of the panels that I didn't go to and a fully look at the ones I did go to. he was quite busy all day. alien nation conference live blog
I left to go have dinner, again at Nando's took lots of pictures around the city and toured the castle keep which is where the name Newcastle comes from and then waited in the train station. I met up with the Scottish contingent again as they were catching the train before mine. Luckily my train was on time and I had no problems. The journey up to Edinburgh was beautiful was lovely views of the North Sea. I hadn't realized it was so far East. I got a little lost in Edinburgh, not really a big surprise, but I'm getting better at not freaking out. There were tons of drunk people out of the streets so I'm wondering how Ireland will compare since the Irish have the reputation of drinking. I got checked in left my stuff and did a little walking around the city as it was still pretty early before heading to bed.
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