Noreascon Four

MBTA Line Closings

We learned today that the MBTA will be performing repairs on a couple of key subway lines during Labor Day weekend (from 9pm on Friday to late Monday). (Thanks, Chris, for posting it in your blog.) Lines affected will be the Red line which runs between Boston and Cambridge, and the Blue line, which runs to the airport. The T will be providing shuttle buses to carry people across the closed-down sections, but you should probably allow a little additional time if traveling on these lines during the affected period. Also, if you're coming in from Alewife (Cambridge), another option to consider is taking the T as far as Harvard or Central and then switching to the #1 bus to Auditorium station, which is about two blocks from the Hynes/Sheraton area. You can find the official MBTA advisory here.

Sad news

The Noreascon 4 committee is saddened to hear of the passing of George Flynn, F.N., yesterday morning, August 29, 2004. George was a mainstay of Boston-area fandom for many years, serving as the Secretary of Noreascon 2 and the WSFS Division Head for Noreascon 3. Noreascon 4 Chair Deb Geisler writes, "George Flynn was a gentlefan, a kindly man, a scathing wit, and a treasure deeply prized by Boston fandom. When he spoke with us several weeks ago, telling us he would not be able to attend N4, we were grieved."

Monday Worksessions

If you'd like to help out on Monday, we are asking interested people to show up at 10am or later tomorrow, Monday, at the N4 Office (Kent Room on the 3rd floor of the Sheraton) to help unload the first truck, setup the office, hangout at the loading dock and wait for deliveries, and so on.

We are also asking people to show up at 6pm tomrorow, Monday, at the NESFA clubhouse to help with truck loading. When the truck is loaded or substantially loaded (hopefully by about 8pm) we will provide dinner for those who worked, probably pizza.

Carpooling (or a large T trip) back and forth to the hotels is possible. If you interested please meet at Kent on the 3rd floor of the Sheraton at 5:30 PM.

Remember, setup counts double time for those keeping track of hours worked.

Plans for Tuesday will be similar but more involved. Unloading and setup will be going on at both the Sheraton and Hynes on Tuesday. We will try to post an update / reminder tomorrow night.

Live from Noreascon 4

We're kicking off our collaborative convention reporting weblog: Live From Noreascon 4. We have several contributors signed up and we're still looking for additional bloggers to join in. If you are interested in joining us, please drop a line to blog@noreascon.org.

During the convention, we will continue to update this weblog as well with official news and announcements.

The FANAC Exhibit at Noreascon: Fan History Photos and Photo Scanning Station

The FANAC exhibit is a collection of fan photos from the past forty years of fandom, including much of Bruce Pelz's personal collection of photos. You'll see an assortment of fannish photos, paraphernalia and newspaper articles on display throughout the weekend.

The FANAC exhibit is open whenever the ConCourse is open. The Photo Scanning Station will be open during the following times:

* Thursday noon-6 (then reopens from 7-9 as part of First Night)
* Friday 10-6
* Saturday 10-6
* Sunday 10-6
* Monday 10-3

Bring along your favorite fannish photos or newspaper clippings to add to our fannish archive. We'd also love a copy of your digital photos from Worldcon; please stop by and upload a copy for us when you have a minute. We'll have a USB connection available in addition to six common photo card readers.

We'd love your help in stafffing the booth. If you'll have any free time during the day at Noreascon and you can donate some time, please E-mail FANAC booth manager Laurie Mann.

Looking for People Who Like to Write or Draw

The Noreascon 4 daily newsletter (it's sort of like a blog except it's printed on paper) is looking for people to write or draw their experiences during Noreascon 4.

Did you find a nice restaurant (or the Restaurant From Hell) that you would like to review? Attend any program items or events that you feel like reporting about or illustrating to other Noreascon 4 members? Overhear any witty bon mots? Sketched an amusing drawing of some aspect of the convention?

You can submit your contributions by dropping them in the mailboxes attached to the newsletter distribution kiosks around the convention, visiting our office in the ConCourse in Hall C of the Hynes, sending e-mail to newsletter@noreascon.org, or visit the Newsletter page on the N4 web site and fill out the handy dandy web submission form.

Naturally, we also welcome anyone wishing to join the newsletter staff. Please visit the Volunteer Desk in the ConCourse in Hall C of the Hynes to volunteer for the newsletter.

Submit Material for the Daily Newsletter by E-Mail

Promote your group's activities during Noreascon 4 by submitting information to our daily newsletter at newsletter@noreascon.org.

Include your name, membership number, a brief description of your event, and the time, date, and location. Also tell us which day of Noreascon 4 you would like your article to appear.

Have You Been To All Four?

We've been wondering how many people will have been to all four Noreascons.* We know of a few dozen, but there are probably many others that we don't know about. If you've been to all four Noreascons, we'd like to ask you to check in with us. There will be a guest book to sign at the Information Desk, and we'll give you a gold star to wear on your badge. And after the convention, we'll post the list of names on our web site.

* Noreascon I, in 1971 had about 1600 attendees. Noreascon II was in 1980 and had 5850 people, Noreascon 3 in 1989 drew 6956. All four Noreascons were in the Sheraton-Boston Hotel; only the latter three used the Hynes Convention Center in addition.

A Fan's View of the LotR Exhibit

Local fan Gary McGath describes his visit to the Lord of the Rings exhibit at Boston's Museum of Science.

First Night Program Available

The program for First Night, Noreascon 4's Thursday night opening celebration, is now available.

Take One Shot at Interactivity on First Night

Many attractions of the con's magical, manic First Night should be great fun to look at. We hope the spectacle will be dazzling, and the fun flourish nonstop.

But for the most intense experience, why not put yourself on the line? Yes, you can dash off a few lines for the FIRST Night TIMES, official one-shot fanzine of the First Night experience. (As you know, Bhob, a fanzine is an amateur, nonprofit publication created by fans. A one-shotis a fanzine publishing only one issue, often associated with some special event.)

That's right. We want you to help write or illustrate a fanzine.

Before you scuttle away screaming, be assured that it's simple. You wander around First Night having a great time. At some point, you stop by the Fanzine Lounge in the ConCourse (Hall C of the Hynes), where we've got two PCs and a basic flatbed scanner set up. You pick from some interesting, easy themes all ready for you to write about or draw. (Nothing too time-consuming: say 25 to 250 words or so, or one cartoon/drawing/sketch.) You write or draw your fine fannish heart out, then rejoin the celebrating spirits of the Night. 

It's fun. It's fast. It's interactive. And after all, it's an opportunity that will never be zine again …

Note: Your and everybody else's contributions will afterward be whipped into publication shape by Editors Bob Devney, Grant Kruger, and a crack team of nobody else really, then printed by the generous genies of the con's Newsletter crew. You're invited, in fact begged to come by the Fanzine Lounge on Friday afternoon or evening (as soon as we can get it produced and printed) to help collate. Then pick up your free personal copy of FIRST Night TIMES!

Announcing a Cooperative Real-Time Convention Weblog

Noreascon 4 will be setting up a Wi-Fi network in the Hynes Convention Center which will be available free to N4 members. We're also going to set up a cooperative real-time weblog to report on the convention, which we are inviting people to contribute to. If you have the equipment and expertise to upload pictures and create weblog entries using TypePad, and are willing to report on some of the convention activities you attend, you are invited to become one of our guest editors for the run of the convention. Please drop a line to blog@noreascon.org with a pointer to your current weblog (or some other indication that you have the necessary skills), and we'll send you information on how to participate. With your help, we can make the people who stayed home eat their hearts out, and create a really cool fannish artifact in the process.

Metal Tears Premiere at Noreascon 4

Metal Tears, the new short feature film based on the Hugo nominated short story “Robots Don’t Cry” by Mike Resnick, will premiere at Noreascon Four. Metal Tears, screenplay by Jerry Bradbury, principal photography by Boris Amchislavsky, sound design by Nikolas Zasimczuk, score by Gaby Alter, is directed by indie filmmaker John Bradbury.

In the tradition of I, Robot and Bicentennial Man, Metal Tears explores the interaction between a man of metal and a man of flesh and blood. Metal Tears tells the story of two 30th century treasure hunters (played by Jeff Bell and Raza Usman) who find a deactivated care-giving robot named Sammy (Mark Erman) on a deserted pioneer world. Repaired and reactivated, the robot tells them about the life of his charge, Miss Emily, and asks a special favor. In its forty minute run time, the film chronicles the change to the protagonist’s impacted personality caused by his interaction with Sammy, the robot; how this “sardonic and ill-mannered” human comes to understand and then embrace the qualities of honesty and loyalty.

Metal Tears will premiere in Hynes 208 on Friday, September 3rd at 1 PM.

Art Deco at the Museum of Fine Arts

One of our readers points out that an Art Deco exhibit from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum will be running at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts before, during, and after the Noreascon Four. Yet another interesting thing to do in Boston if your vacation schedule permits.

Request For Help Recording Noreascon 4

A few of us are looking to make a short video and a PowerPoint presentation of some highlights of Noreascon Four. The idea is that these can then be used to fill panel slots at local cons, thereby raising the profile of Worldcons in fannish circles. They can also be used at future Worldcons to give a preview of what Worldcons are about, or simply as a programming item (or both).

What we need are a few willing folks out there to take their digital camera with and take more shots than usual, and the same for those of you with camcorders. We are not asking you to go out of your way, but rather simply to shoot items and events you are going to anyway.  This would include every aspect of the Worldcon, be it the Con Suite, ceremonies, parties, panels, the dealers' room and so on. The fuller the picture we can give the better, however remember that it's not meant to be a recording of Noreascon Four for posterity, but more of a sound bite/highlight reel. You can simply take one or two photos of an event, or tape 30-second spots or the like. Less (but more concentrated) content will also be far easier to edit/arrange. 

All tapes can be returned, and we can cope with some other issues (just ask).

If volunteers could please contact Grant Kruger (SciFiSa [a t] aol [d o t] c o m) we would be most grateful. Also, is there anyone with experience editing video that wants to get involved? We could use you.
 

Noreascon 4 on Your Radio

Noreascon 4's radio spot begins airing this week in the Boston area—you can hear it either by tuning in to WBZ, 1030 AM (it is a clear-channel station, so you can probably hear it all the way to Louisiana on a good night) or by playing this MP2 file.

Progress Report 7

Progress Report 7 is available online on our publications page.

Lists of Artists and Dealers

We've posted the lists of artists and dealers who have reserved space at Noreascon 4.

Advice for writers at their first Worldcon

We call your attention to a post on Teresa Nielsen Hayden's weblog Making Light called Worldcongoing: Semi-random bits of advice for writers attending their first SF convention. This anonymous post is not a product of the Noreascon 4 committee, but some of you might find it interesting and/or useful.

Hugo Voting and Pre-Reg Now Closed

Pre-registration for Noreascon Four closed last night, and we simultaneously closed online Hugo voting. Pre-sale at the at-con rates (including one-days) is now possible through our web site. We received a huge surge of last-minute pre-reg memberships, and we will be processing them and sending out catch-up mailings of PRs to these new members as rapidly as possible.