Octocon 2010: Dublin, 16-17 October

[mormont]

I am back in the UK, waiting at Gatwick for Pebble so I can give her back the stuff I carried back for her, ya know the books and the drugs and that.

At least you didn't agree to mind a suspicious package for an Irishman in a hotel lobby. ;)

[Anubiel]

I had to get up early on Sunday to catch my plane home, so I left the party right after the raffle :crying:

[Filippa Eilhart]

we're back too. so when is the next con/meet? :P

[LugaJetboyGirl]

Here is a brief report on the panel with Kristian Nair that happened the other day at Octocon. The Rabbit has already posted a small report at WiC, but here are some of the things that I found interesting that weren't mentioned in the other report:

- So far Kristian has been in several scenes as a background character. IIRC, he has only had to say 'Hodor' twice so far. This week, however, his participation will become much more active and will involve jumping out of a bush.

- Kristian's make-up takes about an hour or less to put on every day and is rather sparse. His tattooes (face, hands) are covered during this process. He does not wear a wig and his hair is maintained as its natural color. He originally wasn't sure about that element since he has silvery-greyish hair, but now he has seen stills of him and Bran together and they look amazing. His costume is relatively simple and very hot.

There will be a dramatic change in his appearance halfway through the series that will entail a change in his make-up.

- He and Isaac Hempestead Wright (Bran) are getting along well. I asked if he could tell some story about the kids and he produced one immediately, laughing that Isaac was going to kill him for telling it. Apparently Kristian got an iPhone last week and he got the Harry Potter wand app. Isaac was using his phone or something and did a very vigorous Expelliarmus that accidently, much to Isaac's chagrin, sent Kristian's iPhone sailing across the room to shatter! I personally think it just demonstrates Bran's future magical bad-assery, exhibiting itself from the very beginning. :)

- Originally they had planned for Isaac to come along as well and they would enter together with Isaac on his back, but Isaac's filming schedule is very tiring so he couldn't make it in the end.

- Isaac Hempestead Wright is extremely charismatic and is a pleasure to be around. He is also already a consummate actor - Kristian has never seen him mess up a line even once.

- Some of the cast have been more dedicated than others in reading the books. Others have been using the Wiki's to figure out what happens to their characters. D & D know some things that will be revealed in future books and GRRM is willing to tell some of the actors spoilery things about their characters futures if they really want/need to know.

- The kids seem to get along really well together and seem to be having fun. They are already a tight group.

- Kristian realizes that for the rest of his life fans will be coming up to him asking that he 'say the line.' He tries not to read the Board or forums because '50% of the time you hear what you want, 50% of the time you don't, and then you spend every day at home hiding under the duvet.' He has already been recognized; one night when he was doing a DJ set he looked up to see somebody taking pictures of him.

- So far he hasn't heard any of the cast or crew say bad things about us, the fans. [Phew. Crossing my fingers it stays that way/]

Afterwards Kristian and George stood for pictures. Then Kristian was kind enough to let the fans take pictures, get autographs and chat with him in the hotel bar before he had to drive back to Belfast. He was great and I want to thank him on behalf of all of us for being willing to hang out! You rule, Kristian! Rock On! Up the Irons! Raise the Fist of the Metal Child! So on and so forth!

That's all I can remember for now. If I think of anything else I will post again.

[Ran]

Awesome, Luga!

[LugaJetboyGirl]

Oh yes we have a name for our weirdo from last night courtesy of Luga - he has been officially dubbed "The Chipper". So obvious when pointed out ain't it :lol:

No, no, no!

'The Chippler.'

[theMountainGoat]

Of course it is, how silly of me.

Pebble has her stash back and I am on a train heading for home.

[Peadar]

Christ!!! That's awesome!

I may not be there in the flesh, but at least I contribute in my own small way. . . :)

Kudos to everyone involved!!!

Patrick

The books were most appreciated, Pat. Lots of the authors included nice notes etc., so I now have a secret collection of famous signatures ;)

[Ser Sean]

Thanks to one and all for a great weekend.

It was great to see you all and to meet Kristian Nairn and Ben Affleck was just the icing on a very good cake (sorry Pod ;))

Apologies to anyone I annoyed or pushed Incredible Hulks upon on Friday and hope to see you all very soon. :grouphug:

Big thanks to the Goat for all his hard work over the weekend!! :thumbsup:

[theMountainGoat]

Just got home and there is no sign of my cat anywhere here and I can't get an answer on the phone from my best friend who was feeding her for the last few days. Not good :(

ETA: panic over, the cat was hiding behind the chest of drawers

[The white rabbit]

Thanks everyone!

And special thanks to Luga for writing down the things I have missed.

[Pebble thats Stubby]

I too have just arrived home, I have a bunch of flowers hubby left me (he left for Germany this morning) and a full PM box.

MG thanks for carting the books and being my drugs mule goat but I'd rather you had stolen my cocaine and not the extra matured Stilton, You do remember what I had to go through to get that stuff.

Thankyou everyone (except Peader who is a cruel and ungrateful master - I will now burn the T-shirt) for being such great guys and making this a truly wonderful Con. and thank you for putting up with all the hugs. I wish it was still going on and I hope to see you all again soon.

I now need to read back on this thread (and others)

[Slick Mongoose]

I'm back. Was great seeing everyone, let's do it again soon. :)

[jurble]

- Some of the cast have been more dedicated than others in reading the books. Others have been using the Wiki's to figure out what happens to their characters. D & D know some things that will be revealed in future books and GRRM is willing to tell some of the actors spoilery things about their characters futures if they really want/need to know.

Ah, so by observing Kit Harington, we'll be able to know if R+J=L. If he knows the truth, then subconsciously his body language as Snow will affected as he'll be thinking ("Hah! Look at these scrubs! I'm playing the true king!") and using my Dunyain powers of observation, I will be able to see this.

[williamjm]

I got back a few hours ago. The weekend was great fun, it's a pity I couldn't make it on Thursday as well, but I suppose if I had I'd have been even more tired now...

The company was great, both the people I'd met before and the many people I hadn't. The only disadvantage of there being so many people there is that I don't think I managed to talk to everyone from the BWB who was there, maybe next time.

Some random comments:

- The panels I went to (mostly those with George or Peadar on them) were all interesting. I'm particularly impressed that the participants in the first panel managed to do a reasonably coherent panel when they had about 5 minutes notice that they were going to be on it, and in some cases hadn't even been to a con before.

- I accidentally attended the Golden Blasters short film bit of Octocon because Peadar was there and wanted to talk to me about the quiz, but I think it was a fortunate accident because although I hadn't been intending to go to it there were some excellent short films in it. I particularly liked The Astronomer's Sun which won the audience award.

- I think I do better at quizzes where you don't have to buzz in to answer, but it was good fun. The BWB was also partially victorious thanks to Wolfgang although since 3 of the 4 teams had at least some BWB members it isn't too surprising we won.

- I've heard Dublin is a very nice city to visit. I can confirm that there are some nice pubs (the Bleeding Horse was a good, if oddly named, pub) and restaurants (the meal at the Old Mill Restaurant was particularly good) and a nice hotel along one particular road in Dublin, but can't comment on any other roads. I think someday I'll have to go back and actually see the rest of the city.

At the other end of the table, opposite me and Speculator there is an older skinny bloke with a straggly white beard who starts going through our discarded takeaway wrappers and he just starts eating the leftover bits of lettuce out of Lilsisorcha's chicken takeaway, as if this was a perfectly normal thing to do. Then he starts going through the bags of chips, tearing them open to see if there is anything more he can take from in there. Its like he was dumpster diving on our table with us sat there watching him mouths agape that this shit was actually happening!

"Oh is that the time" we said and all got up to leave.

I don't think I've ever seen the BWB collectively leave somewhere so fast, even the stand-ups on the Saturday didn't drive us away that quickly. I think the weirdest bit was when he started complaining that there weren't many chips left in the abandoned bag.

[LugaJetboyGirl]

Ah, so by observing Kit Harington, we'll be able to know if R+J=L. If he knows the truth, then subconsciously his body language as Snow will affected as he'll be thinking ("Hah! Look at these scrubs! I'm playing the true king!") and using my Dunyain powers of observation, I will be able to see this.

Alas, GRRM did say that he'd tell Kit Harington if he wanted to know, but then he back-tracked a little and said that the knowledge couldn't possibly help Kit play Jon better, since Jon himself is ignorant of the truth.

But he did say that D & D do know who Jon's parents are!!!

[Ran]

Luga, regarding your spoiler comment...

Half way through the series means half way through the first season of the show (in the U.K. they use the term series), or was this something George indicated about the series proper?

[Pebble thats Stubby]

Luga, regarding your spoiler comment...

Half way through the series means half way through the first season of the show (in the U.K. they use the term series), or was this something George indicated about the series proper?

from what I remeber those where Kristian's words not George's

[williamjm]

Luga, regarding your spoiler comment...

Half way through the series means half way through the first season of the show (in the U.K. they use the term series), or was this something George indicated about the series proper?

As far I can remember it was Kristian that said that, I don't remember George commenting on it. I don't think anyone asked for clarification about what he meant, I think what Luga reported is as much as we know about that.

[jurble]

Alas, GRRM did say that he'd tell Kit Harington if he wanted to know, but then he back-tracked a little and said that the knowledge couldn't possibly help Kit play Jon better, since Jon himself is ignorant of the truth.

But he did say that D & D do know who Jon's parents are!!!

Yeah, but then again, so do we. (R+L=J is fact to me.)

But if D&D know, there'll be clues. Like maybe *wink* *wink*-type scene transitions when someone mentions Rhaegar or Lyanna, or the Targs in some fashion, and the next scene is a Jon scene where he's being all emo.