#DSTE Day 3

 

Late night early morning. That’s how we roll at DST. We are still a bit green in places from yesterday’s Orion look but we head straight to the Excelsior stage where we are hosting our second Cosplay panel with the wonderful Misty Chance (drag queen and Star Trek cosplayer) and Liam Dillon, Star Trek fan and Facebook costume group.

Cosplay Panel

In this panel we highlight the connection between cosplay (grown up talk for fancy dress) and Star Trek. What we discovered is that there is a close link between the two. Cosplay originated at Star Trek conventions (contrary to popular belief that it stemmed from manga/anime and Japanese culture).

We asked each panellist and the audience why they choose to dress up as Star Trek characters and we found and wide array of answers. For Liam, it is a challenge to recreate the styles, to source the material and obtain the details. Misty was blatantly honest and said it was for the attention! Misty has had access to the actors and fans in a unique way because she is more approachable in character than in his normal clothes dressed as Christian.

Sarah and Carole had similar reasons. They joked it’s because Sam makes them! But as we explored it further, they enjoy participating. Like many of us we see others dressed up, we wish we were brave enough because it looks like fun. And eventually we take the plunge.

For myself (Sam) and also our new honorary Trekkie Girl, the adorable Beth the reason was that we enjoy the play element of it. For a moment in our lives we can allow ourselves to get swept up in our imaginations and we are captain of the Enterprise (instead of hoovering or searching for quotes on car insurance!).


We’d like to thank Liam, Misty, Beth and everyone else who was involved at this fun panel.

Also check out Misty’s blog for more details on the construction of the Martia costume.

Prop Panel

From that we went straight into the props panel with Michael Moore who was the master prop maker on TNG, DS9, ENT and movies right up to Star Trek ’09.

We moderated this panel and had also invited James Dillon of the USS Riker’s Beard. We have mentioned before that he creates his own props and sets and was able to contribute from a fan perspective as well as ask good questions of Michael.

We weren’t too sure what to expect from this panel but it was much more popular than we anticipated with lots of good questions from the audience.

Michael said he enjoyed making props for alien races as it allowed for an element of creativity and difference from the standard design styles of the Federation, Klingon, Romulans etc.

He also spoke about how props such as phasers adapted as actors used them. The Bajoran phaser was altered in construction to make it lighter for Nana Visitor to hold.

50 YEARS NOT OUT
CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF STAR TREK Panel

I’d (Sam) had been asked a few days before if I would like to be on this panel… on the main stage, with Greg Grunberg, Chase Masterson, Col. Al Worden (Actual Astronaut!) and Jeffrey Coombs! Ummm yes please!

I didn’t say anything until 5 minutes before going on stage because I was convinced they’d find a better guest! As it was, they wanted a Star Trek fan as part of the lineup so bases were covered. We had two actors from the show, someone who represented the science element and someone who could see Star Trek from the fan point of view.

I felt like the fan who had won the competition! To sit on the stage with these incredible people. Because the panel consisted of these marvellous people, I understood that no one actually wanted to hear what I had to say but there were many questions that I would have liked to have responded too and help answer in a way that was relevant to the subject of the panel. e.g. talking about the relevance of Star Trek, why it had lasted so long.

Trek Talks: A pop culture icon panel

The last panel had overrun but we had ANOTHER panel to host! We ran over to the Excelsior stage. Now this was the panel we were most prepared for. We knew there was a lull in the schedule so this one would be busier. We knew it was an important subject. So we had it nailed!

We tried to think how we can talk about the impact that Star Trek has had on our culture without it sounding like a lecture or just playing video clips of other shows paraphrasing Star Trek. So we decided to deliver it in a Trek theme. We’d state our  theory was Star Trek was a predestination paradox and that by witnessing ‘historical documents’ (a reference to Galaxy Quest – remarkable evidence that Star Trek has achieved pop icon status) we are creating the future. It was a fun way of showing examples, such as Dr Jemison who was inspired by Star Trek so went on to become an Astronaut and then appeared in the very show that had inspired her. Or that the shuttlecraft Enterprise was named by fans but is now part of Star Trek canon.

Interspersed through this was soundclips, music and video furthering the point. But of course, none of that happened. The video’s didn’t play, the sounds couldn’t be heard but we must say that the stage crew were brilliant. They went above and beyond to help us. We should have rehearsed to make sure everything would work on the day.

Without the video’s and sound clips, certain jokes or explanations would no longer work. Instead of the Excelsior Stage , we felt like we were on the Yamato.

But we muddled through it! Thanks to everyone for their kindness and patience during that one! Despite all the highs over the weekend, it’s hard not to dwell and worry over that 30 minutes!

For the love of Spock Panel

After a Diet Coke and a scream into a pillow we went to the ‘For the love of Spock’ panel.

We have blogged about this incredibly touching documentary made by Leonard Nimoy’s son and director Adam Nimoy and David Zappone however as our Trekkie In Training Sarah has become obsessed with Adam Nimoy since, we had to pay this panel a visit.

Nimoy spoke about how the documentary came to be and a highlight of the talk was when they were asked what they are working on next and Zaponne revealed that there is a documentary about manned missions to Mars and a documentary about DEEP SPACE NINE! YESSSS!!!

Sarah had her hand up first got in a question that she had been dying to ask since watching the documentary. At the end of ‘For the love of Spock’, Adam asks the interviewees what one word they would use to discribe his father. Adam thought about it briefly to consider his response and replied “Passion”.

After the panel we were fortunate enough to ‘bump’ into Adam and David (not stalkerish at all)

sarahnimoy

We spent the remaining couple of hours dipping in and out of talks but mostly saying hello and goodbye to our wonderful trekkie friends. Everyone is so busy at these events it’s hard to find the time for a proper catch up.

Once again we had an amazing time at Destination Star Trek. It was a great celebration of 50 years of Star Trek and were very honoured to have been a part of it.