Cool ideas only happen if people are interested in making them happen. Read on, then if you are a fan of Penny Arcade and think this is a neat idea, please mosey over to the PAX Prime forum and express your interest. If you think you’d make a good panelist, contact me. If you have ideas or questions for the panel, comment.
The Convention: Penny Arcade Expo (PAX)
August 26-28 2011, Seattle
PAX is a three-day game festival for tabletop, videogame, and PC gamers with approximately 60,000 attendees. In addition to dedicated tournaments and freeplay area, PAX has got nerdcore concerts, panel discussions, the weekend-long Omegathon event, and an exhibitor hall filled with booths displaying the latest from top game publishers and developers. More info.
The Panel: Science in Entertainment
We’ve all laughed at flux capacitors, reversing polarity, and all the other terrible science that fills in the gaps in mass-market entertainment. But sometimes, a bit of real science sneaks in. Why? What sort of influence does a science consultant have during production, and what is the job actually like? This panel features a mix of philosophy, practical guidance on blending science and fiction, and backstage stories from the industry.
The Pitch: Seeking Panelists
UPDATE: I have sufficient panelists for this event. However, I plan on doing more events like this, so contact me if you’d like me to keep you in mind for future events.
I’m a science consultant in the tv industry, with five seasons experience working for Stargate. This is the sort of work I do.
I’m looking for co-panelists to talk about both the practical aspects of including plausible science in entertainment (film, tv, games, books, comics…), and the philosophical reasons for doing so. This means I’m looking for:
- Other science consultants: What projects have you worked on? What is the job it like? Why do you do it? Do you work with S&EE?
- Entertainment industry members who have used science consultants: When? Why did you consult a scientist? Do you work with S&EE?
- Communications experts in popular culture: What is the value of having plausible science in entertainment? What impact does it have on science? on entertainment?
I’m also looking for a panel moderator. Experience running academic panels or other group discussions is valued.
The Payoff: Benefits if the Panel is Accepted
- You receive a Speaker’s pass to the (sold-out) Penny Arcade Expo.
- You have the opportunity to meet the bound-to-be-interesting co-panelists.
- You get to talk to a room at full-capacity (almost all PAX panels have huge lines and fill up).
- You get to try convincing a room of game-loving geeks that having plausible science in entertainment is a worthy goal, thus increasing demand for higher quality entertainment.
- You get to add a very unusual speaking position to your resume/CV.
- You may end up with the opportunity for repeat appearances in future years.
The Logistics: Boring, but Necessary
I need to submit the names of panelists by 14 June 8 July 2011.
You can contact me by leaving a comment on this post (unscreened public comments), a comment on the Contact post (screened private comments), via @mikamckinnon on twitter, or by emailing mika at this domain.
As far as I can determine, this conference does not offer financial support for transportation or accommodation in Seattle.