Events
The convention isn't going to be short on things to do. Don't forget to eat and sleep!
Timetable
Warning: this is draft programme only! The timing of events is subject to change, as is the actual lineup of events. We will be running events that aren't listed here yet, and some of the events on this version of timetable will probably be dropped altogether before the final version. And we still need volunteers! If you're interested in being involved in any of the events, either already scheduled or new ideas, please do get in touch and we'll see if we can fit you in.
NB some events are limited numbers or otherwise require prebooking; see the event descriptions for booking forms. A few events may require additional payment to cover costs, primarily those involving a trip away from the con venue.
Friday |
||||||||||
Room 3 | Room 2 | Room 1 | Boardroom | Con Suite | Dining Room | Lounge | Other | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10am | Extreme Cosplay | Drawfest | Writing Workshop: Juliet Marillier on Voice | Board Games | ||||||
11am | ||||||||||
12pm | Lunchtime Movie | Just Writing | ||||||||
1pm | Lunch break | Lunch break | ||||||||
2pm | Extreme Cosplay | Drawfest | Radio Play Workshop | Writing Workshop: Sean Williams on Collaboration | Board Games | |||||
3pm | ||||||||||
4pm | Writing Workshop: Ripley Patton on Flash Fiction | Kaffeeklatsch: Elizabeth Knox | ||||||||
5pm | Radio Play Performance - all welcome | |||||||||
6pm | Dinner Break/Setup | Book Launch: A Foreign Country | Dinner Break | Dinnertime Movie | Dinner Break | |||||
7pm | CON 101 | |||||||||
8pm | Opening Ceremony | |||||||||
9pm | Dance Party with DJ Sean Williams | Chill space/bar | Fan Funds | RPG: Birthday Quest | Filking | Movie | Board Games | |||
10pm | Future Sex | |||||||||
11pm | ||||||||||
Saturday |
||||||||||
Room 3 | Room 2 | Room 1 | Boardroom | Con Suite | Dining Room | Lounge | Other | |||
9am | Stargate | Science | Just Writing | Board Games | ||||||
10am | Shows Cut Off in their Prime | Writing Good Filks | The 80s in 8-bits: The Home Computer Revolution | Writing Workshop: Russell Kirkpatrick on Worldbuilding | Kaffeeklatsch: Patrick Nielsen Hayden | Floating Market Setup | ||||
11am | Debate | YA Fiction | Rocky Panel | Floating Market | ||||||
12pm | Charity Auction | Elizabeth's GOH Speech | Drawing A Crowd | Getting published in NZ - Tim Jones | ||||||
1pm | Lunch Break | Lunchtime Video | Lunch Break | |||||||
2pm | Comic Books/Manga | How to Read SF | Geek Crafting | Writing Workshop: The Story Tree - Peter Friend | Reading & Signing: Elizabeth Knox | Floating Market Packup | ||||
3pm | Doctor Who Panel | The Quiz | Fanfic Cliches | Reading & Signing: Russell Kirkpatrick | Board Games | |||||
4pm | Queer SF | Costuming Techniques | Kaffeeklatsch: Juliet Marillier | |||||||
5pm | Instant Crossovers | Sean's GOH Speech | Making Amateur Videos | Just Writing | ||||||
6pm | Setup | SpecFicNZ Launch | Dinnertime Movie | Dinner Break | ||||||
7pm | Raymond Feist Videoconference | Dinner Break/Setup | RPG: The House | Carter Observatory Trip | ||||||
8pm | The Masquerade | Masquerade Contestant Waiting Room | Filking | Movie | Board Games | |||||
9pm | ||||||||||
10pm | The Rocky Horror Picture Show | Reading & Signing: Sean Williams | Movie | |||||||
11pm | ||||||||||
Sunday |
||||||||||
Room 3 | Room 2 | Room 1 | Boardroom | Con Suite | Dining Room | Lounge | Other | |||
9am | Star Trek | Worldcon: What to Expect | Fanfic | Just Writing | Board Games | |||||
10am | Joss Whedon is My Master Now | Myth and Fairytales in Fantasy | How to Run a Con | Fast Writing, Revision, and the Muse | Kaffeeklatsch: Russell Kirkpatrick | |||||
11am | Anime for SF Fans | SFFANZ AGM | FanVid Screening/Talk | Writing Workshop: Nicole Murphy on Characterisation | ||||||
12pm | Tea Leaves & Entrails | Modellenary | ||||||||
1pm | Lunchtime Video | Lunch Break, SJV Votes Due! | ||||||||
2pm | Live MST3K | Exobiology - musings from a biologist | Religion and Faith in SF | From First Draft to Final Version | Kaffeeklatsch: Jay Lake | Board Games | ||||
3pm | Love my Fandom | SF Poetry: Bigger Than You Think | Computer Games | Blurbs: sell your story in twenty words or less | Reading & Signing: Juliet Marillier & Jay Lake | |||||
4pm | Kiwi SF | Patrick Nielsen Hayden Q&A | Cosplay Culture | Just Writing | Kaffeeklatsch: Sean Williams | |||||
5pm | Paul Mannering FGoH Speech | The Art of Reviewing | Speed Filking | |||||||
6pm | Dinner Break/Setup | Dinner Break | Dinnertime Movie | Dinner Break | ||||||
7pm | Cocktail Party | |||||||||
8pm | Sir Julius Vogel Awards | Movie | Board Games | |||||||
9pm | Closing Ceremony & 2012 NatCon Voting | |||||||||
10pm | Comatose Cat Party | Filking | Movie | |||||||
11pm | ||||||||||
Monday |
||||||||||
10am | Te Papa (national museum) visit - meet hotel foyer | |||||||||
1pm | Horse Trekking - meet hotel foyer | |||||||||
2pm | Weta Cave trip - meet hotel foyer | |||||||||
2pm | Post-con Pub Crawl - meet hotel foyer |
Event Info
- CON 101
- Never been to a con before? Learn what it's all about and how to get the most out of the weekend, and get to know a few of your fellow attendees. Ask any questions you may have, and hear some amusing anecdotes from past cons.
- Extreme Cosplay
- The making of a costume, star to finish, from scratch! Watch a crack team of cosplayers work against the clock to produce a ready-to-wear costume to be auctioned off later in the weekend. Plus an exhibition of some previously- made costumes. There'll be some space to work on your own costumes too, but you'll need to bring your own materials and equipment.
- Just Writing
- Space for writers to work.
- Drawfest
- An open art workshop where you can pick up tips, or just have fun drawing with others. All ages and skill levels are welcome! Come have a drawesome experience! Prizes for the best art done on the day.
- Book Launch: A Foreign Country
- Random Static launch their new speculative fiction anthology, featuring a number of winners from the Au Contraire short story competition.
- Opening Ceremony
- The con officially begins! Meet the concom and Guests of Honour, and learn important Stuff You Need To Know.
- Fan Funds
- Maree Pavletich, John Hertz, James Shields, and Norman Cates will be loosely moderated by Flick from the League of Fan Funds as they tell stories of their trips and explain the the why and the how of the funds that send fans to other parts of the world.
- Future Sex
- What could the future hold for sex, and how will that affect society? Virtual reality, lifelike androids, meeting other sentient species? Are we all going to be like Jack Harkness in the future?
- Stargate
- A low-key Saturday morning group discussion of the Stargate universe (not to be confuseed with Stargate: Universe!).
- Science
- Join in a group discussion on cool and interesting recent developments in real world science.
- Shows Cut Off in their Prime
- Too often, SF/F TV shows are cancelled abruptly, leaving stories unfinished. A discussion on what should have been.
- Writing Good Filks
- A panel/workshop on how to give old songs an SF/F twist.
- The 80s in 8-bits: The Home Computer Revolution
- Many of us today got our first taste of computing on machines like the Apple II, Sinclair ZX81, Commodore Vic-20, or Atari 400. From the late 1970s through to early 1990s hundreds of manufacturers produced thousands of models, all unique with their very own capabilities, programming languages and software. For the past 15 years Andrew Stephen has been collecting computers from this golden age of personal computing. Drawing from over 150 computers in his personal collection, Andrew will present a personal account of the machines and the personal computer revolution.
- Rocky Horror Panel
- A discussion on the cult classic film and it’s followers. The perfect prelude to this evening’s screening.
- YA Fiction
- Sean Williams, Elizabeth Knox, and Kathy Sullivan discuss writing for young adults.
- Debate
- Chaired by Nicole Murphy, 2 teams of 3 will debate a topic chosen by them from a list of options. Registration to participate in the debate will open Friday evening for an 11am Saturday debate and is first-in, first served. Possible topics include: “Fantasy is greater than science fiction,” “The book is always better than the movie,” and “The evil overlord is more interesting than the sword-wielding hero.”
- Elizabeth Knox
- Interview and Q&A with our NZ GoH!
- Drawing a Crowd
- Learn how to better reach your intended audience as an artist, through the use of different art websites and techniques. The presentation is focused on visual artists, but will include material of interest to anyone with something to promote online.
- Comics & Manga
- There's more to comics than guys in spandex throwing cars at each other. Learn what's worth reading!
- How to Read SF
- The sentence "He turned on his left side." can only mean one thing if you read it in a mainstream novel. If you read it in a science fiction novel it might mean something completely different. Science fiction has its own language and a structure that some people simply can't come to terms with. Let's explore how this works...
- Doctor Who
- Group discussion on everyone's favourite Time Lord - what do we think of Matt Smith?
- Geek Crafting
- An hour for people to bring along any crafty projects (knitting, crochet, beadwork, embroidery) to work on or show off. Some materials (yarn and crochet hooks/knitting needles) will be available for beginners or those who haven't brought along their own projects and who want to do something with their hands. Co-ordinators will be on hand to provide instruction.
- The Quiz
- Test your knowledge of the SF/F genre, from the classics to today's hits.
- Religion and Faith in SF
- A panel discussion of depictions of religion and faith in SFF literature, featuring James Shields, Russell Kirkpatrick, Lynne Jamneck, and chaired by John Hertz.
- Queer SF
- Discussion on depictions of non-heterosexual characters in SF/F.
- Costuming Techniques
- A discussion on the practical side of cosplay. Technical skills including metal work, different sewing techniques, sculpting, casting, and other various "crap into other crap" tips and tricks! Questions encouraged :)
- Instant Crossovers
- How good are your improv skills? The challenge is to draw two names from various well-known shows, movies, or books, and make up a story that involves both of them. On the spot.
- Sean Williams
- Our international GoH speaks!
- Making Amateur Videos
- How technology has made it easier than ever to make your own zero-budget epic, and why technology alone can't stop it being terrible.
- SpecFicNZ Launch
- The official launch for NZ's new SF/F writers' organisation.
- Raymond Feist Videoconference
- Meet the author of the Riftwar Cycle via a video linkup, hosted by HarperCollins. Signed books will be on sale.
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show
- With audience participation, of course! Get out your fishnets for the late-night movie screening.
- Star Trek
- Group discussion on the Enterprise(s) and crews. The reboot - triumph or travesty?
- Worldcon: What to Expect
- Heading across the ditch to AussieCon 4 after Au Contraire? Learn about what they've got planned, and what past WorldCons have been like.
- Fanfic
- Group discussion on fanfiction: what do you read? Why do you read it? Do you bother to watch the canon first? How do you feel about spoilers?
- Joss Whedon is My Master Now
- A panel discussing Dollhouse, Firefly, Buffy, and the other creations of the architect of some of the best SF/F TV ever produced.
- Myth and Fairytales in Fantasy
- Juliet Marillier, Ripley Patton and Kathy Sullivan discuss the use of myth and fairy tale in fantasy.
- How to Run a Con
- Learn from the experts - those poor bastards who've already done it.
- Anime for SF Fans
- Comparisons of western SF and anime - which anime shows might be worth checking out?
- SFFANZ Business Session
- The annual general meeting of SFFANZ will take place at 11am on Sunday. Voting for the SFFANZ board, and discussion of all matters to do with NZ's fan community.
- Fanvids
- 50 minutes of fanvids – in the “clips set to music” sense – picked to showcase the way vids can change your understanding of the source material. Some will be funny; some will be very serious indeed.
- Tea Leaves & Entrails
- Predicting our future - what are our lives going to be like over the next few decades?
- Modellenary
- Pictionary with Plasticine!
- Live MST3K
- The cult TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000 comes to rampaging life! Watch our team of highly-trained comedians provide hilarious running commentary on a notoriously bad sci-fi TV show. Parental guidance and a note from a qualified psychiatrist recommended.
- Exobiology - musings from a biologist
- What sort of life could evolve on other worlds?
- Fanfic Cliches
- Robust discussion of the literary merits of Aliens Who Make Them Do It, hurt/comfort, marriages of convenience, Person X Woke Up Gay, genderswap, mpreg, and the other weird and wonderful tropes that fanfiction throws at us.
- Love My Fandom
- Hear our panel of experts talk about their own little corners of fandom, and about what makes them love them so much. WARNING: this may be expressed via interpretive dance.
- SF Poetry: Bigger Than You Think
- Tim Jones, co-editor of "Voyagers: Science Fiction Poetry from New Zealand", and poets Janis Freegard and Harvey Molloy discuss SF and speculative poetry - what it is, what attracts them to it, and why New Zealanders, including some of our most famous poets, have written a surprising amount of it. We'll also talk about the international dimension of SF poetry - including the SF Poetry Association and the Rhysling Awards.
- Computer Games
- Our panelists discuss where computer gaming is at today, and what developments are likely or desirable in the future.
- Kiwi SF
- An intro to SF/F originating in the land of the long white cloud.
- Patrick Nielsen Hayden Q&A
- Tim Jones interviews Tor Books' senior editor and manager of fantasy and SF, Patrick Nielsen Hayden, followed by questions from the audience.
- Cosplay Culture
- An interactive panel on the non-technical side of cosplay. Public perceptions, why people cosplay, cosplay etiquette and who gets to say what that etiquette may be, and cultural differences between different costume elements and environments are but a few of the tidbits on the menu.
- Paul Mannering
- Our Fan GoH speaks!
- The Art of Reviewing
- What does a reader want to see in a review? Why is a review different from the blurb on the back of the book? Love their opinions or loath their opinions, reviewers perform an important function. Let's find out what that function is and how the reviewers go about doing it.
- Speed Filking
- Write a filk in under an hour.
- Cocktail Party
- Try out the delicious SF-themed cocktails specially prepared for Au Contraire from the cash bar, while listening to beautiful live music from Asni the Harper.
- The Sir Julius Vogel Awards
- New Zealand's awards ceremony for the SF community, recognising both fan and professional achievements. Formal dress appreciated.
- Comatose Cat Party
- The con is officially over, but you don’t have to go home just yet. Hang out and have another cocktail.
- Gaming
- Roleplaying, board, and card games will be taking place all through the weekend. Learn to play something new in a causual session, or compete against the experts.
- Filking
- There'll be many opportunites to get together with likeminded fen to sing or listen to SF-based tunes. Classics like "Murderous Toy" and "Banned from Argo", or write your own (there'll be a workshop on that subject).
- Video Screenings
- Watch both fan-made productions and classics and rarities from film and television.
Planned itinerary:
- 2.30pm Southern Cross - 39 Abel Smith St
- 3.00pm JJ Murphys - 123 Cuba St
- 3.30pm 3C Bar - Cnr Victoria St and Chews Lane
- 4.00pm D4 - 143 Featherston st
- 5.00pm Foxglove - North Queens wharf
- 5.30pm Macs Brewery Bar and Restaurant - Taranaki St Wharf
- 6.00pm Hashigo zaki cult beer bar - 25 Taranaki St
- 7.30pm The Malthouse - 48 Courtenay Place
See also:
- Writing Workshops
- Radio Play Workshop
- RPGs
- Dance Party
- Carter Observatory Trip
- Charity Auction
- Floating Market
- The Masquerade
- Horse Trekking
- Weta Cave Trip