Walk of Fame questions/comments

[rrrrr01.livejournal.com]

I had a great time at DC overall, i hit a few snags driving there but once I finally got there and settled in, things were good
I was just waondering what was up with the walk of fame this year? Is it me or did the celebs seem to be chraging a lot more? Also I think it was JCB's people that were charging $20.00 just to take a picture with them and $30.00 for the auto, is it me or does that seem excessive? When I was in there they had the ;east amount of people waiting to see them. Also I know before some did not pose for photos, but you could at least take pics, I saw many with no camera signs areound and they had someone watching to make sure you did not even take your camera out. What was that about? The BG guys were all great and were taking pictures with people, but many others would not. Just wondering what others think.

Comments

[lapis-lazuli615.livejournal.com]

I was one of the people helping with the celebs this year. Keep in mind that not all of the celebs set their rates. It can be determined by agents as well. As for the pictures, that can be anyone ranging up to studios that make that decision. Yes, it can get expensive, expecially if you're into several fandoms.... One of the celebs told me it was odd for him, especially considering all the autographs he's given away for free over the years...

I know that most of the celebs I talk to about the ninja-sniper-photo-takers, they would prefer not to have those 'long' distance shots taken. First of all, because it's not fair to those who come up and pay for an autograph or a picture. Secondly because these people make their living from their image and when you snipe photos from a distance, they are unable to compose themselves for the pic. Most distance photos are not flattering for that very reason and if you and I hate having unflattering photos floating about on the 'net, just imagine how that doubles for them. And, my gosh, if you really like them enough to take their picture, why not come up and say hi anyway?

[joyeuse13.livejournal.com]

I dunno, I got a candid shot of me and my son w/ Tahmoh Penikett, and none of us look very good in it. :) That said, he was very nice, and there was no charge for this, at least (might have had to do w/ it being Monday).

[jasontd.livejournal.com]

Yeah, some of the autograph prices definitely were higher, and JCB's people seemed to be way overpriced. I'm more than willing to pay $20 for an autographed photo, and even $25 is okay in a lot of circumstances. $30 is too much for any celeb, in my opinion, especially when they won't even pose for a photo with you at that price.

I think a lot of the people had "no photo" signs because they have contracts with Froggy, the guy who does the professional photos at the con. I don't know Froggy personally, and for all I know, he might be a super nice guy. Unfortunately, though, my experiences with con guests have really taken a turn for the worse since he came onto the circuit. I loved the old days of paying for the autographed photo, getting to chat for a few seconds, and then getting a photo of me with the guest, taken with my own camera. Nowadays that's getting less and less common, and it kind of makes me sad. I would love to have photos of myself with the guest at their table, and I'd even be willing to pay an additional five bucks for it. I don't want to have to pay an additional $30-75 to have a Sears Family Portrait made of me and the celeb, though.

I think since the pro photos have become commonplace, the costs of everything guest-related have increased. Many of the same guests I paid $20 for an autographed picture and a photo with my camera a couple of years ago now are charging $25-30 for just an autograph, with their only photo option being the professional one. It makes me feel less in touch with the guests and more like it's a big money machine.

That said, there are still super awesome experiences to be had. Jerry Doyle took extra time to talk with me, was extremely nice, and even offered to get a photo with me using my camera (even though he was on Froggy's list at $30 per photo). So it's not a blanket situation that covers all the guests, but it's definitely more prevalent every year.

[glaswegian-took.livejournal.com]

This.

[pirates-daily.livejournal.com]

The couple of actors I went to were with Froggy for photos, but they had no trouble with people who just wanted a candid of them signing. That seems reasonable, as more posed shots with people can end up taking a fair bit of time. If you're not a particularly popular actor, it doesn't matter but if you're like James Marsters with a constant longish queue, I can see why he'd want the formal "arranged" shots more regulated and at a different timeslot. But I thought most of the signatures were only $20. What were the prices for JCB's people?

[veracity]

As far as I know, 30 across the board is the new price. This year. Next year it might crawl up to 35, since it seems to have increased about 10 bucks since 2006 when I first started attending the con with her peoples.

[wolfchylde.livejournal.com]

As much as I love stars and celebs, with the way prices have gone for photographs and autographs, I can't see it as anything other than a cash grab; rarely by the star in question but by everyone else around them.

Going back a decade I can remember the conventions when you could get people to sign stuff for *GASP* FREE!

I know, hard to believe, right? I remember if you had your own memorabilia the star would sign for free (or something relatively cheap) and you could buy one os several photos from the star if you wanted an autographed picture. I recall somewhere I have a picture of Paul Darrow from Blake's 7 and I know it only cost me a whopping $15 AND I got a pic with him. The whole argument of 'these people make their money off their appearance' is rubbish because I don't see a single Paparazzi photographer being told 'you have to pay $30 per photo plz'. so who's getting screwed? The fans apparently.

Yes I know a lot of celebs donate to charities and whatnot, and I applaud that, but I think it robs a fair bit of goodwill from your fans/fandom in general if all we see is them with their hands out for MORE money.

Thus, I have never, nor will I ever, pay the ridiculous fees involved to get a memento from a celeb these days. I will say hello, thank them for their work, and move on... Until they day they start charging for THAT too... :P

Celeb autographs

[rotwangs-hand-2.livejournal.com]

I couldnt agree more, the Ghosthunters made it very clear that they thought it was extremely lame to charge for autographs and gave people their money back when they tried to pay, yes they had to charge for books and T-shirts but not for autographs and photos with your own camera. The celebs make plenty of money from fans watching their shows and buying merchandise, soaking them more for their autographs? Pretty lame IMO.

[peacelovefandom.livejournal.com]

Autographs have definitely gone up in general. I remember when $20 was it. No one dared charge more than that. This $25 and $30 and $35 is insane. Those pictures cost them little to nothing to print, and someone is making some serious cash at the fans expense.

Look at someone like Michael Dorn, who at the bare minimum is signing 6-10 an hour, and if he has a line he can do way more. Take that times $30.00. Good grief.

I wonder where the inflation will stop. I guess it'll be when people stop lining up to pay them.

[musing-mia.livejournal.com]

Last time Nathan Fillion came, he only charged $20 for a picture/autograph. This time, he charged $25 for an autograph and $30 for a Froggy picture. I had to choose between one or the other. I chose the picture. I did nothing with James Marsters because paying $60 for a picture I haven't seen since last year was too much.

[suhl.livejournal.com]

The Ghost Hunters guys said in their panel that they were signing for free as well. Or as one put it, "I'm not going to charge you for the ink in my pen."

[milamberrex.livejournal.com]

that's why i tend to avoid any JCB people. don't like the way she does business. when i started attending dragon*con back in 1997, the most i ever paid for an autographed photo was $10 and large SF stars of the time like Peter Jurasik and Mira Furlan were happy to let you take a pic with them for nothing additional. since JCB has been on the scene, i've seen less interaction with the stars and increasing prices.

i didn't even bother with the Walk of Fame this year for those reasons.

[missrogue.livejournal.com]

A lot of the celebrities were collecting a fee for the various charities they supported. I know this was what several of the Battlestar guys were doing.

Many actors don't actually pocket the autograph money, and it's donated... Many, not all.

[rotwangs-hand-2.livejournal.com]

I can accept the money going to charity, just not for a celebs new Malibu Home lol.

[myras-girls.livejournal.com]

I, too, remember the days when the stars signed autographs for free but did not provide photos. The first con I attended that stars charged for autogrpahs they at least gave you a photo but even then they were only charging $10-$15.

I was expecting to pay $20 per autograph like D*C 2006 and I ended up getting fewer autographs because of the $5 increase per actor. I had only budgeted $100 for autographs and I stuck to my budget. If it's $35 or more per autograph next year I can't imagine getting any.

And the professional photos are a joke, if you ask me. The backgrounds suck and I hate that the photos are from so far away as I prefer close up shots of faces. One time I paid $40 for a photo with Zachary Quinto and neither Zach or I look good in the photo (yes, an actual picture of a celeb looking bad!) and I thought what a waste of my money for one try at a picture while being rushed through the line. No thanks.

[rozhena-ashford.livejournal.com]

I don't see myself paying that kind of money for a picture that's printed out on someone's printer.... OMG! That's just plain RIDICULOUS!

[veracity]

There is something fundamentally wrong with having to get 300 out of the bank for a signature. Though I did notice you could get a signature for a buck if you had paper handy. I had forgotten that I had a steno pad in my bag. Next year I'll bring a bound book.

[rrrrr01.livejournal.com]

what do you mean a buck if you have a book.

[dustagorn.livejournal.com]

I will say this for the Battlestar people, especially Eddie Olmos and Michael Hogan, when they came to our party, they MORE than made up for their prices for taking pictures and signing autographs. They took free pictures and sat and bs'd with everyone who came along. Just the absolute nicest, most gracious celebs I've ever met. It showed me that it really ISN'T the person themselves setting those prices, because if it was up to them, they'd be willing to doing it for free.

[rrrrr01.livejournal.com]

They were really nice we only got Michael Hogan's auto and he took pics with is at the WOF and then Eddie Olmos came out and also took pics with me and my wife and kids, he was very nice and talked a lot with us.
The other guys all took pics at their tables too even from people that did not get an auto and they were all signed up for photo ops.

[nemesisxiii.livejournal.com]

walk of fame this year----- less than 3 minutes.

retarded lines and WAY TOO MUCH $$$$

back to drinking at Con.....

hey... at least it smelled better than the Hilton in there!

[burnslikeice.livejournal.com]

Although there were quite a few guests i'd've liked to have autographs from, I avoided the Walk of Fame like the plague this year. Aside from my natural aversion to crowds (amazing I go anywhere at D*C, actually) I just didn't want to spend that much money on a signature. I had a very strict budget this year, and after paying for my share of the room I had a choice....autographs, or Voltaire cds. Voltaire won. And he'll sign stuff for free.

[livvylove.livejournal.com]

This was my first D*Con and honestly I didn't even know most of the people who had huge lines. But I refuse to pay for an autograph so I didn't pay for one. If the actor I wanted to see didn't have much of a line I just went up and talked to them and that was it. They make more money then I do and honestly I don't think a signature is worth much. I would have liked a snap shot but since they where charging for autographs I didn't even bother.

[kira29.livejournal.com]

I got one auto. this year and that was to replace one that's been damaged from a few years ago. I stay as far away from JC(F)B as I can.

Other than that the only other thing I have is a pic of me with Gareth David Lloyd when I happened to catch him in front of the Starbuck's in the Marriott.

I'm one of the stealth photogs. in the walk of fame. My feeling is, if I just want to take a picture why should I pay for it? I'm not going to pay for an auto., I'm not going to pay Froggy to take my pic with them, and if they're going to charge me a ridiculous amount to take a pic with my own camera I'm not going to do that either. I just want a memory, something to look at after its over, so why not charge less (say $10) and I would be more likely to pay to take a pic with them, with my own camera. That's my feeling on that anyway.

[rrrrr01.livejournal.com]

i agree

[achbarr.livejournal.com]

This is what I hate the most about DragonCon. if people are willing to do this sort of thing, they may.

pics walk of fame

[michaeldean.livejournal.com]

I agree these actors (if you can call some of them that) make alot of money and if it were not for the fans , where would they be. I bet if no one went to the lines next year they might thing about this or at least jcb
and acbar ,how goes it? talked to you at the elevators at days inn last week before we all left

[hmrpotter.livejournal.com]

I loved the old days of paying for the autographed photo, getting to chat for a few seconds, and then getting a photo of me with the guest, taken with my own camera. Nowadays that's getting less and less common, and it kind of makes me sad. I would love to have photos of myself with the guest at their table, and I'd even be willing to pay an additional five bucks for it. I don't want to have to pay an additional $30-75 to have a Sears Family Portrait made of me and the celeb, though. I prefer this as well...I had candid shots taken last year with some of the Stargate and BSG guys, and I liked those better than the photo op I did with the HP guys, and I also got a shot outside of the WoF with Matthew Lewis last year, that I love. It's not that I fault the professional photog, but I think more people would be willing to pay for the candid shots, I know I would.

[theaterman007.livejournal.com]

I went to get autographs and when I got out my camera they said no pictures so I pulled out my Video camera and started videoing.When I seen they were about to say something I just panned past them to someone else and no one said a word it was GREAT! Screw all them handlers that said no pictures! And JCB can kiss my big camera lens!

[lapis-lazuli615.livejournal.com]

Please keep in mind that a lot of us handlers are VOLUNTEERS and are only doing what we've been asked to do by the agents and/or actors.

[valiskeogh.livejournal.com]

btw, unless you're in a very weird time zone, one i've never personally heard of, the clock on your puter is VERY VERY VERY WRONG.

[rrrrr01.livejournal.com]

hey
i had originally submitted this post on 9-2-2008 and they just approved and posted it today,but i guess it keeps the orignal date and time if that is what you meant

[neovenom.livejournal.com]

The Walk of Fame was my main reason for going, and despite losing out on a lot of money, I had a very pleasant experience. Going into it, I accepted that $20-$30 is going to be the standard for autographs and pictures and that we can't really do a whole lot to change that; so I expected to spend a certain amount. I only go to the celebs that I really care about, so to me, paying them back some money to help support them is the least I can do for the entertainment they've provided for me over the years.

As for Froggy, I know some people don't like it, but I think they did great for the volume of people they have to deal with during the weekend. No complaints about the quality or the way my pictures turned out either.

[pixienator.livejournal.com]

I was pretty disappointed with the walk of fame this year as well. I mean I expected to pay at least 20 dollars for autographs but most of the actors were also making you pay for pictures with them! I was so sad especially since I didn't get to get a picture with Mr. Astin and I didn't have enough to get a picture with Mr. Llewellyn (I had to have enough money to eat for the rest of the weekend after all and 20 dollars was all I had left after getting the autographs! I was on a tight budget this year boo hoo hoo)

I mean yeah I can understand having to pay for professional pictures but just pictures that you take with your own camera that you will have to pay for to get developed and copies and whatnot I just don't see the point in having to pay for that...by the time it is all over with you end up spending over 100 dollars on a meeting with an actor (especially if you met multiple actors and actresses) I mean I have been going since 2003 and I remember paying for autographs yes but pictures no.

but I can say that I did enjoy meeting Mr. Astin and Mr. Llewellyn even if I didn't get to get a picture with them I still at least have an autograph and I will remember our meetings.

[rotwangs-hand-2.livejournal.com]

That is what is sad, people cant afford that kind of money these days and they think nothing of charging it and excluding less financially secure fans. Where is the goodwill?

[blondeamazon.livejournal.com]

This makes me sad. My first D*Con in 2001, I paid Dirk Benedict $20 each for a couple signed photos, posed with him for a pic with my camera, and chatted with him for no less then 30 mins. Granted, he did not have a huge line as I think it was pretty early Friday and I recall he had a line at other times. Two years ago, I paid Mark Singer for a signed photo, posed for a shot for free, and got to chat with him for a few. He had people around, both fans and those he had business with, and I never felt rushed. In fact, he was the most warm and sincere guy I think I have ever met and I felt he was genuinely glad I was there. I know these are not big stars, but I grew up on their earlier work as a big part of bonding with my dad. To me, this is what D*Con is about, I will treasure these memories, and I hate to see it deteriorating into the greedy money grab it is becoming. I did not even make it into the Hall of Fame this year.

[girlietomboy.livejournal.com]

Can't Dragon*Con put a stop to JCB coming? She does nothing but piss people off. I seriously get in SUCH a bad mood at just the sight of that evil bitch. Can't the celebs get someone else to take her place?!

JCB

[rotwangs-hand-2.livejournal.com]

If all the people stop standing in line to get autographs because of her, the celebs will notice. Plus you can write to the celebritie's studio/management with complaints. As long as lines form, she will still be employed. As we know by the $30-$60 dollar autograph prices, money talks!!!!

[rbrav.livejournal.com]

My friend and I walked away when Adam West's agent was asking $50 an autograph. Not worth it to us.

I wonder who was charging the most?

[neovenom.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I walked away from him too after hearing that. From the people I wanted, Adam charged the most for autos. I know James Marsters had the most expensive photo-op at $60.