Programming & Spaces at FanWorks 2022
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fanworksFanWorks will be in a hybrid format, with programming taking place both on-site in Chicago and online, on our usual platforms (Discord, Zoom, and the FanWorks website). The con will run on Central time in all formats.
Programming at FanWorks has three main types:
Con panels depend on programming submissions from attendees! If you have ideas for panel topics, this is the time to be thinking about your panel ideas and whether they would work best as group discussions, presentations, or workshops. We strongly encourage anyone interested in moderating a panel to submit one or more panel topics when submissions open – what panels we offer depends on what panels you submit!
Any attendees are welcome to submit panels, regardless of whether you are attending in Chicago or online. Virtual attendees can mod panels online, and Chicago attendees can mod panels on-site.
Vidshows
Themed vidshows are curated by attendee VJs, with vids chosen to fit a specific theme. Past themed shows have included "Foe Yay!", "Divine Intervention," "Queer Found Families," shows about multifandom vids, video game vids, fan-made credits, animatics – themes vary widely!
If a vidshow theme is chosen for the con, VJs are responsible for choosing vids for their show, creating a playlist, contacting vidders, and assisting con tech staff in sourcing vids if needed.
VJs attending in Chicago are also responsible for staffing the VJ table during their vidshow (which mostly involves pressing play to start the show, watching it in the room to make sure nothing goes awry, and letting people into the room between vids as necessary). If you are unable to do so, a staff member or volunteer can fill in for you.
FanWorks also has two other kinds of vidshows: premiering shows, in which all of the vids are making their debut at the con, and non-premiering shows, for vids that have already debuted elsewhere. These shows can be submitted to directly by vidders (unlike themed shows, in which the vids are chosen by the VJs).
In 2022, those vidshows are Premieres, Variations: Past and Present, Year in Vids, Recap, and In the Aughts.
Get full vidshow descriptions & information on submitting vids to these shows here.
Vidshows will play simultaneously on-site and online. (If there are a large number of submissions to any non-premiering show, part of the show may become online-only.)
The vidshow room at the con is usually a dark, theater-style space; we're working on ways to make the vidshow room partially screen-friendly, so that anyone wishing to take part in the online chats for the vidshows can do so from the vidshow room. For the premiering shows (Premieres and Variations), there will be two separate rooms with full projection screens, one theater-style and one screen-friendly, so that attendees can choose their viewing experience.
Events
We're still working out some of the details of this year's events – particularly online events, which will be scheduled closer to the con and are likely to include past events like Zoom Pictionary.
This year, we're taking a break from Sparkle Motion and the vid singalong. We'll also be switching from the food buffets attendees may remember from 2019 to boxed lunches that can be eaten outside the con space. These are part of our overall risk reduction measures for 2022, and we hope to return to dance parties and communal meals in future years.
At present, the slate of con events includes:
Thursday Evening – Chicago
Registration: Pick up your registration packet and say hello! We plan to have at least one icebreaker event on Thursday night to go with registration.
The con Discord will also open on Thursday night, marking the official kick-off of the online con weekend.
Friday Afternoon - Chicago & Online
Premieres: The FanWorks Premieres vidshow will run simultaneously online and in Chicago, starting at 4:00PM Central.
Friday Night – Chicago & Online
Trivia: A two-hour fannish pub quiz taking place at the con and online!
(We're planning to screen share the quiz via Zoom from the events room in Chicago, so that everyone can play at the same time; if technology hiccups, we may have to split up the game into online and on-site versions.)
Saturday Night – Chicago
The Masked Ball: Bring your masks (and your masks) to the main social event of the Chicago con! We'll be providing DIY domino mask supplies if you want to make your own, or you can wear any kind of masquerade, costume, or other kind of mask (so long as your facemask can be properly worn with it).
The theme is "Under the Sea" – we'll be using all of our fancy Sparkle Motion lighting and decorations to turn Constellation & Convair into an ocean hideaway for the night.
Eye masks & fancy dress are optional but encouraged – if you want to take the opportunity to dress up or bust out your favorite cosplay, please do! If you feel more comfortable in your favorite jeans and T-shirt, go with what makes you happy!
The evening will feature a treasure hunt and other interactive games, some of which will also be available online. You are also welcome to bring your own card or board games (or, for that matter, your own books and tablets, if you just want to hang out in the ocean and do your own thing).
Food and drink will not be provided during the Masked Ball, as masks will be required at all times. If you want alcohol during the event, we encourage you to drink in your rooms; most of the blocked hotel rooms are close by on the con floor, and with the Masked Ball going for three hours, there will be plenty of time to come and go.
For this event, the panel room and con suite will be opened up into one larger ballroom; the ballroom will be set up with round tables with spaced seating. The vidshow room will also be open, and we'll have a vote up closer to the con on which shows from past virtual cons we should show during the Masked Ball.
Sunday Night – Chicago
Closing Events: Saturday night will kick off with closing remarks, immediately followed by Instant Replay and (set-up permitting) the opportunity to groupwatch some things on the big screen.
Instant Replay is a vidshow VJed by the audience! Anyone in attendance can pick a vid that showed during the weekend and put it into the hat; we'll pull as many vids as we can fit into one show, queue them up with AbsoluteDestiny's spiffy Instant Replay vidshow function, and then we'll watch them all together. This is a great opportunity to get another look at your favorite vids from the weekend on the big screen, and is always a lot of fun.
(We will at the very least post the vidshow order online; if we can put the vidshow up in streaming format after the con, we will.)
We're not 100% committing to groupwatching on the big screen just yet, but if we can, we will! The overall goal of Sunday is to say our farewells and have a nice, chill space for attendees staying on Sunday night.
* * *
Spaces at FanWorks
The online con will take place primarily on Discord, with panels on Zoom and vidshow streams on the FanWorks website.
In Chicago, at the SpringHill Suites O'Hare, the con event space is on two floors. We'll have a full map of the space and accessibility information for the hotel closer to the con, but for now, here's a brief overview of the con space:
Second Floor
Most con events will take place here, in the main event space on the second floor. The "event space" includes the hallways around the event rooms and the mezzanine, which overlooks the hotel lobby.
Constellation: The main panel & events room; panels in this room will have a projector & sound system with laptop hookups. Set up theater style, with spaced out seating.
Convair: The con suite. This room can be opened up to join with Constellation to form a larger ballroom for events. The con suite will be set up with round tables for socializing, and will have ongoing group and solo art projects for anyone looking for activities during the day. (We will not have food & beverage in the con suite this year.)
Concorde: The vidshow room. This room is across the hall from Constellation and Convair, and will be set up all weekend long for vidshows & screenings with a projector & sound system. Set up theater style, with spaced out seating.
Comet: The quiet room. Comet is the smallest of our second floor spaces; rather than try to fit a panel room into it, we're going to turn it into a place to go and hang out if you need to sit quietly somewhere for a while. We'll be bringing back the forest room decor from FanWorks 2019 to provide a little atmosphere, and will have chairs and power strips set up.
First Floor
Boeing: The first floor panel room. There won't be tech set-up in Boeing, but it will be set up theater style all weekend long for panels. Saturday panels will take place in Boeing; the rest of the weekend, it will be available for DIY panels.
Lockheed: This is a smallish, glass-walled room near the first floor elevators. We haven't fully decided what to do with this room yet, as our 2020 floor plans had to undergo some adjustment for 2022's con format, but we'll be using every bit of space we have to spread out as much as we can, so expect at least light programming or dedicated use for this room at the con.
(Please note that the specific room assignments may change prior to the con if we run into any tech issues with the rooms, but regardless of location, these are the spaces we'll have on site.)
* * *
Scheduling
The con weekend will run on Central time, both in Chicago and online.
Unlike past virtual cons, which focused on the weekends, the August online con will match Chicago's schedule, with main programming running Friday - Sunday. The overall schedule format has three 2-hour blocks of daytime programming (with 1-hour lunch and afternoon breaks), a 2-hour dinner break, and a 2- to 3-hour block of nighttime events.
This is a sample of what the Friday schedule could look like:
The exact programming is subject to change, but this is the basic schedule format across all three days: programming starting at 10AM Central, three breaks, daytime panels & vidshows, nighttime events. Vidshows will run at the same time for everyone. On Friday, we expect programming to run until 10PM; on Saturday, until 11PM; on Sunday, until 10PM (with the possibility of going later, depending on scheduling).
Catered meals at the hotel are planned during the Friday and Saturday lunch breaks (in the form of take-away boxed lunches). We may be able to offer a Sunday lunch or evening snacks, depending on registration numbers; we'll have firmer information on catering closer to the con.
Programming at FanWorks has three main types:
- Panels: discussions, presentations, workshops; suggested and run by con attendees
- Vidshows: themed shows, suggested and curated by attendee VJs; vidder-submitted shows, typically VJed by con staff
- Events: games, meals, parties, fanwork-focused activities
Things will look a little different from FanWorks 2019 this year. We're doing our best to adapt con programming for the current circumstances and working out ways to balance the online and on-site cons so that everyone has con programming to attend.
Panels
Submissions for on-site and virtual panels are open until July 15th.
As plans currently stand, the bulk of August panels will be on-site, with a couple virtual panels scheduled on Zoom each day. (We are not currently planning to stream on-site panels.)
We hope to have a mix of panels for each of our main tracks:
Art: drawing, manips, gifs, graphic design, textiles, cosplay, jewelry, decor, food – any artwork or crafts, digital or physical, 2D or 3D
Audio: podfic, podcasts, fan music, filk, fanmixes, audio edits
Community: platforms (archives, blogs, social media, chat groups etc.), events (gift exchanges, challenges, fests, cons), curation (recs, fan wikis)
Video: fanvids (including amvs, machinima, edits etc.), meta videos (fan theories, reactions, explainer videos, etc.), fan-filmed content, supercuts
Writing: fanfic, meta, ship manifestos, poetry, zines
Con panels depend on programming submissions from attendees! If you have ideas for panel topics, this is the time to be thinking about your panel ideas and whether they would work best as group discussions, presentations, or workshops. We strongly encourage anyone interested in moderating a panel to submit one or more panel topics when submissions open – what panels we offer depends on what panels you submit!
Any attendees are welcome to submit panels, regardless of whether you are attending in Chicago or online. Virtual attendees can mod panels online, and Chicago attendees can mod panels on-site.
Vidshows
Themed vidshows are curated by attendee VJs, with vids chosen to fit a specific theme. Past themed shows have included "Foe Yay!", "Divine Intervention," "Queer Found Families," shows about multifandom vids, video game vids, fan-made credits, animatics – themes vary widely!
If a vidshow theme is chosen for the con, VJs are responsible for choosing vids for their show, creating a playlist, contacting vidders, and assisting con tech staff in sourcing vids if needed.
VJs attending in Chicago are also responsible for staffing the VJ table during their vidshow (which mostly involves pressing play to start the show, watching it in the room to make sure nothing goes awry, and letting people into the room between vids as necessary). If you are unable to do so, a staff member or volunteer can fill in for you.
FanWorks also has two other kinds of vidshows: premiering shows, in which all of the vids are making their debut at the con, and non-premiering shows, for vids that have already debuted elsewhere. These shows can be submitted to directly by vidders (unlike themed shows, in which the vids are chosen by the VJs).
In 2022, those vidshows are Premieres, Variations: Past and Present, Year in Vids, Recap, and In the Aughts.
Get full vidshow descriptions & information on submitting vids to these shows here.
Vidshows will play simultaneously on-site and online. (If there are a large number of submissions to any non-premiering show, part of the show may become online-only.)
The vidshow room at the con is usually a dark, theater-style space; we're working on ways to make the vidshow room partially screen-friendly, so that anyone wishing to take part in the online chats for the vidshows can do so from the vidshow room. For the premiering shows (Premieres and Variations), there will be two separate rooms with full projection screens, one theater-style and one screen-friendly, so that attendees can choose their viewing experience.
Events
We're still working out some of the details of this year's events – particularly online events, which will be scheduled closer to the con and are likely to include past events like Zoom Pictionary.
This year, we're taking a break from Sparkle Motion and the vid singalong. We'll also be switching from the food buffets attendees may remember from 2019 to boxed lunches that can be eaten outside the con space. These are part of our overall risk reduction measures for 2022, and we hope to return to dance parties and communal meals in future years.
At present, the slate of con events includes:
Thursday Evening – Chicago
Registration: Pick up your registration packet and say hello! We plan to have at least one icebreaker event on Thursday night to go with registration.
The con Discord will also open on Thursday night, marking the official kick-off of the online con weekend.
Friday Afternoon - Chicago & Online
Premieres: The FanWorks Premieres vidshow will run simultaneously online and in Chicago, starting at 4:00PM Central.
Friday Night – Chicago & Online
Trivia: A two-hour fannish pub quiz taking place at the con and online!
(We're planning to screen share the quiz via Zoom from the events room in Chicago, so that everyone can play at the same time; if technology hiccups, we may have to split up the game into online and on-site versions.)
Saturday Night – Chicago
The Masked Ball: Bring your masks (and your masks) to the main social event of the Chicago con! We'll be providing DIY domino mask supplies if you want to make your own, or you can wear any kind of masquerade, costume, or other kind of mask (so long as your facemask can be properly worn with it).
The theme is "Under the Sea" – we'll be using all of our fancy Sparkle Motion lighting and decorations to turn Constellation & Convair into an ocean hideaway for the night.
Eye masks & fancy dress are optional but encouraged – if you want to take the opportunity to dress up or bust out your favorite cosplay, please do! If you feel more comfortable in your favorite jeans and T-shirt, go with what makes you happy!
The evening will feature a treasure hunt and other interactive games, some of which will also be available online. You are also welcome to bring your own card or board games (or, for that matter, your own books and tablets, if you just want to hang out in the ocean and do your own thing).
Food and drink will not be provided during the Masked Ball, as masks will be required at all times. If you want alcohol during the event, we encourage you to drink in your rooms; most of the blocked hotel rooms are close by on the con floor, and with the Masked Ball going for three hours, there will be plenty of time to come and go.
For this event, the panel room and con suite will be opened up into one larger ballroom; the ballroom will be set up with round tables with spaced seating. The vidshow room will also be open, and we'll have a vote up closer to the con on which shows from past virtual cons we should show during the Masked Ball.
Sunday Night – Chicago
Closing Events: Saturday night will kick off with closing remarks, immediately followed by Instant Replay and (set-up permitting) the opportunity to groupwatch some things on the big screen.
Instant Replay is a vidshow VJed by the audience! Anyone in attendance can pick a vid that showed during the weekend and put it into the hat; we'll pull as many vids as we can fit into one show, queue them up with AbsoluteDestiny's spiffy Instant Replay vidshow function, and then we'll watch them all together. This is a great opportunity to get another look at your favorite vids from the weekend on the big screen, and is always a lot of fun.
(We will at the very least post the vidshow order online; if we can put the vidshow up in streaming format after the con, we will.)
We're not 100% committing to groupwatching on the big screen just yet, but if we can, we will! The overall goal of Sunday is to say our farewells and have a nice, chill space for attendees staying on Sunday night.
* * *
Spaces at FanWorks
The online con will take place primarily on Discord, with panels on Zoom and vidshow streams on the FanWorks website.
In Chicago, at the SpringHill Suites O'Hare, the con event space is on two floors. We'll have a full map of the space and accessibility information for the hotel closer to the con, but for now, here's a brief overview of the con space:
Second Floor
Most con events will take place here, in the main event space on the second floor. The "event space" includes the hallways around the event rooms and the mezzanine, which overlooks the hotel lobby.
Constellation: The main panel & events room; panels in this room will have a projector & sound system with laptop hookups. Set up theater style, with spaced out seating.
Convair: The con suite. This room can be opened up to join with Constellation to form a larger ballroom for events. The con suite will be set up with round tables for socializing, and will have ongoing group and solo art projects for anyone looking for activities during the day. (We will not have food & beverage in the con suite this year.)
Concorde: The vidshow room. This room is across the hall from Constellation and Convair, and will be set up all weekend long for vidshows & screenings with a projector & sound system. Set up theater style, with spaced out seating.
Comet: The quiet room. Comet is the smallest of our second floor spaces; rather than try to fit a panel room into it, we're going to turn it into a place to go and hang out if you need to sit quietly somewhere for a while. We'll be bringing back the forest room decor from FanWorks 2019 to provide a little atmosphere, and will have chairs and power strips set up.
First Floor
Boeing: The first floor panel room. There won't be tech set-up in Boeing, but it will be set up theater style all weekend long for panels. Saturday panels will take place in Boeing; the rest of the weekend, it will be available for DIY panels.
Lockheed: This is a smallish, glass-walled room near the first floor elevators. We haven't fully decided what to do with this room yet, as our 2020 floor plans had to undergo some adjustment for 2022's con format, but we'll be using every bit of space we have to spread out as much as we can, so expect at least light programming or dedicated use for this room at the con.
(Please note that the specific room assignments may change prior to the con if we run into any tech issues with the rooms, but regardless of location, these are the spaces we'll have on site.)
* * *
Scheduling
The con weekend will run on Central time, both in Chicago and online.
Unlike past virtual cons, which focused on the weekends, the August online con will match Chicago's schedule, with main programming running Friday - Sunday. The overall schedule format has three 2-hour blocks of daytime programming (with 1-hour lunch and afternoon breaks), a 2-hour dinner break, and a 2- to 3-hour block of nighttime events.
This is a sample of what the Friday schedule could look like:
The exact programming is subject to change, but this is the basic schedule format across all three days: programming starting at 10AM Central, three breaks, daytime panels & vidshows, nighttime events. Vidshows will run at the same time for everyone. On Friday, we expect programming to run until 10PM; on Saturday, until 11PM; on Sunday, until 10PM (with the possibility of going later, depending on scheduling).
Catered meals at the hotel are planned during the Friday and Saturday lunch breaks (in the form of take-away boxed lunches). We may be able to offer a Sunday lunch or evening snacks, depending on registration numbers; we'll have firmer information on catering closer to the con.
