Fandom/producer relationship

POSTED BY: Aramina
UPDATED: Sunday, July 10, 2005 11:42
VIEWED: 5724
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ARAMINA

Friday, April 15, 2005 8:19 PM

Hi,

Longtime Bronzer, short time FFF.net-er
I think this is the first time I'm posted in the Buffyverse forum.

Anyhoo. I'm involved in some research into the relationship between fans and the producers of their shows, especially the ways in which the relationship is benificial to each side. This is more than just about the fact the fans give producers money and producers give fans something to think about, while that is a part of it.

I'm looking for examples of events in the Buffy fan community which illustrate how this relationship works and how it can be beneficial to the fans and the producers. If anyone has any ideas or links they think would be useful, please let me know.

Thanks

Aramina

THIEFJEHAT

Friday, April 15, 2005 9:26 PM

I suppose one link twixt producers and fans in the buffy universe exists in the whedonesque blog.

http://whedonesque.com/

Joss has a login there and actually responds to postings. I do believe he reads this board once in a while, but I'm not sure. Jewel and Adam do.

I've had a long respect for Joss's intuition as to what fans want and his conviction to give it to them (At least when networks or movie studios don't mess with him) I also hold high regard for his willingness to chat with us and accept our feedback.

Do not fear me. Ours is a peaceful race, and we must live in harmony.

EMMA

Tuesday, April 19, 2005 2:07 PM

Oooh interesting, I have just written my PhD proposal and one of my chapters involves researching fan communities.

I am writing about how sci-fi and fantasy helps to form understanding of biblical characters. (Before anyone moans at me I said helps!)

What are you doing?

I really should get me a signature

ARAMINA

Tuesday, April 19, 2005 11:37 PM

He Emma,

This is for a Masters assignment. I'm proposing a model which shows how fan culture, production in particular, helps the positive development of both the fans and the original text and also helps to resolve some of the contradictions of fan theory. It's to do with recognising fan production as a form of play.

Something that may help you is an article by Sarah Wakefield about an X-files fan community:

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0412/is_3_29/ai_79350861

full referencing details should be available there too.

When I think of an interesting signature you'll be the first to know.

DIZ

Tuesday, April 19, 2005 11:53 PM

I've always held affection for artists who take the time to respond to their fans. And I am tickled when they actually respond to a question or comment I have made. This has happened to me at viewaskew.com, where Kevin Smith answered my question about a band in one of his movies (as well as others; it's been a while). I also used to be a fan of a band named Throwing Muses, and their lead singer used to post all the time on her website, and there are several comic websites where one can "talk" to the creators. As far as Joss goes, it just blows me away that someone in his position has the time and inclination to post to the fans. I would say the biggest thing I get out of it is a thrill that I, a fan, am heard and appreciated. It makes me a bigger fan of anyone who takes the time to post to us. What a producer gets out of it is a rabid fanbase that will do anything to promote his/her product. We fans are easy to please; give us a few personal posts here and there, and we'll adore you forever.

EMMA

Wednesday, April 20, 2005 6:55 AM

Hey Aramina

Do you mean positive development as in influence over the future scripts, characters etc or as re-imagining the existing ones? Of course it could mean the latter resulting in the former. That is quite a standard theory although I like the idea that this is play - a very cool spin. Particularly if you work in psychoanalysis, which disciplines are you working with? Also, is this an assignment or your thesis?

Sorry to be the inquisitor, my programme is all about the Bible so finding people interested in fan theory is a little tricky for me! Everyone is much more interested in the never-ending apocalypse - bit like Whedon really

Are you going to the Serenity con? If so it would be cool to meet up (although if work is way off your agenda that weekend no problemo).

I really should get me a signature

KESSIE

Wednesday, April 20, 2005 12:55 PM

hey hun ...

Found something while surfing which might be useful to you
http://www.atpobtvs.com/existentialscoobies/archives/aug03_p12.html

Scroll to : BTVS(also ATS) and The Pitfalls of the Television Medium ( long w/footnotes) -- shadowkat (trying something new), 09:56:39 08/23/03 Sat

and btw didnt know if POD told ya but you can ask me too

They say it’s the last song
They don’t know us, you see
Its only the last song
If we let it be

http://www.darknessenemyinc.de.vu/

EMBERS

Wednesday, April 20, 2005 1:36 PM

I'm having trouble knowing what exactly you mean by 'producer'
if you mean creator...like Joss, then you might enjoy going through the posts Joss Whedon has made at Whedonesque (a site where people post any and all news about anything that has some tie in with the worlds Joss created),
evidently Joss reads Whedonesque and feels free to comment to his fans there, which creates a nice relationship:
http://whedonesque.com/?user=13

However there is also the studio, Twentieth Century Fox, which produced Buffy, Angel, and Firefly...and the relationship there is a much darker and more tenuous one...where we buy the merchandise they have allowed on their shows and we feel ignored and unappreciated.
sigh

ARAMINA

Wednesday, April 20, 2005 6:39 PM

Emma

As well as the positive developments you mentioned (and yes, that part of what I am talking about is pretty standard), I mean also things like the careers of the cast/crew, the wallet of the network etc. But what I am suggesting using some play-based psychoanalysis is that being a part of fan culture can also be beneficial to the fan. One aspect of play theory is that it helps to keep us sane by making us subjects both inside and outside of ourselves. I intend to suggest that by viewing fan culture as a playful activity, it can solve some of the fan culture binaries that exist in current theory, or at least tie them together more efficiently.

This is for an assignment. I'm on a part time course because I have to work full time to pay for it. I've got a year left until I do my dissertation. The degree is in Cultural and Media Studies and the module I'm working on at the moment is Game Culture.

And inquire away.

I'm also inquisitive about your work also.

Will you be suggesting that fan culture can/should be viewed as a religion, or that it is helpful to do so? Either way, i think that article I referred you to above could be very helpful, I used it for my BA degree dissertation about the investments of fans. From memory it describes a particular fan community as a religion and note the discourse etc that makes it so.

If you haven't already read them there are some 'canon' fan culture books you should look into:

Matt Hills - Fan Cultures
Henry Jenkins - Textual poachers: television fans and participatory culture
Camille Bacon-Smith - Enterprising Women
John Tulloch/Henry Jenkins - Watching Star Trek and Dr Who

Henry Jenkins' website also has lots of articles you may be interested in.

Depending on how long you've been interested in fan culture I imagine you've already used these, if not I've found them invaluable.

Is Serenity Con in the US? I'm in the UK, besides that, I've never been to a con because I either can't afford it or can't find anyone to go with!

If you want to read more about play theory then check out http://powerup.motime.com

When I think of an interesting signature you'll be the first to know.

ARAMINA

Wednesday, April 20, 2005 6:45 PM

Hey Embers

'Producer' pretty much means all of the above, at the moment - anyone connected with making/distributing the actual original text.

I have found Whedonesque to be very helpful in the past and I'm sure it will be again for this assignment, as is the Joss archive at the Bronze where I'm a regular.

Thanks

When I think of an interesting signature you'll be the first to know.

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