FanVids and Vid Shows

Fan vids (and their precursors, fan vid slideshows)  have been shown at fan run conventions since the 1970s. But fanvids at professional or semi-professional conventions with actor guests are rarer. In the 1980s CreationCon, a notorious for profit convention organizer would show fanvids before the actor’s panels, often without getting permission from the fan creators. In one case, they even re-edited the fanvid.   In the 1990s CreationCon would request submissions from fans who gave a perpetual license to their fanworks.

In 1988, the semi-pro Denver convention Starfest “….had a Music Video competition. First place honors went to Megan Dargan, and the third place went to Jackie Edwards, both DKFC [Deforest Kelley Fan Club]  members. That’s pretty astonishing considering the attendance was about 3500 people.“ Source: Fanlore.

Flash forward to next week (Aug. 12)  when media fan vidders gather every year in Chicago for a 3 day event showcasing fan vids. The event is called Vividcon and it is wholly fan run, for fans, by fans.