Photo-ops:

Waiting in line - is fun once you get to the room because you can see what other folks are asking the guests (actors) to do. I really didn't have any requests and was so barely there that I have only the faintest of impressions. (I'm so sad - but these things do overwhelm me.) I believe that I thanked them and they thanked me - Jensen . . .such a sweet smile. And RIGHT there.

Jared: so tall. h t Mark - really substantial - and big. Misha - adorable.

Sandy is much more outgoing. She got a picture of Misha hugging her and Mark hugging them both - and she got Mark to actually smile. Kind of a rare event.

She told Jensen that he was her niece's birthday present and he told Jenna, "Happy Birthday" and asked how old she was and she said, "17" and he told Sandy, "You better watch this one."

For their duo - she had Jenna pose in between them because she was the best Aunt ever and then she went and stood next to Jensen "because she's not that nice." Afterwards, Jared asked Jenna, "best aunt ever?" and she said, "yes" and he gave her a high five. (You know, going to an event like this with a teenager is a blast. She's totally into Matt. Can't blame her - he is adorable and his ARMS.)

Best picture: Sandy and Jenna's picture with Jared. They wanted to do something that would play off of Jenna's little sister's fear of soulless Sam. They told him that she was afraid of soulless Sam. (He thanked her for that.) So they had Jared pose with his (very large) hands around Jenna's neck with Sandy reacting in horror (mouth open, hands raised.) Jared has the most maniacal look: the picture is just perfect.

On the other hand, when one of the Brits went for her Jared picture something happened that pulled him away from the spot - meanwhile the photo ops line wrangler sent her to pose and she stood there without J, looked at the photographer and shrugged. He took the shot. And then, when Jared was all, "Hey!" - they said, well you weren't here. (They did another one.) One of the mysteries of the day was whether or not she'd get her solo shot. And she did! And it was excellent.

We had had a little conversation with the photographer (Chris) before and he says that he figures the guests know what to do so he concentrates on the fans. When they're good - he shoots. Not that he doesn't go back over them. (Apparently, the reason that Matt and Richard were there during Mark and Misha's photo ops was to do a reshoot.)

I've got to go. I had a very long post with another story but I lost it and will have to repost later.

It's a fun one - you know just to tease.

Hee, taunter!

I love reading this! It's from a perspective I can relate to, which is cool. Those boys... all of them... sound positively charming.

Well, I missed my bus so I'm back. The story I tried to post earlier was this:

Last night at dinner there were 3 people who'd been to the Jensen meet and greet and one person who'd been to the Jared meet and greet. Jared was apparently all about the pregnancy talking about how Gen wanted the baby to be born in the US (rather than Canada) and she wants a natural birth and how they're searching for a midwife and doula.

One of the people at the Jensen meet and greet was a woman on 2 weeks leave from the military. She mentioned how much she and the other SPN fans in the military appreciated how well they handled their weapons - for example, that they clear a room properly. And Jensen said that he's got a friend in Washington with a shooting range and they all like to go down there to shoot stuff. And then he produces his iphone - he's got a video of him on the range. He brings it over, asks everyone to "gather round" (twist my arm) and shows them video of him at the shooting range firing a handgun (of some sort) and then of him firing an m4. He's wearing a single layer - yes, a tight tee shirt and one of the ladies present can't help herself and said (outloud): he's so pretty! And then immediately realized that "he" was standing right there!

Mortifying.

Someone asked him when would they ever use an m4 on the show and he said that they wouldn't.

BTW, I got in touch with my bank and yes, the charges from the con drew the attention of the fraud squad. They froze my account. They claim that the fraudsters left me a message or tried to contact me but there were no messages on my voicemail from any such people.

At least I can access my funds now.

Love your stories, sumi. Glad you had such a good time!

Weapons related:

At the Js q&a, somebody asked them if there were any weapons that they wished that they could use on the show. (M4s were brought up again.) But the first thing was the grenade launcher that's been sitting in the Impala's trunk since season 1. Jensen got a little grumpy about it. (Very Deanesque.)

He also mentioned that he once spent weeks practicing with throwing knives in his trailer only to have the scene cut.

Back at Amy's panel, someone had asked her about her big fight scene with Julia McNiven. She talked about the training and how she took the prop knife everywhere to practice her knife handling. She said that at night at her hotel she'd be reading facebook and twirling that knife. When she was done shooting it was the one prop that she was really sad to have to leave behind.

sumi, thanks so much for the up-close, in-person account (It's so much better for me through a like-minded filter).

I assume most of you know Dana's story about Tricia Helfer, meeting her at a con right after Katrina? Worried about family, Dana just sort of fell apart in the autograph line, and Helfer came around the table to hug her and pat her back and sympathize and calm her down.

Someone posted a similar story about Richard Speight. Her dad died this summer. One of the things they had bonded over was Band of Brothers, and she had brought his boxed set as well as her own, hoping to get one of them signed by Speight. She started crying before she got to him, handed him the box but couldn't speak. He coached her through it, asked if he could sign it to her dad, what his name was, checked the spelling, asked if he could sign her copy too, then put down his pen and came around the table to hug her. In addition, on her way out of the room she passed Matt Cohen, who was encouraging her to smile even if she didn't feel like it, sharing that making the attemtpt to appear positive helped him feel more positive, and encouraging her.

At some point, in the lobby or a restaurant, Mark Pellegrino overheard her discussing insomnia and recommended some things that had worked for him after his mother's death.

These people, man. I honestly am starting to believe that interacting with fans does as much for actors who don't have a large presence in the industry as it does for fans of this show that's spent most of its existance in industry obscurity.

The Brits had been to the Vancouver con. They saw the shooting of this week's episode. And at one point they saw Metallicar - all by herself. . . completely unguarded. So they went over, took pictures and then tried the door.

Unlocked.

They got in.

The keys were in the ignition.

They were VERY VERY STRONG. And did not drive off with her.

They took the pictures to their autograph session with Jensen. He called Cliff (the security dude) over and said, "hey, take a look at this." Jensen told them that they should have driven off with the car. (We think that Grand Theft Auto in a foreign country is kind of a bad idea. . . although Canada is no Singapore.)

I do remember Dana's experience with Tricia Helfer. Lovely person. And that woman's story is equally lovely.

This

Weapons related:

made me laugh, because it's like the opposite of an egg warning for ita.