At Fanfest 2011, I had the good fortune to meet Swedish journalist Petter Mårtensson, whose relaxed, erudite manner and keen instincts meant he had a good ear for a dynamite quote. He subsequently wrote this piece about his beer-fuelled Icelandic spaceship experience for GameReactor.
The following year, we met up again and I did my best to ruin/enhance Petter's in-the-field podcasting attempts for The Three MMOsketeers on CSICON network. It was also a great opportunity for me to copy his homework as he swotted up in the press pit for various Swedish gaming news outlets.
Nobody Expects the Swedish Inquisition
Now this year, with for the big ten-year celebration of EVE Online upon us, Petter is bring out the big guns. He's planning something suitably ambitious for such a milestone; a documentary aimed at capturing the essence of Fanfest 2013, of EVE Online and the relationship between the players and the osmotic community membrane beyond which the devs can be found.
Along with his able technician, Philip Raivander, he plans to be stalking the halls and bars to capture the Fanfest ambience and will be sitting down with players and devs to get beards-and-all coverage of the occasion.
What will result will be a documentary which will forever be a record of the time hundreds of internet spaceship nerds got together to celebrate the world's greatest, most controversial, gloriously divisive yet fiercely inclusive game of interstellar treachery and destruction as it entered into its second decade.
You Rang, Marshter?
Of course, as history has shown, Petter's Fanfest coverage would be incomplete without his best laid plans being “assisted” by me. I'll be there somewhere, shambling around in the background, playing the part of skivvy, gopher and “researcher”, like some cockney Igor. I'll be doing my best to ensure that things run smoothly and interview appointments are kept. “Mishter Shoundwave, the Marshter will shee you now.”
I'll also probably be the one who has to go get you a drink if your throat is a bit dry, but don't push it. ;)
In truth, things are relatively fluid at present. We have a few big names to occupy the bar stool of doom, but there will always be room for more. The idea is that the team captures the essence of Fanfest, with screentime for every aspect of the Reykjavik-based shenanigans. Petter will be keen to chat with you about your thoughts on EVE, it's history and its future, or on your experiences; whether your Corp CEO is any good, what that battle was like, why you like rotten shark or what we should blame the Goons for today.
If you're interested, contact myself or Petter, either via the comments box below, or by email at seismic[dot]stan[at]gmail[dot]com or via Twitter.
Just One More Thing
Of course, this grand plan will only come to fruition if the project gets enough backing. Petter has set up an IndieGoGo page to get the ball rolling, and your sponsorship would be greatly appreciated. For just $10 your name will be emblazoned across the credit roll, for $50 you'll be immortalised in photographic form and for a greater sum, well, other magical things could happen.
