Behind the Scenes: The Anime Expo Articles

Behind the Scenes: The Anime Expo Articles

Publication Date: 7/5/2018 - Ongoing

Author: Samantha Ferreira

I'll admit, this is one of those cases where I bit off a bit more than I could chew. But, to be fair, I was excited! This was a pretty big first for me, as it was my first time visiting Los Angeles, let alone Anime Expo. And, well, for a big con, I began to imagine even bigger plans. In the final month leading up to the con, I was envisioning a major media spread, packed with photos, interviews, and event coverage. 

The articles would be bound together by a greater travelogue, which would serve as a sort of narrative that would basically bind the articles together into one cohesive story. These short diary-like pieces would ideally become the through-line for the event, providing a narrative, and some context to the smattering of interviews, articles, and photo-shoots.

While this sounds like an iron-clad plan on paper, I forgot to consider something: These things take TIME. Lots and lots of time. When working a news desk and a 40-hour-a-week job, that time dries up mighty quickly.

Still, I'm crazy, and I forgot what the meaning of the word "sleep" was nearly a decade ago. Rather than bog myself down in the minutiae and stress, I just stuck with the general plan. I edited what came in from Seth, wrote whenever I could, and edit photos in those rare moments of solitude that seemed to exist between news updates.

And, well, it's still ongoing. Since July 4, Seth and I have powered through nearly sixty articles, which are a mish-mash of news posts, interviews, op-eds, and puff pieces. The news articles were mainly written in the comfort of our hotel room, as I claimed a semi-permanent spot at the desk from dinner time to the wee hours of the morning. And, well, I won't go too far into detail with these. News posts are the very definition of "flow of information" pieces, which usually require little more than an iron will and an ability to follow your notes without falling asleep.

The travelogues, though, they were something fun. They were a chance to finally kick back and relax for a bit. About two months before we hit up Los Angeles, I had what I've come to call "the breakdown." Folks who know me or follow me on Twitter got a bit of an earful on May 26, when I finally just had a very public panic attack after nearly 15 years of constant work (Protip: Time off is for exactly that, folks!). The news desk had taken its toll, and I knew I needed something different.

These travelogue pieces offered exactly that. To be able to turn away from anime for a few hours, to talk about kicking back, and having fun at a convention... it was pretty amazing. The pieces, themselves, didn't take long to write, and they were just a great change of pace, that helped to solidify the new direction we were aiming for. They were personal, informal, and sometimes just a bit silly, and that was, well... fun! There was no research, no notebook, no deadline. They were a chance to just cut loose, and write about what was most interesting at the time.

Funny enough, Anime Expo has provided more than a full month of content for the Herald, as we've just been cranking out features left and right since July. We still have two or three pieces each in the queue, which should be up and live by the end of the month. at that time, I'll probably be asking our Helpers if there was a piece they'd like to hear more about, as we'll be closing in on 70 articles by the end of this.

But, well, for now, all I can really say is "Anime Expo: it's massive, it's daunting, but it was SO worth it." I won't be making the trip next year due to time constraints, but I'm already planning to take the trip in 2020. If you have the opportunity to hit up Anime Expo, definitely don't pass it up!

Just... be wary of the crowds!