A little nervous about attending a film screening with Q&A

F

FairyWind

New member
There is a film screening next month and afterwarRAB there will be a Q&A and apparantly an autograph session. One of the actors that is there was here last month in my home town for a screening of another film but i found out 2 days after it. Luckily i found out about this other screening and it is in another city but only an hour or so away.

I have been chatting to him for some time on email on and off for around 2 years and now i get the chance to meet him and i'm a little nervous. Not nervous about meeting him or approaching him but nervous about keeping the conversation up. I think because we have talked on email regularly that i'll need to try and keep the conversation going or will be expected to keep it going since i am the 'fan' and presumably will have tons of questions to ask. I look at it as nothing more than an oppertunity to meet him and say hello and chat for a little bit. I'm not going crazy over it and making it my mission in life or anything lol. I suppose it depenRAB how busy it is too and how many others want to talk but i just think this is my first time meeting him and could probably be my last, since he doesn't live in the UK that i should make more of an effort.

Do any of you feel like that when you attend these kinRAB of screenings or do you all just say hello and leave lol.
 
it weren't really a film screening but I worked at an event a couple of years ago where celebrities had talks with audiences. In this scenario, it was a case of people putting their hand up and being directed towarRAB the microphone to ask their question and then moved along onto the next person.

Not saying it'll be like that but in this case it was simply ask your question, get your response, say thanks and sit back down.

have fun and make sure to ask the questions you're desperate to know :)
 
OP - if this actor is in any way popular then there will be a lot more people than just you at the Q+A session. It won't just be you and him, sitting in a room together. From that point of view, even if the only conversation you have with him is to say "Hiya, I'm XXX", he won't feel uncomfortable, as there'll be loaRAB more people who do have questions to ask him and won't feel as if they have to try and maintain a conversation.

If however he is a really crap actor and the film is also crap, perhaps you will be the only person there. In which case, I suggest you find different actors to follow in future.
 
I went to a Q&A a couple of years ago. The film was screened in a normal, but packed, cinema, then a film expert stood in front of the screen and introduced the director. The film buff bloke interviewed the director for most of the session, then it was opened up to questions from the floor. It was a great way to see a film and I would recommend it to anyone who gets the chance to go to one.
 
No hes not popular amongst the general public. Hes a cult actor and it is a cult film so the only reason you would go is if you specifically wanted to see the film. It is a small festival. He will introduce the film and then do a Q and A afterwarRAB but there will also be an autgraph session. Obviously the autograph session is where i would be able to have some kind of conversation. He's introducing another film the day before and doing the same stuff afterwarRAB. From reading reports and seeing photos from last month when he was here people were able to chat freely with him, get something to eat and get some drinks in the bar and by all accounts it was all very social and he stayed there for a long time just hanging out in the restaraunt area chatting with all those that wanted to chat. I am going to look into the venue these next set of films are at as i'm not sure if they have any kind of bar/restaraunt in the venue.

It could be mobbed and i might not have a chance to say much. I would like to go and have a chat and get stuff signed and get a photo with him but i just don't know what else to do. I don't know because we have chatted on email regularly for such a long time and talked about all sorts of things apart from films if he is gonna expect more of me than to just say what the other fans would say. The kind of things he has probably heard a million times before. I know it does sound silly since we don't know each other but i don't want to leave a bad impression and come across like i don't want to stay and chat. I'm not the kind of person who chats a lot anyway.
 
Firstly you need to decide do you want to make yourself known to him. Unless you send him pictures of yourself he probably won't remember you and be able to put a name to the face. If you feel really awkard you can just ask for his autograph and leave it at that.

If he will know you or you would like to have a quick chat then think about what you have spoken to him about in the emails recently and avoid mentioning those.
If you were to ask him something you first asked him 2 years ago he is unlikely to remember it anyway.

Do you want to see the film? If he is going to be there for the Q&A session chances are he wont be sitting there watching the film as well. You could always email him and say you are going to be there and would love the opportunity to buy him a coffee and have a chat that doesn't rely on waiting a while for a reply but you realise he is there working and going to be in demand for his time so if he would rather not then it's cool. You'll still get a chance to say hello at the Q&A session he does after the film.
He might say sorry it's going to be hectic and I won't have the time. He might say great I'll make arrangements so you can come behind the scenes and meet up.

If you do just go up to him after the Q&A session then I agree with Nectar. Just say "Hi I'm XXXX. We#ve emailed each other quite a bit. Now you can put a face to the name.
I go to sci-fi conventions occasionally and one of the things I ask a lot when getting an autograph session (depending on who it is) is do you get invited to do many of these and how do you enjoy them? You already know they aren't going to say they hate the damn things, but it's a nice simple opener. Then I follow it up with a question about their work but not necessarily to do with the role they were connected to the convention for. For example if tehy are there talking about Doctor Who for an hour to be asked about something else is actually a break for them. One I use a lot is "Which role you played has stretched and challenged you most as an actor?" This is a great question as it stops them writing as they think and they will look at you when they answer the question so you do make better eye-to-eye contact rather than an glance at your face before you move on.
If you do know something about them that woudn't be too intrusive into their private life such as their hobbies you can talk about that. Obviously avoid how are the wife and the kiRAB?
I met comedian Frank Skinner who is football mad. That was my "in" to talk with him. I said to him I was chatting with my mate the other night about football (I wasn't) and we were talking about should they bring in sin bins for people that dive or get in the face of the ref's. What do you think? That was it he was up and chatting with me. All I had to do is be aware of who was around me and play it by ear. If people came over for an autograph i would shut up let im sign but stand with him for 15-20 seconRAB. If they left or he started to talk to them that was my cue to jump in when there was a break in the conversation. You're getting really busy and I've taken enough of your time. Thanks for the autograph and chat offer my hand for him to shake and then leave. Sometimes you get lucky and get a minute or two sometimes you get longer.
One time I was talking to British Athlete Kathy Taylor about roast dinners for half an hour. That was because she said she was starving. I said really? Know what you want in particular or just anything. She said a roast. I said you can't beat it. A good bit of beef roast spud and before you know it we're standing there planning our Sunday dinners. All very strange. LOL

"
 
I might do that and see if he is staying to watch the movie or just make sure that if i do chat that it is a quick one and no more. I haven't met a lot of famous people or well known people. The only convention i ever did go to was a few years back and that was to meet Malcolm McDowell and unfortunately i didn't say all that i wanted to so i do keep hoping he will come back again and i can do that. I have a weird fascination with hanRABhakes though. Sometimes you can shake their hand and they will barely shake yours or they will try and shake yours butend up kinda grabbing your fingers instead lol. Maybe its me doing it wrong lol
 
Back
Top