Further Observations

[vakkotaur]

After MFF I noticed a few things about Orvan and listed them. I tried to keep those in mind at Penguicon and can see, somewhat, how well the changes or attempted changes went.

Orvan needs to look up more, or at least not down quite so much.
Orvan needs to "overact" for photos and make the still shot seem more alive.
Looking up (straight) isn't easy as Orvan needs to look down if I am to be able to see what is going on around me. I did remember to look up at least some of the time when stopped for photos. I did forget the overacting some. Then, Orvan was almost always representing ACME this time, and so sticking to a more reserved business manner made sense.

I need to be sure to put Orvan's belt on under his tail.
Orvan needs slightly longer shorts, and those shorts should have belt loops.
I found some longer shorts that had belt loops. The belt being in the loops meant I couldn't put the belt on over the tail.

Deliveries actually go fairly quickly and so more of them can be done without burning the bit out.
Needing help to locate a recipient won't hurt the bit. It could even make the bit.
These are true, if one can find the recipient in a reasonable time. It's also possible for it to take way too long.

Having a photographer/assistant along is not needed, but is quite nice.
Very true. The photo collection would have been very limited indeed without jmaynard taking pictures - and having him there to explain things some helped quite a bit as well.

Orvan could use "business cards" to give to folks who take his picture so he (I) can get copies.
I didn't do this and really should. I did eventually give a couple slips of paper with contact info to a couple folks, but so far haven't heard anything back. Having a ready supply would mean a higher likelihood of contact information getting to someone who would follow up and send a photo.

Orvan should spend some time outside during the day when light is good and good photos can be taken.
Orvan did step outside a couple times during daylight, but just to cool off. As he was alone, he didn't venture very far from the hotel entrance.

The candy giveaway bit works, but a different container would be good. One such that any sign on it is completely visible in any photo.
I haven't seen any photos with the new container, but it did work better overall. I need to make a sort of grid or lattice for inside it so that when it's nearly empty the cow tails aren't fallen over and hidden. I'm also not sure how much more I can or should do that bit. It might be good to give it a rest after RCFM, or just scale it back to only one outing per event. Or just change candy? Yet the cow tails seem such an appropriate thing - so long as I can find them reasonably priced.

And some new observations:

Everybody knows ACME. And knows things from ACME can go boom. The first part means there is little if any bewilderment about what is going on. Uniformed creature with parcel and clipboard says "delivery" even without the badge. The badge and big bold ACME on the parcel completes the picture. The second part makes for an initial joke that everyone gets - or can make. I'm amused by it. Orvan isn't, but then he works for ACME.

Not finding a recipient can work out, but at Penguicon I just plain got lucky with the final delivery. Trying to find some of the others got a bit tiresome when it took a while. I'm not sure what can be done to take care of this as either it's a quick delivery or it seems to drag, at least to me and perhaps to whoever is with me. The interaction of asking folks if they've seen someone, however, probably makes things memorable for them.

Interaction is everything. I have good memories of a few rather bad ren faires because I experienced interaction on a level that some supposedly successful faires haven't matched. I expect the same is true here. Orvan isn't just a statue or even a moving statue. Orvan does stuff even if it's a mundane something like parcel delivery. The candy giveaway bit is another case of doing something. Folks don't just see an ox, they meet an ox trying to give them candy or looking for someone. There's a difference.

Comments

[doodlesthegreat.livejournal.com]

Some sort of spotter who can clue you in to where delivery targets are might be of use.

Also, it might be amusing to deliver to other suited characters who would be in on it. Especially if they're coyotes. =};-3

[(Anonymous)]

I certainly agree with this. It would be rather amusing to deliver to a coyote.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

No doubt it would. That does require a coyote to deliver to. And something to be delivered to said coyote.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

At MFF altivo was along for the first delivery and that was easy as I knew the recipient would be in con ops or ops would know where he was. Altivo's delivery was done in the "headless lounge" so someone else could work the camera. The third (no pictures) took place in Artist's Alley as I knew the recipient would be there.

At Penguicon, some folks weren't too hard to find as they were at set places at set times - though anything done near a panel or performance needs to be timed well enough not to interfere (too much anyway) with preparations. Others... got interesting. I did have jmaynard with me for all the deliveries, so that made finding folks a bit easier.

I think RCFM will go fairly well as a number of people will be easily located due to primary locations. Others will be on the schedule. And RCFM is still small enough that just asking a few folks will usually result in finding someone.

There might be a skit in that. Curiously I don't recall encountering any coyotes in the last couple years. I do occasionally have to remind myself that the Calamity who shows up is calamitycougar and not Calamity Coyote.

[doodlesthegreat.livejournal.com]

I know that there's a couple of them at FC, but I don't know if they'll be there next year. Ask around if you go to AC.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

I have no plans to go to AC. I was there once and it almost put off furmeets. It seemed just too big. I spent too much time looking for people and not enough with people. And that was with glasses, good visibility, and the ability to speak. I went my first (their second) RCFM to see if I'd like things better at a smaller scale. Obviously, I did.

Photo Info

[irpooh.livejournal.com]

In addition to giving a business card, Orvan could ask the photographer to write their information on his clipboard. That way he could jog their memory.

A note from personal experience having worn suits similar to Orvan... but not familiar with things like Orvan attends and if there are children at such events... in my experience, I found that children will slip their keeper and follow the "giant stuffed toy"... in one case clear into the dressing room. Fortunately I spotted him in the mirror before I yanked off Winnie the Pooh's head!

Re: Photo Info

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

A good idea, if Orvan can communicate that - and gets folks to go along with it.

So far, I haven't had that issue, but I am aware of it. No one has, yet, pulled my tail either. This is somewhat surprising. I suppose it's that I've been only places where there aren't all that many kids. And at MFF there are plenty of cooler or zanier characters for folks to flock around. The rocking fox(es) draw a crowd, for example.

[thecanuckguy.livejournal.com]

I just realized a similar job I had in the past that might be useful for advice.

I used to work for "Rent-A-Nerd" (now defunct, so doubt there's a weblink anywhere), where I'd dress up in a typical nerd character (no comments, please! ;) ) and perform, in character, a comedy routine for the recipient. 'Twas a *lot* of fun, personally. (I like to tell people that I used to work as an entertainer performing at bachelorettes, which is technically true. ;) )

Anyways, usually, since someone would book me, usually when I got to the venue, there'd be someone (my contact) at the door waiting for me. (I'd be in character at this point, I made it a rule to be in character the instant I leave the car). Since they knew I was coming, at a specific time, they'd wait for me, and lead me to the intended (since I didn't know who they were, other than maybe some description they'd give me when they booked me for something to work a routine around)

Perhaps you can "Rent an Ox", where those who hire Orvan to deliver a package should meet up with you at a certain time and bring you quickly to the intended.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

I had suggested that Orvan could deliver items that others acquired, but I did want to make sure that these items wouldn't be too much of a zing. That hadn't happened for MFF or Penguicon, at least not yet, but it has come up for a couple other things. I don't want to say too much publicly until things have happened. If you're really curious, send me an e-mail.