Let's face it, the only place that has more panels than Comic-Con is that semi-finished basement you've been living in.
If you're going to San Diego this week as anything other than a fan, there's a very good chance you've either been on a panel before, are scheduled to be on a panel this weekend, or will be asked to be on one someday.
To help you prepare, TheWrap asked Drew McWeeny, film editor of HitFix.com and a veteran of the Comic-Con moderator's podium, for some guidance on how to illuminate a topic in front of thousands of fans who, in all probability, know more about it than you do.
Last year, McWeeny moderated panels for "Mystery Team" and DERRICK Comedy, and "Paper Heart" — this year he’s busting his Hall H cherry with the very first presentation on the very first day, leading a panel on Universal Pictures' sci-fi thriller "Skyline" (noon Thursday).
“I figure we'll either crush it and put on a really entertaining panel that puts people in a great mood for the day, or TheWrap will be running a headline about how Comic-Con will never forget the moment Drew McWeeny blacked out, pooped his pants, and collapsed onstage from nerves,” McWeeny said. “Either way, people will remember it, so be there."
TheWrap: As a panelist or moderator, how much preparing is optimal?
Drew McWeeny: In some cases, the studios sponsoring the panel script the entire thing, and I am there simply to serve as a sort of traffic cop during the Q&A. In other cases, I'm given latitude to run the show any way I want, which is sort of insane when you consider that this is, in some cases, the first time anyone sees anything from these films.
It comes down to how you're going to feel standing in front of however many thousands of people Hall H holds … are you comfortable winging it? Or would you rather have the safety net of being incredibly well-prepared?
I'll be opting for the safety net in every case this year.
TW: What's the biggest mistake you can make as a panelist or moderator?
DM: Getting something factually wrong about one of your panelists or somehow angering them with a seemingly innocent question. You can chill a panel completely, and the whole room goes cold when you do.
TW: What makes a really great Comic-Con panel, vs. a really lackluster one?
DM: Energy. Chemistry. The people on that stage better want to be there, and they better like the film they made. You can tell when it's "gun-to-the-head" publicity time, and you can tell when people are genuinely excited to be there.
TW: Any horror stories?
DM: One time, a studio told a filmmaker that I was going to moderate a panel, and the first time I heard about it, I was sitting at my house in L.A. when the phone rang and it was the filmmaker, asking if I was ready to go onstage, and when was I going to get to Hall H? Ooooops.
TW: Can you share one supersecret tip that will make the Comic-Con experience better for anyone?
DM: Let it go. You will always leave Comic-Con wishing you'd done more, and you will feel like you're "missing things" the entire time you're there. Let it go. See what you see. Do what you do. And don't stress. If you're stressing, you're not enjoying it. If you're not enjoying it, then get the hell out of San Diego and stop stressing me out, too.
