2015 VidCon Recap/Transcript


 * Rebecca Parham: I went to VidCon and cool things happen and I'm terrible taking pictures so I made an animation instead because that's much simpler. So here are some of my favorite highlights from my trip to VidCon 2015. So I got to Anaheim the day before VidCon and I was lurking around the Hilton lobby like a creeper. I checked Twitter in one of my newer online friends Lee from her OnlyLeigh channel, said she wanted to meet up with someone. I tweeted her to meet me at the Starbucks and she arrived wearing a wolf hat. We walked right out of the convention area and into the streets of Anaheim before I stopped her and said: "Where are we going?". She paused and looked around and said:
 * OnlyLeigh: "Oh, you want to go get some coffee?".
 * Rebecca Parham: So we went to a local place got some frozen coffee and just geeked out about animation until the Sun went down. I love that girl. Lightning round: I met Olga Cade, her moosh walks booth and she recognized me from my art and social media. I met Rusty Clanton and he told me that this doodle I did of him on Twitter ruined his life. [HE WAS JOKING]. I thought I missed my chance to meet JacksFilms after his panel but ended up running into him, waiting for the elevator at the Hilton. On the last day, the second day of VidCon, I was hanging out with my Annoying Orange guys, their booth. When I heard someone behind me say:
 * Ben Lotinga: "Rebecca?"
 * Rebecca Parham: I turned around at a gentleman by the name of Ben was standing there. "Yes?", I said.
 * Ben Lotinga: "I watch your channel. I love your videos.",
 * Rebecca Parham: he said. I could only imagine the look on my face at that moment I was like: "You, me, selfie, now!". I was so ecstatic that someone recognized me for the first time and I just wanted to preserve that moment forever. Ben was such a nice guy and I'm so glad he stopped by to say "Hello". So at the exhibitor party, the second night of VidCon, my friend Shannon was playing Mario Kart on a big giant screen in the exhibition hall. He handed me a controller and I started racing him. I've never played Mario Kart so I sucked of course. But then, this kid came up behind me and started smack talking me:
 * Kid President: "You suck. Why are you so bad? It's such an easy game.".
 * Rebecca Parham: I was getting kind of annoyed by this kid. But after I was done, I handed him the controller and walked away to let him play with my brother David. A few minutes later, David found me and said:
 * David Parham: "You know that was kid president smack talking you, right?".
 * Rebecca Parham: "No, I didn't know.". Side note, my brother beat him at Mario Kart and defended my honor. Lightning round: I met up with my friend Catie Wayne and her entourage of fans and we all ate a food truck lunch while listening to Nick Patera sing. OnlyLeigh introduced me to sWooZie and I learned he applied to the same animation school as me and didn't get in. I think he's doing alright, though. I watched a frenzied mob of people running after I don't know who nearly take down the PBS chill lounge in the exhibition hall. At the exhibitor party, I was hanging out with DaneBoe when I spotted Rhett and Link. I was a little star-struck, so I just kind of began staring at them. Dane noticed and decided to take matters into his own hands. Upon meeting Rhett, I just kind of gushed about how much I liked his show in professional talk and he just kind of received it. Later, at a VIP party, I was eating dinner with Dane and Shannon and Link just randomly took a seat at our table and asked:
 * Link: "What was up?"
 * Rebecca Parham: And once again, Dane took matters into his own hands. First impressions are important, kids. Last day of VidCon, I was walking around the halls of the Convention Center when I just randomly happened to walk by TomSka. He had a short line of people waiting to see him, so I got out my book of YouTubers and I got in line when my turn came I went up to him and I said: "Hey, Tom. I'm Rebecca Parham." He looked at me very sincerely and said:
 * TomSka: "I know who you are."
 * Rebecca Parham: Turns out he not only knows me from social media, but he also watches my videos and even knew my explainers and entertainers tag line. I was definitely thrilled even though I was trying to keep it cool on the outside. He signed my book and we took a selfie with my phone, but then he turned the tables on me and asked for a selfie for his own collection. It made me feel so special and I was so happy to know that someone I admire also likes my work, as well. Lightning round: I saw Shawn Klitzner again and I met his wife Noel and their adorable new daughter Brooklyn. And Shawn jokingly told me that I couldn't talk to her until I drew her. Meghan Tonjes, just Meghan Tonjes in general. And finally, I saw Markiplier in a restaurant. When VidCon was over, he was clearly leaving, so I didn't have the hard to stop him. This last story really is just the sum of my entire experience, because the whole weekend, I hung out with The Annoying Orange crew: DaneBoe, Aaron, Steven, Shannon, Mike, and Derek. I used their booth in the exhibition hall as like a home base of sorts and I talked to their friends and fans like I was one of them. They gave me a lot of their Annoying Orange swag and they introduced me to people at all the fancy parties. But my favorite moment with them was when I surprised them with a framed digital painting of all of us together. I pulled it out of my purse and I showed it to them and they absolutely flipped out; I'm sure we were making some sort of scene. They were so excited over it and just super appreciative, and throughout VidCon, they would periodically bring it up again and just talk about how much they loved it. They really made VidCon special for me and I am just so happy to call them my friends. So that's the long and short of my VidCon 2015. To say, the weekend was a blast. Would be a huge understatement. It's been a while since I've had that much fun and I just can't wait to return next year and maybe one day, I'll be the one wearing the fancy featured creator badge. You never know.