Michael Bodey geeks with Joss Whedon out at the Melbourne Writers Festival.

Joss Whedon is a modern master of film and television, as big a geek hero as Batman or his own creation, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

So what’s the American film-maker doing headlining the Melbourne Writers Festival beside authors of tactile, bound pages of literature including D.B.C. Pierre, Alex Miller and Cate Kennedy?

“I feel very distinguished, and intend to wear elbow patches and smoke a pipe now,” he jokes.

“I will first and foremost always be a writer. I love directing and everything I do, but writing is what really defines me.”

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Emma Tom talks Joss Whedon’s appearances at the Melbourne Town Hall and the Sydney Opera House for The Australian.

If television is a religion, then Joss Whedon is its god. Not a particularly physically imposing god (the American creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly is a small and imperfectly formed ranga). But a deity nonetheless.

Whedon creates worlds and fills them with extraordinary, flawed beings.

He leaves trails of holy texts, sacred languages and exotic fetish objects.

And yea verily do his devotees prostrate themselves at his feet crying: “We are not worthy” and sometimes also: “But must thou smite quite so many of our favourite characters?”

Whedon, whose earthly miracles include an unholy blurring of the lines between high and low culture, has just made a pilgrimage to Australia to sermonise from the mounts of the Melbourne Writers Festival and the Sydney Opera House concert hall.

Both gatherings were sold out and prompted rapturous nerdgasms from his devoted disciples. “How does it feel to be god?” media academic Sue Turnbull asked him in Melbourne.

“Awkward,” Whedon replied, “because I don’t believe in me.”

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That’s right, Jane Espenson – she of BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, FIREFLY, ANGEL and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA fame and one of the most talented and prolific television writers this side of Sunnydale – is heading to Melbourne for Film Victoria’s screen audience summit.

She’s joining Winter Mead, Product Marketing Director for Coincident TV, the company responsible for Superfan, the hugely successful social media campaign for the GLEE television series. Winter will reveal how the Superfan campaign took GLEE to new levels of interaction and audience engagement and led to new marketing and commercial opportunities.

Arresting Audiences is the first summit in Australia to focus specifically and entirely on audience. It will explore the importance of connecting with audiences, and how to best use that connection to make great product. The sessions, held over 2 days, have been designed to cover a broad range of issues relating to screen audiences.

Date: 23-24 September 2010
Time: Thursday: 8.45 am – 5pm followed by networking event, Friday: 9am – 4.30pm
Venue: Rendezvous Hotel, 328 Flinders Street, Melbourne
Tickets: $75 available from Greentix (incl 2 day access to summit, lunch, refreshments and networking event)

Who should come: Established and emerging producers, directors, screenwriters and script editors.

What you’ll get: Specialist speakers, international and national practitioners and the latest research into audience behaviours, trends, perceptions and attitudes.

Jane will be the keynote speaker on Thursday from 3.30pm – 4.45pm on “Capturing Your Audience – Confessions of a Screenwriter”.

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More footage can be found here, here, here, here and here.

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Joss Whedon is better than you are, and he’s here to explain exactly how much better in person.

The Wonderful Whedon of Oz (Video – 04:44)

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Today’s the day, Browncoats! Calling all fans of Joss Whedon, Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Serenity, Dollhouse, Dr Horrible’s Sing-along blog, Nathan Fillion, Adam Baldwin, Jewel Staite, Alan Tudyk, Morena Baccarin, Ron Glass, Sean Maher, Gina Torres, Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day, geeks, nerds and everyone in between!

See Joss Whedon’s “Serenity” and “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-along Blog” on the big screen! This year’s event will also feature raffles & door prizes, charity auction and fantastic Browncoat merchandise. Come in costume!

Doors open at 12:45pm for a 1pm start. Event concludes at 5:15pm
Union Theatre, Melbourne University Parkville

Pre-purchase your tickets for just $17 (plus booking fee when purchased via Dramatix) or you can buy them at the door for $20 (cash only).

Check out some of the prizes you can win in our auctions and raffle.

You can also stock up on Firefly/Serenity merchandise including souvenir t-shirts, Firefly keychains, DVDs, Books and more! All sales are cash only, and there are ATMs nearby.

Let’s see how much money we can raise for Equality Now! Last year, we raised over $2,200… can we top that this year? I think we can!!

Can’t Stop the Serenity supports Equality Now.

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Tram Service Update – Buses Replacing Trams – Affects Swanston Street

Due to track works at the intersection of La Trobe Street and Swanston Street, the following tram service changes will apply all day on Saturday 28 August and Sunday, 29 August 2010:

Route 3a, 5, 6, 16, 64, 67 and 72 trams will be replaced by buses between Stop 1 Melbourne University and Stop 14 Arts Precinct.

Tram replacement buses will divert around the worksite via Lonsdale Street, Russell Street, Lygon Street and Victoria Street in both directions.

The following tram stops in Swanston Street will not be serviced by the tram replacement bus:

* Stop 1 – Melbourne University
* Stop 7 – Franklin Street
* Stop 8 – La Trobe Street

The following tram stops will be replaced with temporary bus stops nearby:

* Stop 113 – in Lygon Street opposite Lytton Street (to South Melbourne/Toorak only)
* Stop 113 – in Lygon Street, 15m from Lytton Street (to East Coburg/Moreland only)
* Stop 2 – in Swanston Street, 15m from Grattan Street
* Stop 3 – in Swanston Street, 15m from Pelham Street (to city/suburbs only)
* Stop 3 – in Swanston Street, opposite Canada Lane (to Melbourne University only)
* Stop 4 – in Swanston Street, 15m from Queensberry Street
* Stop 6 – in Swanston Street, 15m from Victoria Street
* Stop 9 – in Lonsdale Street, 15m from Swanston Street
* Stop 13 – adjacent to Federation Square tram stop
* Stop 14 – in St Kilda Road opposite the Arts Centre in service lane (to suburbs only)
* Stop 14 – in St Kilda Road outside Arts Centre in service lane (to Melbourne University only)

Yarra Trams suggests you allow extra time for your journey.

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This just in from the Melbourne Writers Festival e-bulletin! MWF are giving away two tickets to the sold out Joss Whedon keynote address tonight!

The Melbourne Writers Festival have two double passes to giveaway to tonight’s, otherwise sold out, second Keynote Address An Evening with Joss Whedon: From Buffy to Dr Horrible, Infinity & Beyond.

Email admin@mwf.com.au with Joss in the subject line and your name and phone number in the body by 4 pm today (Friday 27 August 2010) to go into the running. Only the winner will be notified and the tickets will be available at the Melbourne Town Hall box office for pick up before the event.

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Prizes include:
- Firefly DVD set signed by Jane Espensen, Brett Matthews, Ben Edlund and Jose Molina
- Supanova 2008 souvenir poster signed by Jewel Staite and other guests
- Serenity Issue 1 comic signed by Brett Matthews (First Print Run)
- StewART Serenity print
- Chuck / Pushing Daisies Comic-Con 08 souvenir bag (it’s HUGE) plus a Pushing Daisies comic
- Serenity reaverised ornament
- Serenity Visual Companion
plus items from Bones, Dexter, Stargate and more!

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This poster was signed by Joss Whedon on the set of Cabin in the Woods in Vancouver in 2009. It measures 11″x17″ (29cm x 43cm) and is signed in silver ink. The poster was obtained directly from Universal Studios in 2005 during a pre-release event in Los Angeles.

Click here to see more prizes that will be up for grabs on Saturday

All of our auctions will be cash only, so make sure you bring lots of cashy money for charity!

We’ve tried to find something for everyone’s budget.

The prizes will go under the hammer in this order:
- Serenity Poster signed by Joss Whedon
- Serenity Schematics Artwork
- Dollhouse DVD signed by Eliza Dushku, Summer Glau and Dichen Lachman
- Jayne Pack
- Buffy & Angel Collection
- Castle Drink Bottle
- True Blood Pack
- Dr Horrible Starter Kit

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