TWD & Fans: A Love/Hate Relationship

Well, it's been another one of those days regarding TWD production & locations, especially on Twitter. Currently, I have about 803 followers. Some I know personally & have met in person, but a vast majority I do not know at all. Ready for some good, old-fashioned internet drama? Good. Here it comes...

So, let's get something straight: I don't like it one bit when someone calls my character or my actions into question; especially by someone with  obviously dubious motives & character. More than that, I absolutely abhor someone who uses another for their own personal gain. I'm not a hateful man, but sadly, I have grown to dislike a few of the local fans around here. They're obnoxious, of inferior social skills, incapable of any deductive reasoning or problem solving- most of all; they're assholes. There's 4 of them and they know who they are. Like any virus, these types of fans have spread well beyond the walls of confinement and out into the world....and they all want to come right here, to my back yard, my computer and right into the palm of my hand to my phone. TWD is not that important to me anymore.

This whole "anonymous internet bravery" is something of a mystery to me, as I am an honest man and I put what I think right out there. If I'm wrong, I'll accept the responsibility & move on. I don't use people. I ain't perfect, that's for damn sure; but I still believe in following the law, treating people with respect and making good decisions based upon facts, not conjecture.

 "By eliminating the impossible, whatever remains; however improbable; must be the truth" - Sherlock Holmes.

It's so easy to post negative things about someone (even simply alluding to it seems to be enough, really); attention-seeking individuals use it as both a diversionary tactic & an attention grabbing tactic. Sad, but true. This is what is currently happening in TWD Fandom. Fans trying to make a name for themselves or their websites. TWD junkies flock to their favorite dealer to get their fix on an regular basis now. The dealers eat up the attention & the money. Count me out. I'm not like that. What I post is, or would be very soon, public knowledge anyway. Inevitable discovery, I say. I wanted to be a relater of information to those fans who could otherwise be unable to come to Georgia and watch filming.

When season 4 began filming, we (our local group of fans) were so excited! I mean, Season 2 & 3 were great to go & watch, get autographs, pictures, etc. Well, we should have known that it wouldn't last forever...and it didn't. AMC tightened everything up and now, it seems, that those days are indeed over with. There's no use travelling for hours, or even days, to try & watch them film. The information is too sketchy at first to be reliable and too late, when it's confirmable. We live right here on top of Ground Zero and we can't see crap!

 I will accept my share of responsibility for this by stating that I should have never posted the photos & videos from the set of "Clear". I got caught up in the excitement and I did it. It won't happen again and here's why:

Keith (last name redacted) told me something one day while we were sitting around Senoia that really stuck with me. "These folks (AMC, Valhalla, Raleigh Studios,cast & crew) work hard to bring their viewers a quality program. A program filled with unexpected twists & turns, a program worthy of the fans attention." I thought about it and I realized that I had undermined their work, their long hours of conceptualizing sets, building them, writing the scripts, meetings, organizing- just thinking of the pure logistics alone is beyond me! I felt bad about what I did, but what is done cannot be undone.

So, I began to focus on fan interactions with the cast & crew, instead of the actual filming itself. It satisfied my fan curiosity & it gave other fans a "window" in which to see things they may not ever get the chance to see otherwise. Almost 'documentary style', just by a regular guy fan. That's all I am - a regular guy. A fan. Nothing more.

Then, I was talked into joining "Twitter". Bad mistake in hindsight. It was exciting at first, connecting with friends, making new friends and meeting new fans. Then, the bottom drops out. Somehow, I've been placed into this category of fans that have the reputation of being a crazy fan who'll do anything to get a picture or video. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hell, in our local group, I'm the shyest one! I don't like bothering people. I sure as hell ain't going to do anything illegal or trespass to get information, pics or video.

Twitterers began inundating me with questions...questions that, by some stretch of their imaginations, they thought I could answer! I can't recommend hotels, I won't show you all the locations from Season 3,  I can't tell you where Reedus is right now, I can't give Lincoln a message for you, etc. Now, in all this, there's some local fans who are trying their best to become something of a fan icon or gain notoriety amoung fans. These are the fans who are doing the most damage.

 It's not me telling people where they might be filming at next that does the real damage, but the girl who "has a friend at the studio who tells her everything". It's the fan who spreads rumors about AMC sending out letters to people regarding "Cease & Desist Orders". It's the fan who keeps on & on about how much of a fan they are and they would do anything to see filming. It's those fans who've tried to get into the studio to see the prison set, or jump the fence at the car lot, tailing vehicles leaving the studios, or stayed in a vacant house for hours trying to literally stalk Reedus! THOSE are they fans who have ruined any future location viewing.

And to the Intern who's reading this, I apologize with the most sincerity. Because of all this, you're having to read all of my Tweets, my YouTube and now... this Blog entry.

I'm just Joe...a regular guy. I'll still watch TWD though.

-Nash