Blog Check- In

Hello my fellow blog readers! This post is a check in.

If you were not aware, I started this blog as a part of my English course. However, I am nearing the end of this course but do not fret because this does not mean the end of this blog. I have greatly enjoyed writing for this blog and found myself growing a lot through it, not just as a writer but as a cosplayer as well. I also have come to realize how useful this blog can be and so have decided to not stop it now. There is still much for me to cover and much I wish to share with you all. I have learned so much during my time writing this blog and I find myself continuing to learn. This blog has really turned into an on-going project. I will continue to update this blog arbitrarily and I may lean towards a more casual approach. Exactly where this blog is heading I am not quite sure, but I do hope to gather as much information about cosplay as I can so that you may have access to it. 

It is interesting that I shall be writing this post just a mere days away from Fanime, the yearly convention I attend. Fanime will be my first convention this year and I hope to use my new knowledge and gather more and this event may impact the future post of my blog. I really hope that this event will not only be an enjoyable experience but an educational one as well. I will write about how the convention went so do expect a post about Fanime. Also, expect new topics.

Till the next post!
- Kelly

Cosplay Photography and Videography

Property of Anna Fischer

I write a lot about creating a cosplay but dressing up is not the only way to be involved in this community. Photographers and Videographers are just as passionate about comics and anime but they display their passion in a different way. They work as hard as cosplayers to create their beautiful art and are a very important part of this culture.

A lot of the characters people cosplay live in worlds where it would seem impossible to replicate. However, cosplay photographers and videographers do the impossible and bring these characters to life. A lot of the people who do cosplay photography usually pursue photography in their regular lives but also hold a passion for comics, video games, and anime. It only makes sense to combine the two to bring your talent and hobby together. I have seen many wonderful photographs in which it looks as if the photographer had travel to that world and taken a real life picture. These photographs work well to share the talent of cosplayers to people all around the world thanks to social network and photo sharing sites like Facebook and Flickr.

Cosplay videographers are the ones responsible for the awesome convention music videos on Youtube. They film people in their cosplays being their character and combine all these shots into a smooth, beautiful, and musical sneak peek of the convention. They capture the life of the convention and the hard work of cosplayers. You can usually spot them out in a convention because they are carrying a ton of camera gear.

It is not easy being a cosplay photographer or videographer but it's incredibly fun. If you don't see yourself making a cosplay but really admire the work and effort put into them then you should consider pursuing cosplay photography or videography. Of course, it will take about an equal amount of work and money as well. You'll definitely need a decent camera if you are considering photographing or filming cosplays. You'll also need to have some knowledge of photo and video editing. Don't forget that you'll need to know cosplayers who you can photograph. However, all the work will pay off in the end when you are able to bring some of your favorite characters to life through your photography.

At the moment there really isn't much to do with photos and videos of cosplayers except to share them online and appreciate the cosplay. Which is nice but at the same time it comes with no gains. But some photographers like Cosplay In America and Ger Tysk have actually created photo books from the photographs that they took at conventions. I personally really like this idea because it creates a nice concrete way to chronicle the works of cosplayers here in the state. As I have stated before, I am very saddened by the lack of history there is to cosplay culture but with the creation of these books one can create a source of reference for people now and in the future to take a look into this culture of cosplay. This is also why I feel that the photographers and videographers are very important players in cosplay culture. They have helped bring out cosplay culture through sharing their videos and pictures on the internet. I also think that they can help us organize and archive all of the changes, works, and events in cosplay culture so that we are able to see how much this culture has grown.

Cosplay Is Not Consent (continued)

I just stumbled on this wonderful documentary that relates back to my post on Cosplay Is Not Consent. You should really check it out. Some of the stories shared in this documentary were very overwhelming .

I'm curious about your opinions on the topics covered in this video. Please feel free to comment with your thoughts!

First Time Using A Sewing Machine?

I found this helpful video that may be of some guidance:

Don't forget to read your machine's instruction manual as well and to practice on scrap fabric before actually sewing on your cosplay. Practice different stitches, not just basic, as they may become useful as well. 

D.I.Y Cosplay? Let's get started!

I'm sure many of you are eager to get started on actually hand making a cosplay, so today I will talk about how to get started!

Cosplay News: Cosplay Is Not Consent

Since this is a cosplay blog I decided to mention this current issue. in the cosplay community due to the affect it has on everyone who cosplays. The issue is not one that has recently started but just that it has been recently brought to light and this is the issue of harassment in the cosplay community.

Making A Cosplay

Today I will talk about what you all have been waiting for; how to make a cosplay! Are you guys excited?

Ok, so there are 3 ways to go about cosplaying:

1. closet cosplay
2. DIY cosplay
3. commissioned cosplay

Convention Guidelines and Etiquette

So in my last post I informed you guys about conventions you can attend that may be near you. You are probably now considering attending one of these conventions. Now, I am aware that a lot of you are new to the whole idea of conventions and that is why I decided to make this post to address proper convention etiquette and guidelines. Hopefully this list will prevent you from making any "newbie" mistakes and help you feel more comfortable in the convention area.

Conventions!

 One of the best ways to get involved in the cosplay scene is to visit conventions. Conventions are the place where you are most likely to see and meet other cosplayers. It is a great idea for people interested in cosplaying to visit conventions first. Of course, you don't have to be in cosplay when going to a convention so don't be worried about making one.

So of course, you're probably excited to go to a convention but maybe you don't know where to find one. Well don't fret because I am here to help.

The Origin Of Cosplay

         (Photo by Robert Madle)

So one of the big questions for people new to cosplay is, how did cosplay start? This is quite a simple question but at the same time one that is hard to answer. There are no big history books that carry within their pages the exact date that someone decided to put on a costume of one of their favorite movie characters. It seemed like at the moment no one really thought it would be an important thing to note down. So we can only really approximate of what the answer to that is. A lot of people pin down the date to the First World ScienceFiction Convention (later known as WorldCon) in 1939. Yes, 1939. And the person, they say, is Forrest J Ackerman, also known as the world's biggest fanboy. His costume? Well it was a homemade spaceman outfit from one of his favorite movie. It's been said that since then people have pulled an Ackerman and dressed up at conventions. However, it wasn't known as cosplay until 1983 when a Japanese man, Nobuyuki Takahashi, coined the term after seeing people dressed at a science fiction convention in Los Angeles. He basically combined the words “costume” and “play” to describe what these people at the conventions were doing. He used this term in an article he wrote for a Japanese magazine called My Anime. Since then it has been known as cosplay.

Welcome To My Blog!

Photo By BlizzardTerrak Photography

Hello! Through my blog I will be informing YOU about cosplay. Cosplay stands for costume playing and it is when you dress up like a character from any anime,video game, movie, tv show, or anything of that sort. Cosplaying is typically done in conventions that relate to comic books, video game, tv shows, or anime. I participate in these conventions but I am fairly new to cosplaying. I made a lot of friends that cosplay and so it has influenced me to start cosplaying as well. Cosplaying is not something that is well known but it is slowly getting recognition. The purpose of my blog is to take you on an exploration of the world of cosplay through the lens of someone who is fresh to the scene.

Cosplaying can be a broad topic but I plan to narrow it down so that you will learn about it's origins and also how YOU can get involved. I plan to submerge myself into this culture and take you with me. Some of the topics I plan to cover are:

• Origins
• Conventions Popular For Cosplaying
• Starting On Your Own Cosplay
• The Life of Professional Cosplayers
• Photographers and Videographers in Cosplay Culture
• The Issues in Cosplay Culture
• My Own Pursuits In Cosplay Culture

The topics I cover may grow and change as this blog progresses. I will include my own personal experiences in my post in order to provide you guys with a unique point of view.