Fanime 2015 Cosplay-Props-Weapons Policy

Started by FinalStar02, March 01, 2015, 12:07:24 PM

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FinalStar02

FanimeCon 2015 Weapons, Props, and Cosplay Policy
Hello Everyone, I am your new Rovers Department Head for 2015 and wanted to post the new policies for this year.



FanimeCon Costume Rules & Limitations

•   All con attendees must wear shoes at all times while in official convention space. This includes, but is not limited to the: Marriot, Hilton, Fairmont, Civic Center, and Parkside Hall. Even if a character goes barefoot, the cosplayer must wear shoes
•   Costumes and daily wear shall not expose the body in such a way as to be deemed indecent exposure under California and City of San Jose ordinances. Private parts must be covered in an opaque material and not be subject to slippage or gaps. Liquid Latex or other conformal body coatings will be judged on a case by case basis.
•   All costumes worn within the convention center must fit through a standard doorway.
•   No costume may generate odor, smoke, or fog, or have overly bright or flashing lights.
•   All costumes with limited visibility and/or movement must have a "handler" to assist with crowd navigation and safety. This also applies to costumes with large "wings" or other oversized elements.
•   No costumes may be realistic depictions of American Law Enforcement or current American Military uniforms, or have the words POLICE, POLICIA, SWAT, FBI, DEA, CIA or any other official Government Agency names or initials on them.
•   Official flags shall be respected, and cannot be worn as part of a costume. They must be on a flagpole. Home-made or unofficial flags are exempt from this rule.


FanimeCon Prop Rules & Limitations

•   If you want to carry a prop at FanimeCon, it must be peace-bonded by a Rover at a peace-bonding station. With the exception of explicitly banned props, all peace-bonding will be judged on a case-by-case basis.
•   Only props which are part of a cosplay and suit the costume will be peace-bonded.
•   In order to carry a peace-bonded prop, you must be in the matching costume.
•   Certain weapons are banned no matter what:
      o   Anything which is illegal in the City of San Jose, Santa Clara County, State of California, or the United States in general.
      o   Real weapons, projectile weapons (such as airsoft, bb and nerf guns, bows, crossbows, and firearms), live steel, metal/wooden baseball bats, metal kunai, incendiary devices, lasers, paddles, whips, floggers, baton-type weapons, or props made of glass.
      o   Guns which are suitably realistic that they could be mistaken for a real gun, or which utilize significant parts of a real gun, airsoft gun, bb gun, or other projectile weapon.
      o   Any item may be added to this list at any time by FanimeCon. Changes will be posted at Rovers, Peace Bonding stations, and to the website.
•   Some props are allowed conditionally:
      o   Gun-like props must have a non-removable orange tip at the end of the barrel which is visible from the side and which extends at least one inch up the barrel, or they must be painted all over in a bright safety color. They cannot have any functional parts, and must not be usable.
      o   Sword-like props may not be made of live steel .
      o   Signs which an actual character carries may be peace-bonded. Sign standards or poles must be of plastic or light wood.
•   All props must be small enough to fit through a standard doorway without effort.
•   While carrying props, you will be held to very strict behavior standards:
      o   Props may not be brandished, flailed around, or used (for play-fighting, or otherwise).
      o   Props must remain with the costume which they were peace-bonded for.
      o   Especially in crowded areas, attendees are expected to carry their props carefully and in a neutral position. Long or tall props must be carried vertically, and sword-like and gun-like props should be holstered or otherwise secured.
      o   Using props in an unsafe or threatening manner may result in more severe consequences.
      o   Gun like props may not be pointed at anyone at any time.
      o   Any behavior which a FanimeCon staff member considers to be unsafe or unacceptable will result in appropriate action by a staff member.


Potential Consequences for Violations:

•   First Offense:
      o   Props: Removal of peace-bond and/or prop taken off premises.
      o   Costume: Required costume modification/removal or acquisition of a handler.
•   Second Offense:
      o   One day badge suspension and/or full-weekend suspension of prop privileges.
•   Third Offense:
      o   Badge pulled.
•   FanimeCon reserves the right to modify consequences as necessary at their discretion.



Weapons & Props bought during FanimeCon from the Dealer's Hall, Artist's Alley, or Swap-Meet must be put into a box or bag which renders them inaccessible, and unusable. They must then be removed from convention premises as soon as possible. We will not peace-bond anything bought during the convention except props which meet all peace-bonding requirements.
Props for Masquerade have a completely different set of rules. If you wish to carry a prop for Masquerade around the convention center, it must meet all peace-bonding criteria (and have been peace-bonded.) If it is only for Masquerade, it must stay in a car or hotel room except when you are taking it to, are at, or are taking it back to your car or room from Masquerade.
2015 Rovers Department Head
Always Remember To Have Fun

FinalStar02

#1
Why can't I carry ______?
This is our number one question, so I'm going to answer this first. The short version? Probably because it's one (or more) of the following:
a) dangerous
b) illegal
c) something someone has caused major problems with in the past
d) related to something which has caused problems at other conventions (we like to learn from their mistakes, rather than duplicating them here.)

The slightly longer version? It's probably something which you wouldn't be allowed to carry out on the street, or which would make people uncomfortable. When FanimeCon arrives in town, everyone knows, but that doesn't mean that everyone will remember when they see something which makes them feel uncomfortable. (Or, they may remember it as a negative thing, and hold it against the convention.) In order to stay in San Jose, we have to make sure we keep the goodwill of the San Jose Convention Center-- and surrounding businesses-- and in some cases, that means honoring their rule requests, and in others it means addressing complaints which have been made.

But I spent a lot of time/money on this prop. I wouldn't do anything stupid with it!
In most circumstances, it's not actually you we're worried about. Nor is it most of the thousands of con-members. It is, in fact, that idiot who's trying to show off for someone and decides it's a good idea to duel with someone else in the middle of the Road by Stage Zero. Because we can't test for common sense, and if we could, we can't account for bad ideas, we have to create rules with minimal gray area, so they can be most evenly enforced. We don't get to say "Oh, it's [name]! I remember you, you're cool, go ahead and carry that [banned weapon] around the convention center!"

I think your rules are stupid.
I know. I hear it a lot. People don't like our rules, but without working alternatives, we can't do anything about it. The rules which are here are largely here to stay, though if you have a major issue, and feel like you can suggest a functional, enforceable alternative please PM Me with it.


Now for the classic FAQ:

What is Peace Bonding?
    FanimeCon Rovers peace-bond props with "Peace Bonds" (aka zip-ties) to mark that the cosplayer carrying the prop has agreed to abide by the rules. For safety reasons, we require all props to be peace-bonded as soon as possible after they enter the convention center.

What can't be carried?
We do not allow real guns, or toy guns which can shoot things. We do not allow props with actual blades, or which could be sharpened to have a blade. We do not allow things which are illegal according to State or Federal Law (sai, nunchuku, and tonfa are in this category). What we do allow are props which are clearly props, things which are not weapons, and which cannot shoot anything. We allow items which are part of a costume, and which actually suit the costume. They must be peace-bonded, and they may never be used, or brandished—this means no play-fighting, no pointing at people, and no actual fighting.

I just bought this awesome ______ in the Dealer's Hall/Artist's Alley/Swap Meet. Can I get it peace-bonded?
Only if you are in a costume which the prop is appropriate for, and it meets all other peace-bonding requirements, will we peace-bond the prop for you. Most of the time, the answer to this question is "No." Sometimes we have to say no because the prop is not allowed, sometimes it's because it doesn't suit the costume you're wearing, and sometimes we say no because you're not in a costume at all.

You said I couldn't carry this, what now?
Weapons and props which have not been approved for peace-bonding should be promptly removed from convention center property and public hotel space. They need to be taken back to a hotel room or car, and should remain there for as long as you are in the convention center. We cannot hold your props for you, even if you lack a car or hotel room. If you get a cardboard box and put the prop inside that, you may carry the cardboard box, provided the prop is inaccessible while it is in the box.

I don't have a car/hotel room, what do I do?
    If you don't have a car or hotel room, there are a couple options. First, you can ask a friend to use their car or hotel room. If you don't have a friend with a place to stash your stuff, you can sometimes ask the hotel desks to hold stuff temporarily. The last option is to get a box which can hold your prop, and then put your prop in the box. As long as your prop stays in the box, you are ok.

This was OK last year, what about now?
We review our rules yearly, so items and costumes okay for 2011 may be disallowed in 2012. Please come by and get your prop checked and peace bonded for the current year.

You just said no, but I saw someone else carrying the same thing...
Locate the nearest Rover and politely point the person out to the Rover. Give the Rover a brief explanation of what you believe is the peace bonding violation. We'll take it from there. We try to be even, but there are never enough Rovers for the number of people at Fanime. You can deal with it yourself (by politely asking someone to go get their prop checked), or you can have a Rover take care of it for you by notifying one and pointing the other person out.

What about the signs carried by Durara cosplayers?
Those are OK since they are a part of a cosplay. As long as they are just the street signs and they're not soliciting anything we won't stop them.

Are there rules about the flags carried for Hetalia or other anime?
Yes, actually, thanks for asking! You must be respectful of flags at all times, this means keeping them on flag-poles and carrying them carefully, keeping them off the ground, and not wearing them as capes or other articles of clothing. While carrying flags indoors, keep them held firmly against their flagpole so they are not drifting behind you and causing safety issues. Please do not modify or attach things to official flags.

What if I'm in the Military and want to wear my Uniform?
You may wear your Class A or B uniform while in the convention hall area as long as you:
1)   Are a currently serving member of the United States Armed Forces.
2)   Have your Military ID on you and can present it to the Convention Authorities when asked.
3)   Present yourself to the props tagging room to have your badge marked as official military.
4)   Continue to wear your uniform properly. There are NCO's who work this convention and they will insist you wear it correctly or not at all.

What about NERF guns?
This is a common one for us. There are two rules to carry NERF:
1) It must not be functional. If you could put ammo in and shoot it, we cannot let you carry it.
2) It may be painted so long as the tip remains fluorescent.
I personally think it's better to leave a whole side unpainted, but the only requirement is the tip

Can I carry this shovel/wrench/hammer?
The answer is probably no. Tools are heavy, and can often be dangerous.

Can I have metal armor?
Sure, as long as your metal armor doesn't have sharp edges or large metal spikes and you follow visibility rules. A full helm for example requires a handler as you have restricted visibility and hearing.

I have a cane, and I actually use it to walk. Does it need to be peace-bonded?
No. If it is medically necessary, we do not have to peace bond it.

Can I carry this tonfa/baton/sap/club?
No. California State law lists tonfa as well as several weighted (and non-weighted) baton type instruments as illegal to carry. In many cases, this includes wooden baseball bats. In most cases, if it is a functional club we will have to say no.

Can I carry my bow & arrows?
If the bow has absolutely no tension to be able to fire something, and the arrows have no tips, then yes, we can let you carry it. Real bows have an ability to fire something, and are considered functional projectile weapons. To carry a "real" bow you'd have to string it with something which could not be tensioned to fire anything.

My prop got damaged from peace-bonding. and/or This Rover was a jerk.
    If you can describe the person who peacebonded in such a way that your prop got damaged, or if it happens in 2012, get the person's badge number or name, we (the Rovers) can take care of it. (If you have reports of this from previous years, please email [email protected].)

If a Rover is acting in an unprofessional way, get their name/badge number and take it to the Rovers Shift Lead at Rover Base. Please be aware that we cannot fix this after the convention is over. The best way to deal with a Rover who is being overbearing/mean/unprofessional is to get their badge number and description and come to Rovers Base ASAP.

These questions are lumped together because they're frequently related.

Can you tell me if my prop will be OK?
    It's very difficult to approve a prop over the internet. What I can do for you, if you provide some key things, is give you a tentative answer. I need to know what you are cosplaying, and I need pictures of your props. If you have them, I'd like pictures of you in costume with your props. If your question is early on in the fabrication process, I can sometimes make suggestions that would make your prop OK, or give you things to be sure you include. I try to work with you guys, and I try to help you make your props OK whenever I can. Please feel free to post in this thread and I'll do my best to help you out.

I'm confused by what you mean by _____. or What about _____?
    If you don't see your question answered here, or in the above post, please post in this thread. I will do my best to answer your questions promptly.
2015 Rovers Department Head
Always Remember To Have Fun

FinalStar02

2015 Rovers Department Head
Always Remember To Have Fun

SkylerKarashi

Hello. :) I asked about this on the other thred, but I guess stuff was being sorted out, so I'll ask here. XD my friend is doing a Kirby gijinka cosplay and made a star wand and we were wondering if it would need peace bonding or if it would not be allowed. Its made simply out of wood and clay. Thank you. :)

This is it: http://gaaralover995.deviantart.com/art/Star-Wand-508291328
My Cosplay For Fanime 2024:
Thursday: Closet Kaminari/Yuri (BNHA/Yuri On Ice)
Friday: Goth (Boyfriends)
Saturday: Red (Pokemon & Smash Bros)
Sunday: Casual Kaminari (BNHA)
Monday: Goth (Boyfriends)

Imperial

I cannot officially state yes or no, but I believe you can so long as the weight is minimal (think a 1L bottle of soda, under that), but I am not in that department, I just watch them do a lot of peacebonding.

Kite

Oh well, I guess no smoke is coming out of my cosplay.

FinalStar02

Quote from: gary925 on March 01, 2015, 07:35:31 PM
Hello. :) I asked about this on the other thred, but I guess stuff was being sorted out, so I'll ask here. XD my friend is doing a Kirby gijinka cosplay and made a star wand and we were wondering if it would need peace bonding or if it would not be allowed. Its made simply out of wood and clay. Thank you. :)

This is it: http://gaaralover995.deviantart.com/art/Star-Wand-508291328

gary925, that prop looks just fine. Just please make sure you stop by and Peacebonding station to get it Peace Bound.
2015 Rovers Department Head
Always Remember To Have Fun

FinalStar02

Quote from: Kite on March 01, 2015, 11:24:36 PM
Oh well, I guess no smoke is coming out of my cosplay.

Yes please dont. It can make other people nervous, or even worse set off someones allergies or asthma.
2015 Rovers Department Head
Always Remember To Have Fun

SkylerKarashi

Quote from: FinalStar02 on March 06, 2015, 04:07:44 PM
Quote from: gary925 on March 01, 2015, 07:35:31 PM
Hello. :) I asked about this on the other thred, but I guess stuff was being sorted out, so I'll ask here. XD my friend is doing a Kirby gijinka cosplay and made a star wand and we were wondering if it would need peace bonding or if it would not be allowed. Its made simply out of wood and clay. Thank you. :)

This is it: http://gaaralover995.deviantart.com/art/Star-Wand-508291328

gary925, that prop looks just fine. Just please make sure you stop by and Peacebonding station to get it Peace Bound.
Cool, thank you thank you then. :)
My Cosplay For Fanime 2024:
Thursday: Closet Kaminari/Yuri (BNHA/Yuri On Ice)
Friday: Goth (Boyfriends)
Saturday: Red (Pokemon & Smash Bros)
Sunday: Casual Kaminari (BNHA)
Monday: Goth (Boyfriends)


Imperial

I get to say Reyn time, too good of a chance not to.

OOH, Something I can answer as I had the situation to. Chains, as long as they are plastic, are allowed so long as they are bound, and not free moving. as you drop by peacebonding, they can ziptie them to their standards as peacebonding. I was pudge (from Dota 2), and 2 years ago I brought chains as part of character, and ziptied them that way (maybe a bit too tight, somewhat cut off circulation in the arm). Now, Finalstar, I know your word is best on this, so correct me if I am wrong.

Mythal

Would using a Wii Gun Controller be allowed for gun props? I'm thinking about using one for a cosplay and wanted to make sure before I buy it.

Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-Wii-Pistol-Grip-Gun-Blaster/dp/B00GWPVVVE/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=AXR5NJ43P6T3P

FinalStar02

Quote from: reyn on March 08, 2015, 05:41:52 PM
What about real chains?

https://www.facebook.com/lbskcosplay/posts/744348305679052

Sorry for the slow reply, busy with work, haha... I have no problem with you using plastic chains. You can paint them to look real, but they should be plastic. I am even ok with you having about 1 foot loose to complete the look (/me is a big korra fan)

Quote from: Mythal on March 09, 2015, 07:55:58 PM
Would using a Wii Gun Controller be allowed for gun props? I'm thinking about using one for a cosplay and wanted to make sure before I buy it.

Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-Wii-Pistol-Grip-Gun-Blaster/dp/B00GWPVVVE/ref=aag_m_pw_dp?ie=UTF8&m=AXR5NJ43P6T3P

As long as its that version, and you do not change the colors on it. It would make me feel even better if you put a WiiMote in it, or something white and square like a WiiMote in the top. The idea we are looking for is to make it look fake and I feel like if you put a WiiMote on top, it would look fake enough.
2015 Rovers Department Head
Always Remember To Have Fun

reyn

Quote from: FinalStar02 on March 14, 2015, 11:01:06 PM
Quote from: reyn on March 08, 2015, 05:41:52 PM
What about real chains?

https://www.facebook.com/lbskcosplay/posts/744348305679052

Sorry for the slow reply, busy with work, haha... I have no problem with you using plastic chains. You can paint them to look real, but they should be plastic. I am even ok with you having about 1 foot loose to complete the look (/me is a big korra fan)


Awesome! Thanks :)

evas

Hello, would this prop be acceptable/is there a way that I can make it acceptable? It would be made out of wood and plastic (no metal).
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/165/5/6/nichijou_dreamscene_wallpaper_by_shinmeireiyyu-d53fna0.jpg

Navashuryn

Hi, I was wondering if a plastic spear would be an acceptable prop for a cosplay, or if there would be a way I could make it comply (like make the tip out of foam). I was looking at something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Avatar-Costume-Accessory-Navi-Spear/dp/B003O68R2K/ref=sr_1_1?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1427853894&sr=1-1&keywords=toy+spear

dankeykang

Hello, I am cosplaying as tank girl and was wondering if this gun would be okay, as long as I painted the tip? It's made completely out of resin and has no firing parts 


itsroutine

The rules are VERY specific about not dressing as US military/law enforcement.

What about other nations?  My crew wants to go as a Russian fireteam inspired by the Battlefield videogames.  Aside from guns, are we good to go?


dammit_jill

Hello

I am dressing up as a character from persona 3. I had this Evoker water gun from japan for awhile and not plannin on not using it to shoot water of course!

However it looked a lot more realistic than i realize. Wondering what you all think if it'll fly for peace bonding or just leave it at home?

FinalStar02

Quote from: evas on March 24, 2015, 08:38:12 PM
Hello, would this prop be acceptable/is there a way that I can make it acceptable? It would be made out of wood and plastic (no metal).
http://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/165/5/6/nichijou_dreamscene_wallpaper_by_shinmeireiyyu-d53fna0.jpg

If the bazooka looks like the one linked, then that should be ok. Just make sure to paint the end on the "barrel", 1 inch up, in a bright safety color. And of course stop by a peacebonding station when you get to Con.
2015 Rovers Department Head
Always Remember To Have Fun