Fanime Photo Booth\Room Idea

[Liquid]

So, I was reading an interesting topic in Serious Business regarding Peace Bonding and how cosplayers could be upset about not being able to pose with weapons that have been bonded to a sheeth or holster....and I got an idea. Now, this idea has probably been suggested in the past, but I don't recall the results of the suggestion....so here goes. ::)

(If you want to debate Peace Bonding, don't reply to my thread, but the one in Serious Business. Thanks.)

MAIN IDEA:
A staff run booth\room in which cosplayers can take solo or group photos in various poses. Photos are taken by staff members or a volunteer (or hired) professional photographer approved by Fanime. All photos are stored digitally and transferred to a nearby PC\laptop. Each photo set for each group or individual is stored in a different folder, each by number (possibly with a sub caption with the group leaders name.) The individuals are each given a piece of paper with their assigned number for reference.

Ideally the room\booth would be adjacent to an entrance for maximum exposure (lol a photo pun!)

Upon entering the room, the cosplayer(s) may have to sign a waver to agree that their photos can be used and distributed by Fanime. (Honestly, I'm not sure if this is necessary or not, since I'm no lawyer.) The forms should have their assigned number at the top for easy reference by staff.

Photos can then later be made availabe for purchase at con and later on the website. There should be certain prices for single photos and bargain prices for a set. Photos can be distributed via burned CDs, DVDs or sent via email. Possible options to later be available in various photo sized print outs (wallet and various picture frame sizes) that would be made available for pick up or sent by snail mail in the weeks following the con, most likely done by a professional photographer.

All photos could be subtly water-marked in a corner with a Fanime logo and the year of that particular Fanime. Photos would be made available for purchase to all con-goers and could even be purchased in a more expensive full day photo set or an even more costly combined set containing the photos from all days of that particular year's Fanime.

The main room for this should be on con grounds with a possible idea for admittance to badge holders only (but this could limit the intake of profits...so that's debatable.) Another room for this should be made available at the Black & White Ball (because many attendees of this event have already requested this option.)

Cosplayers would be singled out away from other staff and con-goers and thus could possibly be allowed to pose with weapons that they may not be allowed to wield normally on con-grounds, unpeace-bonded, whilst walking among the crowds. An official Rover Peacebonder could be assigned to this room to peacebond cosplayers as they left the booth (or re-bond them if they had to remove a ziptie for their photos.) Another Rover or two may need to be available to control lines if they become an issue.

EXTRA - ALTERNATIVE CHEAPER IDEA:
Multiple photos taken for each person or group. They choose the one they like the most. It is printed via a nearby photo printer onto a normal photo sized piece of photo paper. It is then inserted into a nifty looking cardboard frame with the Fanime logo and current year and also a custom design around the frame that changes from year to year.

EXTRA - STROKE OF GENIUS?:
You could also provide an option to have photo ops with Fanime guests at certain times during the con in different rooms (as some guests have their own room at certain times anyways.) Photos could be inserted into the cardboard frame idea from above. These photos would cost more and the extra cash could go towards the guest (as an incentive) with a possible added higher fee for a signed photo with the guest. All photos would be made available for pickup later that day or the following day. Obviously the guest would have to sign them later if they agreed to this option.

EXTRA - MORE COSTLY IDEA:
Possibly take photos in front of a green screen so that photo backgrounds could be changed on the fly and chosen by the cosplayer themselves. (At a higher charge of course.)

EXTRA - MONEY LOSING IDEA:
An area set aside and enclosed where cosplayers could be supervised to pose for photos taken by other con-goers. Cosplayers would be allowed to pose with weapons that they may not be allowed to wield on con-grounds, unpeace-bonded, whilst walking among the crowds. They would only be allowed to do so here because of scrict supervision. An official Rover Peacebonder could be assigned to this room to peacebond cosplayers as they left the booth (or re-bond them if they had to remove a ziptie for their photos.) Another Rover or two may need to be available to control lines if they become an issue.

Since most of the participants posing for photos will most likely want their own copies of these taken with their own cameras or phones, then a trusted volunteer or small set of volunteers could be assigned to assist with this, so that there would not be a big threat of theft of your property whilst posing, yet you could still be assured to get a copy of your poses.

EXTRA - BEST IDEA EVER:
Liquid gets 10%.

[PyronIkari]

Uh... this just promotes the idea of fanime allowing illegal activity. If they want to pose with real weapons they can do it in their hotel room where they are liable, and have nothing to do with Fanime in their own privacy.

[Liquid]

Uh... this just promotes the idea of fanime allowing illegal activity. If they want to pose with real weapons they can do it in their hotel room where they are liable, and have nothing to do with Fanime in their own privacy.

Yeah, I can see that point and it makes good sense, minus the fact that no other con-goers would get to see those photos. But you can't deny, that even without the weapon blurb, this is still a good idea and that it would bring Fanime more revenue. ::)

EDIT: I also did not mean that Fanime would allow illegal weapons for this activity. Rather that they would only allow weapons that would normally already be allowed at Fanime. The only difference being weapons that are usually peacebonded to something (costume, sheeth, holster, etc) would be temporarily un-peacebonded just for the photo op.

[Jerry]

Wasn't there some sort of PA [Audio and Video system] connected to the entire convention center?

It would be cool to set up a [staff monitored room] where you take a simple photos or very short videos with background/backdrop and take pictures as Liquid suggested, but still within the rules of usual "peace bonded" or allowable items @ Con and let them get photos or a quick "shout" out to the rest of the Con.

I thought we've semi had a " Fanime slide show" on some of the monitors around the SJCC - but it would be cool to have it in "real time" so cosplayers could "exhibit" their costumes in a semi controlled environment.

Course that would take more planning and a staff we dont have.  :-[  

I understand that cosplayers want to show off their hard work to a larger audience--- but isnt that why they have gatherings already?

The need for a photo op area would be nice idea, but would require a reserved section of the convention center and  a staff :P  thats a whole other department or division it sounds like.

I dunno, I rarely take any actual pictures myself - after the "Artist Alley's autograph book" people started ---
it would be semi cool to have a "Year book like" thingy of all the people of Fanime...
Though a year book of 14,000+ people & cosplayers would be kind of a pipe dream.  ::)

[Liquid]

it would be semi cool to have a "Year book like" thingy of all the people of Fanime...

Hmmm, that's a decent idea all on it's own. Although more substantial upfront funds would be needed to produce a solid yearbook. Unless, a group of staff volunteers produced and designed one year book from shots taken the previous year at Fanime, from various pictures taken by our Photography staff. This one book could be shown off on the website where pre-orders could be taken to determine a rough estimate of how many more books would need to be procuded. A number of extra books should be ordered. Excess books could obviously be sold off the website, at staff meetings or at the following year's Fanime.

It could include photo sections for each of the major staff departments (department heads individually photographed) with pics of all the lower staff members (either by group to limit pages or tedious individual photos of each person.) It could also include brief descriptions of what each staff department does. Highlight photos from all of the major Fanime events. Photos of the crowds, lines, cosplayers, etc. Photos of the major guests from that year. Blah blah blah. :P

(Con heads would probably think this is a ridiculous idea though. :D )

Though a year book of 14,000+ people & cosplayers would be kind of a pipe dream.  ::)

Fitting 14,000 pics in a book would be kinda rough. Although if you wanted to take pics of most of the attendees you could easily post a small rotating staff of volunteers at the head of the Registration lines on each day, to take photos as each of the paying cosplayers entered. That'd get most of them. ^^

[Jerry]

Though a year book of 14,000+ people & cosplayers would be kind of a pipe dream.  ::)

Fitting 14,000 pics in a book would be kinda rough. Although if you wanted to take pics of most of the attendees you could easily post a small rotating staff of volunteers at the head of the Registration lines on each day, to take photos as each of the paying cosplayers entered. That'd get most of them. ^^

I see what you did there!... So youre saying just watch the reg line [like i always do most years] and just take pictures of everyone in line. Man, that would be tedious. :P

[Liquid]

I see what you did there!... So youre saying just watch the reg line [like i always do most years] and just take pictures of everyone in line. Man, that would be tedious. :P

lol, we could just give this job to the Rover at the head of the line for that given time frame. I mean, they are already there anyways. ::) (Probably not actually valid because taking pictures would distract from their actual job role here.)

(They'd also need a camera with a LARGE removable memory card for this though....and lots of battery life. :D )

[Knightfire]

I see what you did there!... So youre saying just watch the reg line [like i always do most years] and just take pictures of everyone in line. Man, that would be tedious. :P

lol, we could just give this job to the Rover at the head of the line for that given time frame. I mean, they are already there anyways. ::) (Probably not actually valid because taking pictures would distract from their actual job role here.)

(They'd also need a camera with a LARGE removable memory card for this though....and lots of battery life. :D )

That's what Wide angle lenses are for. Alternatively you can just stitch together one gigantic panoramic photo.

[M]

The photo booth idea has been tinkered with every year and there's a really good chance that we'll do something like this... Gotta start "small" though. ;)