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Cosplay! Construction, Tips, Gatherings, Advice / Re: cat-aclysm 2017: a cat themed gathering [CONFIRMED]

« on: May 26, 2017, 08:53:57 PM »

My photos from the gathering: https://m.facebook.com/pg/SquishyK/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1152832198156041&ref=page_internal&mt_nav=1

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Cosplay! Construction, Tips, Gatherings, Advice / Re: Free! Iwatobi Swim Club Gathering 2017

« on: May 26, 2017, 04:05:36 PM »

My photos from the gathering: https://m.facebook.com/pg/SquishyK/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1152747438164517&ref=page_internal&mt_nav=1

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Cosplay! Construction, Tips, Gatherings, Advice / Re: Prop question (firearm)

« on: May 19, 2017, 03:08:15 PM »

Fanime has been changes their prop policies a lot recently. I'm not an official but from my experience that should be fine so long as you get it peace bonded. I'd say go ahead and bring it so long as you are ok with them saying it's not permissible when you go to get it peace bonded (in which case you will have to put it in your hotel room or car).

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Cosplay! Construction, Tips, Gatherings, Advice / Re: cat-aclysm 2017: a cat themed gathering [CONFIRMED]

« on: May 19, 2017, 02:35:46 PM »

This gathering has been confirmed for Friday, 5 PM at G3 (Tiered Platform 1st floor lobby by West stairs).

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Cosplay! Construction, Tips, Gatherings, Advice / Re: cat-aclysm 2017: a cat themed gathering

« on: April 26, 2017, 02:58:12 PM »

I do still plan on running this gathering. It's not on the list yet but I have submitted an official gathering form and I'm checking with the gathering organizers to find out what's up.

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Cosplay! Construction, Tips, Gatherings, Advice / Re: cat-aclysm 2017: a cat themed gathering

« on: March 20, 2017, 05:29:36 PM »

I've created a FaceBook event for anyone interested in following on there. It has the time and day that I requested but it hasn't been confirmed yet. https://www.facebook.com/events/895714767236815/
Pretty sure the event should be public, but if anyone has trouble viewing it, let me know.

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Cosplay! Construction, Tips, Gatherings, Advice / Re: cat-aclysm 2017: a cat themed gathering

« on: December 20, 2016, 10:58:28 AM »

I am still planning on hosting this gathering and as soon as the Form for gatherings goes live I will be updating every two weeks per the new requirements.

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Ideas and Suggestions / Re: Proposal for the South Hall: Hosting a Itasha/Itansha Auto Show?

« on: December 20, 2016, 10:43:08 AM »

most of the people in the anime scene are JDM car culture enthusiast.

  well that news to me (though I'm sure there is some crossover)

It seems like an interesting idea… however… getting an event into Fanime will likely take more then posting a rough outline of what should be involved. This would have to be coordinated with a Fire Marshall (as you said), the convention facilities, the people showing cars, and might have special staffing requirements, also might involve legal issues Fanime will have to address so they can't be held liable if something happens to any of the vehicles (the same way they aren't liable if something happens to art in the artshow). The best way to get an event to happen is probably offering to coordinate with Fanime and run the event. Even then you would probably need to have experience running similar shows or develop or rapport with Fanime staff (by volunteering or becoming a staff member). Otherwise it will mean someone else will have to coordinate and run the event on top of what they already do to support Fanime. It seams to me that new programming that happens at Fanime tends to be something that a staff member is already familiar with and has an interest in running. So unless you can get really wide fan support for this, or a staff member willing to adopt this as a project, I think the odds of this happening are slim. Not to mention they already have the swap meet is South Hall on Day 0 and Day 1.

(disclaimer: I am not staff and do not speak for staff. I'm just a long time Fanime attendee)

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Registration / Re: 2017 Registration Opens 11/30 at 12PM/Noon

« on: November 30, 2016, 12:05:18 PM »

Reg is live https://www4.cmrreg.com/fanime2017/

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Live Programming and Events / Re: Artist Alley 2017 FAQ

« on: October 07, 2016, 10:56:13 AM »

My best guess is that those coasters would be passable (it's not an exact replica of a logo) although it isn't really "fanart" either. However, it's also obvious enough that if Nintendo complained to etsy I'm sure that etsy would remove the listing. If you have a question about something specific you can try emailing the artist alley people although there are hundreds of artists that try to get into fanime so I'm not sure how well they will be able to address specific concerns. The other thing to keep in mind is that what it sold in bulk online tends to be under higher scrutiny by license holders then what is sold at conventions. What kind of art do you make exactly? Are you planning of doing laser cut products or the like? If you are planning on producing product that have costly materials (essentially anything besides art prints) and you don't keep a stock of items that you sell regularly at conventions or online then you might want to reconsider selling at fanime or at least producing lots of items before you even knows if you will be accepted. I would suggest creating a good sampling of the kind of items you will be selling (like a dozen or so demo pieces) to include in your portfolio that you need to submit to compete for a table. Then once you have been approved create your stock of items. If you are just doing prints the same concept still sort of applies. Create the artwork and then order prints once you have been approved. I think they are getting the ball rolling early this year but in previous years table approval has come down to the wire. I'm not sure fanime is the best place for a first time seller. It was the first convention I sold at but that was before the judging process was implemented. It's very competitive even really amazing artist get turned down there is just more demand for tables then supply.

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Live Programming and Events / Re: Artist Alley 2017 FAQ

« on: October 06, 2016, 02:49:32 PM »

When they talk about "Reproductions of any existing licensed merchandise" they are primarily referring to crafts and knock-off products. For example if Nintendo makes a Sonic figurine then as an artist I couldn't sell a Sonic figurine that I created myself. If they make and sell a licensed key-blade then I can't make one myself and sell it. Now on the other hand nobody makes a licensed Batman top-hat and there have been various bat symbols over the years so if I make a bat symbol that is reminiscent of be not identical to any licensed Batman logo then I could reasonable make a "Bat Superhero Top Hat" and that wouldn't directly violate any licenses. Also, cosplay props for items that do not have a licensed version for sale could reasonably be considered acceptable. Now "fan art" is considered derivative artwork so it generally receives a pass at conventions though each convention has their own rules on this. Fanime has in the past allowed Fan Art and I DO NOT think that the way it is phrased here implies that the policy has changed. Fan Art should still be fine, I think. All that said, creating unlicensed products based on other people's works will always be walking the grey line of legality, it's a complicated issue.

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Live Programming and Events / Re: Artist Alley 2017 FAQ

« on: September 15, 2016, 01:41:46 PM »

Are these photos of other people cosplaying? And if so do you have written permission to sell photos of them?

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Dealers Room / Re: Not getting item from seller

« on: September 12, 2016, 12:17:59 PM »

Sorry, shy of registering a change of address with the post office to get your mail forwarded to the new address (which won't do any good if it was already sent and returned to sender) I'm not sure there is much you can do. Fanime used to have a Facebook group for Fanime Con Artists but that group in now defunct. You could look to see if other anime conventions in the bay area (Kraken con, Sac Anime, aod) have a similar group, many artists sell at several conventions in the area. If they are a local artist you might be able to find them through those groups.

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Dealers Room / Re: Not getting item from seller

« on: August 31, 2016, 01:49:17 PM »

That's tough. Usually artists have some social media account you might try contacting them through. If you don't know the name of the artist but you know round about where their booth was located you could look them up on this map: http://www.fanime.com/maps/artist-alley-map/

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Cosplay! Construction, Tips, Gatherings, Advice / Re: I Need Help making my Hiram McDaniels (Literal Five Headed Dragon) Cosplay

« on: June 21, 2016, 01:09:32 PM »

OK, so it always amazes me what tutorials I can find online! Here is a tutorial for a rough design of a mouth mechanism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6pCzY-N-HE

It's not super refined but looks pretty functional. Which is the important part.

(old fogey moment) "back in my day" (when I first started cosplaying) you couldn't find super strait forward tutorials like this. Or they were deviantart tutorials with pictures that were confusing and write ups that were crazy long, difficult to follow, and often less helpful then the pictures. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to all the cosplayers who put time and effort into making those tutorial. It was making the best of the technology we had at the time. But "kids these days don't know how good they got it". lol.

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Live Programming and Events / Re: Artist Alley question!

« on: June 21, 2016, 10:44:47 AM »

I think that should technically be fine. But if you also sold the glue or adhesive to go with it that might be a problem? You could always email AA to make sure. But I don't see anything wrong with the nails themselves. I haven't sold at Fanime since they changed the selection process and from what I can tell it's pretty competitive. They turn away lots of fantastic artists just because they don't have the space. If you aren't able to make it in you might consider some other local conventions. Like Kraken con or Kin-Yoobi Con. I got my feet wet selling at Fanime and I decided to go with Fanime because it's the first convention I ever attended and I had been going for years at that point. I split a table with a friend and pretty much broke even. It was a fun experience but I don't think I'd sell at Fanime again. (I have too much fun attending as a con-goer anyway XP)

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Live Programming and Events / Re: Artist Alley question!

« on: June 13, 2016, 11:18:37 AM »

If you consider the intent of the rule (makeup or other items applied to the face or body can cause allergic reactions or be poorly made in a way that creates other adverse affects that Fanime does not want to be liable for) then I think dry nail polish on a product should be perfectly fine. Polymer clay artists often use powder makeup for pigment on their products and Fanime almost always has a Polymer clay artist or two. What kind of products do you make?

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Cosplay! Construction, Tips, Gatherings, Advice / Re: I Need Help making my Hiram McDaniels (Literal Five Headed Dragon) Cosplay

« on: June 10, 2016, 11:01:25 AM »

Cool. Seems like quite the repertoire. But since some of these materials will be new to you I would suggest making sure you look up lots of tutorials. And test, test, test! The worst thing I ever had happen to me when prop building is have foam core (which is a stiff foam as opposed to the soft foams I recommended) semi-melt on me. I tried to spray paint it and while one brand/color of spray paint had worked just fine on another part of the project apparently not all pray paint is created equal.

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Cosplay! Construction, Tips, Gatherings, Advice / Re: I Need Help making my Hiram McDaniels (Literal Five Headed Dragon) Cosplay

« on: June 09, 2016, 03:10:16 PM »

Glad I could help. To be honest the suggestions for puppeteering the heads is just a rough idea of how I would probably approach it to start. Then half way through most likely find that it's not going to work exactly as I imagined and have to alter my plans. There is never one best way to approach a costume.

Also, I was wondering what other props you have worked on?

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Cosplay! Construction, Tips, Gatherings, Advice / Re: I Need Help making my Hiram McDaniels (Literal Five Headed Dragon) Cosplay

« on: June 09, 2016, 11:17:34 AM »

When I say semi-joined think of a trefoil shape (you might have to google that) so when you look at the bottom cross section it would look like the outline of a flower or clover. Then as you go up the form from the base of the neck the separate necks will pull farther and farther apart until they are their own separate stocks with heads on them.

Mouths that you can puppet are simple concept but tricky in execution. Basically you need to make the upper and the lower jaws either as separate forms only attached by a hinge system or very lightly attached in a way that still allows for lower jaw movement. If they are separate forms you hide the gap with overhang from the upper form. The hinge can be something as simple as a door hinge and can be hidden by covering the inside of the mouth in a black or red material. Then use a wire or string that runs from the bottom of the hinge to the top part of the hinge but is tied in a way that only allows the mouth to open to a natural open position for talking. Then when you pull the string it should pull the lower jaw up to the top jaw closing the mouth. This means that when the heads aren't talking you will have to be pulling the string for that head(s) to keep the mouth closed. The real tricky part is running the strings so that they aren't seen and can be easily accessed to puppet the heads. And doing so in a way that looks natural. The best I could figure is running the string down inside the neck of each dragon, then through the neck of your suit, down your back to your pants, then have a false pocket in your pants and a band around your leg that holds the strings at a potion lower then where your hand falls in your pocket, then back up to your hand. The problem with this is that you will always have to have one hand in your pants pocket. The strings might also have different slack in them when your standing vs when your sitting.
A second way of doing it would be to use a mechanism that puts spring tension in the jaw to keep the mouth closed and then rigging it so that instead of pulling the lower jaw up to close the mouth you pull the lower jaw down to open the mouth. It has the pay off of allowing you to puppet the heads in a more natural way. You could run the strings into the front inside of your suit instead of all the way to your pants and only pull the strings when you need one of them to talk. But balancing spring tension and where to anchor the strings could be even more tricky.

You can find high density foam at joanns, some EVA foam at craft stores and Walmart. Not sure about the armature wire maybe craft store or hobby shop, maybe hardware store. But none of those supplies are difficult to find if you look around.