Main Menu
Menu

Show posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

Show posts Menu

Messages - Ali

#1
I'm all for cutting down the running time of the pre-show... last year was exceptionally difficult to sit through, in my opinion, and not just because of the costume I was wearing.

But even if the masquerade could round up another hour or two of running time, I don't think I'd want that applied to skit time limits. I do honestly understand feeling like you need more time, and while I definitely have seen skits that entertained me for 4 or 5 minutes, I don't think I've ever seen a skit that really NEEDED that extra time. Music and dialogue can be cut, and I want to say in a lot of cases, they shouldn't stop at 2:30. In watching the skits I've done that ran over 2 minutes, I kind of regret not cutting them down further.
Try rehearsing the skit in advance in front of other people, or showing them a script, and get some feedback on where the slow bits are. What felt repetitive/dull/extraneous? What were the important/exciting/funny parts?
You don't need to fill a time limit. You just need to get the gist across and try to be entertaining in the process, and you should definitely be able to do that in two and a half minutes.
#2
Ideas and Suggestions / Suggestions for Fanime 2012
June 01, 2011, 11:07:40 AM
Overall, I had a very good Fanime. I participated in the masquerade, and fortunately knew the schedule beforehand, so that ate up my con and I didn't run into problems not having a handy pocket schedule. (Those were great, though... I did actually attempt to see some anime and panels the last time I had one of those.)

Having the masquerade on Sunday was kind of a pro and con for me. While I liked that there was more time for judging, it did feel like the entire con got eaten up by masq, what with judging and rehearsing and prepping. The big problem I ran into was that with the rehearsal at 1 and no real time between the end of rehearsal and the 5 o' clock call, there was no time to eat. And when we finally got out of masq and out of costume, almost everywhere was closed. (We did not anticipate this problem... most places are open much later on Saturday nights, which is when the masq has been every other year I've participated.) It would be nice if there were some water offered backstage to participants and possibly some actual food or food-like snacks. And some warning to get dinner beforehand or immediately after the show would have been really useful.

And the other thing, that I will keep coming back to year after year, is the stupid real name/fan name issue on the badges. I understand having the real name on there, but why it needs to be so huge and more prominent than the fan name, I just do not get. It's a bit of a privacy thing, and I have taken to simply hiding the badge in my purse or something because I don't want it visible or showing up in any photos.

#3
Quote from: angeljibrille on May 19, 2011, 12:32:45 PM
Quote from: Teca on May 18, 2011, 03:27:19 PM
Marissa, have do we know for sure which side of the stage we're entering and exiting from?


(you are looking at the stage from the audience perspective)

You will be entering Stage Left, and exiting Stage Right.

Thanks :)
Marisa

So the same as last year?  With large props over on Stage Right?
#4
Quote from: carladawn on May 09, 2011, 10:16:19 AM
Wait wait wait wait wait..... you're a judge for craftsmanship?!?!? OMG I'm soooo nervous now! That's the reason I'm going to be late, is because my group and I are going to get judged for the masquerade! Ahhhhhh!!! I'm going to be sweating bullets now!

Oh, no no. I'm entering the masq as well, and my group's craftsmanship judging is in the afternoon. (We've got one of the 2-3 o'clock judging slots.) I may still see you there, before getting Disney-fied! Our masq costumes are Code Geass, and I believe I'll still be dressed as Mai from Avatar for judging. (Quite a bit of costume whiplash that afternoon...)

Don't be worried for judging, though! Fanime tends to be very relaxed. It is certainly not one of the scarier judging rooms I've ever faced. :)

@windgirlwithcruse
Yay Tron! I finally got around to seeing the movie, and I adore the costumes. Looking forward to seeing yours!

#5
Quote from: carladawn on April 26, 2011, 12:08:59 PM
Quote from: Ali on April 07, 2011, 06:07:27 PM
I think I'll be in my Ariel gown on Saturday, but I'm not sure. I'll certainly swing by the gathering if that's the case!
Omg your Ariel gown is BEAUTIFUL!! I can't wait to see it in person!!!

Thanks so much!

So I hope I can make the gathering. I've got craftsmanship judging for the masquerade in the afternoon, and I'd rather not attempt the judging in my hoopskirt, so I'm hoping to get into the costume afterwards. Depending on how long that takes, I may wind up being late for the gathering, but worst case, I should be out and about very shortly after.

I'm very excited to see other Disney costumes, most especially Rapunzel (my next Disney project, I hope! I just love seeing interpretations of that design).
#6
I think I'll be in my Ariel gown on Saturday, but I'm not sure. I'll certainly swing by the gathering if that's the case!
#7
Quote from: angeljibrille on March 22, 2011, 08:39:26 PM
Quote from: Teca on March 22, 2011, 12:44:39 PM
Are the entrance and exit directions going to be the same as last year? Namely, enter from stage left and exit from stage right (we have no big props to store but two fairly large dress costumes that we'd like to plan ahead for if possible).

I desperately want the entrance to be on the *opposite* side this year, but we will see -_- we had quite a few issues with the line control and that awful hallway. We need to go to the theater and see all the changes, so I won't have a response for this untill much closer to the convention.

Oh, I really hope it's on the other side, too. Lining up in that hallway was pretty awkward. My group'll have a couple tricky costumes and a large prop, so we'd definitely prefer to enter from the side with all the room :)
#8
The 2-3 minutes is really quite standard. And even that can feel like a lifetime when you're watching a skit that drags. Of those, I have seen plenty. I can't recall a single skit I've ever seen that made me think "Wow! I really could have gone for another minute or two of that!"

If you think of the skit as, say, a commercial or movie trailer or something, then it's plenty of time to get a message out there. Musical skits can always trim out verses or repeats of the chorus, comedic skits can trim the less funny parts and leave on a strong note, and dramatic skits... well, those are tricky and hard to make generalizations about, but you can always make cuts.

That's not to say I couldn't fill 5 or even 10 minutes with material; I've got some skit ideas, even scripts, that run way the hell too long right now. But I know there's superfluous material there that I can get rid of, it's just a matter of identifying it. Sometimes I get really attached to certain elements and need a fresh and impartial pair of eyes to look at it and tell me what's not working, but there's always something there that doesn't need to be. In general, 1 minute is actually a lot of time, and most things can (and sometimes should) be crammed into that time limit, but it's great when masqs give you some additional time to play with and expand on your idea. I generally aim for about 1:30 with my skits, no matter how much time the masq is willing to give me.

The real problem is that longer time limits generally make people think they need to use all the available time. Even some of the best ideas, stretched into 5 minutes, would get old. The audience doesn't need much time to get the gist of your skit, and if they like it, the remainder of the time can be fun, but you risk losing them. And if it's ultimately not to their taste, the remainder of the time can be torture. So it's probably best to minimize the remainder of that time.
#9
Quote from: angeljibrille on February 15, 2011, 12:45:13 PM
Yes, it was in my initial files, but the file I had was pre-construction on the Civic. A new PDF should be posted soon. However, it's a standard stage. I believe it is 50' W  x 30' D but that may not be completely accurate, I'm not sure if that includes the stage wings and such. That's basically the Proscenium Opening visible to the audience.

If I'm remembering correctly from last year, though, only a portion of that was actually lit. Are those dimensions something you arrange beforehand, or only when the con actually has the stage?
#10
Will the dimensions of the stage (preferably also the lighted portion) be made available before the con? That would help a bit with arranging our blocking. Otherwise we'll definitely be attending the rehearsal, but I would assume we're not supposed to use too much time there.

#11
Gonna have Zero from Code Geass and my Little Mermaid gown.
#12
Depending on how masquerade stuff shakes out, I may be able to make this as Zero from Geass, if that's still gonna count as CLAMP.
#13
If this can happen Saturday, I'll have a Zero I'll be wearing. (Then I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope the gathering doesn't interfere with masq stuff...)

@Melly: I tend to finger-comb some of my more temperamental wigs like that. It may take longer, but it'll keep the curls looking nicer. Then you just need to resist playing with it too often. Wig detangler may also be your friend. In emergency situations, I've sometimes found that washing a wig in cold water with some conditioner, rinsing it, and allowing it to hang dry will also help restore it a little.
#14
Ideas and Suggestions / Chair
June 01, 2004, 11:57:54 AM
I'm not sure where it came from... Out on the east coast, you get people swearing it originated at Otakon.
Perhaps it's like "Gin and Tonic" from Hitchhiker's Guide... all cons were fated to create it at one point or another.
#15
General Anime Chat / Getbackers
July 14, 2003, 03:46:58 PM
Ban's hair is enough to make me watch the entire series. I just love cool hair.

The character designs are all cool, as well. They're different and unique, which I like. As I remember (it's been a few months) I really liked the opening, too... though I can't remember it at all right now... hm.
#16
General Anime Chat / Getbackers
July 09, 2003, 12:06:20 PM
One of my friends showed me the first five episodes or so at one of our random anime parties. I was amazed at how cool it was. I still have to see the rest, but it's such a cool idea and the characters are awesome.

If I make it back to Fanime next year, I'm attacking your cosplay group with cameras and glomps, just to warn ya.
#17
General Anime Chat / Anyone watch Onegai Teacher?
June 27, 2003, 09:14:19 PM
I'm curious... I haven't seen Onegai yet, so I was wondering if it really comes recommended, or if I should invest in a different series instead.

(Oh, and Cloud... thanks for the signature. I was brand new to Fanime and was really wondering where that "chair" thing came from. Thanks for clearing it up!)