As a film buff, you know that there are a lot of details that go into creating a film. The camera work, action shots, transitional scenes, special effects, costuming all contribute to a masterpiece film. Your favorite aspect of movies is the characters, their makeup and costumes and the creativity behind them.
That is why you got interested in cosplay–creating costumes of the characters in your favorite films. You spend hours meticulously building each piece of a costume, finding the perfect wigs, jewelry, props and sewing it together. To record each step of the creative process, you use your HD camera to take still shots. Then you can put together a notebook for other cosplayers.
You create a new costume each year, choosing carefully from amongst your favorite films. Since you are an old-time superhero buff, many of your choices come from the Marvel universe; however you have a special love for Tolkien’s books and movies.
Keeping a video record
This year, you have decided to film your creative process to make a video record. The action camera you need will take video and still shots if you want to use both for illustration. Once this project is done you will put your videos on YouTube, each step of your process illuminated for posterity.
The cosplay for this year will be Tauriel from The Hobbit movies. Your action camera is mounted on a tripod so that you do not need to be holding it. It is too hard to hold a camera and work on your costume. You need an HD camera that is easy to attach to the tripod, and can be maneuvered for close-in shots of detail work.
Tauriel’s costume is deceptively simple; however she has a lot of props as a warrior for the Woodland Realm of the elves. There are four cosplay conventions that you plan on attending this year; therefore you need a top-of-the-line cosplay to keep up with the Joneses. The action camera will record how you put the costume together for your own use, but you are seriously thinking of editing the entire thing and selling it to others who want to create elvish cosplay costumes for the Lord of the Rings characters. There are so many to choose from.
Setting up your studio shots:
- Set up tripod in an area that will give you the most flexibility
- Attach action camera to tripod
- Use HD camera for recording the entire production
- Edit the footage for presentation or sale
- Have your best friend take video of you posing and acting as Tauriel
- Add audio voice-over for instructions
Going to the convention is a lot of fun; however it is the piece by piece creation of the costume that is your great love. It fuels your creative engine and also gives you time to disconnect from the stress of your workday.
The action camera will be the best assistant to take to the cosplay convention when you go to get video shots of other cosplayers to help you figure out who you want to dress up as next year. Your passion for cosplay is only seconded by your passion to work out the details of each part of the costume. The handmade style is your ballpark and you love to play the game.
Preparing for the con
You have prepared a packing checklist for the convention because you have been asked to be on a cosplay panel and you do not want to forget anything.
Packing checklist:
- HD camera–for taking still shots during your panel discussion (you gave it to your best friend)
- action camera–for getting a video of the panel for future reference and resume (this is sitting on a tripod near the panel)
- Notebook with your design information
- Vendor and material list for discussion purposes
- Tauriel costume, neatly packed
- The outline of how you completed your cosplay
- Action Camera like the Polaroid Cube or the GoPRO
You and your friend get packed and on the road to the con.
At the con
Okay, you are at the con, in your room and unpacked. Suzy, your friend and you decide to videotape the entire weekend, not just the panel discussion. You didn’t realize the Suzy bought herself a new HD camera that shoots video and stills. You can each take turns and then combine your video footage to create a montage from the experience. Other cosplayers will love watching that.
You have picked up the schedule for the con, and your panel discussion is not until the last day. That means you can practice what you want to say, and walk around to observe the crowd with Suzy. It’s time to check out the competition.
As you walk the halls, you realize that there are a few other Tauriels but none of them are even close to your superior costuming skills. You ask your competitors if you can shoot a photo of them with you action camera. Each one is happy to pose for you in typical Tauriel poses. Only one other woman has a costume that comes close to yours, and it is actually the bow and arrow that impresses you the most, especially when you find out she is an actual archer. As you talk to her, you find out that she has chosen this costume because she can use her archery skills. The two of you grab a coffee and you show her the playback of your videos on your action camera.
The cosplay panel discussion
The panel discussion is here. You and your four colleagues sit at the table, each of you in a different costume.
- You: Tauriel from The Hobbit
- John: Captain Jack from the Pirates of the Caribbean
- Steven: Hellboy from the Hellboy films
- Jodie: Queen of Kerrigan cosplay
- Bill: The Penguin from the Batman movies
The five of you have a great discussion while Suzy films the entire thing with your action camera. What a blast! You can now post this on your blog for everyone to see while they try to top your costume for next year. That isn’t going to happen.