Sep
26
2011
4

WIP – Athena’s struggle – part 1 – front and back disk

It’s been three weeks since I started working on my Athena from Saint Seiya costume. As I expected, things turned out to be more difficult than I thought. In theory, everytuing seemed perfect, but in practice, well… lots and lots of problems emerged.

I finally managed to get some time to share them with you, so if you encounter them, you don’t have to go through the same ordeal.

Since I completely finished a small part of the armor, I thought I should post all the steps that it went through, together with lots of photos.

The part of the armor that I started with is this one

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Sep
01
2011
6

The cosplay competitions at Holdfeny Con 2011

I thought I should make a separate post about the cosplay competitions at Holdfeny Con, since that is my main field of interest and because I have a lot to say about it.

I will also post all the videos and photos I have from the competitions, hoping that they will make the cosplayers happy (I was so happy after Mondocon when somebody tagged me in a Facebook video!).

The things I know about the cosplay competition in the first day are from the inside: going to meet the jury, going up on stage and talking to other cosplayers while waiting backstage or waiting for the photo shoot.

Although everything was delayed and my feet hurt like hell, waiting to go meet the jury was fun. it was the perfect moment to look at the others’ costumes. Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t want to spy on them. I just wanted to learn new things. And when I could, I asked “What material is this? Where did you buy it from? How much did it cost?” or “How did you do this?”. And again, this helped me find new materials for my Athena cosplay. The Mondocon experience taught that being locked in the box of your own country doesn’t help. It’s a limited box of knowledge and when that knowledge ends… what are you going to do? That would really bore me to death, I think. That’s why I try to find out as much as I can about the methods and the materials that other cosplayers use. Improving my technique is vital to me.

An overall impression of the cosplay at Holdfeny Con? Well, first of all, something surprises me all the time I come to a convention in Hungary. Many many cosplayers off the stage. Almost every three persona you find somebody who cosplays or has a cosplay-like costume! And I think this is an amazing thing! Cosplaying for fun is a nice thing to do. You must not have a perfect costume, worthy of going up the stage, you just have to feel good in it and enjoy yourself. And apparently the fans in Hungary know how to do this.

As for the competition cosplay, well, that is a bit different, at least that’s how I see it. It always requires more responsability and a lot more work, but it still must be something to be enjoyed. Since it was a summer convention and summer is the season of having fun and not of working, I didn’t expect extraordinary costumes for the cosplay competition. And I was wrong. There were some costumes that were quite impressive and the cosplayers have worked a lot on them. I thought that was a great thing and that showed me that there are some cosplayers in hungary that are really into cosplay and who take it seriously. I must congratulate them for it. it takes a lot of effort and determination to have this hobby. Lots of work and money that only come back to you in the form of people enjoying your costumes or maybe winning some prizes.

Of course, that doesn’t mean all the cosplayers are the same, some don’t care that much about how “perfect” their costume is but the cosplay experience overall. Since I am a perfectionist, it’s hard for me to understand it, so I’ll just keep quiet about it.

There is one thing I will say though: there were things I would have done differently when it came to many of the costumes I saw, but I will not post it here, since I believe it’s not something I should say publicly. So if you believe you can handle some negative feed-back, feel free to ask, I promise I won’t bite! Maybe we can learn from each other interesting things!

Anyway, let’s see what videos we have from the first day:

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Aug
30
2011
1

Summer Holdfeny Con 2011 – review – photos and videos

I wanted to write about HoldfenyCon from the moment I stepped out the convention center, but I felt so tired that I feared no one would understand what I write.

So now, with a rather fresh mind I am trying to tell the world how HoldfenyCon was for me.

I will skip the adventures we had to go through to get to Budapest (we must always have some sort of adventures, and not the pleasant kind) and go straight to the con.

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Aug
20
2011
5

New cosplay vs. old cosplay

So many conventions lately!
That leaves me in a pretty unusual situation: Not enough time to make a cosplay costume for each of them! It usually takes me a few months to make a costume, since I’ve been looking for challenges, and sometimes they can be pricey, so I have to adapt somehow…

But I still want to participate in cosplay competitons! What do I do? I adapt older costumes. That seemed as the best choice.
I always loved my Yoko Nakajima cosplay. Maybe because it was the first cosplay I did with my heart (I didn’t care much about the previous Matsumoto, except for the big boobs) and because it was my first cosplay to participate in a competition.

And thanks to a friend of mine, my boyfriend and I started reading the “Twelve Kingdoms” books. And I fell in love again with this wonderful world and with Yoko. And since we are going next week to HoldfenyCon in Budapest, I took out of the closet my old Yoko cosplay. And to tell you the truth… I was horrified!

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Jun
07
2011
5

Spring Mondocon 2011 Review

Finally the time to write here. I have so many things to tell, I don’t even know where to start. But let’s start with the conventions I have been to in the last month.

The first one was Mondocon, which took place in Budapest, Hungary, on the 14th and the 15th of May.

I am not going to get into details about how we got there, or why they didn’t let us pass the border to hungary at 2 am, this is a story for another post. For me the biggest shock was changing the environment, and not in the way that you are thinking! For more than a month before Mondocon I was a hermit, locked inside my home and working around 12 hours a day on my cosplay costume. And suddenly… a huge crowd of people at the entrance gate of Hung Expo, the Convention Center where Mondcon took place.

(click on the photos to view them bigger)

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May
09
2011
0

Baremul pt costum la concursul de Cosplay – Otakufestival

De mult mi-am propus sa fac public baremul dupa care voi nota eu la concursul de cosplay de la Otakufestival si iata ca a venit momentul.

Mi-a luat mult sa il concep, a fost mult mai greu decat am crezut ca va fi pentru ca mi-am dat seama ca erau atatea detalii de care trebuia sa ma leg… dar in cele din urma am razbit :) .

In primul rand am considerat ca sunt doua criterii principale pe baza carora am dezvoltat cate un arbore de notare: “tehnica si complexitate” si “fidelitate generala”, corora le-am acordat 60 si respectiv 40 de sutimi dintr-o nota generala de 10 (100 de sutimi). De ce? Ei bine, eu cred ca una e sa faci cosplay si alta e sa participi la un concurs de cosplay. A participa la un concurs de cosplay implica mai multa responsabilitate, ca sa zic asa, si mai multa munca. Trebuie sa demonstrezi ca meriti sa ajungi pe un podium, sa iesi cumva in evidenta, fie prin jocul scenic, fie prin costum, fie prin ambele. De aceea nu e de ajuns sa semeni cu personajul respectiv (poti face asta la fel de bine printr-un costum cumparat sau facut de altcineva), ci sa muncesti la propriul costum, sa ai mandria ca tu l-ai facut atunci cand il porti. De asemenea, consider ca un costum mai complex, in consecinta mai “muncit”, este mai demn de un concurs de cosplay decat unul f simplu. Vrem sa ridicam nivelul cosplay-ului in Romania, nu? Sa ne uitam la altii, sa luam exemplu. Ce costume castiga in alte tari? Ce este apreciat? Putem si noi sa ajungem acolo? Sperand ca acest barem va ajuta oarecum sa formeze acea directie, am considerat ca tehnica si complexitatea conteaza un pic mai mult decat asemanarea cu personajul.

Iata si impartirea baremului. Dati click pe imagine pt a o vedea mare. Mai jos se gasesc explicatii la unii termeni din barem care ar putea sa fie vagi.

Barem costume concurs cosplay Otakufestival

(1) numarul de accesorii – se ia in calcul numarul de accesorii diferite (cele de acelasi fel nu se pun la numaratoare). Se calculeaza ca accesorii tot ce nu reprezinta haina sau nu e facut din material. Incaltamintea este considerata accesoriu, perucile nu, au categorie separat.

(2) dificultatea tiparului – se va lua in considerare cat de mult cosplayerul a incercat sa se foloseasca de tipare in realizarea costumului, cat de corect au fost acestea folosite si in cazuri in care se cerea improvizare sau creativitate pe langa un tipar clasic, cum a facut-o si ce rezultat a avut.

(3) materialele flosite   – cat de bine se potrivesc materialele pentru cosplay-ul ales.

(4) procent de lucru – cat la suta din costum a fost facut de concurent si ce alt ajutor a primit de la altii. De asemenea, ce a cumparat gata facut si ce modificari a facut, daca a fost cazul.

(5) calitatea cusaturii si a imbinarilor – cat de bine au fost facute cusaturile, finisajele la cusaturi (atat in in cazul cusutului la masina, cat si de mana), cum arata pe interiorul hainelor finisajele. Hainele nu trebuie sa arate bine doar de la departare, ci si de aproape.

(6) sistemele de prindere –  se refera la orice modalitate prin care anumite accesorii sau haine sunt mentinute intr-o pozitie potrivita costumului (de obicei pozitii care sfideaza legile fizicii). Pentru costumele care nu au nici un sistem de prindere (desi sunt f rare), nu se va acorda nici un punct.

(7) sisteme de prindere – cat de mult este vizibil sistemul de prindere si cat din el ar trebui sa se vada de fapt.

(8) stabilitate – cat de bine isi face sistemul de prindere treaba, cat de bine stau hainele sau accesoriile, sa nu se miste, sa fie instabile, sa tinda sa se indoie, rupa, etc…

(9) calitatea accesoriilor – cat de bine au fost asamblate/finisate accesoriile. (Ele nu trebuie sa arate bine doar de la distanta, ci si de aproape.)

(a) parul/peruca – aspectul parului/perucii si daca acesta este fidel personajului.

(b) coafura – cat de bine a coafat/aranjat parul/peruca/mesele. Aici intra si lungimea, volumul, si orice alt detaliu legat de felul in care e coafat parul.

(c) machiajul – fidelitatea cu care cosplayerul reuseste sa redea infatisarea personajului cu ajutorul machiajului. Nu ne referim doar la anumite machiaje speciale pe care anumite personaje le cer, ci si un machiaj simplu care ar putea sa imbunatateasca aspectul general al concurentului.

(d) fidelitatea imbracamintii – fidelitatea cu care cosplayerul reuseste sa redea infatisarea personajului cu ajutorul imbracamintii

(e) detaliile  - se refera la ori ce amanunt specific costumului. Se va nota prezenta acestora si fidelitatea lor.

(f) fidelitatea cu care cosplayerul reuseste sa redea infatisarea personajului cu ajutorul accesoriilor. Printre accesorii se include si Incaltamintea, lentile de contact, orice fel de arme, etc…

(g) aspectul texturii  - se refera la faptul ca majoritatea accesorilor nu sunt facute din materialele originale ale sursei. De acea se va nota fidelitatea cu care accesoriile (care de cele mai multe ori sunt facute din alte materiale) redau textura si aspectul originale.

(h) aspectul fizic – se va puncta cat de mult se apropie aspectul fizic si fizionomia cosplayerului fata de personaj.

Daca aveti nelamuriri va rog scrieti un comment, sa pot sa remediez explicatiile. De asemena, puteti intreba de ce am ales o anumita categorie, sau de ce i-am dat un anumit punctaj.

Zilele urmatoare o sa incerc sa exemplific baremul pe doua cosplayuri – unul simplu si unul mai complex.

Astept feedback!

Mar
16
2011
0

Detailed Cosplay Tutorial – the Medicine Seller – reference

Hey, everybody!

Although I am up high  in the Alps right now I managed to find out about the tragedies that have struck Japan in the last week and since I finally got to some internet, I thought I should write a few words here before I start the post. But… nothing right comes to mind. What can be said in such moments? Except for the hope that I keep in my heart that the situation will not get worse and worse… Having to deal with earthquakes and tsunamis was not enough apparently, the nuclear reactor is now giving much trouble than anyone could have ever thought. Despite all this, I trust the Japanese people will fight this with all their power and knowing their determination and strenghth, I know this will have a good ending.

And now bacl to cosplay. Since this week I am away and because my internet sucks big time, I decided to show you the screenshots I am using as reference for my cosplay.

Before you look at any photo, I have a challenge for you guys! While paying attention to the details in the screenshots I discovered the guys who made this anime made some mistakes (drew something one way in a scene and in a different way in another scene, so right now I don’t even know how to make some accessories). Let me see how many of these mistakes you can find!!!

That being said, here come the screenshots:

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Mar
07
2011
10

Detailed Cosplay Tutorial – Introduction

As I was mentioning in the last post, I am starting a project. A video blog on making cosplay costumes. And since I will be part of the jury at Otaku Festival in May, I thought I should make a cosplay costume and also show the world how exactly I am making it. This is a tutorial targeting the beginners, since it has everything explained in detail, but also for any other cosplayers who like to share experience with other of their kind.

So, here is Episode 1, the Introduction to the whole series:

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Feb
13
2011
2

Back to Cosplay

This a new start for Shinju’s Workshop. Since I don’t plan to do much with this blog besides presenting the lolita dresses we make, I was thinking of making it a bit more useful. You’ll see exactly what I am talking about next week *wink*.

One more important thing… from now on, I will stick to English. And it will be mainly about cosplay. For now I want to keep it a secret so you’ll have to be patient untill next week!

Written by Shinju in: Cosplay - English, English | Tags: ,
Feb
08
2011
0

Inapoi la COSPLAY

Shinju’s Workshop nu a mai fost activ de mult, cel putin nu pe internet.

Am fost la Holdfeny Con la Budapesta pe 18 decembrie si ne-a placut mult. Toata actiunea a avut loc intr-o singura sala mare imensa, ca o hala, asa ca am putut vedea tot in timp ce stateam la stand. Si asa am vazut concursul de cosplay si… mi s-a facut pofta!

Asa ca pentru Otaku Festival m-am hotarat sa imi fac si eu un cosplay. Incepusem lucrul la alt costum, dar pe ala momentan il amanam din cauza complexitatii si a lipsei de resurse prime (aka bani). Nu voi participa la concurs, dar am o pofta teribila de facut cosplay, asa ca o sa mi-o satisfac.

Si o data cu asta, o sa aveti parte de o mica surpriza aici pe site, de asta fac acum un prim mic anunt.

Totusi daca doriti rochite sau orice accesorii trimiteti un mail la shinjusworkshop@yahoo.com si va raspund.

Cu astea spuse, sper sa ne auzim cat mai curand.

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