Tag Archives: how to

Beginner’s Guide: Starting a Cosplay Page

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As cosplayers, we don’t necessarily think of ourselves as a “brand”, but we are essentially marketing ourselves to our viewers… even if we aren’t selling them anything. Your brand will be a guideline on what and how you post in the future, so before you start a cosplay page, please consider the following:

 

  1. What outlet should I use? (Website, Facebook, Instagram, etc.)
    • The type of posts you make might determine the best place to put your product. Do you post often? Do you make lengthy posts? Are you posts heavily image-driven? Do you like to schedule posts?
  2. What direction do I want my page to go?
    • What is your main reason for having a page? Tutorials? Updates on costume progress? Reblogging cool cosplay-related things?
  3. What name will I use?
    • Make sure this is something that you identify as. For instance, I use “Life Of Cosplay” because I update on everything in my life that involves cosplay.
    • Do you want it to be unique? Easy to remember? Easy to spell? Remember that this name will STICK WITH YOU FOREVER.
    • How many variations of this cosplay name is there already?
      • Initially I chose “Peachy Cosplay” as my page, but realized there are several pages out there with a similar name.

How to make your costume ON TIME for the convention (Part 2 of 2)

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This is part two on how you can get your costume done on time for the con. Take a deep breath. This might hurt a little bit (but it’s totally worth it).

  1. Set an absolute deadline at least TWO WEEKS before the date you want to wear your costume. Don’t break this. Ever.
    1. Drop everything you’re doing right now and make a pact with yourself that the 2-week deadline is a sacred step in your cosplay construction that shall never be broken.
    2. Promising yourself is easy, and we break stuff like this all the time. Make incentives for completing on time!
      1. On-time example: If I finish on time, I get to chow down on that ice cream I’ve been eyeballing (#noregrets)
      2. Early finish example: Wow! Finished 1 week early! I’m going to go to that dance club I’ve been interested in but too shy to go to, since I have so much time now. Or learn how to do the waltz so I can look legit in my princess dress (or whatever suits your fancy)
  • Late finish example: Well, it l ooks like I won’t be spending the extra $$ to visit my favorite actor/actress at the con. (Seriously, make this pact violation painful to break)
    1. Late finish discipline could also be doled out on a “every day I’m late” basis. I.E. “Every day I’m late, that’s one less con party I’m going to attend”

How to make your costume ON TIME for the convention (Part 1 of 2)

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Let’s face it. Most artistic-type people aren’t usually the most organized… which means there is a lot of room for error; especially when it comes to estimating how long it will take to finish a project. When I made my Princess Bubblegum costume I thought “Oh hey this is easy. I can probably do this on two days.” WRONG! I was so very very wrong!

All around the world cosplayers cry out in frustration, their costumes barely completed in time for the convention. This is a sad reality that you can help to fix! Here’s how:

  1. Make a timeline
    1. What do you want done at different points in your construction? How far along do you want to be after a week of initiating your project? After a month? It’ll only take a few minutes to sit down and write down your plan, but it can save you hours of heartache near the end of your project
  2. Buy extra supplies.
    1. Because running to the store for more fabric or ordering more of your special worbla takes TIME. Your time is precious.

The third tip is quite a doozy, so it gets its own blog post! Look for the second installment later this week. 🙂

 

How to start a local cosplay group

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It’s pretty easy to find a group that enjoys sports, cars or the outdoors… but what about the less-popular hobby of cosplay? (this applies to many other hobbies, too)

If you desire something that doesn’t exist yet, the chances are that others feel the same way as you. So start it!

The internet is a beautiful tool for communication and bringing people together. I used meetup.com AND Facebook to make a fun local group. A simple title works best to get the message across, so I used “DC Cosplay Photo Shoots.”

Figure out the “why do we exist” factor and write it down. Make sure it’s somewhere public where the rest of the group can see it. This will be your backbone to support all your future decisions.

 

Have some activities planned out. This doesn’t have to be too complicated. It could be something as simple as a meet & greet or video game night and go from there.

 

  1. Ask people for opinions!
    1. You can’t do everything on your own – nobody can. Your members will come up with stuff you might never have thought of. I have learned SO much about making a group by asking members who are just as interested in making DC Cosplay Photo Shoots grow and improve.
  2. Be patient. They will come.
  3. Once you find a few interested members, urge them to tell their friends. This is how word can spread and your group can grow!

 

Recap:

  • Find out if there’s already a group in the area
  • Make an easy group name & motto
  • Start simple
  • Ask for help

 

Yes, I know that this is a little bit of work. I myself am an ‘artsy’ type that tends to avoid organization and guidelines. But I did it! And so can you! Let me know if you have any questions. I’d love to help! 🙂