Dragondance Gyarados Project?

By Lowkey. 25/02/11, 02:58 am

I don't know how much of CNZ was represented at the Chinese New Year celebration in Wellington, but I'm sure most of you have seen a Chinese dragon dance before. A couple of co-conspirators and I (hi guys i got sunburned sitting out in that ridiculous weather, i blame you) wondered out loud: could we make one? Could be cosplay-ize it? Make a giant Luck Dragon, or a Final Fantasy Leviathan? What about a Gyarados with all the bearers in Pokemon trainer costume? How much fabric would we need, how much manpower? Who would be keen to get involved with sewing, who'd be keen getting involved with carrying and performing? How much would it cost? National or regional project? How long would it take?

Combine:
Dragondance Gyarados Project? 2wm3rwi

With:

Product?

So, just throwing it out there; would anybody be interested in working on a project like this?

By Li-Bai. 25/02/11, 03:15 am

Haha, aww yeah!

Ithurial wrote:: (hi guys i got sunburned sitting out in that ridiculous weather, i blame you)

I got my fair share of heatstroke as well Razz

I'm still good for this idea, ohohoh. (Bags I being the person in front waving like, a Shellder or something in front of its nose.) Don't think it'd be hugely difficult, just time consuming. Also when would it be for it another thing, hurr. :B

By theconniebro. 25/02/11, 08:32 am

...This idea.
This idea is amazing.
I wish I could sew so that I could help. OTL OTL OTL
Just throwing my support out there, instead 8D

By **JVCA**. 25/02/11, 10:26 am

I love this idea - though being in Auckland I doubt I'd be able to assist. Razz

By Rikku. 25/02/11, 10:54 am

Oh my god. I am SO KEEN. But, being in Dunedin, I probably can't help. xD;
All the same.

/SUPPORTSUPPORTSUPPORT.

**Guest** Guest

i'm down yo

(as you are aware)

By Icarus. 25/02/11, 11:53 am

duuuuude that'd be awesome! I'd ttly be keen to help out (if I can make it down the welly when you plan it or something)

By Thornback. 25/02/11, 12:03 pm

I did not get sunburned. ha.

It doesn't look too complicated, just time consuming-a summer project perhaps?

By Lowkey. 25/02/11, 12:17 pm

Body, easy. Head... depending on how complex? If you look at some of the real ones, they're lots of planes and quite detailed. I also think the fabric is usually painted? Hmm.

Once we are aware of how many people are keen and where they mostly are a 'Geddon could be chosen, and once a pattern/high level plan is in place, social sewing meets could be organised at a halfway location? "Bring your sewing machine and a sleeping bag" kind of event. If it comes to that. Otherwise, maybe it could be constructed in phases? Auckland, head, Wellington, body, anybody who can meet in some halfway point, construction? If people are keen from across the country: I mean, these things look more impressive the longer they get.

Depending on complexity of performance planned, though, bearers might have to be a homogeneous group who can practice.

By Li-Bai. 25/02/11, 12:22 pm

"Parts from ~~China~~ Dunedin, assembled in ~~Mexico~~ Wellington, made in ~~the USA~~ Auckland."

By **JVCA**. 25/02/11, 12:34 pm

Depending on when construction/sewing parties are being done, I could possibly come down to help.

By Rikku. 25/02/11, 02:55 pm

Related to topic but not helpful at all...
In the movie Pokemon 2000, at the start there's a festival, and there's a Gyarados thing with people dancing it, just like the one you're planning here. 8D

By Lowkey. 26/02/11, 02:17 am

Rikku wrote:: Related to topic but not helpful at all...
In the movie Pokemon 2000, at the start there's a festival, and there's a Gyarados thing with people dancing it, just like the one you're planning here. 8D

Chance of screenshots? Be curious to see what it looks like.

By Rikku. 26/02/11, 02:45 am

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....................... Yes......
Gimme a little bit. xD

EDIT:
Large pictures are large, so I'm putting them in links.

First
Second
Third

What do you know. My totally random and useless post isn't so useless anymore. ^-^

By hyolee123. 26/02/11, 03:15 am

Man I'll be keen to help. I live ~~on the Mexican border~~ in New Plymouth but keen to help out in any way.

Totally looks cool. and at one of the Geddons sounds like a good idea x3

By Rehtse. 26/02/11, 06:39 am

Oooooh if I lived anywhere near you... >///<
I sooo want to be a part of this >_<

By Grassangel. 26/02/11, 06:56 am

*raises hand* I'd be willing to help with construction/whatever part is being done in Wellington. I really like the idea of trainer-carriers for a Gyarados as well.
*is trying to think of other dragon/snake like characters* Haku, with No-face carriers?

By Lowkey. 28/02/11, 04:40 am

I guess this means time to start on a plan re: how we're building, where, and when, and who's attending.

SGB and I can probably host a sewing meet in Wellington; only one sewing machine but enough space and also some spare mattresses if people are coming down/up and need to crash (but will have to confirm with parents, obviously). But before that even happens, some executive decisions regarding a pattern, the method for constructing the head; these need to have some finality or we're going to sit around twiddling our toes instead of constructing (Or perhaps more likely hosting Super Smash Brothers Brawl tournaments; while entertaining...).

I suppose I open the floor to all and any brainstorming, links to tutorials, suggestions, &c. Fabric swatches, illustrations for pattern, ideas on how to build the body. Possibly a final list of people keen would be useful so we can work out how long to make it and begin to think about talking about splitting costs incurred if necessary. My suspicion is that a paper-mache head with fabric glued/stretched over attached to a long tube of whatever cheap blue fabric we can find won't be too costly or too challenging; dowels and hoops to support the structure might be more costly?

Do we have a consensus on what Gyarados should be chasing around? I like the idea of a circular sort of pokemon or a pokeball on a stick that's long enough that it'll be head height on the dragon despite its bearers relative lack of stature. <3

Chyeah bro, look at me putting my A+ Project Management skills to use, oi.

By Li-Bai. 28/02/11, 01:33 pm

behold my amazing paint skills

By Tracer Kinship. 01/03/11, 03:14 pm

Ohmygod I totally support this idea and would love to help out.

By Lowkey. 02/03/11, 02:46 am

So far our project team is tentatively: Li Bai, Tracer Kinship, Thornback?, SGB, JVKA, Icarus, Grassangel, Hyolee and myself? Please confirm (with your location and if you are willing or able to travel at some future date).

Just going to throw out a seed-idea to get us started: suggest improvements as we go. I would recommend a papermache head being constructed in Wellington, since it's where several people can work together semi-regularly between layers and drying phases. Fins and tails could be constructed across the rest of the country by willing volunteers; same for pokeball-on-a-stick, with a final date set for everybody to meet either in Wellington or at some half-way point space that doesn't look sideways at kids with sewing machines and a ... giant floppy dragon.

Materials list?:
X number of hoops and dowels for bearing, where X is number of willing acrobats/carriers
x meters of blue fabric where X is dependant on willing bearers/length of Gyarados - could be a slightly fancy fabric or something cheap we can paint on?
x meters of cream/yellow fabric for stomach and details
x meters of pale blue / silvery blue fabric for fins
Papermache & cardboard & swiss ball, for moulding/building head base
...

with:
? other fabric colours?
? fur / ruffle as in dragondance photograph above?
? somebody clever to rig a watergun inside the Gyarados' mouth?
? stitck-pokeman/pokeball.
? costumes for carriers

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