Am new here From Christchurch

By denodan. 10/07/10, 05:29 am

I am new here, and from Christchurch. I have just started to Cosplay, and have an Obi Wan costume, now waiting for the boots, and FX light Saber with detactable blade. Also getting a Star Trek Costume, and will get the Anakin Skywalker one.

I get my costumes from Costumebase on Ebay.

What has happened to all the fun in Cosplay? From reading forums about competions, etc and to join the 501st and Rebel Legion, etc, all seem to be full of all these rules and regulations about how the costume has to be, etc. What happened to indivuality and the creative sprit and fun factor? Who wants carbon copies of each other?

Why not just have fun and not worry to much if your costume has to be exact, or not, or all made, or party made. We are all not dress makers. To many rules and standards can take away just having fun, so are there some far less formal cosplay groups, or clubs around who don't care, but just have fun cosplaying?

I am of that kind, who cares, it's about fun dressing up like someone else, or your favourte caracter from a movie, etc, sure if you want to be exact, then fair enough, but why have strick standards.

It's like playing chess, you can play for fun, or be serious with all the rules and regulations, but much fun without set standards. I think being to serious can put people of cosplaying and gives the impression your nerdy, etc and only for nerds.

I like it for fun and wear costumes around the home, but looking for less serious groups.

The ones with all the rules and reguations just puts me off Cosplay.

By daydreamer. 10/07/10, 05:30 am

WELCOME

By **Riven_**. 10/07/10, 05:35 am

Welcome to the forums! Am new here From Christchurch Icon_cheers

Cosplay isn't all serious! For competitions I can understand why people would want everything perfect, but if you dont' want to stress to much about it, no one's going to make you. :3

By Icarus. 10/07/10, 05:57 am

Welcome buddy~~

meh, I think most of us cosplay FOR the fun!
the rules for the contest are ttly understandable (it is a competition so it would be best for things to be fair between the contestants~)
as for standards on cosplay in general (like just wearing it etc.) I didn't think there were any :/ if you wanna do it, then go for it, simple as that~ Very Happy

edit: that post took a while to write thanks to Riven's sig, it makes me smile lol

By riiche-. 10/07/10, 08:21 am

Welcome!
Like the other people said: strict rules in competitions are understandable but at other times it's just fun~

By hyolee123. 10/07/10, 08:45 am

Welcome.

Yeah I don't enter the competitions it's not something you have to do ^.^ I'm in it for the fun

By Squishy blob. 10/07/10, 01:22 pm

Welcome to CNZ!

By denodan. 10/07/10, 01:52 pm

All I need to know now is how to find events down here, where I can wear my costumes. Seems very little info on where to go and what to do?

By Hewajima Shizuo. 10/07/10, 03:07 pm

AAAACCCCEEEE a pedigree cosplayer, I mean didn't it all start out as fun? It's good to know actually cosplayers exist (sorry all you rule lovers I'm a free spirit) Welcome!!!!

By **jpwise**. 11/07/10, 07:36 am

Welcome. :)

By Highlander. 11/07/10, 07:55 am

Welcome,

The competition rules are pretty simple. You must make 70% of it. It can't be a danger to anyone. And generally you don't rely on the judges to know your costume. So you submitt a picture. And try to meet that picture as far as practical.

The 501st are star wars geeks, so like they don't want people just throwing a blanket on and saying they are a Jedi. But having said that I work with the SRO of the 501st. And although you will have to do/buy a proper screen costume to be in it he does not even go book perfect on his costumes. So you loose nothing by talking to him. Trust me he is friendly.

So Pm me your details and I will get him to talk to you.

Threads to check here are

https://cosplaynewzealand.forumotion.com/christchurch-cosplayers-f18/

https://cosplaynewzealand.forumotion.com/christchurch-cosplayers-f18/
https://cosplaynewzealand.forumotion.com/christchurch-cosplay-club-f32/

and of course the Christchurch Geddon Section.

By denodan. 11/07/10, 07:59 am

Hewajima Shizuo wrote:: AAAACCCCEEEE a pedigree cosplayer, I mean didn't it all start out as fun? It's good to know actually cosplayers exist (sorry all you rule lovers I'm a free spirit) Welcome!!!!

If everyone follows strict rules then how is anyone who does cosplay meant to be creative? Is that not part of cosplay? I have seen some wonderful Cosplay verisons of Star Wars costumes, not sticking to rule.

How boring with so many rules everyone looks the same. having strict rules like 501st and RL does there is no creativty, and carbon copies of everyone else. To me this is no fun.

Some people may like Cosplay this way, but not me?

I know how boring everyone sticking to rules can be. I am into playing the electronic organ, the electone EL70, you can get backing disks for these, all sound the same, all play the same, so boring. Half the time I don't use backing disk, but use my own creativty, much more fun and alive.

To much of the same gets boring fast. Being human is to be creative.

No offense to those who want to join, or be part of the 501st, or RL go for it, but for me it's no fun, everyone looking the same and same standards.

By Plazcheetah. 11/07/10, 08:05 am

Welcome to CNZ Enjoy your Stay Very Happy

If you don't want any rules when cosplaying don't join any competitions or groups
Simple right?

By SockPanda. 11/07/10, 08:05 am

Welcome, welcome~ *hands cupcakes*

Rules are necessary to a point, imo, but with the cosplay rules for 'Geddon's contests and events here, a lot of those "rules" are very much common sense when you think about them 8) Safety for you, safety for others, and they still allow a lot of creativity~

By Highlander. 11/07/10, 08:12 am

Well imperial Legions do all look the same.

And well if you are cosplaying a particular person then you look like them?

And like the others say the competition is the competition. There has to be some agreement on what people are competing in. But the rules are pretty few. And there is even a cosplay parade now for those people who don't wish to compete to show off.

But there is always room for creativity. The Dalek suit at ChCh geddon. Several examples of cardboard suits lately. The list is endless.

I am one of the ones with no reference picture and scant descriptions for my competition cosplay. So much of it is working out details the authors never thought of, making it up myself, then changing them to fit my budget.

By Icarus. 11/07/10, 08:13 am

@Denodan: I know you continue to say you don't like the rules, but I'm curious as to what specific rules you're talking about? Cause you say sticking to the rules is boring, but which rules are they that make things 'boring'? Not picking a bone with you, I just feel it's quite vague what you're saying.
Like are these rules competition-wise? con safety? Or from the 'eww, you're doing it wrong' on lookers' point of view?

By denodan. 11/07/10, 01:06 pm

By Rules I am talking about groups like the 501st and the RL Starwars groups, they put I feel rediculous standards on costumes, so all basically must end up looking the same in the end.

This sort of thing puts me off Cosplay. It meant to be fun and creative also. How boring if everones costume looks the same.

Also think it is silly how Rules that Amagedon have like 70% of the costume must be hand made, how rediculous. What is wrong with a totally bought costume? Sure they may no be always accurate but whats the deal, the costume must be made or heavly ultered. Don't the judge on creative costume design?

I am into Cosplay for fun, not rules. To me I see many of these as nerds. Just hope I don't offend anyone, but this is how I see many.

I maybe wrong, but just got into it and come accross all these rules. Just hope the fun and creative aspect is taken into account.

What's the big deal if your costume is not perfect.

I may be looking at Cosplay the wrong way, but just reading a lot seems for competions and to get into serious groups also means serious rules and standards.

**Guest** Guest

You have to make 70% yourself because it is a competition where you are being judged on how well your costume is made. Letting in bought costumes takes away the whole purpose :/

By Icarus. 11/07/10, 01:15 pm

ok, so it's the competition rules thats got you.
As many have said, don't enter. Simple as that.

As for why you have to make 70% of your costume, I'm going to disagree with you there. How would you feel if you MADE your entire outfit from scratch with blood+sweat+tears, and the person that wins the prize just brought it off ebay. Sort of unfair, no?
And yes, not all of us are seamstresses etc. But how many of us have actually TOUCHED a sewing machine in our lives before getting into cosplay? I can honestly believe that 60%, if not more of us have never had anything to do with sewing before getting into this hobby.

And we do have fun making them, learning new things, challenging ourselves. Just because LOADS of effort & time was put into them doesn't mean we didn't have fun at the same time.

By **JVCA**. 11/07/10, 01:18 pm

Denodan, those rules are only for the cosplay competition, which focuses heavily on workmanship as well as character-play. 'Hall cosplaying' is when one just wears a costume into the convention for fun and doesn't enter the competition - and there are no rules for that (though it's recommended to make sure that you don't have anything pointy that might take someone's eye out!). Most of the people on here just Hall Cosplay - many, like myself, do both. Smile

Such rules are necessary for the cosplay competition because otherwise it gets unfair for those who have made their own costume. Apart from what Icarus has already said, the audience is also a major problem. The audience has no issues with speaking it's mind, and will quite happily shout it to the rooftops if they think that one costume in the competition is better than another one - so it puts the judges in a tricky position. They will always award those who've put in the hard yards and buying a costume is obviously much easier than making one (as you've pointed out yourself in your intro thread).

However, the audience doesn't know who has put in how much effort - they only get to see what's on the outside, and that's what they judge on - so someone who made their own costume by themself can get abused because the audience thinks that the store-bought costume was better than the home made one.

If you want to show off your costume on stage, the judges (who are absolutely lovely ladies) have started a non-competition event on the Saturday of Armageddon called 'The Cosplay Parade'. There are no rules (beyond the simple health and safety type things - like the pointy things mentioned above!), and there's a big focus on 'playing' in character. It sounds like it's much more what you're after. nodnod

By Tails. 11/07/10, 01:20 pm

^ I agree.

Anyway, the 70% rules only applies to those entering the cosplay comp, not everyone's cosplays! All the cosplays worn the non-comp days, & even the cosplays worn on the comp day but not entered can be whatever you want it to be, bought or made. No one really notices if your outfit isn't perfect, or would mind, not everyone's a perfectionist.

Have you cosplayed at Armageddon or another cosplay function before? You should, it's a lot more relaxed than you're making it out to be :)

By denodan. 11/07/10, 01:26 pm

Thanks for clearing things up. For me Cosplay is fun, not into the competions, just fun as seems many are here for. Was reading requirements to join the 501st and RL full of strict costume standards which do change, this sort of thing just makes me run. Who knows if I add to my costumes to become more movielike I may try the RL, but not this stage.

But for me it's fun and wear costumes around home.

Only just got into it, a total new Cosplayer.

By **JVCA**. 11/07/10, 01:36 pm

Then welcome to the fold! nodnod

By denodan. 11/07/10, 01:42 pm

JVCA wrote:: Then welcome to the fold!

Thanks for that. One thing, how many here enjoy wearing their costumes around the home when not working, like weekends? Is it common?

By Icarus. 11/07/10, 01:44 pm

^ I'll either find every excuse to cosplay anywhere, school, work etc, or just wear parts of a costume as 'normal' clothing~ 'tis fuun~~~ Very Happy

**Sponsored content**