Sunday, September 30, 2012

Photography - Skyrim Fashion Shoot - Emilie Elizabeth Photography


There's all sorts of Cosplay photographers out there. Some are do it as a hobby, some are professional photographers who do portraits, commercial photography etc. and some like Emilie Elizabeth do something different.

Emilie is a commercial photographer who has shot photos for GUESS, San Francisco Chronicle, Activision, Universal Music, Tabasco and more. And she also loves video games!

Being a huge fan of Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim she decided to do a photoshoot up in a ski resort in Mt Baldy. Here's some great photos she's done!





You can buy prints of her work and check out other photos she's done at her site

Emilie Elizabeth Photography

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Showcase - Resident Evil Cosplay

It's Ada Wong! (Backlash Jo)
 
The latest Resident Evil game, RE6 is now available! Thought I'd go hunting for great Resident Evil cosplayers out there on the internets : )

Even though I'm too sh!t scared to play Resident Evil, I've always liked the iconic character designs from the series. Just dig the military look!

Another one of Ada (Backlash Jo)

Classic Jill Valentine (PriSuiCun)
Rebecca Chambers! (Itakoo)
ok I know Alice is from the RE movies but this just looks too cool (gbright1)
Albert Wesker (ShinobiHime)
Leon Kennedy and Ada from RE4 (Hopie-chan and her hot boyfriend!)
Gotta have some MONSTERS! (full credits here)

Bertha from RE Op Racoon City (VelaSama14)


Billy & Rebecca from RE 0 (SenninUzumaki & MuzzaThePerv)

Claire Redfield (MadeInHeaven1979)
RE5 Jill Valentine (WhiteLemon)
NEMESIS! (UMB241Reaper)

4 Eyes and Lupo (Rae Rae Reiko & Naxul)
It's William Birkin! (xxFireFrostxx)



Spotlight - Ran the Moe Gundam Girl! - Taiwan


 
You've seen those guys in full mecha suits but have you seen a girl in a mecha suit? Kotaku featured Ran, dubbed the QUEEN of Gundam Cosplay who's known for her moe style Gundam outfits!

Other outfits she's worn

Z Gundam!
Side view of Z Gundam

Classic RX-78
Gundam SEED





Check out her CURE profile here!

Friday, September 28, 2012

Quirky!- Icelandic Mayor Cosplays as a Jedi - Iceland

So cute! XD
Here's something interesting! lezgetreal.com reports that Icelandic Mayor, Jón Gnarr Kristinsson, who's also an actor and comedian, dressed up as a Jedi to attend the premiere of 'Comic-Con IV: A Fan's Hope' in Iceland!

That Jedi is a Senator I mean Mayor!

Jon Gnarr the Iceland Mayor of Reykjavík

The article goes on to question: What would happen if US politicians cosplayed and would that be a good idea?

Nnoo. Probably not, as the media would probably rip them to shreds. 

Check out the article here





EPIC Fan Vid - Dragon Con 2012 - USA


Yaya Han herself recommended this EPIC fan vid of Dragon Con 2012 by Beatdown Boogie, featuring the best moments of the Florida con! Man I REALLY WANNA GO SOME TIME!


Yeah, when I have money, time and then some : ) Looks like SO MUCH FUN. 

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Prop Making 101 - Handy Tips from Blind Squirrel Props

Yoko's (Gurren Laggen) Rifle by Blind Squirrel Props
 
Volpin Props, one of the BEST prop makers in the cosplay scene, recommended this handy 'Prop Making 101' page by the guy who inspired him to make props, Blind Squirrel Props!

I'll just quickly stick the main points of the article here

1. Start building stuff from the inside out

2. Build basic shapes first than worry bout details later

3. Do not glue anything unless you really have to

4. Don't let the unknown stop you from making stuff, it'll figure itself out mid way.

5. If stuff's not working, don't be afraid to re-build things

6. Do not be afraid, take things 1 step at a time

7. Don't buy tools or supplies until you need it. (cause it sucks when you waste money unnecessary) 

8. Work to a schedule!

9. Ask if you're not sure! - forum people are quite helpful!

10. If someone can do it, you can too! 

11. PATIENCE. Have lots of it!

12. Mistakes are inevitable, you don't suck just because you made a mistake

13. START BUILDING ALREADY!

I think this goes the same with any project not just prop building. Stuff listed here can be applied to anything from a costume to an animation project to 3D modeling! Pretty insightful

I was struggling with a visual effects project for the past month and was really putting it off for weeks until it came down to the final week where I did get it done and hey, it wasn't so bad.

It was really strange because I experienced the exact same problem when I was doing my animation project in college. And I thought I'd be smarter 6 years from now. But no, it was like re-living my college project again.

I'd start out with this really awesome idea, make a schedule, start the project, realize there are so many issues that I just get overwhelmed and not do anything and than rush at the last moment. It's horrible to work like that. It gets things done but obviously not to the standard I'd envision it and my head will compromise and trick itself into saying 'hey, at least you finished' but that's not what it should be.

Then I found this image in the book 'Steal Like An Artist' by Austin Kleon and suddenly. OMG. I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM?


 And then suddenly, the heavens opened and I realized that EVERYONE has this problem when they work on a project!

I think the guys who know this are the guys who supass this life cycle and then, this chart doesn't apply to them anymore because they're SO GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO. But they experienced it many times BEFORE they got awesome!

So don't be afraid to just get started, you will make mistakes and you will mess up, but its' TOTALLY NORMAL.

Get this book, it's REALLY AWESOME. It made me see a lot of things and yes, art is theft.
 

Event - Resident Evil 6 Launch Party - Hollywood CA


Resident Evil 6, the latest installment of the Resident Evil game franchise releases this Friday!

Capcom has posted up an event notice on their blog. The party will be at:

When: Friday, September 28th 8pm-12am
Where: LURE - 1439 Ivar Ave, Hollywood, CA 90028
Musical Guest: NAS
Opening act: Miles Mosley
How much: FREE!
Note: Must be 21 or older.

Man! That sounds rad! Come on cosplayers, boogie down there! 

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Article - Marketing to Otakus and Nerds - Interesting..hmmm

 
Stumbled upon by accident, found this article on Campaign Asia-Pacific talking about marketing products to geeks and Otakus in Asia.

Here are some interesting points made in the article
 

1. In the East, nerds and geeks have never been regarded as uncool. 

This is true! I'm from Singapore and everyone LOVES SMART PEOPLE. I don't know anyone who's got any flack for being a nerd. There's huge support for video game culture, buying of consumer electronics and toys here and its more or less widely accepted as a hobby.

Smart school kids advertise a health tonic on a Singapore bus ad. WE LOVE NERDS IN THIS COUNTRY!

2. Due to recent tech, socio-economic advances and the rise of IT industries in Asia, there's been sharp rise of Otaku/ geek communities in China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Philippines

Hmm fascinating. People are having more disposable income in these countries to spend money on geek stuff! And also with a biggish population, that's a lot of money to be made! Here in Singapore, everyone LOVES all things Japanese. Food, geek stuff, going there on holiday. I guess Singapore and a big chunk of Asia all aspire to be like Japan because they're the most culturally advanced nation. Everything just seems so fascinating and unique about them that people just like all things Japanese. 


3. Otakus and 'Zhai' (Chinese equiv of Otakus) are extremely passionate people but sometimes, their passion goes to crazy extremes. Like going for cosmetic surgery to fit certain cosplay looks, video game addiction, cyber hacking and more. And then, there's AKB48. The fact AKB48 made "US$212 million in record sales last year makes them one of the world’s most successful pop groups, with members appearing in commercials for everything from chocolate to mobile phones to government bonds."

 Yeah. It's true, it's easy to just throw yourself into stuff you exceptionally like that it does lead you down the path of ruin if you're not careful. Then again, commercial entities aren't your parents to warn you and tell you 'hey, don't buy too many toys!', they're a business and their job is to sell you stuff. AKB48 took off insanely well in Japan because they know exactly what otakus like.

Insanely obsessed AKB48 Otaku

How does AKB48 work?

"Much of their success is down to popularity contests for the girls, with fans getting to vote with tickets included in CD packages. Some fans spend massive amounts buying the same disc so that their favourite girl has a better chance of winning. "

I'm not kidding, this stuff is NUTS. I remember I was in Japan few years ago when AKB48 was first taking off and there were a bunch of guys just emptying out the gachapon machines (twist and turn egg machines) just to hope to get a ticket to watch the AKB48 perform at the theater. It was SERIOUSLY DISTURBING but well, like I said, commercial entities aren't your parents to caution you about your spending habits. They WANT you to spend money!

 4. 'Zhai' spend a lot of money on stuff they like but the issue is a lot of cool stuff is already free.(online MMOs) Also, most 'Zhai' are people in their 20s and they don't have a lot of money yet. An interesting point is “A lot of Chinese marketing is about aspiration,”

Ok I really wanna talk about 'Chinese marketing is about aspiration.'. Which is basically calling it 'the show off factor'. It's a fact, the general population of Chinese peeps feel rather insecure bout themselves and they like to own cool stuff as a 'show off' thing to feel better about themselves'. To flaunt that they have money and to own cool stuff means 'I'm more bad ass than thou.' Which is how branded goods sell so well in China (Yes, all those LV bags, Coach bags, Hermes etc.) why Chinese peeps want to own the latest iPhone and why Chinese gamers like to buy elite gear for their online game characters

She's beaming!!
 
As crazy as it sounds, THAT'S HOW THEY ROLL. So if you know this and if you have something to sell that makes Chinese people feel more badass about themselves status wise, YOU'VE GOT IT DOWN.

Anyway, go read the article for yourself

It's a really interesting and I highly recommend you check it out!

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Crazy! - Pamyu Pamyu's Fashion Monster Music Video!


I saw a Japanese friend stuck this up on her facebook and was curious. It's SO AWESOME I can't even describe it. This would definitely be a fun one to cosplay if you get a team together. I love how everything in Japan is just cute. Even Halloween stuff.

Upcoming Con - Cosplay Mania - Philippines



This weekend in Pasay City, Philippines is Cosplay Mania! It's quite a biggish event with Cosplay Checkers, competitions, photo contests and special guests from Japan, Reika, KANAME and Jesuke from Singapore!

Here are little teasers from Reika and KANAME (they were both in Singapore recently)




So if you're in town, go to the con!

Monday, September 24, 2012

Inspiration - Robyn Lawley, HOT Plus Size Model!



 I super applaud Ralph Lauren for taking on Aussie hottie Robyn Lawley as their new plus-size model!

Robyn is just stunning as the gal with the curves and seriously, not everyone is size 8! (size 0 whatever in the US)

I think she looks great and its a really good move on behalf of Ralph Lauren to market her instead of the usual skinny chics. Not saying skinny chics are bad but skinny chics are just genetically made that way, you can't BECOME a super skinny chic if you're just naturally not made that way!

So girls, it's ALRIGHT IF YOU'RE NOT A SUPER SKINNY MODEL. CURVES ARE COOL!

More great photos of her here and a sweet video

Robyn also loves FOOD! She has a great food blog which she records all the awesome things she's eaten 





Spotlight - Adam Savage, Cosplayer? - Mythbusters Guy Does Cosplay!

 
I do watch Mythbusters on and off when its on TV and all I know is Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman are science geeks who just love exploding things.

What I DIDN'T know is Adam Savage is also a sometimes cosplayer!

Showcase - Animania Sydney 2012 - Australia

Mikus!
 
Animania Sydney took place over the weekend in Australia with some great pic finds on Flickr and the rest of the internets. (Great photos Andy Wana!)

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Cool! - Tokyo Game Show Cosplay Collection Video


Crunchy Roll now has a video of the TGS Cosplay showcase vid which you can see here! Cool performances all round!



UPDATE: Alodia has just uploaded a video of her performance with Riddle and Yaya Han! See below



Found At the Con - Tokyo Game Show - Day 3

Team Basara! (Tachibana Ren and Reika)

Yesterday, TGS was opened to the public which means COSPLAYERS!

There was also a Coscure Cosplay Party last night featuring Yaya Han, Riddle and Alodia as well as the top cosplayers in Japan!

Kotaku managed to grab some sweet pics but I've scoured bout twitter and found these other cool ones

From Alodia's Twitter - Riddle, Yaya Han and Alodia

Instagram collection from someone's Twitter

Cloud & Rude! FF7
Sexy Dante from Devil May Cry.
Chun Li and Cammy! - Street Fighter
Cutsey girls from idunnowat series. Sorry
Console head?
JOURNEY!!!!!
Lightning! FF13-2
Lulu FFX
Kingdom Hearts 2! Axel and Roxis
DARS GIRL WANTS YOU TO BUY CHOCOLATE!




DETECTIVE CONAN IS REAL!!
SKYRIM!

Team Naruto! (Shiguma, Konomi Akira, YuRi Inaba)

And there's lots more! Pics from Games Radar, Kotaku, Destructoid and etc
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