CostumeCon Report

[aya_blue]

Costume-Con report time!

Quick summary: If I could only go to one convention for the rest of my life, this would be the one! This was our first year at CC, so hopefully this will be helpful for other noobies next year.

Comments

[mutive]

Huh, interesting. I remember hearing the same thing at Fanime. The annoyance over the "conceptual" panels and the love of the few that actually went into detail as to how to work the craft.

Then again, the one I did that way was demoted to the worst time slot on earth. So maybe there's a discrepancy between what people want and what con organizers think people want...

[aya_blue]

I get the conceptual panels everywhere, so I was hoping CC would be different. I understand why, though; I think the crafting panels would be considerably more difficult to prepare, not to mention the supplies you would need to drag with you.

Good to hear that other people feel the same way.

[mutive]

Yeah, and it seems odd that they can't get anyone to do them...

I hosted one and it's really not that hard. But I think that conventions often prefer not to do them as they can make a mess, etc. Just sort of sad...

[auroraceleste]

I really don't think it's lack of getting anyone to do panels, but lack of ideas for what people want to see. Costume Con is planned by a small core that goes every year, and they (we) can loose sight of what new people want to see and what they want to learn. Instead they plan either a) what worked last year, or b) what they'd like to see. Combined with the fact that a vocal part of the planning core is new to the internet and congregates in small, specific areas that don't include forums like cosplay.com it results in panels that they are interested in but don't always appeal with the majority of newer folks.

That's why I'm really looking forward to a list of panels you guys would like to see. I'd love to get a copy as well as Lisa, because there are other conventions I'd use those panels for if Costume Con can't utilize them. I think my panel repertoire has gotten kinda stagnant and I'd love to develop some stuff people actually *want* to see, especially here in the East.

[mutive]

Ah, I could see that.

I know for me, the panels I've always loved are those that are very nuts and bolts as to how to do something. How do I work with leather? (You know, types of needles, stitch size, etc. Or for thicker leather, the old soak in warm water then play with.) How do I put in grommets? Put in boning? Mold plastic? Mold fiberglass? Make a rubber mold? Make simple armor. I know a fair amount of this now, but when you're new, any of these techniques can be pretty overwhelming, and walking through them first with someone who knows what they're doing is super helpful.

Hands on stuff is also great. I would adore a panel that gave me a needle and thread and walked me how to do basic embroidery stitches (which I suck at), or basic hand sewing stitches (which I'm better at, but still...) Like most costumers, I do it in part because I can't sit still, so panels that allow me to move a bit and try it myself are infinitely better than those where someone drones on about armor or whatever. ;)