By: John Smith
When attending a
cosplay convention, or similar gathering, there are simple unspoken rules or
guidelines that you should be aware of. These are things that for the most part
I have learned for myself as a veteran convention participant. Relying on
general guidelines helps to give structure to an otherwise "chaotic"
event.
Firstly use should
be aware of the cosplay is. Cosplay is the practice of wearing costumes and
fashion accessories to represent a specific fictional character. Cosplay
applies to any costume roll and venues apart from a stage performance. Material
sources include comic books, cartoons, video games, live action films and TV
series.
When preparing to
attend a cosplay convention, you should plan to get there as early as possible.
You will want to register your ticket, which is highly recommended you by
beforehand, and get your badge from the staff. If he had not purchased a ticket
for the event before registration starts, chances are you on the longer be able
to get one online. That means having to wait and an even longer line for an
even pricier ticket. The lines sometimes circle around the building if you
aren't careful to get there with in plenty of time. Once you have your badge,
you can enter and exit the convention at your convenience.
Bring a camera,
bandages, and over-the-counter pain medicine. You want to remember the
experience with photos of the amazing cosplays. The Band-Aids and
over-the-counter pain reliever are for your feet and headache. The conventions
are loud, so loud that quiet shouting is an acceptable tone. Your feet will be
killing you by the end of the day from wanting to see all the panels to be
offered.
When cosplaying,
you should always be prepared for the absolute worst, but hope for the best.
You should test your cosplays resilience before I'm wearing it to a convention.
This means it should hold up almost as well as normal clothing when worn for an
extended period of time. Try to remember you will be moving in this. As
resilient as a cosplay may be, accidents do happen. Bring everything you could
possibly need with you to repair your costume. Be a pessimist when it comes to
packing. It is inevitable that something will fall off, come unglued, or a
strap will break. Safety pins, glue and scissors are your friends!
As far as props
go, most conventions will have rules about what is allowed in and what is not.
You should try as hard as possible to adhere to these rules. Most of the time
you will have to have your props that appear to be weapons checked by damages
staff. This means they will check and see if it is threatening to you or others
and then secure a piece of tape to it and make sure that he will know it is not
an actual weapon. Making them lightweight and durable is key to an enjoyable at
convention experience. You do not want to haul around a large, heavy and half
broken prop all day. Remember accidents do happen to bring supplies for
repairs.
A very important
unspoken rule is to not be a creep. The event center is not your home. Sleeping
in the hallways, leaving your bag unattended, hogging the restroom to change
costume, and walking around without footwear are all highly frowned upon. Act
like you would anywhere else. Just because you are in costume for the weekend
and are there to enjoy yourself around people like you doesn't mean relaxing
the point of rudeness. It is encouraged that you be friendly and comfortable
with the people around you. However, please be courteous.
There will be
people asking to take your picture if you have chosen to dress up. You can however
decline their offer. Cosplay doesn't equal consent. Some patrons have less than
peering tensions, and because of this, it is understandable why you wouldn't
want your picture to being taken for fear of where it may end up. If you don't
want your picture taken and someone has cited to take your picture anyway,
reports that immediately to the convention staff. Most conventions have a very
specific laws and the rules about this, and they will be ejected from the
convention without a refund.
When cosplaying, you will notice
that people tend to get excited when seeing you. They will want to hug you.
However, as I stated before costly does not equal consent! You may not want to
be hugged. You don't know these people, and these cosplays are fragile. You
have put a lot of time and effort into this and you wanted to stay in one
piece!
More important
than anything is general safety. Your cosplay should always have enough room
for you to breathe in, and have enough visibility that your senses aren't
compromised. Never except food or drinks from strangers, followed them to
places you aren't familiar with, or invite them back to your hotel room.
Remember, when walking to the convention center or hotel, baby traffic rules
and try to use sidewalks and trolleys when available.
Ultimately, what
do you want to take away from this is to remember to have fun, be safe,
courteous and prepared.
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