Blustery Blizzcon!

[furtech]

I got down to Blizzcon '08 just in time to miss the costume contest...
Last year, they had the costume contest after the dance contest and the voice contest...it figures they'd finally get a clue and hold the costume contest first this year (when I'm battling Friday rush hour holiday traffic-- LA to OC), instead of making the costumers stand ready for two hours like last year.

Still, I met up with friends who clue'd me in on what the big winners were. Grand Prize winner was mind-blowing, over-the-top and out-classed anything I've seen at Worldcon, Costumecon and any anime masquerade .



She was also last year's Grand Prize winner. Apparently, she just really loves World of Warcraft and pulled out all stops to make a costume for the con. The turtle was built on one of those electric chairs/scooters and could hold a grown man (the MC got on for a ride at the end). The legs are animated and move as the whole turtle moves. Un-frikking-believable! I can't imagine the logistics of this costume: it's HUGE! And heavy! How did they even get it up on stage?!? She's from Arizona and apparently rented a truck to transport it. I'm am humbled and inspired at such dedication! WINNER!

The lousy thing is: Grand Prize this year was a replica sword, not a laptop (though the one she won last year is probably still pretty good); only the second and third place costumes got an Alienware laptop. Weird, huh?

This year Blizzcon took up three full halls and the number of people was staggering. Here's the audience for the dance contest. Those screens? They're twelve by twenty FEET huge.


Off again today, but won't spend much time at the con. Just friends and hanging out.

In other news: we had a blast of cold air last night. I am a bad gardener: my pitcher plants-- which had been recovering wonderfully from a previous mis-care incident (not enough light) totally dried out and may be dead. they are bent over in a wrinkly, green heap. They probably needed water yesterday (not in a bad way, but needing something), but the dry, cold blast was too much. Oddly two of them survived without any problem...curious.

EDIT: I had a chance to talk with the costumer and her father this evening. Most of the materials (except for the wheelchair) could be purchased at Home Depot. The father's day job has nothing to do with prop-making, or even construction (he works on microwave antennas, I think). This was all done via trial and error (he said most of the features had to be done at least twice). He had some genuinely innovative mechanics in the turtle, too: I love how he used intrinsic dynamics to create movement and reduce weight. He even came up with an identical technique for motion as something I had played around with. This was a genuine team effort.

All of this was a huge inspiration! I'm so tired of seeing lazy costumers asking where to buy fur...or how to cut foam...or etc. These two just started with an idea and went for it-- trying out ideas, scrapping or modifying them as they went along. None of that baby-bird-feed-me-cheep-cheep-crap: they learned by experimentation and that's how new solutions and innovations are created!

Comments

[chuck-melville.livejournal.com]

Holy moly! That's a costume!? Even I'm impressed!

[diadexxus.livejournal.com]

*jaw drop*

[baja-hyena.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link. Some really incredible work.

[okojosan.livejournal.com]

Wow, that turtle and rider are awesome! She did a great job.

The Frostmourne replica is actually pretty cool, though not worth the same as a laptop. It is kind of weird that she got that instead of a laptop. Also, I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable hanging an evil sword on my wall!

I hope your pitcher plants survive!

[furtech.livejournal.com]

The sword-- if it's the one I saw on display-- comes with its own ice-stalagmite-like stand that the sword is held in point down. BUt yeah-- no laptop? Huh.

I'll know in a day or so if the plants survived...it's also about the time for them to go dormant, so there is -some- hope!

[nicodemusrat.livejournal.com]

Holy cow! That's not a costume, that's a parade float!

What a piece of work. That's seriously impressive.

[spunkywulf.livejournal.com]

Exactly what I was thinking too!

[genjitsu.livejournal.com]

SAVE ME YOUR SWAG BAG PLZ

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Sure-- I gave the card to some kid, tho'. You just want the inflateable sword, right?

[vulpesrex.livejournal.com]

On the one hand, I have to concur with your judgement, that is truly AWESOME in creating an illusion like that, and making it real.

But I also have to agree with the statement Nicodemusrat made, even if it was only meant as a jest - what, exactly, defines a costume? And how much of what we are seeing here is "costume" and how much is "prop"?

Bearing in mind the world in which this particular entity is a part, I have to say that this is a costume in the same way that a soldier in a tank is wearing a costume.

I guess that this is really TWO costumes - the clothes and appliances that SHE is wearing, and the TURTLE which disguises her mechanical ride.

Again, NOT to take away from her accomplishment, ingenuity, and craft, but it DOES sort of stretch the envelope a bit...

[furtech.livejournal.com]

It's the total effect that counts (IMO). The turtle is a giant prop, just like a sword or wings or a helmet could be considered. Big grey area, but a valid one, I think.

I like this concept because of how it takes things to a whole, new level. And it's a legit amateur costume, which I think is cool.

[auryanne.livejournal.com]

Doh! I didn't know you were going or I would have tried to find you.

Did you see the Talbuk? It definitely looks like a fursuiter built it, I got some pictures of her (?) running around.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Between terrible cell-reception and the near impossibility of hearing or feeling your cell phone going off in any of the halls, it would have been difficult to coordinate...besides, I figured you and others I knew at the con would want to focus on folks you only see at this con. I was originally going to try and get a costume done, but time and events precluded that.

I didn't see the Talbuk! Please post pics! I did see several Taurens and a Pandaran, tho'.

[auryanne.livejournal.com]

http://www.auryanne.com/albums/BlizzCon2008/bg_talbuk.sized.jpg

There's some others in my gallery, I really liked a couple of the draenei.

Oh and your icon reminds me, I got a worgen miniature :D

[spunkywulf.livejournal.com]

That was made by Luskwood Creatures, actually! Good call :D

http://luskwood.org/costume/gallery/hoovedanimals/mannheim

[whiteyfawks.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I hear you on the Cheep-Cheeps. Half the fun is just having a pile of bits and seeing what works best. It's like building legos without the guide.

Oh, could you drop me an email in regards to FC2009, we're trying to set up this years panels. :)

[furtech.livejournal.com]

I am usually happy to give new costumers advice or talk about how something was made. Everyone gets started somewhere-- but try something -- anything -- first. There's a prevailing tone of entitlement that I see in the costuming communities, where people want everything handed to them. They can't even be bothered to use Google to find fur or foam or how-to's. That's incredibly insulting to those who -have- put time and effort into honing their skills.

On the other hand, I -love- people who just Do It (stealing from Nike). Especially when it results in something like the costume above!

I owe you and Baja email and a call...I'll get on it!

[vulpesrex.livejournal.com]

Quote:

"There's a prevailing tone of entitlement that I see...where people want everything handed to them."

It isn't _just_ the costuming communities; in the past 2 weeks I've seen this response or heard this line from the AnthroCon Forums, Monika Livingstone's LJ, a job interviewer, School Teachers...And each time, I get a sense of Impending Deja Vu (which may or may not be a Zen concept). I can forgive people no longer doing research in libraries, thanks to the ease of Google and WikiPedia - which those under 30 are otherwise quite adept at using for other things - but it is this notion that they HAVE to do the research, or even HAVE to ask the question, which floors me.

...And it isn't just knowledge! There is an expectation of being given credit, praise, and even adulation for merely...well, for just BEING. Nothing is earned, nothing is labored for - and, I suspect, ultimately nothing is valued. Or appreciated.

[furtech.livejournal.com]

You're right: I'm just a bit tunnel-visioned because I don't get out much I'm so focused on the costuming aspect. I've had discussions with generally intelligent friends about whether there is an epidemic of narcissism in the current generation of young adults (it's wider spread than this, but the focus seems to be here) and whether this was brought about by the internet and its ability create instant fame and immediate feedback, for little personal cost or investment. Cheep-cheep!

[aurora77]

Late, I know.

I hear ya. I just did it when it came to sewing and general costuming. I borrowed a sewing machine, read the instructions, went online and found info, made a pattern through trial and error, and came out with a usable costume piece. I think that my lack of formal training has made me come up with interesting ways of doing things, but I'm at the point where need to know real techniques and not just what I've read online. Now that I'm seriously costuming as a hobby, I've picked up books and I'm trying to learn tips and tricks from friends. I still make all my own patterns, but that's mostly because accurate medieval patterns are hard to find. (Real patterns and their instructions intimidate me, too.) I like to think I'm pretty resourceful, but I still look to some of my professional friends for help in determining some of the best techniques or materials when I can't find enough information. I don't want to be a burden, though. So far, I haven't tried anything that failed in a year of costuming, at least nothing that made it beyond the muslin mockup stage. And now and again, I have ideas and execution that impress even my experienced friends. :) I like it best, though, when I figure things out on my own, because it's all my own creation and I can be even more proud of it.

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

Hey there bud! I just saw this and figured you might like it too.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAV7rerC-oo&NR=1

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Those are fantastic! I'm in awe at how well they used motion and design to give them such animation and life without any powered mechanics! Neat-- Thanks!