Is cosplaying a talent?

It just struck me, when someone posted saying that someone was a very talented cosplayer.

Now to me talent is, making a costume, putting the effort and hard working into it.
I don't find wearing a costume a talent.
Anyone can wear a well hand crafted costume, but it doesn't mean that you are talented.

Anyone else agree? If you disagree I would like to know why?

(Ps, wasn't sure if I should post this in random or cosplay/convention.. so if it must be moved, please do so?)

Future note to move thread

should probably have posted this in the cosplay section

anyhow anyone can wear a costume, but you have to actually look like the character you're cosplaying.

but yea i would say it's mainly in how well made the costume is (as well as any makeup if necessary)

I think it's a talent based on judgement. Knowing which cosplays are best for you, designing and creating costumes (anyone can buy one I'm talking about people who make them) and adding your own creativity and flair.

I've seen a LOT of people who are terrible at cosplay for different reasons, very few have I seen that actually can make the most out of what they're working with.

There's the talent to recognize what you can and cannot do, make a good costume that fits you, and act out the character.

When I went to Animazement last month there were some very wonderful Saber and Link cosplays but at the same time very dreadful ones that make me feel ashamed to be around them. Also I have yet to see a good Naruto or Kirito/Asuna cosplay because they are so popular that no one even bothers to take the effort in making a good costume or people that should be cosplaying as them have access to the costume.

Imagine a fat short Kirito with the remains of a neck beard and very shitty looking swords along with a fat girl with a terrible wig as Asuna. egh.... Saw one.

On the other hand, there was a girl who was cosplaying as an Arcanine and had to bear with using stilts, a very thick costume, and walking on all fours for two whole days.

It can be a talent if you like to really get into character.

I guess it is. making costumes is definitely challenging, but looking the part may not be considered a "talent" so much as it is how good looking the person may be.

Cute? Cosplay some cute animu character.

Don't look good? Cosplay a character with a mask or a helmet.

I find talent in people if they make their costume really good and act it out, I once saw a perfectly good Death Saurer before and acted like one.

Related image:

If it's not a talent, THEN MAKE IT ONE.

SO IT HAS BEEN SAID, SO IT SHALL BE DONE.

That being said, there are fuckers who pay hundreds of dollars to get costumes made for them.

That's basically my take on it, I'm a cosplayer and it's just a hobby.

The car is talent to pose, and patience to create the disguise ....

better buy it ready-made

Basically it is acting out a character.

I think to a certain extent it is.

Anyone can cosplay - make a costume of your character, don a wig, apply make up, and you should be looking somewhat like your character.

But to look like a perfect version of said character in real life...I think that's where talent factors in. You'd have to be able to make a perfect replica of a costume and have some sort of stylistic sense that fits you and who you're cosplaying as. I also guess it helps if you're good-looking as well.

Just an FYI, if you're saying it's "just a hobby" then you're not a cosplayer. You're a person who likes to play dress up. There's nothing wrong with that, but being a cosplayer is way more then just looking cute and dancing around at conventions.

If you're not serious you're not a cosplayer your opinion on how we do things is invalid.

Also to answer your 'question' wearing a cosplay well IS a talent, secondly maybe you should post stuff in the right section you twit -_-; uugh.

In and of itself, not really- it's more the sum of several other talents; sewing, leatherwork, painting, sculpting, etc. And perhaps some acting, if you really want to get into character.

Umm...I think to a certain extent. If you can make a costume well and have people say "Dang, that person is X character", that's pretty talented. For example, I cosplayed Rance from the Rance series and, while the outfit was decent, I'm a skinny-ass mother fucker so I hardly looked like him since he's a warrior. However, another year, I cosplayed Vincent from Catherine. In addition to acting all scared and hugging my pillow I brought, I have kind of a fro when I grow my hair out and good chin scruff, so I got comments from people saying stuff like, "Dude, you ARE Vincent." So, if you choose outfits/characters that suit you and you can get into it, you could probably be considered talented.

Cosplay as WHOLE is a talent. Cosplay means “Costume Play”; anything involved to pull of your character is cosplay. it's Buying, sewing, makeup, crafting, wig care, Acting, Posing, Photographs, Interactions with others and learning about your character it is all what completes your package as a “cosplayer” there is not one over the other that establishes you as more talented, just the combination of them all. Any cosplay 101 panel will tell you the same.

Before I continue with my long breakdown of what goes into cosplay. I have to explain that I do NOT think just dressing up at conventions makes you a “cosplayer” I think it takes a lot more passions behind what you do and your love for each character you choose to put yourself smack dab in the middle of a hobby. Knitting a scarf once does not make you a knitter and a Cosplayer must have most if not all the sills mentioned above. Cosplayers are the people who spend day and night thinking of what they are going to do next and may do it semi-professionally or at least constantly.

Buying a cosplay simply means you lack the skill required to make that particular garment OR you run out of time OR you can not afford to make it and so on. There are very many reasons people buy their costumes versus making them. I Purchased Magical Girl Rin/Kaleido Ruby this year because I simply found it cheaper commissioned through Cosplayfu than making it on my own. Buying the fabric alone would have cost me close to 70 dollars, and with my discount and coupons I obtained the costume for a pretty good price. Some people cannot sew, cannot make armor, they just can’t but they may be more gifted in other departments such as wigs or posing. Buying a cosplay also takes some good knowledge of the characters garment. You have no control over the shaping and construction and you are trusting another person with this. You have to compare everything from reference photos to prices to make sure you get the proper costume. You also have to KNOW your fabrics as they will list them, and that will determine the quality and durability of the costume. It still takes a lot of work and money when you are making the decision to buy a costume.

Sewing is something I have been doing since 2004, I started taking lessons and after making one little skirt I decided to make Dark Chii/Freya’s dress from Chobits. It is still to this day one of my favorite costumes. I have not stopped sewing costumes and I have made everything from Nia from DearS, Taokaka from Blazblue, Lulu from LoL to a Yukata style Momoka. Sewing takes A LOT of patience, time, skill, knowledge and passion. There is a reason some people go to school for this. Sewing is complex. Saying you can sew doesn’t even begin to explain what it is you can and cannot do. It can mean Leatherwork, Hemming, Dress making, Hat making, lingerie, Doll attire and many other things. Each fabric is different and can require different needles, thread tensions and sewing speeds. Some garments require a separate surging machine, some require pressed seams and hand stitched corners such as a neck tie. It is definatly an asset to be able to sew. There is also a bit of math required as most people need to purchase patterns to make costumes and other garments. Pattern making is a intense process. Many people who make patterns at home do not know what they are doing, and the garment will not be as durable or lack the shape originally required. Making a pattern involves a lot of through about how the body moves and what needs to stretch and what needs to lay flat. It is not something to be learned in a couple months but over a couple years. Sewing is by far probably the most important aspect to being a cosplayer, but because it’s intricacy I cannot judge those who cannot do it.

Cosplay Photography is also intricate. It is the reason cosplay looks good, because photographers make it look good. I have seen many photographers take ok costumes and make them look fantastic. They work just as hard as anyone else. There are different photography styles you can do with cosplay but all well done shots make the Cosplayer fit into the environment as realistically as they can. Some Photographs are done to Show case workman ship- You’ll see booths that focus on this at larger conventions. Example Example Others will utilize the cosplayer as a prop in the Photo making every piece of the photograph just as important as the cosplayer yet STILL showcasing the importance of their costume. Example, Example Without Cosplay Photographers, the hobby wouldn’t even exists.

Makeup and Wigs can make or break a cosplay. Buying the perfect wig takes time and most of the time they need to be styled. Much of the time people stray away from sites such as Arda-wigs due to the price of the wig, however, There wigs are incredible and worth every cent. These are what professionals use. You can tell when a cosplayer has gone to eBay to buy their wigs and are off color or wrong versus a seasoned cosplayer who has put their time into the proper color and style. Makeup varies, Some people wear basic everyday makeup while others go for false lashes, contoured cheeks, false beards and body paint. Buying contacts matters. I Judged a costume contest this year for Animaritime and sponsored an award for hair and makeup. When it came to the final two they were neck and neck between Annie (LoL) and A sailor moon Endymion and Serenity duo. While Sailor moon won due to the intense and believable crossplay makeup done to Endymion, Annie was close for the sole fact she used contacts, an added bonus to her cosplay that was not even crucial.

Crafting such as making props or armor Is kind of intense and expensive. It takes a lot of trial and error to succeed and I must repeat: it is expensive. Crafting is something I am new at, I do not know much besides how to make a Staff from wood, foam and a piece of door screen. As simple as I can get it: Props are your weapons, toys, wings, head pieces or tools. Many skills go into crafting a decent prop. You need to be able to plaint, organize, measure, scale and work through obstacles with your props. Depending on what you are making your props from, you may need to have some sculpting, wood working, paper crafting, plaster or resin casting or mechanical skills. You will need steady hands to cut, paste, paint or carve details. If you plan to use your prop at convention you need to make sure you check the rules set by the weapons masters in regards to what materials you can and cannot use, and the weight limits. Props that are too heavy or made of metal are usually not allowed as they can seriously hurt someone.

Posing turn you from a pretty face to a character. This is something I am learning better right now. Posing is a skill you have to acquire. It’s trial and error, standing in font of a mirror or having a trusted photographer take different photos of you fucking around to know what does and doesn’t look good. If you cannot pose to save your life, your convention photos will not turn out. You should walk into that convention with a set of character poses developed. Look happy if Miku Hatsune, Look serious if Rei Ayanami, Look ferocious if Ganondorf and adorable if you are Hamtaro. If you love your character it is easier to pose like them.

Interacting with others is your way of showing your professionalism. When you have a photo snapped you should always feel like a celebrity, but keep your ego internalized. The moment you try to give yourself a compliment based on the opinion the photographer expressed you look very attention seeking. I happily do not deal with very many people like this and have had more positive experiences with cosplayers. Once at Hal-con 2012 there was a magical man cosplaying Dr.Loveless, his wheelchair worked and would blow steam and it was fantastic. He talked in a southern drawl the whole con, and played it up even more when children wanted photos.

Study up on your character, love your character and KNOW your character. My biggest pet peeve in cosplay are the folks who cosplay things they do not know. If you don’t know your character, if you do not love your character you will NOT have the same passion as someone who really wants to pay tribute to their character. I Have never set out to cosplay a character I do not know. Three times I have come across characters who seem fantastic before I watch/read the series (Siesta 45 – umineko, Mephisto – Blue exorcist and Daiya – Jojo’s bizarre adventures part 8: Jojolion), but I make it my prerogative to watch/read a good majority before I decide to work on it or not. Cosplay is not strictly for attention, obviously, you are adorning a costume to stand out, you have to be someone who is comfortable with attention to cosplay but you should seek the attention of fans of your work and the series you are from. If you are going to cosplay Yoko from Gurren Lagann or Sora from Kingdom Hearts, be prepared for fans to talk to you about the series, and trust me they will bring up spoilers.

Now I broke down essentially everything I have to say and what goes into making cosplay. There are people like Yaya Han, Jessica Nigri, Riki LeCotey, Leon Chiro, Maridah and so many others who make a living off cosplay. A majority of the time people base their hobbies and carriers on their talents.

Here is my opinion, I AM a cosplayer, It is a talent. I do wigs, makeup, crafting, Sewing, buying, Photography, and I do make money from it with my Cosplay team and I have Spent money to learn these skills.

After breaking all of that down, all the things that go into cosplay, can you still say it is not a talent?

Trailer for a nice cosplay Documentary: My Other Me: A film about cosplay