Taking you backstage is pretty common actually! In the competition world we call what you were doing for Rebecca being her "Handler" Generally handlers can stay with the cosplayer they're handling as long as that cosplayer needs, Even going as far as if they need the handler to walk the stage with them, they can. And don't ever feel discouraged by the work you see around you! You were at one of the largest qualifiers for one of the largest cosplay contests in the entire world, so you really are among the best of the best. You are so talented, so don't let seeing some shining stars take away from your own light!
I would LOVE a collab between you and Swell Entertainment. She looks at events as a media minded attendee and you look at them from a technical organiser standpoint. She critiques what she would like to see to imporove attendees fun experience and you critique what is actually possible and can (though often not) be done for attendees/vendors comfort or ease of experience.
My sons went to Emerald City Comic Con for many years when they were younger. I was the ride and took a small sewing machine and projects and sewed while they attended (3 days). I took breaks to sight see each day, but got so much done! Hotel staff (three different hotels) were perplexed that I wanted to sew. It was fun to hear about their mothers and grandmothers having sewn in the past. A real ice breaker. Those were the days!
Ummmmmmm.... Just my 3¢...... BUT... I'm here for You and whatever it is that you choose to make a video about and share it with us here on RU-vid!!! Also .... Let's s not kid ourselves .... I think we all know you're exactly that kind of Nerd!!..... I mean just another reason why I'm also here for whatever you post!!!! You Do You!!
One of the things we're dealing with at a local con revolves around accessibility. All our panel rooms have the tables on risers. Which is great, because then people on chairs on the floor can see. However, due to ADA regulations around grade of incline per distance and the size of the panel rooms, there isnt enough space in the room to have accessibility ramps to allow those that use certain mobility aids (like wheelchairs or scooters) to get on top of the risers to be panelists or moderators. The only way we'd have enough space for the appropriate sized ramps is if the front HALF of the room were taken up by switchback ramps. All of that is not my department, nor pay grade, but I know the con is working very hard to find a solution that allows people with different mobility needs to be panelists, as well as preserving as much space as possible for attendees of said panels.
And I totally get that! Accessibility is absolutely key! They also could've corrected it by having a camera on the panelists and projecting it onto the little projector they had.
As an artist I have NEVER participated in a comicon where I have not been jammed in and impossible to actually display much art. Very frustrating with how much we pay to try and sell art. I makes me feel very disrespected every time.
Clearing little crowds from important stairs/exits etc: ZOMG, So Important. I HATE wanting to move somewhere and there's someone slow and oblivious person just being an encumbrance and NOT GETTING OUT OF THE WAY. And that man is usually my father. Hence, at my university music recital, i set up multiple tables, with each food type in at least two places. I chose the large patio and NOT the 6x10 breezway. People were able to get food! They had space to hang out in small groups! People said my recital was incredibly nice! Sitting here in Smug Nostalgia of Past Competence ❤
I was at ECCC on saturday too! I only just found your channel like a week ago from your Sew Expo video, so even if I did see you I would not have recognized you at the time 😅 I will say the artist's alley this year was better than last year. It was so much more crammed last year and made me feel quite claustrophobic, and I'm not someone who tends to get claustrophobic. My friend I went with was also interested in the LOTR panel but also decided not to go after we checked out the line a couple hours beforehand because she didn't want to wait in line that long. I went to the OFMD panel last year, which was the first panel sarurday morning, and got to the con quite early so I could guarentee I got in.
Even the thoughts of going to an event of this size and with that many people makes me nervous. But I watch because I love how committed you are and how passionate you are about big event management.
I love hearing how you analyze the goods and bads of these events. From what I remember about Megacon their autographs are set up the same. No times, just whenever they are free between pictures and such. Also appreciate the different 'nerdy' stuff
Stephanie, I want you to know that I WATCH YOUR VIDEOS (even your cosplay ones) AND I"M ONE OF THOSE NUTTY MASTER COSPLAYERS. Hi there! we do exist, and we love you! please don't sell yourself short. You are genuine, fun, entertaining, educational, and just an all around great youtuber and crafter. I didn't come because of your deadpool wasn't on point like you wanted in that moment or that your the GOAT cosplayer, I come because see more of your projects and the fun usual chaos sewing shenanigans no matter what the end goal looks like, because you make it more than worth my while.( I also didn't know until recently you were into cosplay, I saw you first for your historical patterns which I love an appreciate for cosplay reasons) Also its very therapeutic watching you and your relatively relaxed project content while I'm in master level chaos myself and everything is going down like titanic at times but somehow it ends up working out before I am judged.... somehow. Its nice to see others on a different level than my own.... while simultaneously being leagues above myself in other areas which I appreciate and learn so much from, LIKE YOU! I have no real formal sewing training so do I Know what I am doing or what things are called.... never ever.... which making judging quite interesting when they ask what techniques I used to do just about anything.... but I'm in masters craftsmanship despite that and I'm still trying to figure out the fundamentals that I should have learned long long long ago. Your content helps me leaps and bounds and one of these days my ADHD brain will remember it all. We all are on our cosplay and sewing journey, the most important part is enjoying what you are doing, who you are doing it with, and knowing you are really only competing against your prior self and not others. Its hard not to compare, but try not to because ultimately we all started somewhere at some point and we all grow at different rates and times. Just enjoy yourself and don't let others scare you away from one of the most fun and rewarding hobbies of all time (in my opinion) Cosplay. PS I hope to see more of your cosplay content should you ever do it, Its fun to see what others make!
Looks like it was a fun time for the most part. I would love for you to come to our Comi-Con here in Wichita Ks. It is definitely a smaller place than the big cities you are used to but we still have fun here!
You should come to Spain to the Salon del Manga in Barcelona. Pretty sure you can make an amazing video about everything wrong in there 😂. FYI December 5th to 8th 2024 ❤❤❤
I love this kind of content, please more of this❤ there is nothing more funny than someone from the industry explaining/reviewing said industry and you do it so funny and entertaining.
I was at ECCC all 4 days. Sadly I guess I was in the LOTRS panel and didn't run across you. I have been going to ECCC since the start and this year's autograph area and system was the worst!!! It isn't usually that chaotic. New director really messed up a lot that actually worked much much better in year's passed. Sad to have missed you! Glad you had fun!
OMG the pies! They were SO GOOD! I was happy with the food too. Most cons have the worst options! Why NO TABLES. If you are ever in Monteral, you might like, Otakuthon. We go every year. Its a blast.
Roman Mars has a great podcast "99% Invisible." It's mainly about the architecture/human interface but includes sound space design and more. I think you might enjoy listening. 🌻🍄
I haven't been to New Zealand (yet) but maybe you could go to their Armageddon con and do a Hobbitty tour too? (And visit me in sunny Melbourne on the same trip?)
As some one frome Canada that’s gone to some of the BIG cons, cote check is a LUXURY that even a big con in the middle of Toronto in DECEMBER don’t tend to have and I’d love to see more thay really just don’t know how to cope with it is my guess since it’s more of a luggage check then coat check esp with cosplayers. Also I’d love to see con centres have more places you can sit and camp out with your friends, like an entire board room with just chairs and small tables so you and your buds can do things in shifts.
Speaking of bad experiences making an impression: I got a chance to go to DragonCon a few years ago back in the before-times (like you, a gifted ticket from a friend), and there was one panel that day that was extremely stoked to see - it was literally the whole reason I pushed passed my introversion to take my friend up on her offer. Seeing how the crowds were, I got to the panel room an hour early just to be sure I could get in. When I got there, there were just a handful of us right in front of the doors, but by the time the panel started the crowd was significantly larger than the room would even remotely hold. So I'm patting myself on the back for making a good call as the Con staff arrived to start letting people in. And then, in their infinite wisdom, THEY SET UP THE ENTRY POINT WELL TO THE BACK OF THE CROWD, INSTEAD OF IN FRONT OF THE DOORS LIKE ANY SANE PERSON, AND DECIDED THAT WAS WHERE THE LINE STARTED. So those of us who'd decided to be responsible and gotten there very early and sat twiddling our thumbs for over an hour when we could have been doing other things were told to "go get in line" (i.e. which literally extended out of the building and down the block at that point, so no way we'd get in), while those who'd showed up 10 minutes before were first in. So yeah. Obviously, I didn't get in. And between that and another panel I was excited about that I couldn't get into due to the 'stay in your seat from a previous panel' thing that evidently seems to be a con hack at this point - no, I will NEVER go to another Dragon Con ever again.
Same thing happened to me and a friend at a Star Wars Celebration several years ago. They let a bunch of people jump the line in front of all of us who were queued within the barriers and had lined up and stayed overnight, and then never made it into the auditorium because they didn't start with the queue that they had set up and already existed
Level 1 or level 2 - Coverage of yester year "under pinnings", what was common, what is important for vintage clothing, and what we could/ should make for today's clothing, how to pick or craft a pattern, what modern fabric to use from a Joanns or maybe standard mail order or Amazon. For example, old school was to use the outterwear pattern for the skirt portion less 2" overall in ircumfrenece then adjjsted as needed fir movement and an elastic waist if applicable. If a full slip, one began with the bodice of the dress. What were called pant liners, now called pant slips, began with 1" over all per side of the pattern until the hips then went straight up with adjustments to reduce excess bunched fabric at tne waist as needed. (I do remember a form fitting pants liner for under some some more fitting pants with darts, 3/8" fixed waist band secured by a button for security,, and open side vent opening just long enough to squiggle in; this was for my young self hourglass figure.) And how about those 1970's (?'80's) tube style camisoles with wide enough straps to cover a bra rather than accentuate it and cut by either measurements or wrapping a piece of fabric around the body; optional curved side seams, mid drift double headed front, or double headed back darts added on the fly 'cause not everyone had a Tiggy body.
Good to see that the comic con issues with crowds, signage, seating etc is universal and not just here in the Netherlands! XD And honestly, I'd watch every single thing you do, whether it be sewing, events, rants, heck coffee tasting!
You are making such great points and I wish that the comic and the other convention organizers would listen to these points because it's impossible as a visitor and a vendor to let people see your inventory when it all gets messed up and a person is trying to purchase something they don't even know who's their purchasing it from
I have enjoyed hearing your reviews of conventions from an operations standpoint. Artist alleys are crammed full because they are often a break-even or loss (cost-wise) for the convention. You can't make money off the artist alley fees as the artists can't afford them. It costs a lot to rent that large space, so there has to be a balance between room cost (rent, staffing, etc.) and fees collected from artists/sellers. Pipe and drape rental and creating signage is another cost they probably couldn't recoup from the artists without an additional charge. And I totally agree on signage. Especially tall signage if I have to see around/over costumed people.
It would be nice to see you go to the Austraila one. You could make a vintage costume to go along with the theme. Maybe a pastoral themed fabric ( cottage countryside repeat pattern) or a mushroom print. Maybe the dress could have a pinafore, if that helped with the theme. You could satisfy your Comicon interest while keeping your sewing fans entertained and informed. In case your little floof ball is a sign you are a dog lover, you might take a field trip to a wonderful dog sanctuary in Austrailia. They have a RU-vid channel called The Farm, I think. Maybe it could be 2 separate videos. Iam here for the sewing, chaos, and sarcasm. This video has expanded my thinking about Comicons, so thank you for that. The costumes involved a lot of detailed work that was impressive. I also love your concern for people's health. I appreciate being able to buy mold-free vintage patterns from you. Let's not forget the sarcasm! So much sarcasm!
Sure, there should be smaller coat checks on every floor, but if you're only going to have one it makes sense to put it on an upper floor where attendees will be noticing that the rising warmth is causing them to overheat and actually need a cloakroom.
I would be delighted if you showed up to a comic con as the Time Travelling Seamstress. That YT short may have been the first video I saw of yours and is still one of my favorites.
It would be perfect if you got to event manage cons. Because not only to you have an in depth knowledge and experience of event managing, you also have interest and love for cons and can manage it from an end users point of you.
I didn't get to go to ECCC this year, but it's definitely on the list for next! So hopefully I can catch you then (if you go again) :) I did go to Vancouver Fan Expo, though, and I feel like your review for that would have been hilarious if you'd have gone. I had a fun time, but there are loads of things they should have done different. Like... more space in artist alley and better signage and, I dunno, use more of the building you're renting so it's not all squished into like 2 rooms.
Part of the problem with the table situation that I can see is the tables are way too small, there are too few of them, but the ones they have are too small. The best "food court" table situation I've seen was the Houston International Quilt Festival had an ENTIRE HALL full of tables. Also the entire dealers hall was super wheel chair friendly, which is not surprising because 75% of the attendees are over 60.
Thanks for your journiey. I spent Saturday at ECCC in line for 4 autographs from Critical Role stars. About 6 hours. I got to the main building a little after 4 and picked up a few things in Artist Alley when I got texts from my carpool that they wanted to head home. Saturday was the panel day at the con. I don't think there were any on Thursday or Friday in the big room and only a couple on Sunday.
The only comic cons that I attend are reed pop. C2E2 in Chicago is my favorite and NYCC is huge and overwhelming but they make it work! I did the NYCC contest in ‘17 and it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I highly recommend C2E2 mostly because the hotels are connected to the convention center and you dont have to expose yourself to Chicago in April. Also it’s well organized and just big enough!
That outdoor space where the OFMD fans were was a bit chaotic. I was out there with my daughter who was with the group and we had to escape because it was too much for us. So we went and sat on the floor inside and had water, which was when you went running past me. I completely agree on Artist Alley. I wanted to spend more time there but it was so crowded and hard to even stop at the artists you wanted to see that we didn't make it through the whole thing.
I do like these con reviews from an organizer's POV! I'd love to show you an Irish dance competition (feis), 'cause I KNOW those are run on shoe stings 🤣💜
What I want to know is why is there really no sewing expo's in the summer. I can find plenty in the fall, winter and spring. As a teacher that is not when I have time to go to those types of events.
As someone who did comic cons for years, I can agree that Artist Alley could be better. I remember having to crawl under the table to get out and go to the restroom or for a little walk-about. The largest con we did was Chicago, and we had tables there for about 15 years. In order to stand out, I would take my spinning wheel and spin. It worked every time. Besides no one wants to talk with the writer if the artist is there, and my husband was the artist. Part of me misses doing them (I really miss our fellow comic book creator friends), but, in the end, they became to expensive and to much of a hassle to do.
If you want a really extreme con experience I recommend Alaska Comicon. It's in Fairbanks in February. 🥶 But more seriously I would say Dragon Con is one of the bigger cons for Cosplayers.
The first ECCC where I wasn’t jumpscared by my emotionally manipulative ex either showing up in cosplay or in his panel, woohoo! Genuinely super happy about that, hahaha.
22:55 Do you know how much random stuff you get invited to, if you sell anything construction related? "Hey, you sell wholesale insulation. Would you like a booth at this SCUBA convention?"
Your critique made me laugh, but hooboy I am no longer up to that kind of marathon!. Turned 70 this month and counting the stuff I'm not gonna do.😢 Good thing I did a lot of stuff in my youth!
You would HATE Anime Expo in Los Angeles. You would love Comic Con International in San Diego. Both are massive cons, but one runs like a well-oiled sewing machine. --- Room clearing is a known thing as there will never be enough people to see a panel in a given space. So the con doesn't clear moat rooms as a standard. The big rooms are set up like that it medium or small rooms that may clear to room. It can be a panel specified in there contracts. For example Hall H at CCI doesn't clear out, and people will wait DAYS to get a seat to wait. That's right days ahead of the con people will wait outside for a seat. The con even sets up a dedicated bathrooms and food booths for them.
🤔I'm starting to think that there has to be some oral tradition passed down from one comic con planner to another--with some strange legend attached to it of course--that there should never be enough tables. Because even the little ones I've attended here around the state have had a sad lack of tables and chairs...😄🤷♀
From going to many gaming conventions the vendor hall spacing you are missing a component. Many conventions have become HIGHLY sought after for vendor space. The conventions charge for some of them now pretty significant amounts for example a very small corner booth now at GenCon is around $3000. The con isn’t really that invested in trying to ensure vendors are making money. It’s gotten to the point that a lot of vendors aren’t either. It’s about the exposure and ability to have fans feel like they are seen by their likes. It costs so much money to ship inventory to a convention etc that it’s often cheaper to just have customers pushed to a website for actual purchases. So they just to cram as many in as possible and their waiting lists to get a slot are so lengthy that there is even now some cons with lotteries for small businesses to get some exposure. If you have 3000 table spots and 25,000 companies interested the space is a premium and the process to actually get in is very controlled etc.
The issue with signage and spacing is because the show runners want to make as much money as possible and they just don't care about the artist ally because they don't make any money back on that. So instead they cram in as many as possible and do the lest amount of effort required. Which is heartbreaking but not surprising. The seating issue is due to fire code and it's why you can't sit on the floor while in line for anything. This usually turns into a BIG fight while waiting for photo ops and autographs
Personally from what I know in my own work situation, the event has to pay for the chairs so that people are allowed to sit down and then which means the convention itself did not pay for those extra chairs that were needed and that causes the problem *sigh*
I HATE when con centres open rooms erly it just builds an unfare expectations that lead to con goers camping panel rooms and spending thare WHOLE con in line. ALSO always clear the room no matter what, get the BROOM if you need to
I really wish cons would let people register to attend popular panels to bring an end to wasting all day waiting in line. Then after a certain period, if there are still seats, open up for waitlisted people.
As someone who has worked ECCC, if things are still as they were in the past, photo ops and signatures are handled by a different company, and they do things how they want. They're kind of a mini event of their own within the larger event. My thought is that they really don't care if you get your money's worth from ECCC, because they are a different company and they care about their side of things instead. I also had a not great experience working in that particular part of the con and would not work in that part again, so that also colors my opinion of them, while I've enjoyed working the show floor of ECCC a lot
Also I'm disappointed to hear that you didn't see anybody doing crowd management in the hallways, as that's something I would have expected to be taken care of, and normally has been in the past. I've done a ton of herding impromptu meetups to safer locations during events
Please keep doing cosplay content. Those of us who are just starting our journey need someone who is just ahead of us in that journey, but not all the way at the pinnacle, to look up to.
There is going to be a Comic-Con in Indianapolis but I don’t remember the name of it. John Cleese is one of the guests! Go to that one! Be sure to continue in chaos! ❤
You know, branding yourself sucks. I remember asking my graphic design professor for input on my logo (not my current one) and she looked me in the eyes and said: Do yourself a favour and don’t do this yourself. Ask a colleague. 😅 not always an option, I know. It is fun to get some insight into this big conventions, for I would never gather the courage to go there. 😅
Please don't be hard on yourself about your costume skill level! Everyone starts out somewhere, and any *good* con costume contest should take skill level into account, so a novice isn't competing against a professional-level cosplayer. Norwescon in SeaTac WA has 3 skill levels with specific guidelines on who qualifies for each level.
oh yeah - share any hobbity habits or ringy-dingys with us, do! I still go to ren faires, dickens faires, celtic faires, halloween faires, comic-cons, anime cons & steampunk cons. & I am much too old to do so (70), but heck, you're only as old as you feel.
Because my car is 25 years old, I have vision problems, and I will be 76 years old this Summer, I'm spending a lot more time at home. Comic Con would not be something I would want to visit. That sort of thing is for people much younger than I.
