Conventional Wisdom Signal to Noise Ratio
Sep. 25th, 2014 09:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
puppetmakerHaven’t done one of these in a while but there has been something that has been going around on the Internet that got me to thinking.
It started with Denise Dorman’s web log entry which you can read here . And the take away line seem to be that Mrs. Dorman hates cosplay from everything you read that was about this web log.
But that was not it at all. She was explaining how conventions were money makers for them and countless other professional artists but now seem to be money losers for them. She did cite the cosplay as an element but it was an example in an essay that talked about a lot more that has changed in the convention circuit.
More importantly she pointed out how expensive it was for the regular fan to just go to a convention much less a professional who was invited. There is less disposable income to be spent on original art and the like between the cost of parking, food, hotel, and the badge.
I do know what she is talking about but then I am another wife of a professional that goes to a lot of conventions. I understand her frustration. Personally we are happy if we break even on a weekend at a convention. Even better if we can walk away with some extra gas or grocery money.
I am also into the costumes. Most of the costumes I make now are for my daughter or a puppet. I have been cosplaying since the late 70s. I have moved to the professional side of the fence and have judged costumes for various conventions. I would not enter a Masquerade right now for a variety of reasons including being told that I shouldn’t because I have been a judge (I really don’t understand that one). I had fun while I did it. Caroline is having the fun now. And we may have one more Mother/Daughter costume in our bag before I totally bow out.
So I understand the POV of a wife of a professional in the industry and the POV of the people who put on the costumes and run around the convention.
I think the point that is buried in articles that refer her original essay is her really point of the entire essay. The other web articles hammer the cosplay but that’s not it at all.
She is talking about whether it is worth her time and her family’s time to go to conventions. If they don’t, Dave can work at home on projects he gets paid for. The family can spend more time together (Believe me being at a convention even if the whole family is there is not really family time). The burden of the household goes down a person. And there is the expense of going to a convention itself.
Networking doesn’t go on as much as it did in the past at these conventions. The most you get is a contact me and we’ll talk more after the convention.
So why go?
Well, Peter does it for the fans. So that he can meet people who have enjoyed his work. That they can have some face to face time with him as a person.
I go with him because I enjoy conventions and interacting with the fans as well. Caroline goes because she is a minor child and can’t been left home alone. The upside is that she enjoys conventions a lot so it is not burden to her to be there.
Mrs. Dorman asks some salient questions about being a professional at a convention which are getting lost in the noise of cosplay bad which is a sad thing because I think her questions are worthy of thought.
I am grateful for the pros and the fans who understand what I am trying to say here.
It started with Denise Dorman’s web log entry which you can read here . And the take away line seem to be that Mrs. Dorman hates cosplay from everything you read that was about this web log.
But that was not it at all. She was explaining how conventions were money makers for them and countless other professional artists but now seem to be money losers for them. She did cite the cosplay as an element but it was an example in an essay that talked about a lot more that has changed in the convention circuit.
More importantly she pointed out how expensive it was for the regular fan to just go to a convention much less a professional who was invited. There is less disposable income to be spent on original art and the like between the cost of parking, food, hotel, and the badge.
I do know what she is talking about but then I am another wife of a professional that goes to a lot of conventions. I understand her frustration. Personally we are happy if we break even on a weekend at a convention. Even better if we can walk away with some extra gas or grocery money.
I am also into the costumes. Most of the costumes I make now are for my daughter or a puppet. I have been cosplaying since the late 70s. I have moved to the professional side of the fence and have judged costumes for various conventions. I would not enter a Masquerade right now for a variety of reasons including being told that I shouldn’t because I have been a judge (I really don’t understand that one). I had fun while I did it. Caroline is having the fun now. And we may have one more Mother/Daughter costume in our bag before I totally bow out.
So I understand the POV of a wife of a professional in the industry and the POV of the people who put on the costumes and run around the convention.
I think the point that is buried in articles that refer her original essay is her really point of the entire essay. The other web articles hammer the cosplay but that’s not it at all.
She is talking about whether it is worth her time and her family’s time to go to conventions. If they don’t, Dave can work at home on projects he gets paid for. The family can spend more time together (Believe me being at a convention even if the whole family is there is not really family time). The burden of the household goes down a person. And there is the expense of going to a convention itself.
Networking doesn’t go on as much as it did in the past at these conventions. The most you get is a contact me and we’ll talk more after the convention.
So why go?
Well, Peter does it for the fans. So that he can meet people who have enjoyed his work. That they can have some face to face time with him as a person.
I go with him because I enjoy conventions and interacting with the fans as well. Caroline goes because she is a minor child and can’t been left home alone. The upside is that she enjoys conventions a lot so it is not burden to her to be there.
Mrs. Dorman asks some salient questions about being a professional at a convention which are getting lost in the noise of cosplay bad which is a sad thing because I think her questions are worthy of thought.
I am grateful for the pros and the fans who understand what I am trying to say here.
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no subject
Date: 2014-09-25 02:49 pm (UTC)Even still, I can't go to a con that isn't within driving distance from me if I want to break even or turn a profit. I don't mind paying for a table, but I get tables free from some of the local cons every second year (Sometimes every year!).
That was the primary factor in choosing not to submit art/try to get juried into Star Wars Celebration. It's actually substantially more money to go as an artist than to go as a fan. And then I have to work my butt off to make it back, and not see any of the con at all. I'm just going to go as a fan and save some of that money to support the artists who ARE there next year.
I don't blame cosplayers at all. Except for the ones that don't know the etiquette and block tables all day. But then, I also have the same problem with the dudebros who block my table while waiting for a comic artist next to me. Especially if they drop their backpack of crap on my table.
OK, I have more of a problem with the latter.
no subject
Date: 2014-09-25 02:55 pm (UTC)I'm missing NYCC due to being in Israel this year for work, but I also found myself not missing it as much. Cons have been expensive to stay by and high priced for admission. Even if I got my press pass, transport and hidden expenses like food and time from work add up. I'd still go but its just...overwhelming to this once/twice a year fan gal. I can't the expenses for con-families, who do multiple a year.
no subject
Date: 2014-09-26 12:46 am (UTC)cosplay is not destroying conventions
what is destroying conventions - for artists and for many fans - is the commercialization of fandom, of conventions and of artist/fan interaction.
SDCC is not a comic book convention: it is run by and for the large LA production companies to market to their customers.
(argh. leaving for dinner. more thinky thoughts later)
no subject
Date: 2014-09-26 04:28 am (UTC)Cons are extremely expensive. For me, living on the West Coast, going to Dragon*Con runs me nearly $1000 between badge, hotel, flight and food. That puts a huge bite in my discretionary money. Even Emerald City Comic Con, more-or-less local to me, is going to cost me $100 just for my badge.
Fandom in general has become 'cool' and extremely commercial. Professional cosplayers? Syfy shows on fannish folk? (I really dislike Heroes of Cosplay) As someone said on the original post, tons of people are attending huge, commercially-run conventions to dabble in geekdom. I'm not sneering at them, truly. I'm much more a genre geek (movies and TV) then comics. And I dress in costume all 4 days of Dragon*Con. But the atmosphere has changed. Look at the complaints abounding after this year's D*C. Too crowded. I couldn't get into main programming on *Friday*. And TPTB will not consider capping attendance because.... $$$
I don't know the answer. I will continue to go to D*C because it's where my group of friends gets together. But it's not nearly as fun and wonderful die-hard geeky as it used to be. I certainly understand the frustration that brought up that original post.
(*we were in the Walk of Fame, standing in a corner, chatting, when a Certain Agent That Shall Not Be Named came up and told us we had to move because we were interfering with people waiting to see Her Actor. When there was no one in line to see him at all. god forbid we stand 10-20 feet away from his table.... we're "interfering")