Here It Is--My Short Little A-Kon24 Vid!

Finally!  After much face-squinching and nothing but trouble with the old editing software, I've finished the A-Kon video.  Of course, the new Vegas Movie Studio 12 helped a great deal!  That, and my decision to scrap most of the video I had of the convention.

Yes, what you see here is at least 2 times shorter than the original video I had put together.  Most of the footage was simply too shaky.  Not fun to watch at all.  And no amount of stabilizing in the editor helped.  I hope what's left is enough to get some idea of the big event in Dallas.

I mentioned before, we weren't supposed to be in Dallas that Saturday.  As luck would have it, a friend of the family had a spare hotel room and offered it to us.  We went, sans convention badges, planning only to roam the halls of the Hilton Anatole, which is the new venue for A-Kon.  I think we were lost the whole time!  Still, it was an adventure.

Enjoy!    
(^.^)v

Miscellaneous Thoughts on Vid Editing and A-Kon 24

Okay, so I'm deep in vid-editing mode.

Just a little tip, to myself, and everyone who likes to shoot video.  Tis much, much easier to record nice and smooth video with a tripod.  Or, if you're walking around, a fancy piece of stabilizing equipment might do.  It's much more difficult to stabilize that vid in editing software.  Particularly, if you've got loads of it!  I'll say a similar thing about photography.  Much better to take the time to get a decent shot than it is to try and "fix" a pic later.  Just sayin'.  With the understanding that there are of course, on occasion, happy accidents.

This is not one such occasion.

Let me start from the beginning...

I wasn't supposed to be attending A-Kon 24 this year.  There was no badge in my hands.  But, a good friend of ours had an extra hotel room to offer us, and thought we might enjoy being in the atmosphere of the anime convention.  Indeed!  This offer could not be refused.  The room was lovely, by the way.

Hilton Anatole Dallas, Texas

Hilton Anatole Dallas, Texas

With vid-cam in hand, we walked the grounds and filmed what we saw.  No fancy equipment.  Lots of video.  Very bad video.  Nauseating video in desperate need of stabilization.  Gah!

At this moment, I'm switching back and forth between this blog and video editing software, selecting clips to fix as I go.

Another note to self:
If the software fails to render video 4 times, attempting to render a fifth time, I dunno, probably won't work!

Vegas Movie Studio 10.0 Error Screen

There were phantom memory issues with Vegas Movie Studio HD Platinum 10.0.  Others spoke of this problem, one that seems to be hit and miss.  Sometimes you get the error, sometimes you don't.  It seems there is no real resolution for it, other than to upgrade to a newer version Movie Studio.  Which I did (Shhh!...some of us don't know about this little expenditure).  I'm operating Movie Studio Platinum 12 now.  So far, so good!

If all goes well, I may soon have an A-Kon vid to post!  Though a shorter version of the original.  If only I'd had my DSLR camera with me, I might have some such item of quality to post.  Egad.  Another notable thing.

More on this later...    

 

Death of the Endless Inspired Makeup Tutorial

For a bit of fun, and to answer any questions some have had about this makeup look, I made a tutorial.  In it, I show how I did my Death of the Endless inspired look for my A-Kon 23 cosplay.

The makeup is actually quite simple.  For the most part, I wanted a pale look, without an overly chalky look.  Also, it had to be easy so that I could do it fairly quickly for all three days of the convention, with the hope it would stay on for quite a few hours!

Enjoy!

Post A-Kon23--Mode Recovery

A-Kon 23 is in the can.  Done.  Fini.  And so on.  I've got some things I'd like to say about the event along with a few pics and vid for illustrative purposes.  Though, at the moment, I'm in recovery mode.  For now, I'll just say it went as expected.  Purely energized chaos with loads of awesome mixed in!
   \(^.^)/

More later~~~
Time for a swim~~~

Death of the Endless Cosplay

 A-Kon 23 is fast approaching.  It can't be helped, I'm a bit excited and naturally looking forward to the madness that is an anime convention.

In order to prepare for the occasion, we needed a rehearsal of sorts.  So, photo equipment was dusted off and put to use.  Which, incidentally, reminded me how we could use some decent lighting!  I'm looking for a few pieces, such as a good softbox or two.  Sometime in the future I hope to obtain a fair set up.  Until then, we'll make do.  And depend on the touch of Photoshop for effect.

As mentioned before, my cosplay is Death of the Endless.  Gothic, indeed.  I suppose it suits me, as far as choice of clothing color goes.  Black it is.  Easy, goes with everything.

This week will be a busy one.  Things concerning school will need to be wrapped up for summer vacation.  All of us welcome the break.  There are other projects in the works that can only be completed during the summer holiday, I've been anxious to get started.

But of course, the one event weighing on our minds at the moment, A-Kon!

Thus, the day was spent gearing up.  Practicing our makeup application and costume wearing.  Testing out the durability of both items.  Yes, some of us even went shopping all decked out.  I think fellow shoppers enjoyed the show.  It certainly makes one's day just a little more interesting to see anime characters walking the aisles.  The girls were asked to pose for photos a few times.  O' course other questions were asked about just what in the world we were doing in such get-ups.  Now they know about A-Kon.  Judging from the smiles on their faces, they may just show up at the convention!

  

Speaking of shoes...

...those are some shoes.

This pair makes me about 6 feet tall!  I can't wait to wear them for A-Kon.  Let's hope the ankles don't snap.  Yep, that's me standing in them.  Though I didn't buckle them up completely.

A little preview of my Death of the Endless cosplay, sans makeup, proper hair and a decent pic!  Haha!  

But, with some sensible shoes.  

The Full Circle

This is one of those days it should be raining.  But it isn't.  The pensive mood would appreciate a bit of gloom.  Though just a touch.  Only enough to sort out a thing or two.

It started with a dream, or perhaps it was a nightmare.  Depending on how one looks at it.  Whatever, it woke me at 3:50 a.m.  One of those rare dreams that leaves me breathless and shaking.  I blame it on watermelon.

Watermelon.  And the brief fasting/cleansing thing I'm doing.  It's supposed to be good for you.  You face your hunger in a different way.  Along with a multitude of other issues that pop up.  Those things you haven't dealt with for months, maybe years.  Those things a person often ignores by eating away the discomfort.  Some might use other methods.  I think mine has definitely been eating.  Mostly chocolate things with fizzy drinks to chase them down.  Not anymore.  For quite some time now, actually.  So, all that stuff from ago has reared its beastliness in a decidedly discomforting way.

Back to the dream.  It's almost faded from memory now.  Dreams often do melt away, leaving only bits of their essence.  It seemed my dad was there, but only his image.  His demeanor was different and quite unlike his gentle nature.  Instead, it was like someone else I'd known before.  An angry violent man who had lashed out at me on occasion.  What an odd thing.  In shadows, his figure stalked at me down a wet, darkened and misty road, a large plastic baseball bat held high in his hands.  The intent to kill evident in his voice.  The face shifted back and forth, from my parent to the dangerous man.  Dreams.  So strange.  I'm sure there was more.  Something that lead to this apex.  This moment where I'd surely meet my end.  I can't grasp it anymore.  There was music, though.  I suppose, influenced by the tunes I've been listening to lately.  Still, this particular song played again and again.  It's not a tune in English, still it's meaning is understood by me.  Too, I know that when I awoke, my mind was quite clear what all of it was about.  The images instantly making sense.

Of course, after a bit of calming, I looked to the aether and apologized to Dad for having had such delirium.  It wasn't truly about him after all.  Though, naturally, I do miss him.  Thinking of him brings tears.  

It seems the circle is full.  At least for many of those things from ago.  I'll leave them largely unmentioned for now, but they are being faced and put away neatly, having been dealt with proper.  So, it's taken a few years...  Okay, nearly all my life.  Better late than nay.

And the song?

A bit of explanation.  The group I've been listening to lately, D, I first encountered at A-Kon last year.  Their music is inspiring, interesting, intense and beautiful.  Maybe it is because they themselves are beautiful that I became so captivated.  That, and because Asagi's voice is so achingly beautiful.  A person has to see them live to know what I mean.  It's an experience.

The song, L'Oiseau Bleu by D.
 
Thank you ItachinoUchiha for sharing this video.   
              

Guess My Cosplay

---

I've been meaning to update the blog and make more videos, but it seems I've taken on too many projects at the moment.

Also, I'm preparing for A-Kon 23, coming up in June!

If you aren't familiar with A-Kon, well, it's a pretty big anime convention held in Dallas. A place where you can live out your Anime dreams! haha!

Now, it might not seem like a big deal to some, but such a thing takes a bit of time to prepare for.

Last year, I went as a random steampunk girl. I was supposed to go as the character Riese from the internet series of that name, but I didn't really have all the pieces to make it work like I'd hoped. Still, this is what I came up with.

Alright, I know, it's a terrible blurry pic. It was chaos that day, so no one stopped to take a proper one. And, yep, this is the only one I have of it!

There's a corset involved, some goggles I made, a bit of jingle at the waist, combat boots, some glovelike things with buckles I brassed, a necklace full of old keys, watch pieces and trinkets... Oh! And my favorite piece, an old leather ammo belt containing a brass compass! haha! Ya just never know when you'll need one o' those!

This year's cosplay, however, should prove slightly different. For the first time, I'll be an actual character. Now, that's where all the prep time comes in. One must locate appropriate costume pieces. Or make them!

So far, I've got most of them, the character has a fairly simple outfit.

See if you can guess what character it is by perusing these horrible photos, I took with my phone, of a few of the pieces I've got so far. Oh, and a makeup test shot. The makeup will change a bit before finalized, I'm sure.


The Boots
This One
Or This One? (I can't decide!)
Crazy Hair & Makeup Mess
Alrighty, that's about it for this one. I'll be sure to keep you posted on the A-Kon goings on. And as soon as I can, I'll get some tutorials up. Maybe I'll make one about how to cosplay this character. (^o^)\m/

***UPDATE***

Got the blue eyes now.  I always wondered what I'd look like with blue eyes.

---

Pleasant Chaos--A-Kon 22

Turn background music off here, then come back up! (^.^)/

---

It has been little more than a week since A-Kon 22 and already the dates are set for A-Kon 23.

Where to begin?

First, in honor of the event, I'm listening to Ephixa's Lost Woods Dubstep Remix. I can not tell you how many times I heard this at the convention. And so, it has found a sunny place in my mind.

There, the mood is set.

What is A-Kon? It is a 3-day event of mad fun! Where you will find loads of anime-related information. You can meet people in the gaming industry. Artists. There are educational panels on a variety of anime topics. One can play games. Many people cosplay favorite characters. If you like, you can be in a cosplay skit. Also, you'll find loads of anime-based merch. There are rave dances, an abundance of glow! And the concerts... my favorite! This year two Japanese bands! That alone is worth the cost of registration. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

One might say our family had been preparing for the convention for nearly a year. Costumes were planned. We pre-registered months in advance. It's much cheaper that way. And we reserved our hotel room well in advance. Rooms go fast!

And so, off we went early Friday, the first day. Truck packed with food, frocks and full of excitement.

When we arrived, parking was close to impossible. And a touch pricey. It was to be expected. A-Kon is a huge event. And well, it is Dallas.

After finding a place, far, far away..... We managed to get the hotel room and make the trek to the infamous pre-reg line. A very long maze-like line that encircled the entire room. And that room is very large. Though, because we brought our young children with us, A-Kon staff took pity on us and placed us near the very front of the line. Nice! This occurred more than once throughout the convention, I might add. Benefits. Haha! Also, it is worth noting, small children are very much welcome at the event. There are very few exceptions regarding this.

We received our pre-reg badges and moved on to the madness.

Here is just a glimpse of us and some of what we saw.

Yes, I dressed up as something. Though the only photo I have of the ensemble is blurry! This, because everyone was in a tremendous hurry to hit the convention floors. I snapped the photo with kids under foot, their way out the door. Did I mention it was hot?! Whew!

My costume, in the beginning, was to resemble Riese, from the steampunk series of that name. It wound up being a mish-mash of pieces, though still very much steampunk. I even made my own aged-look brassy-like goggles. I do have the exact ammo belt Riese has. I'm very proud of that. Actually, in our household, we have two! Husband sported one of them, complete with snacks, cellphone and cash. Mine contained a brass nautical compass. Handy, no doubt.

The eldest daughter and her friend dressed as popular anime characters and had many photos taken of them. My little man chose to be a ninja. Little daughter, opted for Sailor Moon. Her ensemble was a last minute decision and put together rather quickly out of what was on hand. She received many compliments and relished it every bit.

And so, we went with the flow. The huge crowd, like a river winding through large rooms and small corridors.

The big event on Friday, the concert. Two Japanese bands. Blood Stain Child and D for the first time in the U.S. What a privilege it was to see them!

And now, I have learned what visual kei is. Men dressed in feminine clothing with a full face of makeup can be very appealing and oddly quite masculine.

The interesting thing is they are indeed beautiful to look at, though their music is very metal and hard. A fascinating contradiction. I was transfixed and instantly a fan of both groups. Though D is particularly seductive.

The voices of Blood Stain Child clash, but in a vibrant harmonious way. The harshness of Ryo's voice is the edge. The beautiful Sophia's sweet melodious voice is like light winding through the rubble.

Then there is D. The visually stunning D. Their performance took my breath away. They instantly commanded the stage and my attention was fixed. And though the songs are sung in Japanese language I do not know, the beautiful voice of Asagi is so full of emotion, I was pulled into understanding. I could go on and on. But, I'll spare you the gush and keep the sweet memory to myself. Let's just say, the audience was very much a part of the journey. And it was lovely.

My only regret, the one thing I'm very sad about missing was the autograph sessions with both bands. We may never see the groups again, I realize. Every opportunity to savor the experience must be taken. And I missed it! Never again, I vow. Next year will be different.

As for the rest of the convention...
The rave, my second favorite thing to attend. I've always loved dance music. And glow sticks! The two combined, well, it is almost a heaven.

There were so many events. To be sure, I missed many of them. And, as the year before, I have learned what I overlooked and pledge to not miss so much!

In a nutshell, that is my experience. I suppose one can never get too old for such random fun. \(^.^)/

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late nights and 3 musketeers

Halloween has come and gone. The chocolate is gone, too. Pity. Still, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.

I've always loved pretending to be someone else. Makeup that sparkles or glows in the dark and things that light up in unusual ways will never cease to amuse me! The kiddos seem to agree with me on this. It's like magic.

While, anymore, I rarely dress up for Halloween, apart from smearing on a bit more glittery makeup than usual, I have been staying up late each night in search of particular pieces of steampunk-style clothing and gear. I've found a character to emulate for next year's A-kon 22, so the hunt is on!

The other day, I scored a major piece of the ensemble! Tis a vintage Swedish Mauser ammo belt, formerly used for stripper clip storage. Yes, an odd thing to be excited about, but this thing will have more than one use. And, methinks it'll look pretty cool, too!

The rugged and worn leather belt is due to arrive tomorrow. I'll have to take pics!

Now, the boots are another story. I'm still searching for those, though I have come across a suitable pair of Tomb Raider styled commandos. Who knows when I'll get those. Boots are a bit pricey. And there are other family members to attend A-kon who might need a pair, as well.

The rest of the ensemble will likely be handmade, which is in the spirit of a true steampunk, no? At least, that is the plan.