We’re still working on specific wording for rules on costumes in particular weapons, these will be posted here for discussion soon.
If you’re unsure of an idea you have for a prop and want it approved before going to the effort of bringing it to the convention then feel free to email a photo of it to us. Add a bit of a description about what it’s made of, how heavy, bendy, sharp, etc.
Send prop and costume photos to mark@ausdwcon.org
Edited by Grombek 4:16pm, 12 Dec 2006
Help me make Casanunda the Lowwayman!
I’m seeking collaborators (Sydney based) for a costume project more elaborate than my inadequate resources and skills.
Feel free to comment even fom a far as the project takes shape here:
Casununda collaboration
They both savoured the strange warm glow of being much more ignorant than ordinary people, who were only ignorant of ordinary things.
wOw, Seven (cough) nine! Thats ambitious.
I can’t help but think the ladders are going to be very uncomfortable and hard to walk in. Perhps you could just use striped stockings or something? I’m sure if you have boots at knee level people will realise what you are trying to accomplish.
I’ll keep an eye out on your progression!
“crivens”
With respect to weapon restricitons:
from what Ive read to date, a dull-coloured nerf-crossbow like this
LOTr Crossbow
would be deemed too threatening,
while a luminous one like this,
Surefire Crossbow
is one thew police might be willing laugh off.
Just an opinion, I’m waiting on the policy to confirm it.
They both savoured the strange warm glow of being much more ignorant than ordinary people, who were only ignorant of ordinary things.
Ive got some idea’s but havent finally decided yet.
If anyone knows of a really good costume maker/ seamstress in Sydney Id be interested. Im not sure how to make a pattern but Ive got definite design ideas. I might visit one of those costume places. I did that once before and it worked out well but I havent found a good wizards costume anywhere yet. I like realism. I need a new staff too. The other one turned into a snake and disappeared into the bush.
‘in an infinite universe everything that can be imagined must exist somewhere’
See, this is where I’m lucky. I’m the only person in my immediate family, and one of few in my extended family who can’t sew. So I’ve got plenty of ah… needlewomen (and a few men) on hand to make things for me. Although they do tend to put other things first (like paying work – I mean seriously, what’s more important here?). Good luck to you with finding someone to help with your costume.
‘If there were more morals about we wouldn’t be crashing into stars’
Seven-cough-nine, if you need a crossbow, it’s possible to quite easily make a prop one that won’t be construed as a weapon because it can’t fire. We’ve used many crossbow props in our Discworld plays, which are simple toy shotguns (or similar), painted black, with a plastic or cardboard cross piece and some bits of string added (stuck on with tape or glue).
Similarly, a toy pistol can be converted into Mr Pin’s one-shot crossbow quite easily in the same way.
If you leave the bright orange nub on the toy gun unpainted, I doubt there should be any issue.
I also fail to see how the cheap plastic swords (Reject Shop or similar) could be construed as serious weapons. They are shiny, and very obviously plastic. They make good props but are absolutely useless for staging a mock battle with, so the idea is you don’t :)
You can’t kill me because I’ve got magic aarrghh!
Actually Molokov, concerning plastic swords – we’ve been doing some research (touring $2 shops) and the majority of cheap toy swords we’ve found are sharp in either piercing or slashing ways. There aren’t many of the good old rounded hollow swords like the He-Man sword I had when I was little (I didn’t say that).
At this stage we’re leaning towards having to ban all forms of weapons again – simply because although we would like to think everyone will be sensible with their props, carrying a sword, crossbow, scythe, etc. in a crowded room is not safe.
Still open for discussion – please suggest any options for bringing weapon props if you have ideas.
At the moment this is being very reasonable – due to insurance rules the conventions in the UK have to follow an outright ban on all weapons. Some allowances are made for maskerade entrants (it has been known for weapons to be escorted to and from stage) usually they are locked up in ops and brough to backstage by security. Assasins walking around with cut out photocopies of knives tucked into their belts is as close as we get.
Now while you might not be as drunk as us (much more forgiving public drunkeness laws) there is always the chance some idiot believes that since they are in DW that cartoon rules apply – this unfortunately is not the case and people can be hurt as easily by most toys as they can with real weapons (ask any parent).
We’ll have to wait and see what the final rules are but if you design something that breaks on contact with skin I doubt it would be taken away from you.
How about a sword with no blade? Surely that can’t be considered a weapon.
“If you’re attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver, don’t let him near the sound system.”
Support the Red Dwarf Movie!
My drunken New Year’s Eve was passed with 11 of us spending several hours trying to dismember a pinjata with plastic cutlasses on a houseboat. Very time consuming. After debating the pros and cons of trampling it to death (it was a mermaid shape), we eventually employed the broom which did the job rather satisfactorily after only 10 or so blows.
On the basis of this experience, I have little faith in the damaging effects of the plastic cutlasses purchased from the $2 shop.
Regardless, I am now suddenly tempted by the candy glass option and would love to take myself along as an “amateur bottle fighter” . . . .
Twelve and a half percent! Twelve and a half percent!
They have foam swords for sale at my local kmart, sort of like pool noodle material. They sting a bit if you slap someone really hard with it, but they can’t be used to stab or slash.
Anyway, it’s an idea.
We’re on a mission from Glod.
Hey Multum that sounds awesome!!
Where did you come up with a mermaid shaped pinata? And a houseboat?!!
Cool.
“crivens”
Hi all wave
I’m another first timer to conventions, and just curious as to how many
others are costuming up for the whole event, or just the Dinner?
I do love a dress up – but dont want to over or under do it!
(I know, some will say there’s no such thing!:) )
“The Truth Shall Make Ye Fret”
- The Truth
I guess it depends on what you’re comfortable with.
Personally, I don’t want to spend the entire weekend in character as my costume, so I’m only wearing it during the dinner/Maskerade. Then again, my costume is quite a minimal effort costume on my part (and it’s one I have already) so I don’t really feel the need to show it off, nor do I think I deserve to win any sort of costume competition.
If you’ve got a great costume and wouldn’t mind people looking at you all the time going ‘Wow! Can I take your photo?’ then you can probably wear the costume all weekend and noone will think any less of you because of it. After all, Conventions are a chance to geek out to the fullest :)
You can’t kill me because I’ve got magic aarrghh!
