(no subject)
Dec. 21st, 2005 10:13 ameditors and debaters ahoy! here's the situation: apparently, the guy in charge of such things has decided that the cosplay skits at sakuracon are to be pre recorded. as in, people performing their skits will be lip synching. i think this is a completely retarded idea, and i'm trying to tell that to the guy in charge as thoroughly as possible. i've posted the draft of my email below - if you think i could explain something better, or if you can think of an objection to either pre-recording or to my alternate suggestions that i haven't mentioned or countered, let me know. also please correct my grammar.
I think pre-recording the Cosplay Contest is a bad idea for several reasons, and I think that there are better ways of making sure people are heard.
1. Most people don't know exactly what they will be saying until they are ready to perform.
-Bakazoku is the most extreme example of this, and the singing and dancing Sailor Moon group is a counter example at the other end. Most groups fall somewhere in the middle.
2. Most cosplayers are not skilled at lip-synching.
-People got mad at Milli Vanilli for a reason. Audiences don't like finding out that the performers are just mouthing along to a recording. When cosplayers are performing to a recording, they will either ignore the audio and get completely out of synch, or they will wait for the recording before doing their next action, and thus be playing catch-up to the audio during the entire routine.
3. Recordings don't allow for audience reaction.
-Another Bakazoku example: Chris often gets a big crowd response when he goes on stage. However, it took him a few years to figure out that he should wait for the audience to quiet down before delivering his next laugh line. Now he listens to the crowd to know when to start talking again. Without that crowd response, pre-recorded skits will either lose lines because they didn't expect the crowd to laugh at that part, or there will be awkward silences because they did expect the audience to laugh at something that flopped. Timing is a big factor in whether a skit is enjoyed or booed off the stage, and prerecording skits leaves no allowance for adjusting the timing. Skits that would have been good when performed live will suck when pre-recorded due to having no sense of comic timing, and will thus be judged lower than they would otherwise have been.
It is my understanding that the reason it was decided that pre-recording would be done is to ensure that all cosplayers could be heard. There are better ways to do this. The following suggestions are best taken in combination.
1. Floor mics and drop mics.
-Proper placement of floor and drop mics on the stage would eliminate the need for each performer to have a microphone.
2. Numbered mics.
-Each mic is labeled with a number, each mic has its own numbered spot on a backstage props table that it gets replaced to when not in use. During sound check, each performer is assigned a numbered mic. The sound booth will set levels on each number for each group during sound check and will use those levels during the performance.
3. Lapel mics.
-The main problem with individual mics is that most performers don't realize how close a hand mic needs to be to their mouth to pick up their words. Lapel mics eliminate this problem - as long as they are placed relatively close to the neck, they'll pick up the performer's voice and will just need sound level adjustments during sound check.
3. Two full groups worth of mics.
-One group wears mics 1-5 (as preassigned during sound check) while on stage. A second group puts on mics 6-10 backstage. As the first group goes offstage, a stagehand collects their mics and returns them to the numbered spots on the prop table for a third group to put on. This can be done with one group of mics if you have a fast stagehand and an MC who can stall for time.
Now, I know you'll have some objections to my plan. "Sound checks?", you say. "That is complicated and takes time. If we prerecord we don't need a sound check."
1. Do it during the stage test.
-Performers who have never been on the stage before can be dangerous. The dancing Sailor Moon group needed to try out their skit on stage to make sure they didn't fall off the edge because they were expecting a larger stage, or break an ankle because they either didn't expect a gap in the platform right there, or because they didn't expect the stage to wobble when they performed a particular move. Therefore, for safety reasons performers will need to do a stage test. Give each person a mic as they go up for their stage test and test sound at the same time.
"Some groups would rather pre-record so they can read from a script," you say. Well, I'm all for compromise. Here's my scenario:
1. Announce in the rules posted on the website, and in the forums, that groups who wish to can pre-record their audio at [whatever times the recording sessions will be].
2. Announce in the rules and the forum that all groups will be given a sound test. If they don't pass the sound test, they will be REQUIRED to pre-record their audio.
3. Either during the pre-meeting or during the costume judging (which will be done ahead of time), give each performer who will be speaking on stage (and who has not already chosen to pre-record) a mic and a sentence or two to read. If they can't be understood at the back of the room, they fail. If the majority of a group fails, they will be given a time to pre-record.
I think pre-recording the Cosplay Contest is a bad idea for several reasons, and I think that there are better ways of making sure people are heard.
1. Most people don't know exactly what they will be saying until they are ready to perform.
-Bakazoku is the most extreme example of this, and the singing and dancing Sailor Moon group is a counter example at the other end. Most groups fall somewhere in the middle.
2. Most cosplayers are not skilled at lip-synching.
-People got mad at Milli Vanilli for a reason. Audiences don't like finding out that the performers are just mouthing along to a recording. When cosplayers are performing to a recording, they will either ignore the audio and get completely out of synch, or they will wait for the recording before doing their next action, and thus be playing catch-up to the audio during the entire routine.
3. Recordings don't allow for audience reaction.
-Another Bakazoku example: Chris often gets a big crowd response when he goes on stage. However, it took him a few years to figure out that he should wait for the audience to quiet down before delivering his next laugh line. Now he listens to the crowd to know when to start talking again. Without that crowd response, pre-recorded skits will either lose lines because they didn't expect the crowd to laugh at that part, or there will be awkward silences because they did expect the audience to laugh at something that flopped. Timing is a big factor in whether a skit is enjoyed or booed off the stage, and prerecording skits leaves no allowance for adjusting the timing. Skits that would have been good when performed live will suck when pre-recorded due to having no sense of comic timing, and will thus be judged lower than they would otherwise have been.
It is my understanding that the reason it was decided that pre-recording would be done is to ensure that all cosplayers could be heard. There are better ways to do this. The following suggestions are best taken in combination.
1. Floor mics and drop mics.
-Proper placement of floor and drop mics on the stage would eliminate the need for each performer to have a microphone.
2. Numbered mics.
-Each mic is labeled with a number, each mic has its own numbered spot on a backstage props table that it gets replaced to when not in use. During sound check, each performer is assigned a numbered mic. The sound booth will set levels on each number for each group during sound check and will use those levels during the performance.
3. Lapel mics.
-The main problem with individual mics is that most performers don't realize how close a hand mic needs to be to their mouth to pick up their words. Lapel mics eliminate this problem - as long as they are placed relatively close to the neck, they'll pick up the performer's voice and will just need sound level adjustments during sound check.
3. Two full groups worth of mics.
-One group wears mics 1-5 (as preassigned during sound check) while on stage. A second group puts on mics 6-10 backstage. As the first group goes offstage, a stagehand collects their mics and returns them to the numbered spots on the prop table for a third group to put on. This can be done with one group of mics if you have a fast stagehand and an MC who can stall for time.
Now, I know you'll have some objections to my plan. "Sound checks?", you say. "That is complicated and takes time. If we prerecord we don't need a sound check."
1. Do it during the stage test.
-Performers who have never been on the stage before can be dangerous. The dancing Sailor Moon group needed to try out their skit on stage to make sure they didn't fall off the edge because they were expecting a larger stage, or break an ankle because they either didn't expect a gap in the platform right there, or because they didn't expect the stage to wobble when they performed a particular move. Therefore, for safety reasons performers will need to do a stage test. Give each person a mic as they go up for their stage test and test sound at the same time.
"Some groups would rather pre-record so they can read from a script," you say. Well, I'm all for compromise. Here's my scenario:
1. Announce in the rules posted on the website, and in the forums, that groups who wish to can pre-record their audio at [whatever times the recording sessions will be].
2. Announce in the rules and the forum that all groups will be given a sound test. If they don't pass the sound test, they will be REQUIRED to pre-record their audio.
3. Either during the pre-meeting or during the costume judging (which will be done ahead of time), give each performer who will be speaking on stage (and who has not already chosen to pre-record) a mic and a sentence or two to read. If they can't be understood at the back of the room, they fail. If the majority of a group fails, they will be given a time to pre-record.