Frequently Asked Questions
What is cosplay?
Where do you buy your costumes?
How do you make _____ costume? I need a step-by-step.
Where do you live? New Jersey? Japan?
Are you going to a convention in _____ state?!
How can I join JAC Productions?
What do you use for sound/video editing?
Can I upload/use your skit at ____?
What's the ending song for Village of DDR? (and other related questions)
Micheal is SOOO hot!! What's his myspace? (and other related questions)
Sasuke's a GIRL?!
How do you play the bumblebee game?
What is cosplay?
Essentially, "cosplay = costume + play" . It's a hobby where people dress up, usually with costumes they created themselves, for the sake of dressing up. Different people cosplay for different reasons, but think of it as halloween whenever you want.
Where do you buy your costumes?
We don't buy our costumes (the only ones are the Prince of Tennis costumes, and those are from Taiwan.) Our costumes are made by us and friends by using sewing machines, wood, fabric, thread, etc (not tape.) It's harder, but cheaper and adds a little spice to the process. :)
How do you make ____ costume? I need a step-by-step.
We don't really have the time to create tutorials on entire costumes. Also, our costumes are part of our own creativity; we thought, we experimented, we made. I'm sure you can do the same. It's not that hard...and there is no set standard in making a particular costume.
If you need help on a particular part of a costume, you can email someone, or post on our boards. Cosplay.com's forums has a lot more people there to brainstorm, and more people with experience, you should want to try there.
Where do you live? New Jersey? Japan?
Despite popular belief, we're in Texas, the Lone star state. DUH! Can't you see the horses in the background?!
Are you going to a convention in _____ state?!
Most likely not. We're poor, and can't afford it; also, it's hard to take the time out of our school schedules to travel. 2nd, our parents won't really want us to go out of town in the first place, let alone out of state. We apologize, but we can't go somewhere else without outside funding.
How can I join JAC Productions?
We have open membership, but there's a lot of catches in that statement. Imagine that JAC Productions is NOT a troupe of actors/cosplayers selected by some comittee, but just a name for a group of friends who happen to cosplay. So...to "join" JAC Productions, usually one has to be a friend, to bluntly put it. We have been making friends, but we're not extremely social creatures. So the truth is, it usually invovles a person living close by to be able to create a solid bond.
Our suggestion? Go make a group with your friends. It's loads of fun.
What do you use for sound/video edting?
We use audcity (a free software) to capture and manipulate our voices, Acoustica MP3 Audio Mixer to mix the voices, and Adobe Premiere Pro to edit our videos.
There are many other options to consider, such as (freeware): PC's window's movie maker, Mac's garage band, iMovie....Adobe carries a sound mixer, Adobe Audition, and Mac's popular and professional video editing program, Final Cut Pro, is all worth a try.
Can I use/upload your skit at _____?
In terms of re-creating performances and uploading it to your own site, we have to say no. We believe it is too difficult to be credited with our creation when it comes to performing for an audience. If you want to put our videos on your site, please use the youtube links/embedded code. When it starts heading into the "education purposes" realm, please email us (look at the contact page)
What's the ending song for the Village of DDR?
Village of DDR's is "Viva Rock" by Orange Range (the 3rd ending song to the Naruto series).
All the credits have been typed out on each skit's page..
Micheal is SOOO hot!! What's his MySpace?
I don't think Cat, his girlfriend, or he would appreciate it.
Also, it's MichAEL, not MichEAL.
If you ever want to contact any JAC member, the information on the forums is what people choose to release as public. Asking other members for other's information is crossing into their privacy. If they want their screenname in the public, they would put it. Otherwise, email the person directly.
On a last note, most of us do NOT have a MySpace.
Sasukes a GIRL?!
Yes. Crossplay, especially for girls to dress as men, is not uncommon in the cosplay community. For the record, torakiji is not insulted by this comment. Just wanted to clarify.
How do you play the bumblebee game?
First, memorize this rhyme:
"Clap clap bumblebee
Clap up down
Clap turn touch touch
Change pat down"
Basically, you do what the rhyme says. Start with the cup in front of you upside down on some sort of surface. In this example, we'll say it is a table.
1. Clap twice. "Bumblebee" means to drum the bottom of the cup in rhythm to the syllables of the word "bumblebee".
2. Clap once. Then with your right hand, pick the cup straight "up" a little bit and then put it "down".
3. Clap once. With your right hand, swiftly pick up the cup from its left side and turn the cup over...don't put it back down! Hold your left hand out and use the bottom of the cup to "touch" the palm of your left hand and then "touch" the table. Again, don't let go of the cup.
4. "Change" means to quickly hand the cup to your left hand, and then turn the cup over with your left hand, but don't put the cup down. "Pat" means to place your right hand with palm facing down onto the table. Then put the cup back "down" onto the table, which should upside down like it started in the beginning. If you are playing this game in the group, you need to place the cup down in front of the next person at this time without knocking the cup over.
You can play this game just for fun or have a contest with friends. Simply sit in a circle and keep passing the cup around as you each do the "bumblebee" rhyme. Anyone that messes up--loses the rhythm, knocks the cup over--is out. The one person that lasts until the end wins.