Cosplay is a big part of comic book culture, for which the fans need to dress up as their favorite characters, or as mix-and-match variations on multiple characters and ideas, and cosplay events become more and more popular in these years. A new documentary, Cosplanet: The Evolution of Cosplay, intends to explore the origins and growth of the subculture, and co-director/producer Patrick Meaney talked to The Hollywood Reporter about the project.
Cosplay at worldwide fan gatherings and comic-book conventions has exploded like a brilliant supernova of leather, foam rubber and spandex. To acknowledge and explore the passion and dedication of this kooky cultural phenomenon, an campaign has been launched for a comprehensive new cosplay documentary, Cosplanet: The Evolution of Cosplay.
Co-producer and director Patrick Meaney chatted with The Hollywood Reporter recently to help flesh out the genesis of this ambitious project and its ultimate goals: “While we were working on the cosplay events, we spoke with several cosplayers, and heard a lot of fascinating stories about the world of cosplay, going back to the very early days of fandom in the 60s and 70s. We didn’t have enough room in that film to include all of the cool stuff we heard from interviewees, so we started throwing around the idea of doing a project more focused on cosplay.”
Citing the hobby’s increased exposure, costume designer came on board as a producer to assist in getting the Cosplanet documentary off the ground.
They talked about how there’s never been a great documentary representation of what it’s really like in the world of cosplay, or the history of the cosplay. The goal is to make the definitive look at the world of cosplay, from its beginning to the present day, from super high end screen accurate replicas to casual fans who just want to go and have a good time. People are using computers at work, looking at their phone or TV at home, and some people think there’s a desire to engage in something tangible and crafty, rather than digital.
The people we’ve talked to use a blend of old school techniques, like sewing or corset making, combined with new materials like worbla, a moldable plastic, to make stuff. YouTube tutorials and ebooks have made these techniques a lot more accessible than they were in the pre-internet age. It’s a community of people helping each other to make cooler and cooler stuff. By other way, it shows people’s talents by making costumes themselves.
Suit up and slide into a preview of Cosplanet below and contribute some coin for the cause if you so desire. Meaney and Bregman hope to raise $50K to go toward completing production of this fan-tailored endeavor. Tapping into the heart of the cosplay universe for support should make that a viable reality.
The project got its start during the production of an earlier documentary Meaney was involved in, he explained. “While we were working on She Makes Comics, we spoke with several cosplayers, and heard a lot of fascinating stories about the world of cosplay, going back to the very early days of fandom in the 60s and 70s,” he said. “We didn’t have enough room in that film to include all of the cool stuff we heard from interviewees, so we started throwing around the idea of doing a project more focused on cosplay.”
The project got its start during the production of an earlier documentary Meaney was involved in, he explained. “While we were working on She Makes Comics, we spoke with several cosplayers, and heard a lot of fascinating stories about the world of cosplay, going back to the very early days of fandom in the 60s and 70s,” he said. “We didn’t have enough room in that film to include all of the cool stuff we heard from interviewees, so we started throwing around the idea of doing a project more focused on cosplay.”
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