How to Plan a Cosplay: Stay Organized and On Time
We've all been there: You have an idea for an awesome cosplay and dive right in all excited. Only to realize halfway through that you missed a few key pieces, ran out of material (that is now out of stock), and that a huge part ended up being WAY more complex than you originally thought. Or worse, you underestimated the amount of time it would take to complete your cosplay... And now you're rushing days before a convention to get it finished! Imagine rushing when you're also IN A COMPETITION. I'll share how I plan a cosplay that helps me stay organized and stay on budget. I'm still working on the 'sticking to a schedule' bit.. But let's get started!
GATHERING REFERENCE PHOTOS
I assume you already picked a character or concept you want to create? Nice! First, gather as many reference photos as you can. They should be as high quality as possible. You'll need to see the different textures of their outfit and/or any small details to their design. Here are some ways to find good reference photos:
In-game screenshots or Photo Mode - If your character comes from a video game, this is the best way! I've used Photo Mode before to capture details of one of Aloy's outfits from Horizon: Zero Dawn. That specific armor wasn't done by other cosplayers at the time, so I couldn't find good photos in a simple Google Image search. Some games have a Character Gallery where you can rotate and zoom in on the character models. I've seen this in games like Batman:Arkham Knight and Uncharted 4.
Horizon Zero Dawn - Guerrilla Games
Character Concept Art - Most video games and animated movies have 'Art of' concept art books. (I have a whole shelf of them.) They show a ton of character art, usually with details listed out. You might even see details you didn't notice before. Concept art books are limited though, depending how much they show and how large the drawings are.
The Art of God of War - Santa Monica Studio
PDF Character Guides - Some video game developers create full PDF guides on their main characters. SPECIFICALLY for cosplayers to reference! I have downloaded a guide for Aloy and Ellie from Last of Us 2. Links here for full PDFs: Aloy and Ellie (the original Playstation webpage is now a 404... boo.)
Last of Us 2 - Naughty Dog
Movie Screenshots - There are a few sites that have full movies broken down into frame-by-frame screenshots. Two popular sites I like to use are moviescreencaps and animationscreencaps. If you have the patience, you could pause a video at different times to see necessary angles and details.
Mandalorian - Lucasfilm / Disney+
LIST ALL PARTS & PIECES OF YOUR COSPLAY
Listing out every single piece of your cosplay helps you see the true scope of it. Yes, every. single. piece. Even that one bracelet. Since I'm a visual person, I draw out each item and color it in once that part is completed. A list makes sure you don't forget anything.
BUYING OR CRAFTING?
Once you have a complete list, figure out which pieces could be easily bought. (Wigs, everyday clothing, accessories, etc.). Buying costumes or props of a cosplay could save you a huge amount of time and stress. Sometimes buying a finished piece is cheaper than the cost of the materials to do it yourself.
EXAMPLE: My Mandalorian helmet. I could have spent the time building it myself out of EVA foam with a template. BUT I knew I would become overly frustrated trying to get it perfectly smooth and symmetrical. Trying to get it right would cost me if I messed it up beyond repair. In the end, I was able to buy a custom-sized 3D printed helmet from a cool guy on etsy. So spending the extra money was worth it to avoid the frustration and amount of time spent, and in the end have a helmet of better quality.
CRAFTING
Research different methods if you're unsure how to build or sew a piece of your cosplay. There are great resources on YouTube, Pinterest, forums, and blogs by people who have already figured it out. Even if you think you know how to tackle it, you might learn a better, easier way to go about it! Once you know how to make your pieces, write a list of all the materials you'll need.
SOME TIPS:
Check availability - Certain products might be out of stock or on back-order. It's usually an issue when buying specific fabrics online.
Buy a little extra of what you think you’ll need - The worst is messing up and/or underestimating how much you needed of a material, and then finding out it’s sold out or no longer available. Any leftovers can be used for future repairs or another cosplay!
Keep track of purchases - Pricing out everything will help you stay within your budget. Write down prices from different sellers/retailers and compare prices.
Definitely look out for sales and big coupons!
LIST TASKS FOR EACH PIECE
Your list might start looking kinda crowded with notes by now. I'd make a copy of the list of pieces. Under each piece of the cosplay write down every step required to make it. (cut out foam, glue, prime, paint, seal, etc.). Going off memory, or 'winging it', leads to forgetting important steps. Listing out every action gives a better idea on how much time and effort will go into completing a cosplay. You can also see which items might be able to be done at the same time. Like spray painting multiple pieces outside when there's nice weather.
When I feel like I'm not making any progress, checking off one or two simple steps helps me feel accomplished. Seeing ANY sign of progress gives me a motivation boost to keep going!
CREATE A REALISTIC TIMETABLE
Okay - so now you have a list showing alllll the steps required to finish EVERY piece of your cosplay. Now is the time to make a REALISTIC schedule. When does this need to be completed? Is there an upcoming Con, movie/game/show release date, or photoshoot?
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
Is it seasonal or weather dependent?
too cold to spray paint/work outside
too hot to wear a layered cosplay for photoshoots in Summer
harder to find seasonal-based clothing for your cosplay in stores
For each piece of the costume you have to make/alter:
What takes the least to most amount of time?
Most energy and focus, to the least?
Figuring this out helps you pick something to do based on how you feel that day. When I'm feeling blah and tired, I work on something small and easy. At least I get something done and not feel like I'm falling behind!
BIG TIP:
Might want to wait on a new character to see if someone ends up making props or costumes you can use. If it's a popular character, there will be merch coming out. (Look at all the Birds of Prey Harley Quinn outfits that were available after the movie came out - mostly from Hot Topic.) Saves you time and money if you wait a couple months, and see people selling detailed props or outfits. They might be better looking than hand-made and cheaper than cost of materials to make yourself. Sometimes it’s worth not being ‘the first’!
EXAMPLE: My Mandalorian cosplay. Back when it first aired, I made his blaster and gauntlets from EVA foam. Now there's toy versions I can easily buy and repaint. Mine is nowhere near as detailed or crisp. I bought the gauntlets and will probably buy the blaster too.. which means I'm spending more money, plus time repainting. I could have saved my time, materials, and stress on the ones I made that I ended up not liking.
THIS ALL DEPENDS ON HOW LONG IT TAKES YOU TO FINISH THE COSPLAY AND YOUR DEADLINE. I took over a year to complete the cosplay, so of course new things came out for it during that time.
So good luck, and go have fun making your cosplay!