Convention season is closing in and with many events now announcing dates or tickets, for cosplayers it's the time of year to start picking projects. If you're planning on going as Alan Wake or Max Payne this year, this feature is for you. I recently spoke to two cosplayers about their experiences creating the costumes and why they wanted to portray the characters.
First up we have Manuela, also known online as Emme Gray, who has been cosplaying Alan Wake for several years.
Tell us a little about yourself!
My name is Manuela, aka Emme Gray. I'm
Italian and I like to call myself an artist (detailed, I call myself a
penniless artist because I made practically everything but without
gaining much in terms of money but I'm still happy xD) because I love
drawing, making graphics, editing photos, creating video, creating gadgets and
especially cosplay made by me. I am a lover of the world of
video games, I love those series that have a nice plot and characters
special (I don't like much the too commercial series.)
What inspired you to cosplay as Alan Wake?
I simply believe the love I have for that character. He remains one of my favorite protagonists and has always inspired me a lot, especially for his temper and how it evolves over the plot. Perhaps less important and more superficial, he really is a handsome man and I love his clothes and I think this is the most obvious reason but I have to be honest sorry. XD
How did you create the Alan Wake outfit?
For the creation of the jacket, I used a base coat, a sweatshirt and then I sewed the details. Although soon I was hoping to improve it xD
What tips would you give someone who wants to cosplay the character?
The most important thing is to try to make every detail, as for clothes, for example. He is a very simple to do but for that we must not simplify it further otherwise you risk ruining the cosplay. I am a girl so for me it was even more difficult to make the most of its cosplay (and I know that I still have to improve grap).
If you were to do anything again, either for the costume or photoshoot, would you change anything?
I think I have to improve with make-up and clothes. The next time I want to make them as similar as possible.
So I think I would change only those things nothing more.
How do you go about searching for locations for your photoshoot?
The best location I think is a forest or even better a mountain village (or lake obviously haha), but also an abandoned industrial structure may work fine for a photoshoot. In my part I have several places alike to those indicated, especially forests or woodlands, and I hope to make new photos in these places one day.
Looking back at when you started cosplaying, what challenges did you face and if they were overcome, how?
I think the most difficult challenges were those when I brought to conventions, characters like Alan Wake or even some of Silent Hill. In Italy they are not at all known at conventions so you do not ever get recognize and this depresses me a lot. Just because they are simple characters nobody does their cosplay and many do not even try. But despite this I am continuing to do them, and especially to make new ones and fix or improve old ones. Just because no one at the convention takes my picture does not mean that my character is bad or wrong, just not commercial or an ultra trend. I love those characters and especially the series so I will never stop doing their cosplay or bring them to the conventions.
Where can we follow your cosplays online?
I have a Facebook page where I keep all work and even cosplay commissions (for now only in Italy but I'd sell them abroad one day) But for the pictures of my cosplay and projects you can follow me on DevianArt! There are also on Tumblr and Twitter but I have to organize my cosplay on those social grap!
(FB page: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Emm…)
Thank you to Emme Gray for the interview!
