Heroes of Cosplay Sanctuary

Gossip runs rampant in cosplay – especially online.  There are groups.  There are cliques at Cons – there’s a ton of high school behavior. Being authentic is tough – and definitely, we want to show everyone that we’re not about all of that drama, but I know in some cases, there’s a lot going on underneath in this world of Cosplay, but you know what? Those that keep to themselves and just create –...

1 million subscribers – seems impossible and in many cases, for many niche channels, it is an impossible goal.  1000 is a lot.  Can we fail our way to a Gold Play Button?  What happens when we get one? Well…nothing. Nothing happens.  You just get one. But can you fail your way to success?  Many online talking heads seem to think so.  Depends on your definition of failure. If an attempt at somethin...

You’re going to need space. If you’re making content – how are you making it? Probably in a corner of your house or apartment in front of a curtain – we all start somewhere. Never worry about production quality – a little goes a long way, but you’ll want to make something that suits your brand and your personality How much space do you need? Can I even answer that? Some creators have a studio, a w...

YouTube is the often overlooked platform for Cosplay - you prefer the "easier" platforms such as Twitch, Instagram, and TikTok.  What if I told you that the easiest, or at least the platform with the best return and lowest level of competition in the Cosplay space is actually YouTube.  Let's go over my thoughts on this and the numbers. Find HoCS online: https://www.heroesofcosplaysa...

One of the hardest things for me to overcome is being awkward on camera. Roberto Blake says – you’re going to make 100 crappy videos. And that’s ok. What you don’t want to do is be too hard on yourself in the beginning when you get in front of a camera. A few things I’ve learned from years in theater, and in having nearly 100 videos on YouTube Also – some irony in making a Podcast about being good...

First of all, this is an episode about Patreon.  We've had a few in the past, and in general, you want to know about putting content in spaces where you can make money. The good news is, if you have a YouTube channel, you're on the track to monetize your brand. It can be slow going, but at some point, you might want to get some return on what you're putting in. In 2022, we will have...

In this episode, I want to talk about eCommerce and a few things to consider when setting up a commerce website or platform for Cosplay.  You may sell products you make, commissions, or have branded merchandise that you want other people to purchase and support your show. We have merch - if you'd like to check it out! If you're looking to get into Commerce, it's become very easy, an...

Are we completely hung up on the algorithms and gaining organic reach? It's becoming harder and harder to curate attention based on what each of these free platforms wants. Yes, the platform is free, but is it coming down to having to spend money just to get reach online? Partly, yes. Today, I'm talking about paid search which I break up into two groups - Social Media and Pay Per Click (...

There are a number of misconceptions about branding, and there's a lot to it.  I wanted to take an episode to share my  thoughts on branding, developing a brand, brand standards and all things to consider as a Cosplayer looking to build a 'stand out brand' inside of the industry. Find us online: https://www.heroesofcosplaysanctuary .... Find the Sanctuary on Social: With Co-Host @as...

This week, I wanted to come back to some of the roots that the show is based on, and talk about core concepts for building an online presence that brings you attention, leads to a larger audience, and ultimately helps you create a source of income. It's not the only thing, the most important thing, but here are some things to consider if you are looking to elevate your platform and your brand...

Is this the only way? It’s a straight forward approach to content creation. It follows basic writing principles for scripts – which you have – I’m reading a loose script.  But, you don’t have to do it like this. Having a format is something that your audience can get used to. Being random, if it’s not your thing may lead to confusion – by viewers and YouTube.  But make it yours. You don’t want to...

Outsourcing can be hit and miss – you may never get something, you may wait a long time, and it might not be what you want – hard to find trustworthy vendors in some cases Amazon Cosplayers – is it really outsourcing to not make everything from raw materials? Buying pieces and altering them – saves time and is kind of outsourcing, but not really Props, printing, makeup, wigs, sewing, foaming, pain...

Do these thoughts go through your head when you make a Cosplay? I’m not too good at Cosplay I don’t have a lot of time for Cosplay I don’t have anyone to edit or take photos right now I don’t think it’s there yet – even if I did share, it doesn’t measure up to what out there If so, we may have something to talk about. I've had these thoughts too, and it keeps me from completing Cosplays. What...

I don’t know which cosplay to do... I run into brick walls making a Cosplay or buying one – takes too long – gets screwed up – I don’t think it’s good enough What to do when a Cosplay stalls out? Let's talk about this in today's episode and learn about why I don't spend more time sharing my cosplays with you.  I have some tips for you to stay the course on what you're working o...

When you get your face edited into a background and a cosplay – is that Cosplay? Cosplay is Costume + Play (which I’ve never gone into why that is) acting out our fandoms in real life So, if it isn’t real life. If we don’t have the costume. If we’re not actually anywhere but in our living room and in our jim jams in front of a green screen, and the only part of it that’s us is the likeness – is it...

It's a complete 180 today as I'll be watching Dune!  We're going to talk about one of the more standard topics today, which is the big conversation on getting more views and attention as a Cosplayer online. Over and over again, I hear about how Cosplay content is being suppressed by the algorithm on YouTube, Instagram, Twitch, and really just online in general. This video talks abou...

Today, I doubt I will do the Frank Herbert series of amazing Sci-Fi space drama any justice. I just really think it's one of the greatest stories ever written in it's genre.  I'm talking all about the Dune books and what we will hopefully see in the movie.  There are  a lot of spoilers, so sorry about that - although Dune has been around for a while, so really it's akin to spoi...

Today, I want to focus on DUNE again, but the video games this time.  I spend a lot of time as a kid playing Dune II and Dune 2000 on my computer and it took up a lot of my weekends. I'm going to explain what I liked about the games, and how they were unique and set the stage for a lot of downloadable games that are popular today.  Of course, I do talk about the original DUNE game, which is b...

Today we're talking about the 1984 movie, DUNE.  It's definitely a massive contrast to the new movie out at the end of the week.  I want to talk about the good and bad of the movie, what I thought was missing, and really why I was so drawn to the whole concept of Dune in the first place.  The games were a big help, but that's a story for tomorrow.  For today, let's focus on wha...

This week on the Podcast, I'm talking about DUNE - the movie coming out on HBO/Max on October 22nd.  We're going to spend a show each day this week talking about the trailers, 1984 movie, video games, and the books.  Dune is one of my favorite, if not my favorite fandoms. It's awesome, and I've loved it for around 30 years. Today, we're going to dive into the trailers and...

Today, we’re talking about how to produce a video without over-producing it. Does everything you create need to be as good or better than what’s coming out in the MCU today? How do you expect it to be when you’re just one person with a camera phone? We hold ourselves to really high standards and even higher bars in cosplay. In fact – I rarely even release or share that I’ve finished a Cosplay, bec...

When you get on camera, who are you? Are you the way you are all the time, or are you developing a persona? Does getting in front of an audience actually allow you to be more of who you want to be – which is also not necessarily who you are. Inauthentic usually means pandering to likes, follows, and asking for people to send you money for existing  - which is not something that we care for on the...

We all start somewhere, and most of the time it's at zero. We're all beginners at something and that is where we all start.  True statement? Does it ever matter how many followers you have? Does it matter how many you gather and does that validate your ability to create and portray fandoms? Today's talk is aimed at showing you some perspective and reminding you that there is no over...

10 years is a long time to do anything. The more I talk to Cosplayers, the more I realize that there’s no ‘overnight success’ even in the look-alike realm of Cosplay It all starts with Halloween. Or in my case, theater. Why does it take so long to “get good” at Cosplay and why is the average time in Cosplay a decade? Find us online: https://www.heroesofcosplaysanctuary .... Find the Sanctuary on S...

What goes into your Brand? The decisions you make on color, inspiration, or where the focus goes are all strategic choices made inside of Cosplay behind the scenes to get you the attention for your platform that you're looking for. That's a long sentence. Overall, today we're talking about choices in branding - self-branding or creating a business centered around what you do and you...