Bang Zoom Audio Engineering by Eri Kagami
When it comes to bringing anime to territories where anime needs to be redubbed, no one really thinks about the behind the scenes process of dubbing. Engineers from Bang Zoom discussed their career and what were some necessary skills needed for this line of work. Bang Zoom is one of the Los Angeles based studios that typically dubs anime and video games for localization. A huge quality in this profession is perception, “Some people have it, some people don’t,” said one of the panelists. They also talked about etiquette when dealing with actors and how to properly set up the microphone with the actor. Each of the panelists talked about their background – I liked that each of the panelists had different professional backgrounds prior to coming to Bang Zoom. There was an alumni of Loyola Marymount’s music production program, a musician from Berklee College who did sound design as a side gig, etc. They talked about how this profession looks more at theory than professional experience and how people skills and professional communication are just as important qualities.

Entertainment Hall: Cosplay Sets by Eri Kagami
One of the best things about the entertainment hall was the cosplay set pieces where cosplayers and people can take selfies and photos of themselves. Inspired by Japan’s cosplay sets where cosplayers can reserve times and select sets that fit with characters they portray, this is something that Anime Expo has had for the past few years and took some time to refine. The same sets were present – classroom, graveyard, Japanese tea room, sakura garden, Japanese garden, bleachers, etc. The newest set was a stage with light up double hearts perfect for idol cosplays. Jared thought it was a strip joint. A nice change from previous years was the presence of staff to keep the lines going and that no one was hogging the sets. Staff was also happy to take photos of cosplayers and attendees with their phones or point and clicks. Another change is that photographers can reserve time during after hours (8PM onwards) to do private photoshoots with the cosplay sets in the evening. This can be done prior to con.

Entertainment Hall: Cosplay Repair by Eri Kagami
Cosplay repair is always a helpful piece of Anime Expo. This was great if you needed a quiet place to take a break and recharge and fix up a cosplay issue. The repair station had hot glue, safety pins, bobby pins, needle and threads, etc. The cosplay repair station also had changing rooms equipped with mirrors. This was great for cosplayers who had to change in the middle of the day or wanted to make sure every piece of their costumes look fine. Because there were also plenty of outlets at the tables for the hot glue guns, this was also a great place to recharge phones without looking for a wall outlet in the convention center.

Entertainment Hall: Cosplay Senpai by Eri Kagami
Cosplay Senpai returned for another year at Anime Expo. Most of the featured cosplayers were doing panels on cosplay tips and craftsmanship and community issues. The most stand out booths were Kiba the Corgi, a service dog that doesn’t mind the attention. They also had our friends at Chocolate Covered Cosplay who were doing a few panels on cosplay diversity and wig selection for fair skinned costumers. They also talked to inquiring minds about racism in the cosplay community. They also had Queersplay from the MidWest who were selling buttons in support for LGBT cosplayers.

Fan Cosplay Meet Ups: Love Live by Eri Kagami
No doubt that Anime Expo has a ton of cosplayers in attendance. While there are private photoshoots around and outside the convention center, there are also fan organized cosplay meet ups. I have been around long enough to know that Anime Expo used to not have anything to do with fan meets, but I’m glad they’re actively making it a part of the con by accommodating designated zones for large fan meet ups. Usually these are planned prior to con – first come, first serve. Fan cosplay meet ups are great for first timers who wish to make friends at the con. These are the perfect ice breaker! I went to the Pretty Cure and Love Live meet ups during con. One of the downsides of fan meet ups is that you can’t predict the exact number of people who will show up even if you do a Facebook event invite. Because Love Live is a popular franchise that just released a second series, the stairs by West Hall was not the right fit for the size and scope of the meet up. It got so big, we were considered a fire hazard. Therefore, we had to move to the larger staircase by West Hall. These shoots consists of single shots of characters, collections of variations, and pairings for those who felt comfortable doing so.  Cosplay meet ups are a great way to make friends and also plan for upcoming group cosplays within fandom.

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