Warwick Arts Centre
14th - 16th August 2009
14th - 16th August 2009
Being such an awesome event, we know that a lot of people will have questions about Sunday Night Live. I’m hoping the information below will be useful to anybody thinking of entering.
If you do have any questions, please feel free to ask them on the relevant “Ayacon’s Sunday Night Live” thread in the forums.
What is it?
Ayacon’s Sunday Night Live is sort of like an Omake.
The difference is that we want to make it bigger, flashier, more entertaining and with a wider variety of performances. You can still expect to see comedy sketches like normal, but we hope to have people entering with much more unusual acts as well!
As a cosplayer, what do I need to do?
Okay, so the first thing you will want to do is figure out what you (or you and a group of friends) want to do. Then you will want to organise yourselves to practice and come up with a routine to do in three minutes.
Once you’ve got something, you will have to register via the appropriate online form. This will then get a once over by myself and I’ll either add it into our list straight away or I might need to ask you to make some changes.
On the day itself, there is a rehearsal during the day to get things ready and prepared. You, or at least one member of your group) must attend the rehearsal to confirm your place and go over what you're going to be doing.
Then in the evening you’ll perform live on Ayacon’s main stage!
What sort of things can I do?
Let your imagination go wild! You can do tons of different things, the important rule is to try and aim for it to be as entertaining for the whole audience as possible. This is a non-competitive event so the primary aim is to put on the best show possible.
Here are some examples of what you *could* do;
A magic act!
A choreographed street dance (like Diversity from Britain’s Got Talent)!
A poi/juggling display!
A comedy skit! (The kind you get in most Omake/Masquerades)
A serious piece of dramatic performance!
Stand Up Comedy!
Sing!
Dance!
A choreographed fight sequence!
A full orchestral band!
Those are just some ideas to help get you started, but almost anything goes!
What sort of thing *isn’t* allowed?
Well, as you can imagine there are a few things we won’t allow, this is to ensure safety of the audience, the staff and yourself! (As well as to avoid damaging the Arts Centre so we don’t have to pay for damages!)
We would ask you to use common sense when thinking what is/isn’t allowed, however here are some things that are definitely out;
- Anything with fire/pyrotechnics
- Anything involving water
- Anything that makes a lot of mess! (Mainly because Kat has told me I’m the one who has to clear it up! )
- Un-trained Stunts/Fighting (IE; Don’t do something unless you are well trained and can do it safely)
If you’re unsure if you’re performance is suitable, submit it anyway and we will get back to you on anything that needs changing.
You mentioned that a performance should be three minutes. Is that a strict time limit or just a general guide?
In order to keep the evening fluid and snappy we want everybody to design their performance to fit in with the three minute time limit. This is to ensure that the audience has a great time and to keep things fair for everybody.
If your performance is a few seconds over then let us know on your form and we can see what we can do.
I’ve heard you’re going to be really strict on what can and can’t enter. I don’t think I want to enter...
Awww, please don’t feel that way!
It’s true that we want to check over people’s entries to make sure we’re not getting the same things over and over. We also want to encourage people to go above and beyond the usual dance/song/skit performances. But we’re certainly not going to turn people away blindly.
If we do think your performance needs just a little pinch of extra “showbiz power” then we’ll get in touch and ask you to tweak a few things, or give you a few ideas. Remember, this show isn’t competitive so the real prize is giving the audience an incredible evening of entertainment. We’re just trying to make sure that happens.
Do I need to provide my own music? Can I use video? What about microphones?!
You’ll be able to send us (or bring along on the day if it’s a big file) any music/video tracks to use for your performance. It’s always good to try and make sure that whatever format you supply is going to work on any machine so do be careful.
As somebody who has been doing skits and performances for a few years, I always encourage you *pre-record* all of your audio and make it as clear as possible. Microphones do allow you some ad-lib opportunities but things can always go wrong and let’s not think about people forget their lines!
Obviously, if you want to do something like stand up comedy then a microphone is perfect and I’m sure we can sort that out for you. Just remember to request one in the form you fill out.
Can I do a performance with a large group? How many is too many?
Absolutely! Group performances are always great and can have a great visual impact!
It doesn’t matter if you only have two people and 18 “stage ninjas”, as long as they look the part (say all black, or dressed appropriately for the performance) and they’re providing something to the skit they’re very welcome.
As for the maximum number, be realistic. A group of 20 identical Naruto cosplayers performing would be fantastic and would probably be the most you could fit on the stage comfortably. Having 30+ is going to be pushing it.
Can we use bought costumes?
As this is a non-competitive Event, and the focus is on entertaining the audience, absolutely!
So please, get your ideas together, sign up and have fun! If you any questions about entering, please don't hesitate to get in touch either via the forum or through cosplay@ayacon.org.uk.
Regards,
Mark