How to become a cosplay model

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6 min readFeb 16, 2022

Cosplay is a relatively young trend from Japan that gained followers from all over the world. Most think of cosplay as a hobby, but there are many enthusiasts making money from that passion.

We in TonPlace stand for creative and financial freedom for every talented person. And today we will discuss how to become a professional cosplayer and earn.

how to be cosplayer — There are lots of cosplay modeling jobs

What is cosplay modeling

Cosplay is a popular movement with people dressing up like some fictional heroes. Cosplayers inspired by characters from anime, films, cartoons and computer games create look-like costumes and copy behavior of the chosen hero.

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Japanese students created this movement in the late 1970s. It was the time when the first anime series were introduced on television. New wave animators astonished people with offbeat plot lines, bright characters and colorful worlds.

The popularity of the new genre has grown so much that fans started to create costume and makeup designs of main characters and re-live key moments in their favorite episodes. Soon a new movement with local costume shows developed into full-fledged themed festivals with conventions all over the world.

In addition to shows and theme parties, cosplay is used for photo shoots and filming original videos. Nowadays short speechless videos where cosplayers imitate the behavior of selected characters are extremely popular.

Cosplay types

There are several main varieties of subculture from Japan:

Traditional. Originally cosplay is an impersonation of manga and anime characters.
Puppet. In this case, cosplayers create costumes not for themselves, but for their fairy-tale companions — dolls.
Original. Create your own character that is not related to famous franchises.
J-rock. A separate direction where fans copy the stage costumes of their favorite musical performers.
Funny. In this version cosplayers embody famous characters with the help of cheap improvised materials.

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Is cosplay a job

This practice may look like an activity for people with a lot of free time. However, cosplaying is more complex than it may seem at first.

Nowadays many people making their own versions of popular culture heroes or creating original characters have degrees in design, photography or graphic. Others overgrown with contacts by taking classes in fashion or social media marketing.

Some cosplayers try to monetize their hobby by selling access to their work on content platforms. Most share their work on social Medias like YouTube or Instagram trying to light up and get a contract with famous studios.

The more someone advertises some anime, game or movie, the more chances to get a sponsorship and become officially invited to theme events or movie openings to increase interest amongst the public

So, it’s up to you to decide whether to make cosplay work or do it as a hobby.

How to get into cosplay modeling

Every creative person started his or her way with very little resources at disposal. This happens with cosplayers too.

You must be ready to spend lots of money on discount outfits, materials for costumes, equipment and make up. Good way to recover costs by starting theme pages on social media to resell needless components or rent ready-made suits.

Also, social networks are necessary for promoting your works. Use these tools to launch your career and start earning with your hobby. Take advantage of TonPlace, the most convenient way to receive income from any content, including cosplay modeling.

We create top of the line service for monetizing content and offer:

Creative freedom. We welcome any kind of content that is not against the law.
Promotional tools. We developed several free tools for promoting content on the platform.
Help. We provide the assistance of a personal manager, as well as show the work of new authors on the main page.
Motivation. We encourage our authors to develop their pages and give gifts for promotion on the platform.

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How to be a cosplayer: essential factor

Main thing that separates a little-known cosplayer from a creator with an audience of thousands of fans is how realistic your cosplaying looks. Cosplay fans are quite a demanding audience, scrupulous about the details, starting with the shape of buttons to hair color.

Do not cosplay as Rapunzel if you don’t have a red long wig. Also, do not embody Alice in Wonderland if you do not have an appropriate dress, or at least a bunny doll.

Cosplayers become famous simply because their characters look consistent and their costume or makeup game is on point. You should be aware of every insignificant element of your costume.

Tips how to become a cosplay model

We prepared some advice on how to create a believable cosplay character.

#1. Hairstyle

Creating new character, you should mind the hairstyle of the chosen hero. Best way to embody any hairstyle is buying several wigs and style them according to numerous tutorials.

Hairstyle is an essential thing for all cosplay costumes

#2 Sight

Even if the color of your eyes matches the chosen character, the lenses will help make the look more “fabulous” and expressive.

# 3 Costume

Many beginners consider the suit as the main component of any character. In fact, a properly styled wig and suitable lenses are enough to create a recognizable cosplay. It is not necessary to always make canonical costumes, create your own versions of the selected character (made versions).

# 4 Shoes

Returning to the essential factor of any cosplay, make sure that your shoes match the image of the selected character.

# 5 Makeup

Just look up guides on sites dedicated to cosplay and repeat the actions of experienced cosplayers.

how to get into cosplay modeling — You can find guides for almost every famous character

# 6 Roleplaying

It’s not enough to wear a look-like costume or matching wig to create a believable cosplay. It is necessary to convey the image and mood of the selected hero. Practice manners and facial expressions in front of a mirror.

Conclusion

Cosplay is a beautiful hobby that requires a lot of dedication, a lot of time and effort. In addition, it is quite expensive, you will have to spend a lot of money on the manufacture of each costume.

To succeed in cosplay, you need to attend numerous anime conventions, actively maintain social networks and constantly work on creating new images for cosplay and stories for photo shoots. However, there are lots of cosplay modeling jobs and only you can decide if a career as a cosplayer is right for you.

Whether you choose to pursue a career as a cosplayer or choose another type of content, your work will be welcomed on TonPlace!

Join our platform and:

use creative freedom to realize the most fantastic and private stories with your favorite characters;
take advantage of our tiered content level system to post free materials engaging new followers;
set the price for subscription and access to your paid publications;
show your work to all users of the platform on the main page with our recommendation algorithm;
conduct paid streams and sell your work in private messages.

Make a TonPlace account and start your journey to financial and creative independence.

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