The Parade, the Masquerade, and everything in between. ((The good, the bad, the ugly))
Let me first say that AC'10 was my VERY first con and I enjoyed it very much.
However, I want to suggest that for the parade if it was spaced out a bit better. Like, before the suiters head out the door, there should be someone spacing the suiters from eachother so we don't run into eachother quite so much. My mate n' I felt clustered and didn't give us much chance to animate ourselves. It's a huge pet-peeve of our's because we want to show what we can do, etcetc.
Another suggestion I have is that the flag carriers should be at the very back. I heard that alot of suiters were blocked during the parade by other suiter's flags and they seemed pretty upset about it.
Other than those the parade was incredibly enjoyable.
Now, onto the Masquerade...
I'm aware that probably not too many people tried out for it.... but the ones that actually did make it were kind of, for a lack of better words, pisspoor. I wouldn't mind seeing more talent up there instead of just swaying back and forth for 3mins. If I wanted to see something better than that I'd go to the rave every night.
To quote my friend:
" Okay as much as I enjoyed the masquerade, there are some skits that just left me sitting there, feeling like it was a waste of time. Mainly the ones where it's just a fursuit orgy on stage and nothing is really being done but people looking like asses to a really horribly performed skit. Now don't get me wrong, I understand that a masquerade is also meant to show off the suits, and that it takes a lot of balls to get on stage for any con's masquerade. I've done so. I respect anyone who goes up there in front of everyone else.
But please, PLEASE for the love of god, if you're going to want to show off your costume in an act, get your act together. I'm sick and tired of watching thirty million fursuits go on stage and just... sway."
Other than that everything was fine. My apologies for the tl;dr but I felt it needed to be said.
I hope these suggestions are looked at and considered.
If I think of anything more I'll be sure to post it :3
Thanks!
Not to mention you got to punch my mate in the gut and kick me in the ..... uh, never mind. Thanks for the help though.
@ ArcFenBlu
The flags in the parade were actually a surprise to me. Last year after the parade Uncle Kage said that flags would no longer be allowed in the parade because of what a hassle they were. Don't know why that changed and some were allowed this year. Perhaps that is something that will need to be addressed again for next year.
I'm aware that probably not too many people tried out for it.... but the ones that actually did make it were kind of, for a lack of better words, pisspoor.
Not to mention you got to punch my mate in the gut and kick me in the ..... uh, never mind. Thanks for the help though.
Yeeeah but I came out too early. :/
I should have gone over it with you a little more just before the skit but it still worked out.
yeah I did word that wrong and I apologize ((this is why I am NOT allowed to be a PR))
nah I did want to mention that the skit that you did with the 'how to properly fursuit' ((my apologies for not remembering the name ><''')). I thought it was neat and well done and incredibly ironic when a kid irl started crying ><' i couldn't help but laugh but feel bad lol.
ANYWAY! Yeah I do hope the flag issue gets ironed out a bit. I have no idea as to what past cons have done about it n' whatnot ((AC'10 was my first con... ever...)).
Regardless, maybe my mate n' I can do a skit with you guys next year. We have something up our sleeve already for it :3
I kind of thought that it was just poorly worded that's why I asked. Unfortunately I could not watch the majority of the skits as I was stuck in the green room but I have watched several on youtube and enjoyed them quite a bit. Glad you liked my skit, I think we got the awws and laughs in the right places.
As for your skit next year we can try help out if you like. Just let me know.
If you liked that skit you may also enjoy this one from last year!
I loved that skit last year.
To quote my friend:
" Okay as much as I enjoyed the masquerade, there are some skits that just left me sitting there, feeling like it was a waste of time. Mainly the ones where it's just a fursuit orgy on stage and nothing is really being done but people looking like asses to a really horribly performed skit. Now don't get me wrong, I understand that a masquerade is also meant to show off the suits, and that it takes a lot of balls to get on stage for any con's masquerade. I've done so. I respect anyone who goes up there in front of everyone else.
But please, PLEASE for the love of god, if you're going to want to show off your costume in an act, get your act together. I'm sick and tired of watching thirty million fursuits go on stage and just... sway
I think you "friend" should stop and look at the big picture on the masquerade, because this comment makes me think the point was missed, to the whole show. Most of the skits in the masquerade are written from scratch and rehearsed over the course of the year (like Mr. Jaws) Yes some of the skits are silly; some are not as strong as others. (I could never play an instrument in fur suit that just amazes me)
To perform on stage in front of a large group is a daunting task, in the first place, and adding a fur suit to that mix is dam near impossible. The sole purpose of the masquerade is to entertain you, the audience, and judging from the amount of laughter and applause we got that night... our mission was a complete success.
Maybe your friend could join us next year, and show us his talent.
To be perfectly honest, there's one skit in particular which was basically "a bunch of suiters on stage swaying around" while a song plays. It's basically been the same skit every year for the past couple years (just with a different song for each): Song starts, and after a minute passes a bunch of fursuits get on stage and diddle around until the song ends, then they get off stage.
There's a twist here and there but that's basically the jist of the entire thing. I didn't see "standing around & swaying" from any other skit though.
To be perfectly honest, there's one skit in particular which was basically "a bunch of suiters on stage swaying around" while a song plays.
And if it's the one I'm thinking of, they COMPLETELY butchered the song. With lyrics that weren't even particularly clever. I was in full cringe mode, whispering, "Please, God, let it end... let it end now..."
We should have drafted the two guys in the video below to perform instead. The guy who sings Pumbaa's part is really good! 
That video is going to haunt you till the end of your days, isn't it? 
But hey, you weren't half bad as Pumbaa---and if you guys had done something with "tweaked" lyrics, you could easily have brought the house down at the Masquerade. (The only thing missing, really, was a backing track. Doing "Hakuna Matata" acapella is a bit of a tall order.)
I thought the Masquerade was pretty good actually and:
>>I thought it was neat and well done and incredibly ironic when a kid irl started crying
I noticed that too and heard it back later (I record stuff like this on cassette for myself)...
was very ironic. I did like Dover's corny dog humor, the "Mister Jaws" bit (based on a top 40
hit by Buchanan and Goodman or was it just Dickie Goodman), and much more. The dancer who kept
changing from one style to another quickly was amazing. So were the intro bits by KP, JR, and
Stahi's appearances.
I was sitting in back when that happened. I think the kid was set off by hearing the recorded kid scream.
It was a good skit too.
The dancer who kept changing from one style to another quickly was amazing.
Yeah, that dude is insane.
That was Mangusu in his Tac fursuit. He is an awesome dancer. He is actually one of the two who helped come up with the choreography for the Walk the Dinosaur dance at opening ceremonies (the other being Kwik).
That was Mangusu in his Tac fursuit. He is an awesome dancer.
Hear hear! Looks like ~V~'s not the only one.
I wanted to get a closer look at him after the Masquerade, but he probably spent the rest of the evening cooling off in the Headless Lounge. (It was funny how when all the performers got on stage at the end, he sat down, someone told him to get up, and he refused because he was so flat-out tired)
Well, I do have several skit ideas, one that would run for several years in an ongoing story. But I'd need a group of interested fursuiters.
If they like "Bleach", that would also help! It involves my outfit which is to be named "Furquiorra Scritcher". ;3
I was looking to show off my Scar impersonation, but I never got the chance to. :/
Stahi's Pumbaa impersonation was terrific. 
No it wasn't. D:
Well, there is one way you could improve your already-excellent Pumbaa impersonation...
...but there's no need to be that faithful to the character
Except that the DLCC concession stand stopped selling chili cheese fries 
Too bad - at $5 they were a tasty, filling, bargain, unlike the rest of their stuff 
I was looking to show off my Scar impersonation, but I never got the chance to. :/
Ooh! I would've loved to hear this. Jeremy Irons' voice makes me shiver (in a good way)
Well, maybe next year I might have that chance.
I hadn't gone to the Masquerade in a couple years and figured I should go try to tape this one (my camera's battery had other ideas though). To be honest, I agree that some of the acts are slightly lacking but figured I simply wasn't the target audience for that particular performance. I've found that many of the acts from the Masquerade and other shows at AC are posted after the con on Youtube so I skip many of them to do other things and watch them when I get home. You can also buy the con video (support the con) and watch it in high quality on there. Why do this? Because not only can you be out doing other things instead of sitting there watching acts you might not like, when you get home you can fast forward through those ones or most videos posted are single acts so you can just bypass some totally.
Without looking, I'm pretty sure you'll find this same thread posted every year, be it on here or another forum. Usually to the same responses you are seeing in this one. Performing is hard, not every act can be a gem, the act would have been better but the guy running the sound screwed it up, if you think you can do better then try it next year...
I've said it before and I'll say it again this year, I'd like to see a second Masquerade done with an r-rate theme for language and very mild content. Morphicon has one. I understand AC is "Family friendly" but there are some events/shows which have a age limit already so another isn't going to be a big deal. The first time it could be on a small scale (use the room they hold the super sponsor luncheon in which has seating and a small stage) or use the main room we use for the normal masquerade. Those who'd like to see what I have in mind, look on youtube for "Atomic Spectical Of Doom" from this year. Heck, even charge for tickets to get in and make it a charity event.
You can also buy the con video (support the con) and watch it in high quality on there.
No, you can't - I don't feel like hunting down the thread to cite, but they stopped selling DVDs a few years ago because they were actually losing money on them
As I posted elsewhere, I thought this year's Masquerade was one of the best since I started going in 2006, but YMMV...
I, for one, didn't sway. I blew a VUVUZELA IN SOMEBODY'S FACE.