La Vie en Photos: Blog https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog en-us (C) La Vie en Photos [email protected] (La Vie en Photos) Mon, 16 Mar 2020 06:40:00 GMT Mon, 16 Mar 2020 06:40:00 GMT SacAnime Summer 2014 https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2014/9/sacanime-summer-2014 _MG_0176_MG_0176

We're back! We attended SacAnime's Summer 2014 convention and as with the Winter 2014 event, it was an amazing experience. With an attendance over 13,000, about 3000 more than the typically bigger Winter show, it's becoming a bigger event as well. Everything is still well organized and the convention is full of things to do, and more people meant more participation. And participation is what made this event special.

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This time around we explored a bit more of the convention, taking in a few Q&A sessions along the way. Rodger Bumpass, the voice of Squidward from Spongebob Squarepants, was a genuine standout. His ability to summon the Squidward persona effortlessly, not merely the voice, combined with his great sense of humor and genuine dialogue with the audience to make a lively session. It was the most fun I had personally while watching and photographing any of the Q&A sessions.
 

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Mark Sheppard also had a memorable panel. It was clear that he had a good grasp of who his fanbase is, and used this understanding to great effect. This made his talk quite entertaining if somewhat less than predictable for people who wanted to ask questions. Interacting with the audience beyond the call of duty with intense charisma, he asked many questions of his own and in the end memorably made quite sure that everyone was aware that he never played a "bad guy" - only morally flexible characters, of course.

 

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Another convention favorite of course is cosplay, and SacAnime did not disappoint. A with wide range of characters from anime, sci-fi, video games and even western cartoons such as adventure time were on site to show their costume creating skill. The masquerade was also longer this time around, with a more extensive set of participants and more performances overall.


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Cosplayer participation in the masquerade overflowed with a fully costumed martial arts display, several songs performed by both karaoke contest winners and others, dancing, and many more themed skits. The audience packed the rather large auditorium and added to the energy.
 

 

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The convention didn't sleep early either. Live music was performed both Friday and Saturday nights. As with the masquerade the crowd was right there with the performers, bringing tremendous energy to the room. The excitement flowed out into the convention halls as cosplayers gathered and even put on in-character performances, which would be more difficult during the daytime with so many people walking around.

 

 

 

 

You can see our full event coverage at http://www.lavieenphotos.net/f1036401400. While the Summer 2014 convention may be over, the Winter 2015 event is already being planned and there's room for you! Whether you enjoy anime, cosplay, science fiction, are an artist, or just enjoy getting out and seeing an event where the attendees are a true part of the experience, we've found SacAnime to always be enjoyable and welcoming. Visit SacAnime's website at http://www.sacconventions.com and their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/SacAnime for more information. Until next time! では、また!

 

 

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[email protected] (La Vie en Photos) Anime Concerts Conventions Music SacAnime SacAnime 2014 SacAnime Summer SacAnime Summer 2014 https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2014/9/sacanime-summer-2014 Tue, 30 Sep 2014 22:39:04 GMT
SacAnime Winter 2014 https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2014/1/sacanime-winter-2014 _MG_3695_MG_3695


 

 

 

 

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We attended SacAnime Winter 2014 in the beginning of January, our third visit to this popular and ever-growing biannual Anime convention. Boasting an attendance of over 10,000 (9000? That's so last year!) this was easily the largest we've seen it so far.


Although there were a lot of attendees, registration was fast and efficient - no half day "line con" waits here, a great surprise when compared to some of the larger conventions we've attended. Staff efficiently guided people into lines instead of allowing chaos to run its course, and the convention definitely went more smoothly for it. The location was convenient as well, with several nearby hotels and a variety of good and reasonably priced restaurants in the vicinity. This is not always the case for conventions, and definitely enhanced the experience.

 

 

 

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Cosplay of course is one of the staples of Anime conventions, and we we were not disappointed. Spanning Anime, Comic, Sci-Fi,  and even self-created characters, there were no shortage of subjects represented as people brought their favorite characters to life through their costumes. Although it's not always a group activity, many cosplayers come in groups to represent their favorite series or even just a particular genre. We were actually pleasantly surprised by several family cosplay groups, where people not only took part in the event but passed down the tradition of amazing cosplay craft to the next generation of costume artists. Judging from this picture there will be a lot to look forward to!
 

 

 

 

 

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The masquerade on Saturday pushed the spotlight directly onto the cosplayers, with several group skits highlighting not only their costumes but also acting, singing and dancing talent. The winner of the karaoke contest held earlier was invited to the stage to sing one more song, and many more single costume entries for the costume contest. Some of the most creative costumes were brought to the stage one more time to receive awards from the judging panel, including unique accolades for the most traditional techniques, the least amount of layers to achieve an effect, the youngest entry, and a variety of others. One cosplayer even made the list at age 50, shattering preconceived notions of what judges look for in these contests. Most importantly, it was also a friendly, fun competition and not the kind of over-sensationalized, hyper-competitive event which certain "reality" shows might like to depict it as.



 

 


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SacAnime is not only a cosplay event. With two nights of live music after the day's events and a variety of panels and workshops, there was plenty of entertainment to be had. Kazha, depicted in this photo, made their way from Japan to rock the audience for two nights with songs from their new album. There was also a strong set of artists and voice actors from both the Anime and video game industries, offering interviews, autograph/photo sessions,  industry insights and even sharing experience and art techniques in a variety of panels. Dance classes and dances, the ubiquitous Anime convention performance cafes, vendors, the "artist alley" spaces where smaller artists can display their own creations, and many more of the usual aspects of the convention experience were well represented.

 

 

 

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In the end, SacAnime continues to exemplify what is perhaps my favorite part of the convention experience: the creativity of the attendees. While people are brought together by the industry guests and entertainment, each attendee becomes part of the experience through cosplay, artwork, shared experiences and meeting new people. If you've never been to a weekend-long Anime con, SacAnime would be a great place to start. SacAnime Summer is already being organized as I type this, registration opens on March 1st but hotels are already being booked - VIP badges are currently being offered with each night booked at the Sheraton. See their website at http://www.sacconventions.com and their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/SacAnime for more information. Also see our galleries for many more photos from the event here: http://www.lavieenphotos.net/f708805942

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[email protected] (La Vie en Photos) 2014 Anime Concerts Conventions Music SacAnime SacAnime Winter 2014 https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2014/1/sacanime-winter-2014 Tue, 14 Jan 2014 08:24:06 GMT
Kraken Con 2013 https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2013/10/kraken-con-2013 We were privileged to join in on the inaugural Kraken Con event, held this year in South San Francisco. The _MG_7665_MG_7665 continuing popularity surge of Japanese animation over the years has brought with it quite a few Anime conventions, but Kraken Con's organizers have definitely stepped up on the organization side. Everything was meticulously planned and executed to a degree we have yet to see in events of a similar scale.

The layout for 2013 consisted of a single large event room containing the artist alley, vendors, anime viewing area and video games. Smaller rooms to the sides of the main room were reserved for guest speakers and panels, and food was catered in a side hall next to several panel rooms with sufficient space for everyone and we never experienced overcrowding. With a final attendance of around 1000 people after initial expectations of 500, this was no small feat!

  _MG_7572_MG_7572 Anime conventions tend to draw attendees through industry guests, and Kraken Con was no different. Chris Sabat of Dragonball Z fame and Jessica DiCicco, the voice of the Flame Princess from Adventure Time, were both in attendance for 2013. Chris proved to be an extremely animated (ahem) speaker, more than able to bring stories from his many years of voice acting for the Dragonball franchise and his recent work with his own studio on video game voice acting. Jessica also captivated the audience with stories of her involvement in Adventure Time, with no shortage of fans in attendance - some even dressed as the Flame Princess herself.

Speaking of cosplay, like many conventions Kraken Con also had a cosplay contest. This was possibly the most crowded part of the convention, and could have used a larger room, but it was managed well given the limits of space in the facility. Each cosplayer was given an opportunity to go on stage, explain how they created their costumes, give two poses, and then exit for the next contestant. It was a bit brief, but it worked well given that Kraken Con is only a single day convention.

_MG_7671_MG_7671 Aside from our photography, my wife was also present as a vendor in the artist alley. This gave us additional perspective on the convention, and having been a part of several anime/comic events both large and small we found the vendor process to be more painless than any other we've attended. The rates were reasonable, signup process simple, everything was well marked in terms of location and vendor name, and due to the central location vendors were not only never slow but also invited to take part in presenting the Kraken Con scavenger hunt for a set of cute convention-themed collectible cards.

Will we go again? Definitely, if Kraken Con can pull off the same attention to detail and creativity as this first year it's looking to be one of the better conventions in the SF Bay area for both vendors and attendees. Have a look at our photo coverage at the link below to see more, including the outstanding work of many of the cosplayers.

http://www.lavieenphotos.net/p160867641

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[email protected] (La Vie en Photos) 2013 Anime Chris Sabat Conventions Jessica DiCicco Kraken Con cosplay cosplay contest cosplayers scavenger hunt https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2013/10/kraken-con-2013 Wed, 09 Oct 2013 10:48:52 GMT
C2SV 2013 https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2013/10/c2sv-2013 We were invited to cover the San Jose Metro's inaugural C2SV festival this year! The event offered four days of live music including several local favorites such as The The Phenomenauts and Tera Melos, and was headlined by Iggy and the Stooges. It was also accented by talks by technology industry veterans including Steve "Woz" Wozniak, Nolan Bushnell and even John Mcafee, giving the event a uniquely Silicon Valley flavor. We were unable to cover Friday beyond the morning due to another commitment, but our coverage for the rest of the event can be found here: http://www.lavieenphotos.net/f520176174

 

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[email protected] (La Vie en Photos) 2013 C2SV Concerts Iggy and the Stooges Music Technology https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2013/10/c2sv-2013 Wed, 09 Oct 2013 08:58:04 GMT
8bitSF and more! https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2013/9/8bitsf-and-more With SacAnime Summer behind us, we've started catching up with a few past events while catching up with some new ones. Our coverage of September's 8bitSF is already up, and you can see that here: http://www.lavieenphotos.net/f428963250

This Saturday we're covering another show by the always incredible Super Soul Bros. at San Pedro Square Market in San Jose, playing their renditions of classic video game music on more traditional instruments. This is happening from 8pm onward, on an outdoor stage with the excellent restaurants of San Pedro Square Market nearby. And did I mention it's free... https://www.facebook.com/events/677326882295534/

Sunday we'll be attending the Northern California Renaissance Faire. Not content to simply watch, we'll be sporting pirate/wench garb as we capture souls with our magic picture box. We'll be performing this black magic at Casa de Fruta in Hollister, California. Stop in for a great time with creative food and Renaissance period entertainment!

Next week I will be covering Thursday and Saturday at C2SV, kicking off Thursday at Cafe Stritch with a great lineup including Dinners, E.V. Kain and The Phenomenauts. This time with a press pass, so we'll likely be unable to bring video, but the lineup should more than make up for it. Friday we're going to take a little detour and cover the A/B Duo at San Francisco's Center for New Music; Meerenai Shim and Chris Jones (flute and percussion respectively) will be presenting new compositions, some created specifically for their performance. Saturday it's back to C2SV, with a truly epic lineup at multiple venues culminating in a headlining performance by Iggy and the Stooges.

This is just the start as the summer wraps up and we head into the fall. Much more to come!

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[email protected] (La Vie en Photos) 2013 8bitSF A/B Duo C2SV Concert Concerts Conventions Daydream Nation Event Fair Folsom Street Fair Music Northern California Renaissance Faire Ren Faire Renaissance Super Soul Bros. https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2013/9/8bitsf-and-more Wed, 18 Sep 2013 09:26:54 GMT
SacAnime Summer 2013! https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2013/9/sacanime-summer-2013 We just returned from SacAnime Summer 2013. While I was mostly tied to the Artist Alley area, since my wife had an artist alley table, I was able to get a nice range of cosplay photos along with some coverage of the concert Friday evening. We had a great time at the convention and hope to return to SacAnime Winter 2014! Ideally with a press pass if they'll indulge us, so I can bring you photos from the Masquerade and other events. ;)

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As always we'll be covering SF Bay area local music as well, with more shows in the Daydream Nation and 8bitSF shows and hopefully some surprises. Back to processing until next time!

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[email protected] (La Vie en Photos) 2013 Anime Concerts Conventions Cosplay Music SacAnime SacAnime Summer 2013 Sacramento https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2013/9/sacanime-summer-2013 Tue, 03 Sep 2013 08:31:12 GMT
Mid-year checkpoint! https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2013/8/mid-year-checkpoint We've been a bit slow on updating the blog, but we're always busy with photo shoots and keeping Facebook updated. We're just getting back from Kin-Yoobi Con and there are many new galleries under the Events and Music pages. Several more are pending processing and we're getting ready to shoot SacAnime Summer shortly too. Keep an eye out for more event coverage soon! If you'd like to schedule a photo shoot, feel free to contact us at [email protected] and we'll see if we can fit you in.

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[email protected] (La Vie en Photos) Anime Concerts Conventions Kin-Yoobi Con Music SacAnime https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2013/8/mid-year-checkpoint Mon, 12 Aug 2013 20:22:40 GMT
Amazing and crazy start to the year https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2013/2/amazing-and-crazy-start-to-the-year Things have been moving fast here, with the SacAnime convention followed quickly by the Further Confusion "Furry" convention. In February we had our debut shoot at the Raw: Natural Born Artists San Jose Discovery event. We have loads of photos under the Events section from January and February, and that was just a warmup. Have a look at the events page here for more!

The Music section is overflowing with new coverage including a surprise concert, two Daydream Nation shows, the amazing Rockage 2.0 event with 25 bands and DJs (both organized by the amazing Grand Fanali Presents) and much more. Photos and video here!

Although February's wrapping up, we're looking at an amazing March as well, kicking off with two great concerts at Homestead Lanes' X-bar concert venue and moving on with a GDC concert afterparty at the DNA Lounge. More to come!

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[email protected] (La Vie en Photos) 2013 Daydream Nation Further Confusion GDC Mountain View RAW: Natural Born Artists Rockage SacAnime Sacramento San Francisco San Jose concerts music https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2013/2/amazing-and-crazy-start-to-the-year Wed, 27 Feb 2013 06:31:47 GMT
Happy New Year! https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2013/1/happy-new-year 2012 came and went with a bang, we hope you had a great year! A few photos from Cuddlefest 2012 on New Year's Eve have been posted in the Music section. This weekend we'll be kicking off 2013 at SacAnime, an Anime convention in Sacramento. We should have quite a variety of fun Cosplay shots posted within the week, stay tuned!

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[email protected] (La Vie en Photos) 2012 2013 Cuddlefest SacAnime https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2013/1/happy-new-year Sat, 05 Jan 2013 10:28:26 GMT
What a busy month! https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2012/12/what-a-busy-month December has been crazy here, with AnimeiCon already posted and photos yet to process from San Francisco's Dickens Faire and an excellent concert by The Family Crest. There's definitely more to come, hopefully you'll enjoy each set as much as we did capturing the moments.

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[email protected] (La Vie en Photos) https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2012/12/what-a-busy-month Sat, 08 Dec 2012 03:09:07 GMT
My first blog, believe it or not https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2012/11/my-first-blog-believe-it-or-not It's true, I've never blogged before. Never felt a need to post much outside Facebook and a few other social networking sites, and frankly I never wanted to be identified with the blogger term, but since people are actually clicking on this link perhaps it's time. More posts which are actually relevant soon, including upcoming events. :)

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[email protected] (La Vie en Photos) https://www.lavieenphotos.net/blog/2012/11/my-first-blog-believe-it-or-not Fri, 23 Nov 2012 20:00:56 GMT