Budget

                   

Interview Questions

Interview Questions

Vox pops Trafalgar square

. Do you know what anime is?

. what is your opinion on it?

. what do you think it is?

Amber Quadling

.What would you say got you interested in anime?

.What do you mostly enjoy about anime?

.Do you watch a new anime because you think it will be good, or because its popular?

.How do you think anime is seen by members of the public?

.Has an anime’s fanbase ever made you hesitant to watch an anime?

.How did you find out about conventions and what made you want to attend them?

.Whats the thing you enjoy most about conventions?

.Do you think anime has become popular through events such as the London MCM expo?


.Would you want anime to become more mainstream in the UK?

Vox pops at London MCM

. Do you think anime has become more popular in recent years?

. Would you ever want anime to become mainstream?


UK Anime Network- Andy Hanley

.How important are graphics to anime's popularity?

.Do conventions play a role in anime popularity?

. Has anime progressed over the years?

. Do distributors and anime websites help increase popularity?

. How do you think anime is seen in society?

Final Contact list

Final Contact List

Amber Quadling

Amber is a cosplayer and has been to many conventions and has a high interest in anime, so interviewing her, I will be able to get her opinion whether anime has become more popular. I contacted her through Facebook.

MCM Expo

To ask permission whether I could film during the convention. I emailed them asking for permission.

Vox Pop interviews based around Trafalgar square

Here I will be asking strangers a few questions regarding anime. No contact information available as it will be strangers. 

Vox pop interviews at the London MCM convention

During these interviews I will be asking people who have a interest in anime, more detailed questions, where I will be able to get their opinions on my topic. Also for this one there is no contact information available as it will be strangers. 

Narrative Arc

Narrative Arc

Section 1

I think the start of my documentary might include a small summary stating that I do not own the animated clips in my documentary or that I do not own the music. This section will mainly be a black screen graphic, just stating the above. This section will run from 1-3 seconds, as it doesn't need a long period of time of show.

Section 2

The second section of my documentary, I'm planning to do a montage of a variety of different genres of anime, which will have a voiceover introducing to the audience what anime is. I plan to open the beginning of the documentary with a clip from a opening of a very popular anime from the past year and from there it will lead into a collection of different genres showing. I think overall this section will last around 30 seconds, as the different anime shown and the voiceover introducing it, will be able to show the audience a glimpse of what anime is and give them a brief history of anime as well.

Section 3

The third part of my documentary will consist of vox pops from people either from around the local area or maybe a popular part of London e.g. Trafalgar square. The vox pops will consists of one question mainly which will be:

" Do you know what anime is? and if yes what do you think of it and if no what do you think it is?"

The main point of this section would be to see if the general public know about anime and what they think about it, which would be able to link to the topic of my documentary " has anime become more popular in recent years?" by seeing if more people do know about it depending on their answers. Also for this section I think graphics will be used, by having the a box coming up at the bottom of the screen, which has the question in it. I will be keeping to the theme of anime by using a icon, which many anime fans would know of, which is this:

Which would appear in the right hand corner of the box. Also I think that this section will run for around 30-60 seconds. Also for this section I will be doing vox pops with both males and females, so that is will appeal to the target audience.

Section 4

This section will be graphics, showing statistics of the popularity of certain anime shows and anime in general across different countries. This would be beneficial for my documentary, as before going into the next section, I think it would be necessary to show the audience some statistics of anime and whether to see if it has decreased or increased, as this would be able to provide them better knowledge of the topic.  Overall this section will run for around 20 seconds, as it is a only a quick section, that will benefit the audience.

Section 5

This part of the documentary will be be mainly focused on the the London MCM expo and might be the one of the longest part of my documentary. When this section begins, I will include establishing shots which will show the audience the location of the expo and will also show the people at the event. This would be able to give the audience a more realistic feeling to the documentary, as I also plan to do my documentary handheld, as I think the audience will feel like their at the event more this way. Also for this section I will provide a voiceover, explaining the history behind the expos, such as how many people have been attending over the past years. I think the section will run to around 30-40.

Section 6

Following section 3, this part will include some graphics of statistics of how many people have attended the London MCM expo, with the presenter doing a voiceover. There will be no specific location for this part of the documentary, as it will just be graphics and most likely running from 10-20 seconds.

Section 7

This part will consist of  the short interviews/vox pops with people at the expo, as I will be able to get the opinion of people who actually have an interest in anime and ask them a few questions such as:

.Why do you like to attend the expo?

.Do you think anime has become more popular, if so why/if not why?

.What do you think about anime becoming mainstream?

Following the interviews I will be including a lot of cut away, of what things happening at the expo, which would be able to show the audience what it's like there and also it would be able to keep them engaged. I think this section will last around 1:00-2:00, as this way I would be able to include a lot of different peoples opinions on the topic.

Section 8

This section will be quite short one, as it will mainly consist of footage from the London MCM expo, with a voiceover  explaining it a bit more, but near the end the presenter(me) will state that they are now going to talk to someone who cosplays( Amber Quadling) and has been to these events before. This section will last around 10-20 seconds.

section 9

This section here will mainly consist of establishing shots of the area, that the presenter and interviewee are meeting up at, as I think it would be slightly odd cutting from the montage bit beforehand directly into a interview, so I think this would be the best way to lay it out and it would show continuity. At the moment the location has still not been decided. This section will mainly run from 3-10 seconds, as it's only establishing the location of the interview. The shots that might be included might be when going to her house I might record my journey to her house and then just give a glimpse of it/ or even her opening the door, which would then lead into the next section.

Section 10

This section here will be the main interview of my documentary, which will be with a cosplayer( Amber Quadling) who has experienced expos in the past. This would be my expert opinion in my documentary, as I will be interviewing Amber who has a interest in anime and also cosplays at events, so being able to get their opinion would be quite beneficial for my documentary. Also through the interview I will include cut aways, to the expo again or maybe some archive footage e.g photographs of Amber from previous conventions in her cosplay, as this will be able to keep the audience engaged. Overall this part might last around 1:30-3:00. When it comes to the location for this part, there are two main possibilities. One being that I will meet Amber in her own household or two we meet in a location, where we can both get to, this might be somewhere local.

Section 11

I think this would be the final section to my documentary, where I(the presenter) most likely would do a piece to camera, where I directly ask the audience if they think anime "has become more popular in recent years?" and coming to an un-biased conclusion. The location for this part most likely will be based around the London MCM expo, so that this part still links into the topic of my documentary. Overall this section will run around 5-15 seconds, as it's only a short conclusion.  

section 12
Section 11 will just be the ending credits, which will be a list of people who participated in the documentary e.g. the interview with Amber and also the name of the director and songs used. Also with this I will include the message of how I do not own any of the music or anime footage in the documentary. This section will last around 3-5 seconds.

My proposal

My proposal

Aims

The aims of my documentary is to see whether anime has become more popular in recent years by going to an expo, where the majority of people there know about anime and have different opinions on the different types of genres. Through doing short interviews with people at the expo, I will be able to get a variety of different opinions on if it has become popular or not and what the reason for why it has grown in popularity. Overall I think the main aim for this would be by the end of the documentary, to come to a conclusion whether it has become more popular or not by the information  and footage shown through the documentary. But also I think another aim for my documentary would be to show some of the audience, who are not that familiar of what anime exactly is and to sort of introduce them to it, while still answering the topic question. But also when it comes to the topic of my documentary, I think it's mainly just to show how far anime has or has not come compared to earlier years.

Content

At the beginning of the documentary, I hope to include some archive footage of some anime shows, with a voiceover, introducing to the audience what anime is, while showing them some different genres of anime.The content that I hope to include in my documentary would be information about what anime is, presented through a voiceover at the beginning of my documentary , as this way it is able to introduce the part of the audience who know little about anime. As if I don't establish what anime actually is, some of the audience might become confused and mistake it for something else. Also through my documentary, I hope to include vox pops with people around the city of London and just ask them simple questions such as "do you know what anime is and if not what do you think it is?". As this would be able to relate to my angle, by seeing if more people know about anime compared to recent years and also get to see what they think it actually is. I also plan to film at the London MCM expo, where I think a a bit of my footage will come from, as I plan to ask the people at the event " do you think anime has become more popular and if so why?" and from this I would be able to get a variety of different opinions from people who share an interest in anime. Another thing I hoping to include in my documentary, is an ten minute interview with someone who cosplays and who has taken part in previous expos, as this would be able to provide the audience with more information on what people do at events and also get a answer from some who has a strong passion towards anime.

Target audience

The target audience for my documentary is both British males and females between the ages of 16-24. As my topic is quite an obscure one and only a handful of the audience will actually know what anime is, I plan to introduce the niche part of the audience at the beginning to what anime is and then following that just give them a highlight into what conventions are like and what the people are like who attend them. Also to clear a stereotype in which anime is considered "weird", by showing at the event that it's just people who are enjoying their interest and how there's nothing strange about that. I think my documentary is mainly for entertainment purposes, but at the same time it's able to introduce to the audience, the different types of interests people can have and what expos and anime are.

Format

I think the format for my documentary will be participatory, as I think this is the main mode which would be able to come across most effective in my documentary. But also I think observational mode can come into it as well, as I would be recording what people are doing at events and what the event is like in general, which would be able to give the audience a more realistic feeling. As I am planning to be the presenter for my documentary, I will try and be involved as much as possible e.g. being in the shots of the vox pops or so.

Genre

The genre is a documentary and for my documentary I will make sure that includes all the elements that make up a documentary e.g. noddies, interviews. I will keep to my topic and not go of course and make sure that through it I provide all the necessary information and footage.

Style

When it comes to the style of my documentary, there will be a variety of different things included such as vox pops, interviews,graphics,archive footage and different locations. The main location that I plan to film in will be the London MCM expo, as this is the main area, where I would be able to get the opinions of people who have an interest in anime, as well as the streets of London for vox pops, and I think the last location, would be where ever would be best to interview a cosplayer. So three locations in general and quite different from each other, and will be able to cover different sections of the main the documentary topic. Also when the documentary begins, I plan to use archive footage of previous anime shows, with a voiceover, that will hopefully get the audience more engaged and also provide them with a small introduction to what anime is.

           
When it comes to the beginning of the documentary, I want to introduce it with footage like shown in the above clip such as at 0:13-7:17, as this way it can show the audience different types of anime genres, while I provide a voiceover to it. But the one thing I really want to include in the beginning would be this clip here.
         
I want to mainly include the part between 0:01-0:03 for the beginning of my documentary, as for one this has been one of the most popular anime aired in 2013 and has a large and popular fanbase, which would be able to appeal to the part of the audience who do know about anime and get them even more excited about the documentary. But also because I think the music instantly becomes very engaging and dramatic and just makes anyone want to continue watching to see what else is going to be shown. Then from the ending of this music, it would go into other clips of anime, provided by an voiceover.

Then I think after I establish what anime is etc, I think it would move on to the vox pops section of the documentary, where I am able to ask the public with short questions regarding anime such as:
. Do you know what anime is and what do you think about it?
. Do you know what anime is and if not what do you think it is?
Also when it comes to the vox pops, I think the main camera angle would be a mid-shot, as the way it is able to show the person and their facial expression, as I think a long shot wouldn't really work well and I might not be able hear what the presenter/interviewee are saying. Also i don't think a close up would be appropriate either, as I wouldn't want to invade their privacy too much, as it's just short, simple questions.

Then following that part of the documentary, I think it would lead into the London MCM expo. Where I would start it of by doing establishing shots of the area and people entering the building, and possibly might do a voiceover for this bit as well, such as showing graphs and statistics of how many people attend each year. Also for this introduction bit for the expo, when it comes to the background music, I could either go down the route of having anime music playing or I thought maybe have some alternative rock music such as this:
        
As I think having this playing during the establishing shots, which just set the mood more for the documentary and also I think it would go with the footage of cosplayers as well. Also the music is too rough and is at the right pace, to introduce a fun event. Then following the establishing shots, the documentary would then move on to talking to the people attending the event, and maybe have the music softly playing in the background. Also when it comes to interviews, I could include cutaways of the event, just too keep the audience engaged with the documentary. Once again, I most likely would use mid-shots when it comes to the small interviews, but maybe add in some panning shots during the documentary of some cosplayers, as this way the audience would be able to see their cosplay in more detail.

Following the event part of the documentary, it will then go to the main interview, which would hopefully be with a cosplayer, as this would be able to give the audience more in depth look at why people cosplay, but at the same time, the cosplayer would be able to provide their own thoughts in a bit more depth about the the topic " has anime become more popular in recent years?". When interviewing them, I could also include archive footage of them at previous events and what they cosplayed as, as this would keep the audience engaged and wanting to know more about anime as a whole. Then when it comes to the end of the documentary, I think i will include footage of the event combined with archive footage, with either a voiceover or the presenter walking towards the camera, coming to the summary of the documentary.

Sent emails

Tokyo Toys

Amber Quadling

Josh Gilmour

London MCM expo 

Forbidden Planet

I was unable to get through to forbidden planet via phone call and I have tried to find another email address related to them, but I haven't found one that directly links me to Forbidden planet. As when it comes to the email page, it only has certain questions that they can answer and not a direct message option is available.

Todd Haberkorn

Hiro Mashima

unable to send email or make a phone call



Hayao Miyazaki 

ForneverWorld

Acnologia

UK-anime

Colleen Clinkenbeard 

Anime Network

Funimation

Orbital comics

Gosh comics

blue-zoo

Magma Books

theanimetal

Manga-UK

Anime-online

Contact list

Constraints grid

                            

Analysing the competition

Analysing the competition

Unfortunately there is no factual television that is based around anime or conventions, as it is quite an obscure topic. So I have decided to focus on animated shows and live action shows from the past week, which some people get the influence from when it comes to conventions. But also in the UK now there is rarely anime shows shown on television, since the last channel Toonami got cancelled in 2007, which was the source of popular shows such as Dragon Ball Z, Rave Master, Beyblade and so on. Anime is quite limited when it comes to television in the UK, and the only way for the audience to access it would be via internet or during the holidays where sometimes anime films are shown such as Spirited Away. But from the shows I have found, I have used BARB to help with the viewing rates and what channels they are shown on, to see what sort of things I might be able to include in my Documentary.

Adventure Time

           

This show is called Adventure Time which is a cartoon based around a post-apocalyptic world, which mainly airs on Cartoon Network on a Wednesday at 17:00 and a Saturday at 08:31. During the past week the viewing figures from Wednesday is 103,000 and from Saturday the views are 83,000. When it comes to my documentary this show is able to relate to my target audience, as even though this show is aimed towards kids 7-14 both male and female, in some episodes it has deeper meanings to the characters, episodes that leave the older audience wondering what on earth they just watched? while to the younger audience it's seen as just a cartoon. The sometimes dark, twisted theme to Adventure Time, which sometimes teaches life lessons, is what grips the older audience, as they are able to relate to it more through this and that they understand the show more through this and it isn't just randomness piled into a 11 minute plot( even though sometimes it is). The show has a deeper meaning to it, which is why the older audience has more dedication to the show.

Even though Adventure Time isn't anime, it still does share a similarity to my documentary. As seeming as I will be going to a convention, there will be a wide variety of people who are interested in different shows. As even if some of the people that I interview are not highly interested in anime, but other shows such as Adventure Time I would be able to get more information and get a variety of different opinions about anime. Seeming as I will be filming a documentary and not a cartoon, the format will be quite different, but the content included will show the different types of shows and characters people represent through cosplay or even at the different panels at the convention. By keeping to my angle " has anime become more popular in recent years?" through this I could maybe show, that other shows are also becoming more noticed and how conventions help this happen etc. When it comes to the viewing figures, there might be a possibility that might documentary would beat this shows viewing figures, as it will consist of footage at the convention and all the different types of cosplay and events that take place there, but also through it all still answering the topic sentence. Through this is most likely would attract the attention of the target audience and maybe even a younger audience seeming as the documentary will be shown at 8pm, which might encourage them to go to conventions. But when it comes to the main target audience, I think that they would be interested due to them wanting to here others opinions on the topic, while also getting across how conventions allow anime to become popular and that it isn't something weird or so.  Also as the show is being aired on BBC3, where the majority of the audience is 16-24, there most likely would be adverts shown promoting the short documentary, so through this it might increase views, due to if someone who has an interest in anime, they would share this information with their friends and social networking, which would increase the viewing rate. I think the documentary should be shown on either a Friday or Saturday evening, as this way it wouldn't clash with the showing time of Adventure Time if some of the audience watch it or any other shows.

Pokemon

            

Pokemon is the other show that I will be looking at and compared to Adventure Time, this is an anime show that has been popular since 1996 and has grown into a massive franchise, with merchandise in anime,manga,toys, video games and other media. This show is aired on Disney XD +1 most Saturdays at 10:00am, which follows an audience of 24,000 this week. Just like Adventure Time, the target audience for this show is young children, however a much older audience have more of an interest and dedication to the show, which might be because some have grown up with the franchise and to this day have a high interest in it. Also this would be able to relate to my documentary due to it being 18 years old and a very popular anime, which has released lots of different games e.g Pokemon Diamond and from that a lot more different types of Pokemon have been created. Where each individual fan of the show would have their Favourite, which could lead to them cosplaying or a possibility of even holding game events at the convention e.g showing the latest game or stalls dedicated to Pokemon merchandise.

As this format is cartoon, it won't have much similarity to my documentary, but from this research I have gathered that seeming as people at conventions are a variety of different age groups. I would be able to get a lot of information from them, which would then appeal to my target audience and maybe even a slightly older one or a younger one and through this it would be able to show the audience who don't attend conventions but would like to, what it's like there and how you can cosplay and makes friends through your similar interests. Also from this seeming as my mode  is participatory/ observational, I could maybe cosplay myself and join at these group gatherings,which are sometimes held, which would make the documentary more engaging and get the audience more interested in the idea of conventions and anime. Also I would be able to get a lot of  content through the footage of the event and cut away clips, to make it more engaging for the audience, while still answering the topic sentence. When it comes to beating this shows viewing figures, there is a small chance as there would be adverts shown to promote the documentary and maybe if the adverts included certain footage of the event e.g. showing Pokemon cosplay or merchandise, it would make the audience more interested in watching the documentary and from that, they would also be able to see what else happens there and how it's becoming more popular. Also there would be no clash of this show as it's shown on Disney XD+1 at 10:00am, while my documentary is going to be shown on BBC3 at 8:00pm, which gives the audience a chance to watch both of the shows.

Even though this table isn't from BARB, it still introduces the age range of the Pokemon franchise, which shows that
the highest age group is 16-20, which is able to relate to my target audience.
(http://www.serebiiforums.com/showthread.php?549522-Average-Age-Pokemon-Player)

Game of Thrones

              

The final video that I will be looking at is Game of Thrones, even thought this was isn't cartoon based like the other two, it still shares similarities with my idea, due to at conventions it's not only anime shows etc that are cosplayed or have panels and merchandise at conventions, it's also live action shows such as Game of Thrones, Avengers etc. Game of Thrones is aired on Sky Atlantic on a Monday at 21:00 which total views is 1665,000 and also later on Monday at 24:32 where the views are 201,000. From the figures, I have gathered that this is a very popular show and it's able to relate to my documentary, because people don't just come dressed as characters from anime or cartoons to conventions, so this way I might be able to ask people who are most likely not as into anime about their opinion on it. Also compared to the other two, Game of Thrones is on a channel where the viewers are the target audience for my documentary, as Game of Thrones is rated 18 and other shows such as Mad Men which is rated 16, so through this it's able to relate to my target audience. Also Game of Thrones has grown in popularity since it's first series where "It averaged 743,000 and reached a peak 823,000 in UK" and the fourth season premiere it got a "total ratings figure to 8.2 million." 

Just like the other two shows, the resemblance that I will show in my documentary will be the different types of people that take part conventions, which will allow me to gather more information on if they think anime is becoming more popular, as this would provide more information for the audience. But when it comes to viewing figures, there is a low chance that my documentary would be able to beats this shows viewing rates, as it reaches past the 1 million view rate. But like with Pokemon, it is a very popular show, so it might get some of the audience interested in watching the documentary and also it wouldn't clash with the airing time, as my documentary will be aired at 8:00pm on BBC3, while Game of Thrones in on at 21:00-24:32.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_of_Thrones_(season_1)#Ratings

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/game-of-thrones-season-4-premiere-gets-biggest-hbo-ratings-since-the-sopranos-finale-9245775.html

Overall from the information that I have gathered and keeping to the brief, I think my documentary would most likely be aired on either at Friday at 8:00pm or maybe a Wednesday at 8:00pm. The reason why I think Wednesday is because it's in the middle of the week and compared to Friday,it's a day when the target audience most likely wouldn't go out or have plans. Also because compared to the shows I have looked at, none of their times would clash with my documentary, which is a good thing because it allows them to still enjoy there shows, without them clashing.

five key questions for my final idea

Five key questions for my final idea

 Has anime become more popular over recent years?

From the this link here http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/10/08/manga-and-anime-my-how-youve-changed/  it mainly discusses how the animation style of anime has changed through previous years and how this might have an effect of why it is become more popular. This site compares the animation style from the 90's to modern day animation and from this, it clearly shows how it has changed and makes the audience wonder, what lies ahead for the animation styles. Even though this site doesn't exactly offer, anything specific on the popularity of anime, it does provide information on how it has evolved over the decades and the possibility of looking forward to new animation in the future.

Also here http://anime.mmgn.com/Articles/Anime-and-Japans-Population-Crisis  I have found a website which discusses, is Japanese population decreasing, due to the increase of anime/otaku culture?

Otaku: "Is a Japanese term fro people who have obsessive interests, commonly the anime and manga fandom" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otaku

I found this quite an interesting article as it focuses on the impact that the anime has on it's culture/creator and how it is effecting people to "see the 3D world as somewhat ugly and uninteresting, and have no desire to ever have a real relationship." and this graph here supports the fact of the decrease in Japans population since the growth of anime industries.

In this article it also discuss that anime and games continue to improve due to technology, which is creating the otaku culture to expand. Also it shows that anime culture is slowly being more accepted in western countries.

I think this article is very eye opening, as it shows the impact the popularity is having in Japan and what it's leading to and also opens the question of  "what if in the future anime becomes as popular as it has in Japan and the population even starts decreasing in western countries?"

How do conventions increase anime popularity?

Here is a table which shows the main conventions that takes place in England, which is the MCM expo and this table consist of the number of attendees it has each year. Compared to America, the UK is rather small, but this table shows that there is a number of people who share and interest in anime/conventions, as from the expo in 2010 the number of attendees was 50,000 and in 2013 it reached 88,000.

This table here shows the anime convention attendance list from all around the world, and from here it clearly shows that anime and conventions in general, have become more popular over the last 10 years. Even though the country mainly shown is America, it still shows that anime has become more popular and it is getting larger each year.  Also from this table it suggests that the more conventions that are held the more popular anime becomes, which would then lead to a increase of fans.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_attendance_figures_at_anime_conventions)

Also here I found an article( http://asianavenuemagazine.com/2013/anime/)) that focuses on the increase in anime popularity and in each paragraph, the writer breaks down what is making anime become more popular such as:

- " Cosplay: A creative act of admiration"

- "NDK provides local anime indulgence"

From the information that I gathered here, I think the main thing that makes anime popular is conventions, because without them the fans wouldn't be able to communicate in real life and share there interests person to person rather than through the internet. Conventions give the fans a chance to express their love for anime and other things at conventions and from the statistics above, it clearly shows that every year there are more people attending these conventions, which then helps with the popularity of anime.

Should anime become more mainstream?

          

This here could be considered as an expert opinion on the topic as here a Man discusses his opinion on " Is anime becoming more mainstream?" where he expresses his views on does it have a chance of becoming popular in the west, which he answers the " Yes and No" to the question such as at 1:02. I find this quite a reliable source, as in the video it shows that his is knowledgeable about the different genres of anime, as through the video there is constantly clips from different shows, while he does a voiceover expressing what he thinks. Also through this video his answers sub-questions that lead up to the main question, such as:

- Do we as a fan-base want anime to become more popular?

- Would we lose the uniqueness of are obscure hobbie?

- Is it worth it at a cost of watering down these characteristics that drew us to the medium in the first place?

- Would it change a lot from what we know and love at the moment?

which I think is a good way to approach as this way when it comes to the main angle, the viewer is able to make there own conclusion about the topic, as he has provided a lot of information for them to take in and decide for themselves which is presented at 7:24. This video here, I think is helpful when it comes to my documentary, as it opens more questions that could be asked when it comes to interviews and it could be something I address through mine as sub genre, as I found this video to be very influential as he provided both the negative and positives to the question. Also by finding a video that links to this question, I am also able to read the comments and see what their thoughts were on the topic and as he is a youtuber that dedicates himself to anime, the audience's opinion would be able to help me develop this idea further.

Why do people attend anime conventions? 

Anime Convention:  is an event or gathering with a primary focus on anime, manga and Japanese culture. Commonly, anime conventions are multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels or college campuses. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anime_Convention)

When it comes to people going to anime conventions, there could be a number of reasons why, but as this site here states the main reason is because "   wanting to interact with others who share your same interests." 

But other reasons might be:

- Panels of the persons favorite show
- Cosplay contests
- Appearances from special guests
- Merchandise
-Workshops

Overall conventions have a lot to offer a niche community and they can vary from small halls that can only hold hundred people, to giant expos where over 50,000 gather. Through conventions, it has made people with the same interests gather, where they are able to express what they love without the feeling of people judging, as anime can be seen as "weird", which is why some people decide to keep the interest to themselves, which is why going to conventions allows the person to engage with others and not feel alone in something that they love.

Link to where I got this information:
from- http://animecons.com/articles/article.shtml/1074/A_Parents_Guide_to_Anime_Conventions

http://www.wochikochi.jp/english/topstory/2011/12/cosplay-manga-anime.php

http://www.theguardian.com/culture/tvandradioblog/2009/jun/09/anime-japan-tv

Why do people cosplay and lead a lifestyle dedicated to it?

Cosplay: short for costume play and it's when people dress up to resemble a character from a show that they admire.

When it comes to cosplay, the reason why people do it vary, but the main response is usually " nothing more exhilarating to me than to portray a character that I grew up loving." Cosplay can be considered as a hobbie, but there are some people who cosplay professionally, spending weeks or even months perfecting their costume for the next convention.


"“Cosplay is about two things. First it’s about expressing the things you love........ And it’s nice to devote a part of yourself to something."

When it comes to cosplay it gives people a chance to be accepted for their interests and in some cases it can be considered as a sign of escapism, as for one or more days, you are completely someone else and even has made some people improve on their self-confidence levels "“There are lots of great reasons to cosplay, and while I have several I can point to, the real driving force for me has been self-confidence. I spent many years of my youth feeling awkward, ugly and unwanted by my peers. I hung out with my fellow nerds in school, and while I was accepted there, it wasn't enough because I wasn't happy with myself. Cosplay has helped turn that around."
Being able to attend conventions and cosplay, allows some people to make friends who share the same interest as them and not feel ashamed for liking it.

Link to where I got this information from: http://ifanboy.com/articles/what-is-cosplay-and-why-do-people-do-it/

Also in some cases, people lead their lives as dressing up on a daily bases such as Hideaki Kobayashi, who is famous for dressing up as a Japanese school girl and is also one of Japans most experienced cosplay photographers. He has become extremely popular through social network and very popular on the streets of Japan where "schoolgirls—who want to get their photos snapped with him." Kobayashi states that a reason of why he dresses as a school girl is "I want to cheerfully enliven Japan." which is something I think he is achieving. 

Links to where I received this information:
 http://kotaku.com/this-is-just-a-middle-aged-man-dressed-as-a-japanese-sc-479226302

http://visualioner.com/2013/09/06/hideaki-kobayashi-the-old-man-who-became-a-schoolgirl/

How has this research developed your documentary idea?

From this research, I have gathered that conventions are the main source of what makes anime more popular, as they bring together a niche community into a large one, where people area able to express their interests without being ashamed for liking it. Also I learnt that conventions are also able to make the less known anime more popular, as people who attend conventions like different anime, which would then increase the show itself, if people begin to discuss them. I also found it interesting about if anime is becoming more mainstream, which could be something I could address in my documentary, as I would be able to ask people who attend conventions on their opinion if they think it should become more popular or stay as the obscure hobbie. But from this research, I think I will be able to link my angle of " has anime become more popular" with conventions, as I believe I will be able to get a lot of information from the fans and if possible, I could interview someone who has been to a few conventions and does cosplay.  I think doing this research, it has helped me have a better idea on what to include in my documentary and how to address my angle more, as I think focusing it more on the convention side of anime popularity, it will be able to come across better in the documentary, as I would be able to address what they are and what it offers to the fans and also include further information on what the future holds for anime.

Rationale