Underground Singapore Sample Episode Proposal Episode Title Cosplay Episode Logline Our host gets involved in the

e world of cosplay as he works towards the perfect photoshoot, all the while facing a deadline and dealing with the problems and efforts of being a cosplayer. Episode Storyline In Segment One, the show opens with a voiceover by the host explaining briefly the concept and history of cosplay as a subculture, and the history of the cosplay community in Singapore. Pictures of famous international cosplayers (e.g.: Kaname, Alodia), big overseas conventions (Comiket, Comic-Con), local cosplayers and local conventions (Anime Festival Asia) will be shown. The host will then introduce himself to the viewers after the voiceover ends, speaking directly to the camera. Then, he will lead off to the next part where he takes to Orchard Road, asking the locals how much they know about cosplay and their opinions on the cosplay community. The camera will be following the host around as he asks people questions. He will meet with a cosplay group (all of whom are in costume) on the street and have a short interview with them. The group will answer questions on the series they are cosplaying, and make comments on their own props and costumes. The host is invited to cosplay with them. After agreeing, the host will trail off into the next segment. In Segment Two, the host will meet up with the group of cosplayers out of costume. They will start from Chinatown to shop for the cloth and wig for the character that the host is cosplaying. After Chinatown, the group will move to Orchard to find materials for the props at shops like Art Friend and Spotlight. All members of the group will have a chance to speak through the entire segment. They have to explain the various efforts that go into pre-preparation, the reason why they started cosplaying, etc. Parts of the process like cloth shopping, wig styling, teaching the host how to pose and the making of the costume will be filmed and shown. At the end of the segment, the costume will be finished. The host will end the segment by telling the viewers that there will be a photoshoot going on soon in Segment Three. In Segment Three the host meets up with the photographers first in the morning, at the Sundial Garden in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. The host will interview them on their experiences with cosplayers and the problems they face. After that, the cosplay group will join them. The host and the group go to change into costume. The camera will cut over to some members of the group helping the host put on his cosplay makeup. Before heading to the photoshoot, the host, now in full costume, will speak to the camera on how he feels at that moment. The whole photoshoot will be shown through pictures of the process, video clips and a voiceover by the host. At the end, members of the group will give their opinions on the hosts portrayal of the character. After that, the host will thank them and speak to the camera about his feelings on the

whole experience. The show will end with a line that leads on to the subculture of the next episode. Photos from the photoshoot will be displayed during the credits roll. What is different about this episode from other episodes? Firstly, the theme of the episode is different. This episode is about Cosplay, while the others are about subcultures like Goths, Bikers, Tattoo artists, Female Break-dancers, Metal bands and Transgendered people. Next, the subculture of cosplay in the episode is one of the most well-known subcultures out of the eight subcultures being featured in the programme. Most Singaporeans would have either seen a cosplayer around already on the streets or during a convention (Cosfest, EOY, Streetfest, STGCC etc., most of which are held at a public location), or already know what cosplay is. A good number of them are even involved in cosplay themselves. In comparison to Tattoo artists who are known more for their trade than for their community, the cosplay community is relatively large and thriving, and definitely more well known than other subcultures like Goth, which is a more quiet association with only about two thousand members. This is mostly due to the cosplay community being closely connected to several other groups, something the other subcultures tend to lack. The episode is not limited to just the cosplay community, even though the focus throughout the episode will be cosplay. Other episodes like Bikers or the BreakDancing Girls do not have segments that bring in other groups that are related directly to the subculture, as such groups are not available to those subcultures. Unlike those episodes, the cosplay episode will involve photographers for a good part of the third segment of the show, where more insights to how photographers work with cosplayers can be obtained. There will also be constant mention of the communities and fans of anime, manga and video games through the interviews and conversations held with the group of cosplayers, as well as with the public on the streets. This is because cosplay is closely linked to the photography, anime & manga, and video games communities. Why would this episode work? Cosplay is one of the larger subculture groups in Singapore, with large communities on sites like SGCaf and Deviantart. Most Singaporeans would already have an idea of what cosplay is, or have seen cosplayers around the country during the bigger conventions, as those are held mostly in public areas like Suntec City or Plaza Singapura. Due to having more publicity than most of the other subcultures, this episode can reach out to more people the young are drawn by the colours and creativity of the subculture (many different costumes and designs from all sorts of media), and as most Singaporeans have already heard a little about cosplay, they will be intrigued to find out more, so they watch the episode. As the episode is about cosplay, this will also attract and intrigue those who are active in the cosplay community like photographers and people involved in cosplaying. They will be curious to know what a show like Underground Singapore has to say about a topic they are familiar with, and if the show will do the subculture justice. As

cosplay is also linked to many other groups of people (photographers, gamers, etc) the episode will reach out to these communities and have a larger viewing audience. Youths today are getting more interested in the different sub-cultures of modern society such as the punk, emo and cosplay scene. In fact, Mark Koh, chairman of Singapore Dark Alternative Movement (SDAM) has been quoted saying, situation is slowly improving for young Singaporeans who reject the mainstream teen and young adult lifestyle.and that although the Singaporean society as a whole is still very conservative, there are already signs of gradual progression and increasing acceptance of alternative recreation and lifestyles. This shows that there is a growing interest and acceptance of these different forms of lifestyles in Singapore, and therefore, this episode would cater to this curiosity.

Target Audience Demographics Young adults, from 15 to 35 years old Any gender Any occupation Any religion Any race or ethnicity Income can range from $0 per month to $30,000 per month

Elements in episode to attract target audience The theme of cosplay itself in the entire episode is already something that will reach out to the target audience. Cosplay is not a subculture that is restricted to age, gender, location or ethnicity, as it is a group that literally anyone, anywhere can be a part of. People can and often cosplay characters from any series of any age, gender or species, regardless of their own age, gender, religion or ethnicity. It is a subculture where girls also commonly dress up as male characters of various ages and ethnicities, and vice versa (though much rarer). As cosplay is not restrictive, the same lack of restrictions will also apply to and attract the intended target audience of the episode. Photography is a vital part of cosplay as photographers work very closely with cosplayers to create the perfect shot. A large number of young adults of varying ages, genders, religions, ethnicities and income levels are also photographers, which fits the intended target audience of the episode. In the third segment of the episode, there will be a short portion dedicated to photographers and their roles in cosplay. Photographers will find the episode attractive, as they can obtain information of the cosplay world by watching it. Cosplay is a very colourful subculture group. During conventions, the cosplayers add color to the crowds with their costumes, props and wigs. Photographs of cosplayers can be shot and edited in many styles. As cosplay is such a diverse and vibrant subculture, the episode will have a tone and style that mirrors the subculture itself. Young adults, the episodes primary target audience, are very visual and tend to gravitate towards what is eye-catching. As the episodes advertisements and style will utilize colorful visuals and bold colors (flashy animations, cosplay photos during the

voiceovers, highly-saturated coloring, shots of cosplayers and conventions in the advertisements), the episode will catch the attention of many young adults, which is the intended target audience.

Budget Breakdown (one episode)

UNDERGROUND SINGAPORE Item Description Production Executive Producer Director Scriptwriter Sub-Total Rate PKG 1 1 1 Unit Cost Actual cost

1 2 3

$2,000.00 $1,500.00 $875.00 $4,375.00

$2,000.00 $1,500.00 $875.00 $4,375.00

3 4 5 6 7

Production Crew DP Cameraman Soundman Make-up and costume artist Grip Sub-Total Actors Host Sub-Total Location Scene bookings Sub-Total Costume and Make-up Clothing Accessories Make-up Sub-Total Food and Water Catering Sub-Total Post-Production Editor Sound and music director Special Effects (one week only) Voice-over (5 days only) Sub-Total

Daily 1 1 1 1 1

$1,500.00 $875.00 $687.50 $1,250.00 $562.50 $4,875.00

$1,500.00 $875.00 $687.50 $1,250.00 $562.50 $4,875.00

Daily 1

$1,500.00 $1,500.00

$1,500.00 $1,500.00

Daily $625.00 $625.00 PKG 1 1 1 $625.00 $625.00

10 11 12

$1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $3,000.00

$1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $3,000.00

13

PKG 1

$300.00 $300.00

$300.00 $300.00

14

Daily 2 1 1 1

$300.00 $200.00 $150.00 $125.00 $775.00

$300.00 $200.00 $150.00 $125.00 $775.00

14 15

Delivery Tape Broadcast Sub-Total

Amt. 24 8

$225.00 $100.00 $325.00

$225.00 $100.00 $325.00

Total Contingency 10% GRAND TOTAL

$15,775.00

$15,775.00 $1,577.50 $17,352.50

Anticipated Returns: Episode = 24mins Advertisement = 30secs No. of advertisement per episode = 6 X 2 = 12 adverts Cost of advertisements per episode = Cost of an advertisement X No. of advertisements = $1,000 X 12 = $12,000 per episode Anticipated returns = Budget Advert profit = $17,352.50 $12,000 = $5,352.50

Big Picture Challenges faced in pitching the episode The episode has a fixed target audience, as it targets youths. Older adults may not be able to empathise with the content of the episode, and they might not be interested in watching it as a result. Due to the narrow target audience, the viewership of the episode cannot be guaranteed as it does not have a wide target audience and hence cannot reach out to people of all ages. The episode is one that is loud, and gives youths a chance to express themselves freely. While freedom of expression is not banned in Singapore, this episode will be aired on national television for the public to see. Older and more conservative generations may feel that such behaviour is inappropriate and that the episode is giving youths too much freedom of speech hence, the government may not approve of it being aired. As the episode will feature cosplay as the theme, this gives the subculture more publicity. Some members of the subculture may be displeased with the episodes portrayal of the subculture. Other members may also feel that as a subculture, they

should remain underground and not in the spotlight. Hence, the episode may stir dissatisfaction with the subculture group. As the episode will also feature a select cosplay group, other cosplay groups may be unhappy with that group for getting all the publicity as they get to appear on national television. The various cosplay groups may end up fighting amongst themselves due to displeasure at one group getting all the publicity instead of others, and may also pick on the featured groups presentation of the cosplay subculture, feeling that the group cannot properly represent the subculture. Ways to overcome the challenges If the episode is to be changed to cater to a wider audience, that would take a lot of the punch away from it. So instead, the episodes style and colours can be made more colorful and eye-catching to hook in more of its intended target audience if the episode is able to target its narrow audience well, viewer numbers would be secured without having to worry about catering to a larger audience for more viewers. Before the episode begins, the featured guests can be briefed on the episode outline. They will know what is going to happen and how to behave, so they will know their limits while still acting naturally, avoiding inappropriate behaviour. Also, a message could be put on the website of the show that assures viewers that no inappropriate content will be broadcast in the episodes, so parents and older adults need not worry. Research can be done prior to the episode to ensure that the message of the episode is not wrong. The episode has to be an accurate representation of the cosplay subculture, so the crew might have to join in the forums on sites like SGCaf and Deviantart to see what the culture there is really like, so as to avoid misinterpretations. A forum thread can be set up to discuss the episode, so as to gain more feedback and to convince members that exposing the subculture to more people is not necessarily a bad thing, as it can help clear any negative preconceived notions. A poll can be set up on the forum to select the cosplay group that will be featured as guests. As members of the subculture get to choose the representatives of their subculture, the negative backlash will be lessened as the choice would be decided by public consensus this means that members would likely be in general agreement on who to elect as the representatives of their subculture on the show.