Cosplayer Extras gives cosplayers the opportunity to apply to become part of the world of Cosplay/er while attending St. Pete Comic Con 2027 on April 17-18 during live convention filming. Approved participants may potentially appear in convention background scenes and crowd sequences captured throughout the event. All approved participants must attend in cosplay, but because of filming and intellectual property considerations, costumes based on licensed or trademarked characters will not be permitted for these scenes.
Instead, the project aims to celebrate one of the most underrepresented aspects of cosplay culture — original characters, often referred to as OCs. Unlike traditional cosplay based on existing franchises, original characters challenge cosplayers not only as makers and performers, but as creators developing entirely new identities, aesthetics, lore, and personalities from scratch. Cosplay/er hopes to showcase that creativity by filling portions of its convention world with unique original characters created directly by the cosplay community itself.
In addition, public domain and folklore-inspired characters are also permitted. Examples of public domain or folklore-inspired characters that may potentially be permitted include:
As cosplayers craft their original characters and public domain-inspired creations for Cosplay/er filming, we encourage participants to share their progress, concepts, and completed looks on social media. Tag Cosplay/er throughout the creative process as we shine a spotlight on the talented creators helping bring the film’s convention world to life. (we love progress photos and getting inside the brains of creators as they craft!)
Applications for Cosplayers Extras coming soon.
