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Copyrighting your Character

Started by saphire_glade, November 17, 2009, 10:54:19 PM

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McGuinness

Quote from: FiddleStix on December 15, 2009, 08:12:47 AM

I have heard stories of Little Kids Coming back each year to collect more and more Twig Stones....I wouldnt mind that kind of Popularity Locally :P....But who would? ^.^

We had a character at PaRF that would literally pick up a stone off the ground (in front of the patron) and say something along the lines of "You own a part of the shire now, congratulations!" and would repeat that over and over in front of the same people. He said people used to come back a year later still carrying that rock around with them. You don't necessarily need to buy or make or preplan anything. You could just pick up a twig or something and make that into a mini-bow for an invisible fiddle or whatever. Dont overthink it too much!

GirlChris

It's not the thing itself that makes it special. It's the character. The thing may very well be something that can easily be bought and just as easily lost, but the fact that it was given to you by Insert-Character-Name-Here is what gives it value.

Focus on the character and the bit where you give the thing- that's what will make it special.

justsomeguytn

Quote from: GirlChris on December 15, 2009, 08:59:05 PM
It's not the thing itself that makes it special. It's the character. The thing may very well be something that can easily be bought and just as easily lost, but the fact that it was given to you by Insert-Character-Name-Here is what gives it value.

Focus on the character and the bit where you give the thing- that's what will make it special.

I agree.  When I was a kid I collected a bunch of those flat glass marbles from a nearby amusement park that had a blown glass shop.  This year cleaning some of my stuff out of my parent's house I found the glass in a jar.  I gave those to Twig this year at Carolina Ren Faire.  I figured she could give them to some kids and I wasn't going to get any use out of them.  However I've kept all the stones she's given me (four so far) in my curio cabinet.  In fact they're sitting right in front of the Doctor's sonic screwdriver.

Carl Heinz

Personally, I'd like to see more folks on mobility scooters rigged out like Lightning.  In fact I have cards that I'll give them if they ask that describes what we did.  The idea is to have a good time.  If you're doing street work, the micro-gigs accumulate and, as far as I'm concerned, folks can copy any of mine that they want.
Carl Heinz
Guild of St Cuthbert

saphire_glade

See for me I can use almost anything to give away, it is my delivery that is completely unique to me *but is being copied*. Some things make more sense than others but for me it is how they get the object, not what it is in the end. I was once told by another fairy that kids should remember what you did, not just what you gave them. That is what I hope to be, a memorable faerie.

Of course I am normally too busy to even hand out things. But there are times when I have a kid that I give something to because they earned it and made my day. But it is really hard to find things to give away, cause those things that are small and cheap often either don't work well or someone else has gone there. Most of the time the kids leave with just soapy hands and either a) a huge smile or b) screaming for more *quite litterally*.
Bubbles are pure magic... if you don't believe me watch any man, woman, or child chase a bubble down the road.

Carlthebarker

Protect your self as best you can, but bottom line is people at faires- and I mean the producers too- are probably still going to steal your characters and ideas at some point if it's any good. I've seen the carolina festival blantently steal the Washer Well Wenches, songs, lines, and all. The producer has done that for years with acts.

insidiousraven

I've never seen Twig, but I remember at the KCRF around 1992 being given a colored glass stone and being told it was a dragon tear.  That was by far the highlight of my life for a while.  I think it was a noble dude or a knight who did it.

FiddleStix

I eventually found a website that sold little violin charms in bulk, that could be made into necklaces or bracelets. They were perfect, and pretty cheap to buy in large quantities. ^.^

One lady made my day by returning to faire and showing me that she had added a bunch of beads and gems to a chain and use the charm as the centerpiece of the necklace. Made me smile so bright! ^.^

Fugli

Quote from: saphire_glade on November 17, 2009, 10:54:19 PM
I was trying to get it on the copyright registry but I don't know how to go about doing this. Has anyone ever copyrighted a street character and their bit successfully other than Twig that could give me advice?

http://www.copyright.gov

Create a website for your character, write a script of short story and publish it along with photographs of you as the character on it. Create some original artwork to go along with it, and copyright all that that. Dunno if it's really worth it though. You've read the commentary here.

Have you considered registering as a clown instead?
Have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?