Disney’s Academy Award Winning Big Hero 6 pushed the boundaries of realistic animated storytelling with Hyperion, the new software developed specifically for the film.
It simulates the physics of light, creating a more lifelike environment. Hyperion allowed the Big Hero 6 team to capture the air and light of San Francisco in a way never before possible and the spectacular results are visible in the movie’s breathtaking aerial sequences.
A team of DeviantArt cosplayers known as the Tux Team fell in love with Big Hero 6 and decided to one-up Hyperion by bringing the movie’s characters to life. And did they ever! The group recreated several scenes from the movie to near perfection.
The Tux Team
Each has been cosplaying for at least 10 years and they came together after having met each other through conventions. Eventually becoming good friends, none is sure where the “Tux Team” moniker came from. Members enjoy the challenge and creativity that go into every cosplay creation, which are only made possible through the diverse and complementary skill sets of the Tux Teamers.
Why “Big Hero 6”
When asked what was it about this movie that inspired them to cosplay the scenes Jin responds, “It completely stole our hearts. We were blown away by the quirky aesthetics of the world of San Fransokyo. We came to love the diverse and endearing cast of characters, and most of all — we were deeply touched by the messages of the film. It was through these that we were inspired to recreate the scenes.”
Kat adds, “Big Hero 6 just struck me so deeply because of the way that they tackled with the topic of loss and how to cope. It’s a universal concept that anyone can easily relate to.”
How Did They Do It?
The most striking part of this cosplay is how the team’s faces evoked those of the animated characters. When asked how they achieved this look Jin says, “I do illustration and painting, so I think of makeup as drawing materials for the face. So basically, I look at a character and observe their features and attempt to draw the same lines and colours on my face. I kept in mind that I wanted us to look partially like 3D-rendered characters and tried to work towards that idea. It’s a tough balance to achieve.” To fully portray the characters in all their glory the team studied their character’s gestures and facial expressions until they had them just right.
“Understanding the artistic choices and character motives the artists selected really help when you’re trying to reenact the scenes faithful to the original material.”
Depending on a project’s complexity, costume production can range from weeks to months. For Big Hero 6, ready-made clothing for most of the characters was the choice since they were simple in design and items a regular person would wear. For Hiro’s outfit Jin chose to use an old hoodie and sneakers he already had. ”What was important for me was finding pieces with fabric in the right colour, weight, and texture. I wanted these pieces to contrast with each other visually so that it would look interesting despite the simplicity.”
Kat took a similar approach to her Aunt Cass costume. “I was literally wearing my mom’s clothes for Aunt Cass. That’s a pretty methodical approach to it because I really associate Aunt Cass with my mom — fashion, hair style, silliness, just everything, really!”
Baymax was definitely one of the more complicated costumes to craft out of the group. Kero spent a week “just figuring out what the best materials are to use and acquiring them.” To create Baymax he cut and sculpted dense mattress foam, covering the inside with a cloth lining to keep it clean. For the exterior he used a white, shiny 4-way stretch cloth and cautions not to use 2-way stretch as it makes it more difficult. For the rest of the costume Kero says, “foam-assisted rubber or EVA foam was used for the emblem as well as to help the head retain its smooth, oblong shape. Black synthetic leather was used for the eyes and grey colored stretch cloth was used for the patches. Contact cement was the primary adhesive for everything.” Here’s a clip of Baymax in action!
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The Photo Shoot
An important part of the art of recreating scenes is the actual photo shoot and the post production elements. Jin shared a bit of the process the team went through for Big Hero 6. “As much as we can, we minimize the need for editing, because it’s fun to try working with available lighting and to make the most of our locations. Resh is excellent at capturing specific aesthetics through his photography! For our Big Hero 6 shoots, we scouted for places that looked like those in the film, and then we planned it so that we would be shooting in that place during the time when the quality of sunlight would match the scene that we’re trying to replicate. Even if we achieve what we want with the raw photo, we often still edit to do at least some colour grading to polish it further and unify the look of our photos as a collection.”
On creating scenes that were not in the movie Resh says, “The chemistry between the characters, their expressions, and their environment were brought together so well in the movie that we felt it would be fun to do our best at recreating them. It really helped us get a better feel for the mood and style of our other Big Hero 6 shoots that were not inspired by scenes from the movie, too!”
What’s next for this team of cosplaying masters?
Jin is looking forward to becoming Howl from “Howl’s Moving Castle.” Miguel is working on Judge Anderson from the Dredd series. Kat plans on crafting Mako Mankanshoku from “Kill la Kill” in her 2 Star Goku Uniform, and Kero has a slew of characters in store from Buzz Lightyear to the Avengers’ Ultron Prime.
The final result of all their hard work speaks for itself. Looking through the team’s gallery you’d think you were staring at production stills for the live action adaptation of Big Hero 6 - yes, it’s just that good.
Tux Team’s Top 5 Deviants To Watch
What they all have in common is the amount of care that goes into their work, whether it be photography or costume crafting, or a mixture of both. We admire their technical skills, of course. But the best cosplayers are the ones who best communicate how much they love the series that they are representing!
Our top five favourite cosplay galleries on DA, in no particular order:
Featured Gallery
Your Thoughts
- Who was the first character you sought to emulate from a TV show, movie, comic book or other source? How old were you?
- Which do you think requires more dedication to a character: a massive tattoo, or an elaborate and well-documented cosplaying?
- Do you use cosplay as a way to freely express yourself in a way not otherwise possible as your regular self?
