Fallout 4
Buy GameThe High Five – Cosplayer Daniel Krauss
Fallout 4
Buy GameDaniel Krauss is a Bethesda fan with passion and talent for cosplay and props.
He’s already been Fallout 4’s Sole Survivor (he even spent time as a Ghoul) and The Keeper (Boxman) from The Evil Within. And not only that, he’s crafted numerous faithful replicas of items and weapons from Bethesda games.
We chatted with Daniel about the creation of his impressive Bethesda cosplays and props, found out which items he’s particularly proud of, and asked him about his plans for future cosplay.
1. What inspires you about our games?
There are many factors that have an influence on me. The design and setting of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout titles are just incredible with the sheer size and amount of freedom you have. This freedom is demonstrated by the gameplay and the choice of costumes and equippable items that lead to innumerable combination possibilities.
This allows me to put together what I like best. My interest is focused on specific items like the Pip-Boy and Pipe Gun from Fallout, or the Dragon Priest masks from The Elder Scrolls. I just think the designs are really cool and I want to replicate them in the real world. It’s because of this process that I’ve ended up with complete costumes that weren’t initially planned.
Another part of my inspiration comes from the emotional connection I make when I find a story or character interesting. This was the case with The Keeper from The Evil Within. I find his significance in the game interesting and it led me to paying more attention to his character (plus, he looks super cool). This resulted in the idea for my costume.
And the last factor is Bethesda’s openness with game content. The Creation Kit is not just a fantastic tool for modders, but also for cosplayers in helping them find references. Tango Game Studios even released a web-friendly 3D model of The Keeper. Stuff like that is a tremendous help for creating blueprints and honing details.
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2. What has been your greatest cosplay challenge so far?
Crafting large pieces of armor from games is a huge challenge when it comes to freedom of movement, and overcoming it requires making compromises. For my Dragon Priest from The Elder Scrolls or Garl Vinland (Demon’s Souls), it took a lot of trial and error to create moveable transitions, such as shoulders, elbows, knees and hips, while also remaining as faithful to the original as possible. Hard armor parts can distort or overlap in games, but that’s not possible in real life.
3. Are there any cool details that you are particularly proud of?
I always try and do one better with regard to details for my props, and to build in suitable gadgetry to create more than simply a visual replica. For example, both of the Pip-Boys I’ve made play music, which is always a great source of entertainment. The Pip-Boy Mk IV even has a (totally retro) tape deck built in, which you can insert real tapes into. The Pip-Boy Mk IV is full of details that I revised because of the Pip-Boy Edition – the most noticeable change is the size of the screen.
Then there’s the Pipe Gun. I built a modified Nerf Retaliator mechanism into it, allowing it to fire Nerf Darts. I made the mechanism smaller and altered it so that it is loaded from above like a repeater.
My laser rifle has a reload mechanism built into it (using Lego Technic). Like in the game, a lever in front of the microfusion cell is lifted to release it. Pulling back the grip under the cell locks it again. A sound module then plays the reload sound. This also plays a firing effect when the trigger is pulled and a red LED lights up.
Being able to see from within The Keeper’s safe was a detail that I wasn’t even aware was so impressive until I was confronted by astounded reactions from people. The safe is closed both front and back, meaning that I’m basically blind inside it. To allow me to see, there is a small hole in the upper dial, behind which I attached the camera of my PS Vita. This means I see my environment solely through the display of my PS Vita!
4. What’s next? What will we see from you in the future?
I’m more of the kind of guy who doesn’t like planning years ahead. Who knows what will come next? Perhaps I’ll see something cool in Prey or Dishonored 2 that I’ll really want to make. I’m keeping all my options open. However, I do have two projects in planning: I’m making a replica Shade from The Evil Within DLCs for a friend. But it’s a bit different than my normal work because it’s not meant to be a costume. It’s planned as a life-sized lamp for her living room.
The other project is a weapon from the upcoming game Scorn, which consists of bones and tissue. Plus, I have some big photo shoots coming up: One in my new Fallout 4 costume and one with the Dragon Priest... who has been waiting for some proper photos for a few years now!
5. Do you have any tips for other cosplayers and prop makers?
Don’t get ahead of yourself as a beginner and take your time. If the costume isn’t ready for this convention, then simply make it for the next. Then it won’t fall apart and you won’t be upset that it didn’t turn out how you imagined it.
Also, don’t blindly copy other cosplayers. Books and tutorials are all well and good for inspiration and new approaches, but do it the way that’s best for you. Experiment! Everyone has different requirements, tools and talent. Even though my Facebook page is heavily geared toward show-and-tell, that’s just my way of showing how I did it. It’s not there to tell you to do it exactly the same way.
And finally, one more crafting tip: I make almost all my blueprints on a 1:1 scale so I can always check during construction whether I’m still on course. Good luck!
Many thanks to Daniel for sharing his cosplay experiences with us. If you’d like to see more of him, check him out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Would you like to see your own community projects featured in a future installment of the Bethesda High Five? Show us what you’ve been working on with the #BethesdaHighFive hashtag on social.
Catch up with the Bethesda community with these other High Five features:
The High Five – Nathan DeLuca’s DOOM Marine Cosplay
The High Five: Jackademus Takes on ESO
