WF Pic Fed Board Rules & Starter Guide

(Credit: fall)

Suggestions for designing an arena:
Here is my set-up:





Here is my 'backstage area:'



I suggest using one of the larger rings if you have access to one, if not, no worries. Create a unique entrance area and use some sort of guardrails to separate your ring from the audience. I use “crowd control guardrails” from spam.
There are many great printouts to use for backgrounds over here at the Customs: Printouts Board: wfigs.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=printouts
I am also usually willing to help create custom backgrounds for pic fed when the time permits. Feel free to PM me and let me know what you’d like to have made. You can see my print-outs here: warsman.com/Print_Outs.html
Lastly, if you do not have access to a color printer or you’d rather just do something a bit easier, use your figure collection to fill out an audience! Many feds do this and it looks great to have real figures in the audience!

Suggestions for choosing a roster:
Take a look at what type of Figure Fed you want to create. Are you going for Today’s Era? The Attitude Era? Classic Era? Or just a mish-mosh of figures from your collection? As long as your writing is decent and your poses are strong, it really doesn’t matter who you choose to showcase. It’s your fed! Put on the show you want!

Suggestions for improving your poses:
First, take a look at several of the Pic Feds currently running on our board, such as “brm’s FIW” or “NoPrisonersArmy’s TNA” feds. Both have uniquely good poses they employ!
Another resource is WFig’s own Wrestling Figure Poses and Action Shots Board, found here: wfigs.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=wfposes
Many pic fedders are passionate about using ‘string’ in their photos to help give the illusion of high-flying moves. If you choose to use string, the best advice I have is to by the thinnest fishing line you can find, something like 2 lb. fishing line will do. Here is what I use:


I fashioned myself a “control bar” similar to a marionette’s and secured 3 loops of thin fishing line to it. Like this:


This allows for control of one figure in a high-flying pose, usually by looping the line around each hand or arm and either one foot or both feet. That leads us to…

Suggestions for editing out sting:
I use Adobe Photoshop, myself. It is a handy program to have and use in a whole variety of ways. It is expensive, however. An alternative to Photoshop is a program called, “The Gimp.” It is a freeware photo editor/creator that can do most of the things Photoshop can do. You can find it here: www.gimp.org/
I suggest setting the smudge tool to a small size and SLOWLY drag it across the sting. It might help to use the color picker tool and select the color around the string and color over the string line a bit before you smudge it out. If you are unhappy with the results you can always use the “undo” feature.

Suggestions for taking better pictures:
First, using quality lighting is half the battle. Low lighting not only dulls the photo, but it can also can give it a blurry look as well. I use two small lamps aimed right at the ring, a floor lamp and also natural window lighting when I can.
Second, a steady hand is key. Photos that are taken with an unsteady hand will also be blurry. Many people have invested in tripods which are a huge help. However, I’ve found that if I just slow down a little I tend to reduce my unsteady/blurry photos.
Third, if your camera has a “macro function” USE IT. The macro function is for snapping pics of small objects at a relatively close range. My camera’s macro setting looks like a flower. I do not know if that is a “universal macro sign,” but it might be. Experiment with your camera until you find yours.

Suggestions for hosting your very own site:
There are many good free sites for hosting, such as those found here:
Freewebs - www.freewebs.com
Proboards - www.proboards.com (you will need to create your own forum)

If you can afford it, I suggest purchasing your own site and using free software like “YahooSiteBuilder” or something similar. There is a learning curve to owning and hosting your own site., but you also have much more freedom to make your pic fed look and feel the way you want it to!

Minor suggestions for a successful pic fed:

- Use grudges and feuds to keep watchers coming back!

- Try to write intelligent and easy to follow storylines.

- Provide legible commentary, a good tip is to use the tried and true “heel and face commentator team.”

- Limit the amount of cursing by your characters, or better yet, eliminate it altogether. It makes your fed seem childish and immature.

- Try to use a decent camera. This means no camera phones.

- Make use of a good background. Printouts were mentioned above. Nothing takes you out of the suspension of belief like seeing someone’s dirty clothes pile or Mountain Dew can behind the ring!

- Don’t use “text speak.” No 1 wnts 2 rd ths 4 a hol shw.

Places to host your images:
imageshack.us/
photobucket.com/
Registering at each site will help you save them into your account for easier access; however even using the site without an account allows you to save them there for pic fed use. Registering also allows for multiple uploads.

Image Resizing
Search “Pix Resizer” in Google. It’s a very good program which will allow you to edit the image size in mere seconds, plus it’s very easy to use. Small pics are a big turnoff to many viewers!

Tips for creating your own fed:
- Have a small roster. Usually of about 10-20 people, this will ensure people wont get confused, and will allow you to create more storylines easily.
- Have at least a Heavyweight Title. It’s what all the wrestlers will be fighting for, so a federation without one is ridiculous. Add more titles as you go along, such as Tag Team Titles, and a Mid Weight title, such as the Intercontinental.
- Read up on your roster, to make sure you get the character and there signature moves down first.

Tips for your first show:
This should include
- At least 2-3 matches. These should be about 40 pictures each, and a bit more for the main event.
- Some backstage segments. This will further feuds, and will get your federation over.
- No gimmick matches. Save them for PPV's, having a gimmick match on your first show means nothing, as there is no background history on the feud.

(thanks to mallet for many of the fine tips and suggestions)