Zenkaikon 2007 Hall Cosplay Rules and Info

[Ramothhe]

Hall Cosplay
Event Description: The Hall Cosplay Contest is for costumers who do not have a
skit to perform at the Cosplay Event but would still like their costumes judged on
craftsmanship. All Hall entrants are welcome and encouraged to have a ?walk-on? at
the end of the Cosplay skits (aka the Masquerade) to show off their handiwork. We
will be taking Hall Cosplay sign-ups at the convention, not before.

Masq/Cosplay At Con Check In:
When you arrive at the convention there will be a sign at the convention
registration desk saying what time in the afternoon and where cosplay sign-ups and
masquerade check-in will take place. Please make sure that you arrive promptly as
no one who arrives after sign-ups are over will be allowed to enter.

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Event Judging Categories:
The Hall Cosplay will have three levels of judging as explained below. Please
determine your level to the best of your ability based on the descriptions and
indicate your skill level on the entry form (if the judges think you are too good
for your current level, we will bump you up a level OR if you wish to compete at a
higher level than you actually are, you may bump yourself up a level). Groups are
welcome to be judged together but no more than 5 PEOPLE may be in any given group.

The skill levels for judging are as follows:

NOVICE ? This is our category for beginners. If you are new to cosplaying
and have never had a costume judged before, this is the category for you.
Cosplayers who have never won any awards at any previous cons for any costumes are
considered NOVICE cosplayers and will be judged as such.

JOURNEYMAN ? This is for somewhat experienced cosplayers. If you have
cosplayed, been judged, and won an award, this is the category for you. Cosplayers
who have won up to THREE major awards (?major awards? consist of ?best of? awards,
be they best of show, best of category, best of day, etc.) are considered
JOURNEYMAN cosplayers and will be judged as such.

CRAFSTMAN ? This is for accomplished cosplayers. If you are an experienced
and clean craftsman and have cosplayed at several events, this is the category for
you. Cosplayers who have won FOUR OR MORE major awards (?major awards? consist of
?best of? awards, be they best of show, best of category, best of day, etc.) are
considered CRAFTSMAN cosplayers and will be judged as such.
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More about the Stage, Rules and Requirements, etc:
?You may not enter a costume in the Hall Cosplay that you did not make. If you
worked with a parent, for example, that?s okay, but please tell us that you were
not the primary craftsman. If you purchased more than 1/3 of your costume OR the
major part that makes it a costume (IE: You're Edward Elric and you made the
pants, under jacket, shirt, and wig, but you purchased your cloak), you cannot
enter it. If you are modeling a costume that someone else made for you, the
creator of the costume MUST be present at the judging session to answer questions.

?Please take into consideration that the stage provided will be 12x24 and staged
falls as well as smoke, glitter, and other special effects that will leave a mess
or items behind that do not leave the stage with you are prohibited.

?Remember that Hall judging is about craftsmanship ? your ability to sew cleanly,
and to accurately recreate your character to the best of your ability. We are
looking for how well the costume is made so we will be asking a lot of questions
about its creation, how you did things, and we will be looking for clean hems and
seams. If you're curious about the kinds of questions we will ask, see the sample
questions.

?All entries will be judged as recreations of existing designs therefore we cannot
allow original character entries from sources such as role-playing campaigns or
unpublished manga.


?Please bring reference material with you (a picture, figurine, an artbook) ? the
judges have been around but we haven't seen everything! Even if your character is
popular or well-known, we need reference materials to judge for accuracy! We
CANNOT judge you without them.


?Please do not enter a costume that you have had previously judged at any event or
that has won any previous awards at any event.
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Weapons Policy:

?No real weapons. This includes use of steel of any type, guns, air guns, flare
guns, etc.


?Types of fake weapons that are allowed: Anything made of paper mache or other
material that gives if you were to hit someone with it hard enough to hurt them.
Toy guns (with bright orange tip) and other forms of plastic weaponry are also
allowed. Please use common sense. If you were to take public transport and
wouldn't bring your weapon on with you in plain sight then you shouldn't have
it.

?ALL weapons and large props (anything over 3ft in any direction) must be bonded
at the sign in table. If you don't have your weapon or prop with you at sign in
then just find a member of staff when you bring it in and they will either bond it
or get someone who can.

?Maximum Prop size: 5 feet

?Misuse of your prop such as swinging it or endangering others with it will result
in us asking you to remove the prop from the convention center

?Weapons purchased in the Dealers room must remain boxed and immediately removed
to your car, room or other private quarters.

If, after reading the rules, you are uncertain about what level you belong to or
if you have any questions, feel free to e-mail us at zenkaikoncosplay@gmail.com
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Sample Questions (judges may ask questions like these – but not
necessarily these VERY questions! This is just to give you an idea of the kind of
things we'll want to know)

What kinds of fabrics did you choose to make this costume out of?

Why do you think your fabric choice suits your character's design?

Did you sew this on a machine? What kind of stitches did you use?
How (if at all) did you finish your seams?
What parts of your costume did you purchase (i.e. Wigs, shoes)?
Where did you get them from?
Did you alter them at all?
Did you use a pattern?
Where did you get it?
Did you draft your own pattern?
What did you do to assure a good fit for your specific measurements?