Zenkaikon 2008 Hall Cosplay Rules

Also, check out our forums topics on the Hall Cosplay

Note: All attendees of Zenkaikon are welcome to dress up in costume without entering the competition. Everyone,however, must follow the props/weapons rules and policies set forth on this page.

Event Description The Hall Cosplay Contest is for costumers who do not have a skit to perform at the Cosplay Skits Event aka the Masquerade 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.

Hall Cosplay At Con Sign-ups and 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 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.

Cosplay Winners will receive: certificate, pic on our website, and prize including either pick from raffle table or gift certificates!

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.

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.
If your costume has ever won an award, please do not enter it in our competition.

Weapons Policy

No real weapons. NO GUNS This includes use of real OR toy guns of any kind, air/airsoft guns, flare guns, etc.
NO LIVE STEEL including swords, daggers, katana etc.
Weapons purchased in the Dealers room must remain boxed and IMMEDIATELY removed to your car, room or other private quarters.
No Nunchaku
No Explosives or chemicals of any kind including, but not limited to, smoke powder, sparklers, and fireworks
Types of fake weapons that are allowed: Wooden swords including boken, bo sticks, shinai are allowed. Anything made of paper mache or other material that is not dangerous to others (e.g. has no sharp edges, or parts sticking out that might trip people as they walk by) are 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 larger props (anything over 3ft in any direction) must be bonded (in other words, inspected by a member of Zenkaikon staff assigned to bond weapons, then tied with a little piece of colored string/tape) 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
All props and weapons brought into the convention may be inspected and approved or rejected by Zenkaikon staff,including those that may have prior approval (here or elsewhere).
All questionable weapons or props will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
All decisions made by Zenkaikon Security Staff, or Scanticon Valley Forge Hotel and Conference Center Staff are final.

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

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?