COSPLAY CONTEST RULES

GENERAL RULES
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• No nudity. No costume is no costume.

• No profanity allowed on stage. That includes messages on signs or clothes. Anyone who violates this may be disqualified from the competition.

• No political or religious statement during the catwalk. Anyone who violates this may be disqualified from the competition.

• Do not use any sort of projectile at all! Nothing must leave your person while you are on the catwalk. Anyone who violates this rule may be disqualified from the competition and may be asked to leave the convention area.

• No flashpots, explosive devices, or similar special effects are to be used. Anyone who violates this rule may be disqualified from the competition and will be asked to leave the convention area.

• All prop weapons must conform to the Fanfaire Weapons Policy.

• All online applications must be submitted before the event on Saturday by 2pm, but there will be applications will be available onsite.

• To be judged for accuracy a visual reference, preferably a color photo on paper, can be turned in to the judges. Electronic media (i.e. CDs) will not be accepted nor will bringing a laptop or video device (i.e.  iPods) to pre-judging. This is not required. However, you may not be eligible for accuracy points if the judges are not familiar enough with your character.

• Costumes must be self-contained. 

• Do not enter or exit the catwalk except at the designated points.

• Each contestant may only enter one costume into competition.

• Large elaborate costumes must be handled by the contestant and/or assistants the contestant brings to help. Fanfaire will not be able to provide assistants.

• Fanfaire contest coordinators reserve the right to make any changes to the contest rules and guidelines if the need arises. Fanfaire staff are not eligible to compete in the competition.

REGISTRATION

• All contestants must have a valid ticket to enter the contest.

• The costume contest is limited to 30 contestants. Competitors are encouraged to preregister in order to guarantee a spot in the contest.

TECHNICAL COSPLAY

RULES

• Individuals ONLY!

• No age brackets.

• During the judging portion of the event, judges will inspect each costume, inquire as to how they were designed and created, and answer questions contestants may have about the contest. All costumes must be judged in order to be eligible.

• Costumes from all genres (video game, comic book, anime, movies, television, etc.) are acceptable. Mashups and original designs are also permitted. The majority of your costume must be homemade, although found item costumes and modified items are acceptable.

• Contestants are encouraged to bring a reference photo of the character they are portraying. The judges may not know the character in question, and this will help their ability to gauge the effectiveness of the costume.

• Judging will occur on the Lower Level 2 the day of the competition at 3pm. All contestants must arrive by 2pm to check-in, although contestants will not be required to stay in the room for the full judging period.

• Contestants will be divided into 4 different categories during judging. Contestants will be asked which category they prefer during judging, although judges retain the right to bump a contestant into a higher category if they feel a costume deserves to be recognized at a higher skill level.

• All contestants are welcome to enter the People's Choice contest Sunday. If you did not win the Technical Contest, you can run as a contestant Sunday. If you did win Saturday, you can enter to walk and display but you will not be eligible for any vote casting.

 

CRITERIA

Judges will use a 10 point scale to assess factors such as:

• Accuracy (resemblance to character) (if applicable)

• Uniqueness (positive factors that distinguish the design from others)

• Craftsmanship (quality vs functionality, handmade, effort shown, prop durability)

• Presentation (confidence, posture, portrayal)

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SCHEDULE

There is a 30 minute registration/check in slot Saturday at XXX. Rules and other matters will be spelled out at this point so every contestant is briefed.
Then a one hour judging section right after registration.
Afterwards a 30 minute pause as judges' tally sheets are added and calculated.
There will then finally be a 30 minute announce of the winners and claiming of prizes.

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MASQUERADE COSPLAY

RULES
 

• ​You'll have 2 minutes to show off your costume and props. 

• Individuals and groups allowed. 

• Every vote costs $1 and voters can purchase an unlimited amount of votes. 

• No age bracket

• Pre-registration is not mandatory but strongly encouraged.

• There is no extra fee to enter this contest within FanfaireNYC.

• There will be a registration and check-in time slot right before the judging phase. If you pre-registered, you MUST visit during check-in.

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CRITERIA

This is a 50/50 fundraiser. Judging is open to all attendees who pay $1 per vote. There is no limit to how many votes a judge can purchase. The votes will determine the prize pot, with 50% of it going to the school and 50% going to the cash prize slot.

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SCHEDULE

There is a 30 minute registration/check in slot Sunday at XXX. This is mandatory as each contestant will be given an entry number to display and judges will collect. The catwalk for all contestants comes next.
There will then be a 90 minute pause as attendees cast their votes which are then counted and winners calculated. Then finally a 30 minute announcement of the winners and claiming of prizes.​

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PRIZES

All prizes will come with Acknowledgement Certificate 

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TECHNICAL: 

Grand Prize: Photoshoot + $200 TD Gift Card

2nd Place: Photoshoot

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MASQUERADE: People's Choice

Choice of 1 of 3 prizes

iMac

50/50 Cash Split

Photoshoot

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