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Hall Costume Contest 2011

The Hall Costume Contest is a craftsmanship only contest held at Otakon. There are two separate contests held during Otakon, one on Friday and one on Saturday, winners will be announced at the Masquerade Saturday night and participants will be able to walk across the stage at the First Mariner Arena to show off their hard work during the Masquerade. If you wish to compete in both Craftsmanship and Performance, we recommend you go over to the Masquerade page.

Why Participate?

For those who want to show off their awesome costuming skills without the stress of creating an entire performance. Also, new to 2011's contest, the Best of Con winner(s) (highest score out of both Friday and Saturday) will receive complementary membership to Otakon 2012.

Judging Categories

• Youth - individual or group consisting primarily of children 13 years of age and under, as well as their parents, guardians, or other individuals deemed appropriate by the Hall Costume Contest Coordinator. The the designer and the primary constructor of the costume must be 13 years of age or younger, as well as any model, unless otherwise approved by the Hall Costume Contest Coordinator. Parents are required to accompany children 13 years of age and younger during the Hall Costume Contest.
  
• Novice - contestants who have won zero or one major cosplay awards at any convention, excluding performance only awards.
  
• Journeyman - contestants who have won less than four major cosplay awards at any convention, excluding performance only awards.
  
• Craftsman - contestants who have won four or more major cosplay awards at any convention, excluding performance only awards.

Performance only awards no longer qualify towards your placement. Only awards for best overall (performance+craftsmanship) and craftsmanship only will qualify. If you have won two performance only awards at any convention and no craftsmanship or overall awards, you will still only qualify as a novice. This is because the Hall Costume Contest is a craftsmanship only contest and we want to make sure everyone is placed into their appropriate division for craftsmanship. If you have any questions about which division you fall into, please feel free to ask.

Full Rules

For full rules and regulations click here.

Registration

To register for the Hall Costume Contest click here . Registration for the 2011 contests will open on June 11, 2011 and end on July 10, 2011. An exact time will be announced as the date approaches. There is a limit of 35 slots for online registration. At con registration will take place the morning of each contest at 11am in the Hall Costume Contest office, there will be an additional 15 adult slots (and 10 youth) that will be filled at con, along with a wait list to call those who are not within the first 15 to arrive each day. This is to help keep lines down and everyone waiting for hours. If you do end up on the wait list, a phone number you can answer at con will be needed and we will call if a slot becomes open on a first come first serve basis.

Release Forms

All participants will be required to sign a permission/release/waiver form to participate in the contest.

Minors under 18 years of age may participate in the Hall Costume Contest only if a permission/release form signed by the minor's legal guardian is provided. We highly encourage you to print out and sign the appropriate form(s) and bring them to check-in to expedite the process. Please make sure to print out and bring the correct waiver for the day you plan to participate.

Hall Costume Contest Adult Waiver

Hall Costume Contest Minor Waiver

Important! Forms will be collected when you check in for the Hall Costume Contest. This is the only time we will accept waivers. If signed waiver forms are not present for all members of your cast, we will not check you in. We strongly recommend that you make prior arrangements on your own with your group members to ensure that all waiver forms are present when you check in.

Costume Eligibility

Costumers may not wear the same costume in both the Masquerade and Hall Costume Contest. You may also only enter the Hall Costume Contest once during the length of the convention.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. I'm wearing a costume to Otakon, am I entered in the Hall Costume Contest?
   
   
   • No. The Hall Costume Contest is an event at Otakon that you must register to participate in.
   
   
2. I didn't make my costume. Can I still enter the Hall Costume Contest/participate in the Fashion Show?
   • No. You will need to have made at least 85% of your costume on your own. Questions will be asked to verify the authenticity of your craftsmanship. If someone else made the costume, you may still model it, but the contest entrant (and one who will receive the prize) is the designer.
     
     The designer must be present for all aspects of the contest, including the judging sessions and the Fashion Show (if they wish to have the costume appear in the Fashion Show). The only exception to this rule is the Youth category. Youths are permitted to have more help on their costume, although they still must have participated in the direct creation of it, or made at least 65% of it.
     
     
3. Can I enter an original costume/original variant of a character? What about a Gothic & Lolita dress, kimono, or other type of fashion/historical design?
   
   
   • Original designs are not permitted because the lack of consistent reference materials makes it nearly impossible to judge accuracy. However, you are encouraged to show off your costumes/ fashion in the hallways.
   
   
4. What are these new group roles and how do I know what I am?
   
   
   • Designer – The person who does the majority of research, sketches, and material shopping. Over sees the project and uses their vision to bring the costume to life. This should be the group leader.
   • Model – The person(s) wearing the costume for the group.
   • Costume Construction – The person(s) who do the majority of the work physically creating the costume.
   • Props/Accessories Construction – The person(s) who do the majority work on properties and accessories.
   • Other – Any other person involved in the process, including assistants to help the model move safely around in the costume. There is a limit of two assistants per group. Helpers and others involved must be approved by the Hall Costume Contest Coordinator.
     
     A person may fall under multiple role categories, for instance a single person competing alone may fall under Designer, Model, Costume construction, and Properties construction, but a person in a group may only fall under designer and costume construction. A person can model for another group, but can only hold the positions of Designer, Costume Construction and/or Properties construction in one group. All members of the group must be actively involved in the process, failure to prove their role in the process (IE: a friend that did not help with construction, nor is a helper) will result in disqualification.
   
   
5. What do I need to bring to my judging session?
   
   
   • All parts of the costume that you wish to be judged on MUST be with you at your judging session. We cannot judge any item that is missing, even if you have a photo of it. Reference materials are HIGHLY recommended. Print-outs are preferred. A good reference binder will show the front, back, sides; and close-ups of any detailed parts and props. It is also helpful to bring photos of you working on your costume, especially difficult or extremely detailed parts, although again this is not necessary.
   
   
6. What can I expect to happen at my judging session?
   
   
   • Your judging session will last no more than four minutes. During this time, you will be given a chance to talk about how you made your costume, materials you used, and the time it took you to make it. Pictures will be taken of your costume. Please be aware of your time. You will be warned at three minutes and stopped at four. It may help for you to practice talking about your costume in front of a few friends while they time you, leaving room for a question session at the end. Speak clearly and confidently, and try to cover details, rather than obvious parts. GOOD EXAMPLE: By using an enlargd version of the reference picture, I used jacquard fabric paint to copy the leaf design on the bodice. BAD EXAMPLE: I used paint on the bodice.
   
   
7. How many people can enter as a Group?
   
   
   • No more than six people may enter as a group, but each group will only be judged on a single costume. More people in the group will not increase judging time.
   
   
8. I just want to walk across the stage, but I don't want to enter the contest. Can I do this?
   
   
   • No. The fashion show during the Masquerade is for Hall Costume Contest participants only.
   
   
9. What if I'm late for my judging time because of a completely unforeseen emergency, rather than carelessness or forgetfulness?
   
   
   • You will be given your judging time upon check-in. A late arrival will result in your disqualification. Any appeals can be made to the Hall Costume Contest Coordinator. The decision of the Coordinator is final.
   
   
10. What is the difference between the Hall Costume Contest and the Masquerade?
    • The Hall Costume Contest is a competition that focuses solely on costume craftsmanship, while the Masquerade is a competition that focuses on costume craftsmanship as well as cosplayer performance and presentation.