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Otakon 2012 Hall Costume Contest Rules and Regulations

Rule changes from 2011 are highlighted in bold

1. All participants must have an Otakon member badge (this includes Associate, Dealer, Press, and other specialty badges). Currently, members of Otakon staff are ineligible to compete in the Hall Costume Contest.
   
   
2. There will be an online registration for the 2012 contest. Those who register online will be able to sign up for a judging slot before the convention as well. This will happen within two weeks of the convention. If you register online and do not sign up for a time slot online, you will still be able to sign up for a time slot at the convention. All time slots not claimed will be open to at con registrations starting at 10:00AM in Friday and 9:45AM on Saturday. There will be 50 adult slots and 10 youth slots for each day's contest. 35 slots will be available online, for youth and adult. 15 adult and up to 10 youth slots will be available at the convention on a first come first serve basis. All judging time slots will be available on a first come, first served basis until all slots are claimed.
   
   
3. Only ONE costume can be judged per group. Due to time limitations we can not properly judge multiple costumes.
   
   
4. You will still need to sign in at the convention to be eligible for judging. Sign-in will begin at 9:30AM on Friday and 8:30AM on Saturday for those who registered online. For members registering at the convention, sign in will begin at 11:00AM on Friday and 10:00AM on Saturday.
   
   
5. Once you are signed-in or registered, you will receive a special Hall Costume Contest badge with your entry number and judging time on the back. Please arrive 15 minutes early for judging! If you miss your time, we may drop your entry from the Hall Costume Contest.
   
   
6. You may not register or check-in for Saturday's contest on Friday.
   
   
7. Entries will be separated into four 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.
   • Novice - contestants who have won less than 2 major cosplay awards at any convention
   • Journeyman - contestants who have won more two, but less than less than four major cosplay awards at any convention.
   • Craftsman - contestants who have won four or more major cosplay awards at any convention.
   
   
8. Costumes that have won any major awards at any convention may not be entered in the Hall Costume Contest. Awards of ranking, including but not limited to "Best in Show," "Best in Division," or "First Place," "Second Place," etc. in any type of cosplay competition are considered major cosplay awards. "Honorable Mentions," "Judges' Awards," and similar forms of recognition are not considered major awards. . Performance only awards also do not not count towards ranking.
   
   
9. Each entry's appropriate category will be determined by its participant with the highest number of cosplay awards won out of the group. For example, an entry consisting of 3 participants with zero major awards won and 1 participant with 2 major awards won will be placed in the Journeyman category.
   
   
10. Children 13 years and younger will be judged separately in the Youth category.
    
    
11. Entries which include participants who do not qualify for the youth category, such as parents or guardians, in addition to qualifying youth participants may request to be judged in the youth category, at the sole discretion of the Hall Costume Contest Coordinator.
    
    
12. Pictures will be taken during judging of all participants. These pictures will be used for record and judging purposes. Additional pictures will also be taken during the Hall Costume Contest Fashion Show and Hall Costume Contest Awards at the Masquerade.
    
    
13. 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 Contests only if a permission/release form signed by the minor's legal guardian is provided. Forms are available at the contest registration desk and will be made available on the Otakon website.
    
    
14. All costumes must pertain in some way to a character, object, or otherwise, that is depicted in Japanese anime, manga, anime-style video games, or some other facet of Japanese culture. Original costumes will not be permitted, as the accuracy of the costume is impossible to judge.
    
    
15. All costumes must abide by the rules of the convention. If a costume is deemed acceptable for the convention by Special Operations staffers according to established policies, then it will be allowed in the Hall Costume Contest. Please review the dress code, weapons policy, and other important rules. If a policy violation is discovered by Special Operations in a costume competing in the Hall Costume Contest, that entry will be disqualified.
    
    
16. No glitter, confetti, pyrotechnics, live flame, or smoke generators of any kind are allowed in the Baltimore Convention Center or 1st Mariner Arena.
    
    
17. Purchased, professionally made, or rented costumes are prohibited. Costumes consisting mostly or entirely of store bought items are also ineligible. All costumes must be at least 85% handmade. Participants should be prepared to briefly explain the process through which their costume was created.
    
    
18. No electrical power connections will be provided. If your costume requires power it must be part of your costume design.
    
    
19. Costumes will be judged on a variety of criteria, including craftsmanship and overall effect. The winners of both contests will be announced during the Masquerade Awards Ceremony. All prizes will be handed out in the Hall Costume Contest office on Sunday morning.
    
    
20. All entries are strongly encouraged to bring reference material for their costume(s). While we will not turn away entries that do not bring reference material, the absence of reference material could greatly affect your final score. Not all judges know all characters, so it is in everyone's best interest to bring a color picture (or several) if at all possible. The reference should depict the details of the costume you are presenting. We will be keeping reference materials that are brought to judging, so please make sure to bring physical copies of your references. Please do not bring Manga, Art books, Cell phone images, hand held video game units, or other similar materials as your only source. The reference materials are used by the judges when they create their scores.
    
    
21. Hall Costume Contest judging is not open to the public. Only entrants, designers, and parents or children will be allowed inside the judging room.
    
    
22. Costumers may enter only one Hall Costume Contest during the entire weekend. Friday's Hall Costume Contest contestants are permitted to enter the Masquerade, but Saturday may not. The Saturday Hall Costume Contest judging times overlap with Masquerade craftsmanship judging and rehearsal.
    
    
23. You may not enter the same costume in the Hall Costume Contest and Masquerade. You will be disqualified if you are found wearing the same costume in both Contests.
    
    
24. All Hall Costume Contest participants will have the option to take part in the Hall Costume Contest Fashion Show during the Masquerade. A limit of 70 participants may be instituted based on intermission programing during the Masquerade. The final number will be determined before the convention and we will work to fit in as many participants as possible.
    
    
25. Each contestant may present (wear) one and only one costume, or a group of people may wear one costume at the same time (i.e., a large costume that requires several people inside to move it). The same costume may not be entered in both the Masquerade and the Hall Costume Contest. One or more designers may design and construct costumes for an individual or for a group who serve as model/models. The group will be considered as one entry. The designer(s) must be present at the judging to explain the construction techniques used. If this is a group presentation, the designer(s) may also wear a costume.
    
    
26. Costumers may enter only one Hall Costume Contest during the entire weekend. Friday's Hall Costume Contest contestants are permitted to enter the Masquerade (the Saturday Hall Costume Contest conflicts with Masquerade rehearsals.)
    
    
27. Any participant who will be participating in the Hall Costume Contest Fashion Show must adhere to additional rules:
    • Your costume must allow you freedom of movement so that you can go up steps. Make certain your costume allows you to do this unassisted. For liability reasons, Otakon staff will not assist costumers onto or off of the stage. You may have up to two assistants to help you, but they will not be provided by Otakon.
    • You must remain with the Hall Costume Contest group for the entirety of the Masquerade. We will reserve audience seating for the Hall Costume Contest at the Masquerade. When being seated, please listen to the instruction of the Otakon staff and sit only where you are assigned. If you have any special needs, please inform Otakon staff at check-in.
    • Parents/legal guardians are required to accompany children 13 years and younger during the Hall Costume Contest Fashion Show.
    
    
28. The Hall Costume Contest Coordinator has the full authority to request a change to a costume for any reason. Refusal to make the requested change will disqualify the person or group from the competition.
    
    
29. All decisions of the Hall Costume Contest Coordinator are final.
    
    
30. While no changes to these rules are foreseen, certain circumstances may require that the rules be changed. Any changes to the rules will be noted in bold red print on this page. A complete set of current rules will be posted at the Hall Costume Contest check-in tables at all times on Friday and Saturday.

Please post any questions or comments in the Masquerade and Costume Contest's section of the Otakon BBS, or post them on the Interactive Help Form.