Baltimore Convention Center
Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Otakon 2011 Masquerade Contest
Masquerade Contest: General Info | Registration info | The Full Rules
Waiver Forms: Adult Waiver Form
(PDF) | Minor Waiver (PDF)
Otakon 2011 Masquerade Information
We are pleased to announce that the Masquerade contest will return to the 1st Mariner Arena!
We welcome everyone to come see the long-standing staple of anime conventions: the Masquerade! For those interested in seeing what it's all about, it's easy: come to the 1st Mariner Arena on Saturday night, find a seat (there's plenty to go around, and we mean plenty!), and watch a great show by fans, for fans.
We welcome participants, too! After all, it is by fans, for fans. Interested in performing? Keep reading!
The Masquerade is designed for costumers who wish to perform a short skit on stage, or whose costume would be best presented in an on-stage format. For costumers who wish to have their costume judged but do not want to perform a skit (i.e. a walk-on entry), we recommend entering the Hall Costume Contest.
Why participate in Otakon 2011 Masquerade? Here's one reason!
Best in Show winners will receive free, complementary memberships for 2012, which includes attendance to Otakon 2012.
Please note that these memberships are non-transferable and apply only to Otakon 2012.
Still not convinced? How about a free DVD of your performance?
Yes, you heard us right. Each skit will receive a DVD containing their performance as seen by fellow members on the big screen.
One DVD per skit will be mailed to each respective group's designated contact in the coming weeks after Otakon 2011, at no charge, as our thanks for making the Masquerade possible.
In order to participate, you must have an Otakon member badge (Dealers, Press, and other specialty badge types are also valid).
Judging Categories
Entries will be separated into one of four categories:
- Youth - individual or group consisting primarily of children 13 years of age and under, as well as their parents, guardian, or other individuals deemed appropriate by the Masquerade Coordinator
- Novice - contestants who have won zero or one major cosplay award at any convention
- Journeyman - contestants who have won two, but less than five major cosplay awards at any convention
- Craftsman - contestants who have won five or more major cosplay awards at any convention
Children 13 years old and under will be judged separately in the Youth category. 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. These requests are subject to the approval of the Masquerade Coordinator.
Parents are required to accompany children 13 years of age and younger during the Masquerade.
Release Forms
All participants will be required to sign a permission/release/waiver form to participate in the contest. This includes stage hands, stage assistants, and any other individuals appearing on stage. Simply put, any person who steps on stage must submit a waiver.
Minors under 18 years of age may participate in the Masquerade 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.
Forms will be posted soon!
Important! Forms will be collected when you check in for the Masquerade. 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 cast 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.
Skit Length
Updated for 2011!Maximum skit length will continue to be determined by the number of performing participants in your skit, but we have made slight adjustments to the group sizes for 2011:
- 1-3 performing participants: 2 minutes (120 seconds)
- 4-7 performing participants: 3 minutes (180 seconds)
- 8-15 performing participants: 4 minutes (240 seconds)
The length of skits is measured from the first move or line until the last move or line.
Participants who do not play an active role in the progression or storyline of their performance, such as stage hands or assistants, will not count towards the number of performing participants.
Remember, short is good, funny is better, short and funny is best.
Please read the Full Masquerade Rules and Regulations for the complete guidelines and more information on this and other rules changes.
How to Register for the Otakon 2011 Masquerade
- All entries wishing to participate in the Masquerade must register via the Otakon website. There will be no at-convention registration of new entries.
- Registration begins on June 19, 2011 at 9 pm Eastern Daylight Time and ends on July 10, 2011 at 9 pm Eastern Daylight Time or when all slots have been filled, whichever comes first.
- There will be a maximum of 40 skits performing at the Masquerade. These slots will be filled using the following method:
- The first 30 entries registered for the Masquerade will be designated as “Reserved Entries.” These entries will be reserved a performing slot at the Masquerade provided that they check-in during their designated check-in period at the convention.
- The next 30 entries registered will be designated as “Overflow Entries.” These entries are not reserved a performing slot at the Masquerade, but will have the remaining 10 performing slots and any additional unclaimed slots available to them on a first come, first serve basis at the convention.
- If you have not done so already, please take a moment to review the Full Masquerade Rules and Regulations.
Questions?
The Otakon Masquerade and Cosplay Contests section of the Otakon Web Boards is dedicated to questions about the Masquerade and other costuming events. This is the quickest way to find your answer.
You may have a question that's already been asked by fellow Masquerade participants. You can find answers to the questions already asked and post new questions there.
You must be registered member of the Otakon Web Boards to access the Otakon Masquerade and Cosplay section, but it only takes a moment.
We strongly encourage all Masquerade participants to visit the web boards regularly, as we will be posting information leading up to Otakon to make your at-con Masquerade experience smoother and more enjoyable.
Questions, problems, changes to any skit entries, and requests for additional information may be sent to the Masquerade Coordinator via the Otakon Contact Form.
