Cosplay Guidelines and Masquerade Rules

GENERAL RULES

  • No metal weapons, real firearms, or props loaded with high velocity projectiles are allowed.
  • Realistic weapon props may be peace bonded at the discretion of security or Masquerade staff.
  • Props should be carried and posed with in a way that does not inconvenience or risk injury to other attendees.
  • Costumes must be tasteful and cover appropriate areas of the body.
  • Shoes must be worn in public areas of the convention for your own safety.
  • What is illegal outside the convention is still illegal inside the convention.

MASQUERADE RULES

  • All the general cosplay rules above apply.
  • Costumes or skits that have won a major award at other events are ineligible to win another award at the same rank.
  • Entrants may compete in both craftsmanship and skit, but are not required to do both.
  • Cosplays entered in competition may be from any origin, but the competitor MUST be able to provide references for craftsmanship competition.
  • Original designs based on established media, such as Pokemon gijinka-type designs or fanart alternative designs, are permitted in competition but specific reference images must be provided.
  • Please bring reference photos for judging. Failure to provide references will not result in disqualification, but will hurt your chances at an award. Not every judge can be familiar with every series, so we need to know what to look for! Paper references are preferred but not required.
  • Original characters regardless of media are not permitted.
  • Entrants must be registered attendees of Glass City Con x Midwest Media Expo and present a badge to sign up for the competitions.
  • Participants’ costumes and props must be able to traverse a 6’ wide backstage hallway. A handler is allowed to accompany the cosplayer on stage if the cosplay requires one. Accessibility needs will be accommodated to the best of our ability. Please let us know ahead of time if you may need assistance.
  • Groups for both craftsmanship and skits may not exceed 8 people.
  • Skits must be “PG-13” or less. GCCxMME is a family-friendly event: if you wouldn’t say it to your grandma, it’s not acceptable for your stage.
  • No jumping onto or off of the stage, acrobatics, or throwing items off of the stage.
  • Clean up after yourself. Do not leave anything behind on the stage.
  • Stage combat will be allowed only if approved by the judges after a demonstration during skit approval.
  • No special effects. Electronic flashes are permitted only if okayed by Masquerade staff. An announcement will be made to attendees at the start of your skit.
  • Karaoke is not a skit. Please save it for the karaoke.
  • No surprises.

Craftsmanship judging and Skit prescreen will run from 11am – 4pm on Saturday. Signups will be available from 10am – 3pm outside Room 207 on the second floor. Entrants will need to report to the Main Events room on the first floor at 5pm for lineup and run-throughs. Only entrants and handlers will be allowed into Main Events at this time. The Masquerade will start at 6pm.

CRAFTSMANSHIP RULES

  • Entries in the craftsmanship competition must be at least 60% hand-made or modified. Costumes that do not fit this guideline must be entered in the Found Item category. We encourage potential competitors to flex their abilities and create what they can, so Found Item will be limited to 15 participants.
  • The divisions for craftsmanship are based on award history and experience:
  • Junior: competitors under 13 years of age
  • Beginner: no prior awards, first-time competitors
  • Intermediate: with 1-5 awards
  • Advanced: more than 5 awards, veteran competitors
  • Found Item
  • We are happy to help you determine your division. The judges may also bump you to a higher division without prior notice. You may not enter the competition at a level lower than you have already won a previous competition (ie, a Journeyman winner cannot enter as a Beginner).
  • Commissioned or bought cosplays are not permitted to enter and will be disqualified. If modeling a cosplay for someone else, the creator must be present.
  • Awards are subject to the number of participants but will include, at minimum, Best of each division, Best Found Item, and Best Overall.
    • Runner-ups will be added if there are enough competitors in each category
    • Found Item entrants will not be eligible for Best Overall
    • Judges’ Awards and Honorable Mentions will be assigned at the discretion of the judges
  • Costumes that have won prior awards may not be re-entered unless they are entered at a higher level of competition, or significant changes have been made since the first award.
  • Photographic proof must be provided for re-entries in the same level of competition.
  • Any competitor found to be deceiving the judges on this will be disqualified.

CRAFTSMANSHIP JUDGING

  • Please come to your appointment fully in costume and makeup. Bring your reference with you.
  • Craftsmanship judging appointments will be 5 minutes in length. Practice your talking points prior to your appointment so you don’t forget to tell the judges about things you’re particularly proud of!
  • The judges will ask you questions about your materials, how you made things, etc. Be prepared to talk about your costume.
  • The judges WILL inspect your costume up close. Be prepared to have your costume touched and be asked to show specific details.
  • You do not need to be in character for your judging.
  • Remember to be confident and take pride in your work! Tell the judges what you are proud of, not what mistakes you made. We want to hear about your hard work!

SKIT RULES

  • The divisions for skits are based on award history and experience:
    • Junior: competitors under 13 years of age
    • Beginner: no prior awards, first-time competitors
    • Intermediate: with 1-5 awards
    • Advanced: more than 5 awards, veteran competitors
  • We are happy to help you determine your division. You may not enter the competition at a level lower than you have already won a previous competition (ie, a Journeyman winner cannot enter as a Beginner).
  • Skits should not exceed 4 minutes, regardless of group size. Pre-recorded audio is preferred.
  • Please bring your audio file on a CD or MP3 (flash drive) to your skit approval.
  • We will extract your file and return your device immediately.
  • Submitted audio must be complete and fully edited. We CANNOT edit audio or launch from specific timestamps.
  • We cannot provide audio for you (ie, pulling up a track on youtube, etc)
  • Skit group members must be able to move freely, navigate stairs, and perform their skit. Any props and set pieces must leave the stage with you. We will have staff available to help bring set pieces on and off, but they are not responsible for cleaning up after you.

SKIT PRESCREENING

  • All skits will be pre-screened by approvers. These are not judges and are merely checking for time and approving content. You will be asked to run through your skit in its entirety.
  • Any accommodations, such as chairs or microphones, must be noted at your pre-screening. We will not be able to provide these things if you fail to let us know ahead of time.
  • Audio will be collected at pre-screening. Please label your audio and file with your skit title and/or group name.