Section I. General Hall Cosplay Rules
[list][*]All Hall Cosplay participants must be members of AnimeFest 2017. Your badge must be present and visible at all times.
[*]Your costume must adhere to the AnimeFest Dress Code Policy.
[*]No costume is NO COSTUME.
[*]Per the Dress Code Policy, you must wear shoes at all times even if your character does not wear shoes. Please bring something as simple as a flat or even a pair of tennis shoes that you might have. This will not be counted against you in the judging process.
[*]All costumes must pertain to Anime, Manga, Video Games, Cartoons, Comics or Sci-Fi. Fan art and original design costumes are permitted, but you must submit supporting documentation of the design and you must have permission from the artist, if it is not yourself.
[*]If you have previously entered your cosplay into another competition and won an award, you will not be eligible to participate in the Hall Cosplay event. If the Cosplay staff has determined that you have, you will be disqualified.
[*]You MUST be able to move/walk primarily on your own in your costume. AnimeFest believes that cosplaying involves behaving like a character while wearing your costume, not being a costume mannequin.
[*]No real weapons of any kind. Please read the convention Weapon Policy. If you have questions regarding the Weapon Policy specifically, please email safety@animefest.org
[*]Hall Cosplay groups are limited to 6 participants. If you have more than 6 participants, you will need to split up into separate groups. When you split into separate groups, you will no longer count as one entry, but two separate entries. Commissioned costumes may only be entered in a group that includes their creator.
[*]You may only enter the Hall Cosplay contest once for the entire weekend.
[*]If you are participating in the Cosplay Skit Contest, you may enter the same cosplay for Hall Cosplay, since the competition does not rely upon the craftsmanship of your costume. However, you may not enter the same cosplay from Cosplay Runway into Hall Cosplay and vice versa.
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The AnimeFest Cosplay Staff reserves the right to disqualify anyone for any reason deemed sufficient.
Section II. Divisions
There are a total of three divisions when filling out the Hall Cosplay form and they will be as follows (loosely based off ICG Guidelines):[list]
[*]NOVICE:
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[*]The novice category is intended for costumes with little or beginner skills in making costumes.
[*]At least 35% or more of the costume must be handmade and not store bought or commissioned, otherwise you will not be able to enter in the Hall Cosplay event.
[*]No member could have won more than three minor awards and/or one major award at previous conventions.
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[*]INTERMEDIATE:
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[*]The intermediate category is intended for people with some to moderate skills in making costumes or having won few awards for costumes.
[*]At least 50% or more of the costume must be handmade and not store bought or commissioned, otherwise you will not be able to enter in the Hall Cosplay event.
[*]No member could have won more than 3 major awards at previous conventions.
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[*]MASTERS:
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[*]The master category is intended for people with extensive skills in making costumes or who have won several awards for costumes that do not fall into the other two classes.
[*]At least 80% or more of the costume must be handmade and not store bought or commissioned, otherwise you will not be able to enter in the Hall Cosplay event.
[*]It is suggested if entering in the Masters division to provide a portfolio of your cosplay for judging purposes.
[*]Anyone may register for this division.
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Performance only awards are not calculated in your Hall Cosplay Competition division. Awards of ranking commonly include Best in Show, Best in Division, Best Craftsmanship, or First Place, Second Place, etc. These types of ranking in a craftsmanship type of cosplay competition are considered “major awards.” Honorable Mentions, Judges’ Awards and/or other similar forms of recognition are not considered “major awards”, but “minor awards.”
An entrant’s appropriate division will be determined by the awards won by 50% or more of the group. For example, if an entry consists of 3 participants, one participant with zero craftsmanship awards, and two participants that have won more than two major awards but no more than three, would be placed in the Intermediate Division.
If the Judges, Cosplay Manager, or Director feel that you should be placed in a higher division based upon your craftsmanship, presentation and/or history, you may be moved to a different division than for which you had applied.
Section III. Awards
[list][*]FIRST PLACE:
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[*]This is given to an entrant that has shown an exceptional degree of craftsmanship and execution for their particular class. Three of these awards will be available, one to each division, dependent on number of entries to the three divisions.
[list][*]Masters will be awarded a $75 Arda gift card.
[*]Intermediate will be awarded a $65 Arda gift card.
[*]Novice will be awarded a $55 Arda gift card.
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[*]SECOND PLACE:
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[*]This is given to an entrant who has shown a high degree of craftsmanship and execution for their particular class. Three of these awards will be available, one for each division, dependent on number of entries to the three divisions.[/list]
[*]HONORABLE MENTION/JUDGE’S AWARDS:
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[*]Granted by the judges for an entrant that they feel was exceptional. Any division may qualify.[/list]
[*]BEST YOUTH:
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[*]Granted by the judges for an entrant aged 12 or under that they feel was exceptional.[/list]
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Additional awards may be created at the convention itself at the discretion of the Judges, Cosplay Manager and Director.
Awards are announced same day at approximately 9:30 pm. All prizes must be picked up after the conclusion of the award announcement during Cosplay HQ hours and before Saturday, August 19th at 12:00 pm, otherwise prizes will be forfeited.
Section IV. Entry Form
[list][*]Please find your applicable checklist which will also link you to the correct form: DETAILS HERE.
[*]You must submit supporting character documentation. You will not be permitted to enter a judging session unless you can provide reference images for your cosplay to the judges.
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Section V. Other
Q: Where is this Cosplay HQ you speak of?The Cosplay HQ is on the 2nd floor of the hotel side in Pearl 1.
Q: What is Cosplay HQ's hours of operation?
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[*]Thursday: 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm
[*]Friday: 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
[*]Saturday: 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
[*]Sunday: Closed
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Please remember to use common sense. We want everyone to have a good time, so please respect the rules, other cosplayers, hotel and The Majestic.
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. A complete set of the rules will be available at Cosplay HQ throughout the convention.
If you have any further questions, please contact the Cosplay Staff at cosplay@animefest.org