Kawaii Kon Cosplay Showcase 2012

Cosplay Showcase Entry Form

The Cosplay Showcase Contest, taking place on Saturday March 17th, 2012, is always one of the most popular events of the convention.  Here is the opportunity for all costumers, both amateur and professional, to strut their stuff in front of the Main Events room packed full of anime fans.

The Cosplay Showcase Contest is broken up into two distinct sessions: the Pre-Judging (not open to the general public) and the Cosplay Showcase itself (open for everyone).  Exact times and locations will be announced once the finalized convention schedule is published. 

Pre-Judging, occurring earlier on Saturday, is where entrants will be presented before our panel of judges to be scored on several categories - if you plan to enter the Cosplay Showcase Contest, you must come to Pre-Judging.  All potential contestants are required to be in the assigned pre-judging room at the designated start time to be eligible. Remember, presentation matters, especially if you are competing in the “Best Presentation” category!

The contest will be limited to the first 60 entries. Groups are considered 1 entry, and judged together. Groups cannot consist of more than 20 individuals. Regardless of group size, there will only be 1 trophy per award category.

Reference material (art books, color print-outs, manga, etc) is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. There will be 2-3 judges present at the pre-judging. Do not assume the judges are familiar with any particular series or character. Laptops with reference material are acceptable, but Kawaii Kon will not be responsible for them in any way.

The Cosplay Showcase will be later on Saturday night and where all the contestants will be presented before the convention audience. All contestants must meet at least 30 minutes before the event starts; exact time and location will be told to you at pre-judging.  Once there, contestants will be guided backstage for the event’s start! 

The entry form is located can be downloaded via the link at the top of the page.  Please note: your entry form must be filled out and submitted at Pre-Judging, do not mail or e-mail your entry forms.

When entering, you must specify a category - they are as follows:

  • Youth: For contestants ages 12 and under.
  • Novice: For contestants who have never won any awards. This includes hallway costuming awards.
  • Master: For contestants who have won at least one award from Kawaii Kon. Regardless of whether these awards have been judges' awards or best-in-show, this is the range for this level of skill.

Also, your level of skill for your entry must match or exceed the highest level of skill of any of your group members. For example, if your entire group is a novice except one member being a master, your group MUST enter under the master level. You may also compete at a rank higher than your own.

The awards are as follows:

  • Judges Award: The judges will have a single award to give out to an entrant whom they feel has excelled in a way that cannot be accounted for purely by the scoring alone.  Criteria for the award is soley up to the judges discretion.    
  • Best in Show: This coveted award is given to the entry deemed to possess the greatest craftsmanship AND presentation qualities. This takes into account every level entry.
  • Best Overall Presentation: This award is given to the entry with the best overall presentation rating (not counting youth entries). Craftsmanship judging is not a factor here.
  • Best Overall Craftsmanship: This award is given to the entry with the best overall craftsmanship rating (not counting youth entries). Presentation judging is not a factor here.
  • Best in Youth: This award is the best in show for the youth skill level. It is given to the youth entry that possesses the greatest craftsmanship AND presentation qualities for its level.
  • Best Novice: Award given to the best novice entry, taking into account craftsmanship and presentation judging.
  • Best Master: Award given to the best master entry, taking into account craftsmanship and presentation judging.

Rules

Sources:
Costumes submitted in the Hallway Costume Contest can be from any source. All costumes to be judged for the Cosplay Showcase Competition MUST be from one of the following sources:

  • Japanese Anime (Shaolin Showdown or Teen Titans, for example, do not qualify)
  • Japanese Manga (manga versions of "Star Wars", for example, do not count)
  • Japanese-made video games (For example, Final Fantasy counts, but Lord of the Rings does not.)
  • J-Music (For example, Cosplaying as Gackt or Morning Musume counts, but Tommy Lee does not)
  • Also, generally most any Japanese television source that is relatable is allowed, such as "Live Action Sailor Moon." Ask, when in doubt.
  • Other Asian sources that have a Japanese connection- for example, Magna Carta is a Korean video game that was released in Japan before the U.S. Characters from Magna Carta are allowed. If you would like to check if a source is acceptable, please email Courtney Kubanek at courtney.kubanek@gmail.com

Other:

  1. Costumes already entered in previous Kawaii Kon Contests or Showcases cannot be entered in the competition. In other words, you cannot enter again with the same costume you wore a previous year.
  2. To enter a competition, your costume must fall into one of these categories.
    1. A majority of your costume was created by you.
    2. Your costume was assembled from at least 3 different sources of pre-made pieces, and you must have created at least one aspect or piece.
  3. During presentation, contestants will have a maximum of 45 seconds to present either themselves or their entire group on stage. Violators will NOT be tolerated. If a contestant exceeds their time limit, they will be thanked and asked to leave the stage. If a contestant or group does not, they will be removed by security and be disqualified.
  4. Fill out all paperwork to its utmost completion. Failure in doing so could hinder our ability to adequately judge.
  5. Dishonesty regarding personal information, costume creation, etc. will not be tolerated at Kawaii Kon. Dishonesty risks disqualification and may even affect one’s ability to enter future Kawaii Kon competitions.
  6. No actions that risk harm to participants or spectators will be tolerated. Weapons may be unsheathed to take the picture, but NOT swung around. Violators will be disqualified and removed from the premises.
  7. No nudity. Topless males are okay, but topless females are not. If in doubt, cover it up.
  8. All participants in the Cosplay Showcase under the age of 16 require a parent of guardian at check-in. This is especially true for Youth level entrants.
  9. The Cosplay Coordinator has final say in all circumstances and disputes. He/She may change the rules at any time if necessary.
  10.  Eat, drink, and use the bathroom ahead of time.
  11.  Bring emergency repair kits (thread, needles, glue guns, etc.) is also recommended.
  12. You may enter a costume only once, for only one costume contest, during Kawaii Kon 2011.
  13. Lastly, have fun! You labored for several hours/days/weeks making your costumes and judges would love to see great energy and a smile! :D