MAY 2009 LONDON MCM EXPO MASQUERADE ENTRY RULES
The MCM Expo Cosplay email address is: cosplay@mcmexpo.net
Please contact us via email or the forum if you have any questions about the Cosplay Masquerade at London Expo. We recommend consulting the forums for updates and announcements, including changes to these rules due to matters beyond our control.
Main Rules
The MCM Expo Masquerade is an opportunity for people who have made costumes to display them on stage. We allow participants to submit their own audio and perform in costume - please see the Music and Performance sections below for details.
A costume is eligible for entry if:
* It has been largely constructed by the person wearing it on stage for solo entries, or by one of the group members on stage for a group entry. Using bought shoes and wigs is acceptable.
* Any bought elements are not designed specifically for cosplay, and have been modified extensively. Exceptions can be made for some small accessories (eg. Vash the Stampedes glasses or a Naruto headband). Eligibility is at the cosplay organisers discretion.
* It has never been entered into the Masquerade at a previous MCM Expo event, unless this has been agreed with the cosplay organisers. Costumes that have previously been entered into competitions at events not connected with MCM Expo are acceptable.
OR
* It is being worn by someone under the age of 12 years old. A parent or guardian must sign the entry form on the day for any entrants under 12 years old.
* It is part of a performing group and some elements are modified general clothing. Eligibility is at the cosplay organisers discretion.
Commissioned and bought costumes, or costumes mostly made up of bought general clothing are not suitable for the Masquerade, and will not be permitted unless by special permission of the cosplay organisers. We understand that this means some characters cannot be easily portrayed, however the nature of the event and the high demand for places makes this necessary.
Original costumes can be entered if supported by concept sketches and an explanation of the
inspirations behind the costume.
All entrants must have signed in at the cosplay desk by 13:00 on the day. Failure to do so may mean you lose your entry place, or judging time, or choice of music.
You may be filmed or photographed during the masquerade, and MCM Expo or its sponsors may wish to use your image. By entering you agree to this.
HOW TO ENTER
You may apply to take part in advance by filling in the masquerade entrance form on the website as soon as Advance Registration opens for the May London Expo on 26/04/09 and no later than 17/05/09. Entries before or after this will not be accepted.
As spaces are limited entry to the masquerade is on a first come, first served basis. There will also be a limited number of places available on the day, on a first come, first served basis.
The cosplay organisers reserve the right to reject applicants at their discretion. It may be necessary to provide evidence that your costume is eligible if the cosplay organisers have any concerns, and failure to do so in a timely manner may result in losing your place.
As this is a family show costumes of an adult nature may not be entered.
Supporting material such as reference pictures, progress pictures, performance descriptions, details of group members, and audio tracks can be submitted after you register, but we recommend sending them to us as soon as possible even if we cannot immediately confirm your place.
JUDGING
The contest element is open to ages 12 and up.
If you wish for your costume (or group's costumes) to be judged competitively, you need to make yourselves available on the day, before the masquerade for judging of your costumes construction and accuracy. If possible, we will arrange a time with you in advance.
For a costume to be judged competitively a picture or photo reference of the character / costume they are representing MUST be provided. You will be judged against this reference so it is advisable to make it good! If possible, also provide any other information regarding the costumes construction such as an 'in progress' photograph.
Entries will be judged on Accuracy and Construction before you go on stage.
* A high Accuracy score (maximum points available is 10) will be awarded for correct colours, details, patterns, hair style etc.
* A high Construction score (maximum points available is 10) will be awarded for good workmanship, variety of techniques used, and finish.
* Entries will also be judged on your stage presence (maximum points available is 5) which includes affecting the character’s mannerisms and how well you present your costume on stage, for example.
Performances will automatically be entered into the Performance category which is decided solely on the quality of your performance on stage. This means performance entries can also be considered for other categories (such as Best Costume).
The judges’ decision is FINAL. Please respect the judges and the other participants by accepting their decisions.
MUSIC
A single music or audio track per entry can be provided by entrants but they must be submitted by Wednesday 20/05/09 at the latest. Please supply music in a separate email clearly labelled “music for (name of entry)”. MP3 format is preferred, please do not supply DRM protected tracks from iTunes etc. You may request music if you do not have the track you would like played, however we can make no assurances that we will have the track in question. Tracks will be played when you go on stage, until you come off stage, so please adjust them if necessary with this in mind if you want any pauses or a particular section to play.
If you do not receive confirmation that your track has been received and can be played within 5 days of sending it then contact us by email or on the forums as we may not have received it.
If you are unable to provide music in advance, the organisers will choose music on your behalf.
We can not accept music on the day.
WEAPONS AND PROPS
Guidelines for weapons and props are available as a separate document on the website.
PERFORMANCES
You may wish to enter a short performance or “Skit” at the masquerade. If so, please inform us in advance by emailing cosplay@mcmexpo.net, including full details of what you wish to do and any special requirements.
Note that we cannot provide props or microphones, and that the stage is not suitable for energetic performances involving eg running or martial arts displays. We reserve the right to interrupt performances for reasons of health and safety.
The performance is subject to approval by the organisers. Its content should be suitable for a family audience, and the maximum length is 3 minutes – please note that this maximum is for large groups and not all performances will be allowed this long. Depending on the nature of the performance, number of performance entries and delays you may have to reduce the length of your performance so it is important to submit material well in advance to give yourself time to make any required changes.
We can only accept a single sound file for an entry, which we will start to play when you come on stage and continue until the track ends. You may want to consider including a short quiet piece of background music at the start of the track to give you time to get into position.
Music and audio tracks must be submitted by 20/05/09 at the absolute latest, and we cannot accept tracks on the day. We reserve the right to refuse tracks that are not of sufficiently high quality for a large audience to be able to hear clearly. We particularly recommend sending in voice recordings early, so that we can test them and inform you if it needs to be improved with plenty of time before the Expo.
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