Hello and welcome to the final section on just my personal workflow of how I go through showing off my cosplays at cosplay contests. I have several other write ups on my process including how I pick a character, my planning stage, my construction phase, showing off at conventions, and now this. Let's get into it!
- Full Cosplay Run -
Full test run of Vi
Ok, so this is super important! You can't really show off your cosplay until you've put the whole thing on at home and seen how it came together. You should put everything on, including makeup, at least once before the convention. This helps you figure out if something needs to be fixed or adjusted before you compete. This also lets you know how long the process takes to get fully into character. When I tested my Vi, I found some of the strapping did not want to stay in place so I was able to fix this before I entered into competition.
- Cosplay Contest General Tips -
Here's the general tips for entering a cosplay contest.
READ THE RULES: Probably the most important, even before you actually sign up for a contest. This gives you an idea if you are even eligible to sign up along with what's expected for the contest. Every convention is different about what isn't allowed, but generally there's no live metal, no pyrotechnics, no confetti or anything that makes a mess, and everything that comes on with you must go off with you. Some other things that may be disqualifying might be the genre of cosplay. I've seen anime/Japanese-sourced material only, so a Kill Bill cosplay wouldn't be allowed. Original characters/Inspired-by cosplays may be disqualified. You'll only know if you READ THE RULES!
Sign up prior to convention: Most contests I've entered, require pre-registration before you even show up at the convention. This is especially true for large conventions which have limited spots for the show. Check the convention website for when you can register to enter the cosplay contest. You will need convention badge to compete. Once you show up to the convention, you will likely be required to check-in at a table once you arrive. This makes sure that any "no-shows" are documented and allows others to enter. If you choose to try the competition while you are the con, you can go to that table and ask if they have slots available. It's on a "will-call" basis and usually first-come-first-serve so if you get there early, you are more likely to be in the show.
If you really want to compete, sign up ahead of time!
Know your "category": Every cosplay contest has tiers or categories (Beginner, Intermediate, Master). The requirements for these contests are spelled out in the cosplay contest rules but they are generally based on the number of awards won, but I have seen others also use years of experience. You can be moved from one category to another by the judges based on their own discretion. Also, don't try to lie just to win an award. The cosplay community has a way of finding out if you've cheated.
Know what's eligible to enter: Usually it must be a new cosplay that hasn't won any other awards before. Some will even not allow it to enter if it has entered any other contest before, even if it didn't win any awards. Also most contests will give some sort of percentage of the cosplay that must be made by you. If it is purchased items, they will only be considered if they are heavily altered. All this is to make sure someone doesn't "sandbag" the competition by repeatedly winning awards at competitions. The "made by you" requirement is to help with giving "construction" points and awards. Again, DO NOT CHEAT by trying to pass off someone elses' work as your own. It never goes well.
Make a "brag binder": This is to help with pre-judging for the contest. Not all contests have a full pre-judging stage, if there is one, it will be in the rules and you'll be given a time and a room to go to once you checked-in at the cosplay contest table. These "brag binders" are generally not required by most contests that I've entered, however they are extremely valuable to have. The judges always love these because it contains everything they need: reference images printed large, other pictures that show construction, etc. I will do a full write-up on these later but at a minimum, you should have several reference images of your character to show the judges. If you can have 1 for each judge, then great, but I've carried just one before and they had no issues. It should also be like 85% pictures and 15% text, they should be looking at you, not reading.
Practice your pre-judging "pitch": If there is pre-judging, it's really really short. Most are 5-10 minutes per contestant so you should practice what you want to say to the judges. I normally do a "head then down" approach where I will talk about each important piece starting at my head then working my way down. Use this time to talk about everything you are proud of with this cosplay and point out key techniques that you've done. Don't be "humble" by pointing out all your mistakes; good judges can see them anyways. Practice your pitch because you want to be succinct in what you want to say due to your limited time. Your pitch can be enhanced by using a "brag binder".
Show up to the green room early!: I cannot tell you, the number of amazing cosplays I've seen get disqualified because they didn't show up on time to the green room prior to the competition. This is usually an hour before the show begins and is meant to make sure there's no changes to the show. This is a pretty fun time just chatting with the other contestants and using that time to freshen-up from my "con bag" held by my lovely handler. I try show up about 10-15 minutes early just to be safe. Don't get disqualified because you got caught up somewhere else.
Ok, with the general stuff out of the way, let's talk about the show portion!
- Masquerade Walk-Ons -
When entering a contest, there's usually two options for you: walk-on and skits. Sometimes conventions will have a "hall cosplay contest" but not all have this as an option. I will expand upon these and online contests below. But first Masquerade Walk-Ons.
Ok, so at little about what a Masquerade walk-on is...basically a catwalk. You will be directed to walk on stage when your name is called (you give that ahead of time), go to a designated spot and strike a pose or two, before walking off stage. Usually you come on at one point and exit on the other side of the stage for best traffic. You normally get 15-30 seconds for your walk on but, I'll be honest, that time feels like an eternity when on stage.
When you get to your marker, hold your pose for a few seconds so people have a chance to take pictures of you. I tend to count by "Mississippi's" so I don't rush it. I also like to do two different poses to show off all of my costume.
From the moment you are on stage, you are that character. Work it from when the moment you step foot on stage, all the way until you step off.
If you had pre-judging already, then the judges will already know how well it was constructed. However, "showmanship/presentation" is usually a factor in your final score as well, so try to be entertaining while on stage. The three general factors that are judged is:
Accuracy -- how well you recreated the character.
Craftmanship -- how well you executed the techniques used, more difficult techniques rank higher however...a perfectly executed simpler technique will always do better than a "pretty good" execution of a harder technique.
Presentation -- stage presence and how entertaining you were.
Cosplay contests in general will have descriptions of what they are judging on for their contest, so take a look there to know. A special word of caution to my fellow "big and cumbersome" cosplay fans, not all masquerades allow for your handler to assist you on stage. If you require a handler, make sure they can help you.
You can also enter a walk-on in a group. Same rules apply as you will both come on stage at the same time. Your group will be considered as one, so averaged out scores across all members.
- Masquerade Skits -
Let's talk skits! Some people love to do them, others hate them. Skits are small "plays" that you put on at a Cosplay Masquerade that is usually around 2 minutes long for each group. These can be small scenes (funny, sad, romantic), dance sequences, or "fight" scenes. I've seen the requirements for these vary WILDLY so it's best to stick to what the convention has. For instance, some require at least 3 people to be able to register. Nearly all require pre-recorded audio (both music and dialog). I will say there are some special other caveats that you should know.
- The "construction" score of a group is based off of all members. There is
also a "Best Skit" award which is pretty neat.
- Also DON'T try to go over the allotted time (i.e. if it's no more than 2 minutes,
don't submit an audio file that is 2 minutes and 03 seconds).
- PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! This means record your audio early and
practice will all group members until you could lip sync/dance your routine
in your sleep. Everyone worked so hard on the costumes, so make sure your
skit does it justice.
- Keep other group members motivated...can't have a Powerpuff girl skit with
only two Powerpuff girls (probably). Help each other out to make sure
everyone can finish their costume in time and can attend the convention.
As far as tips for doing skits or coming up with ideas for skits, I can't help there. I'm one of those people who prefers to do the walk-on.
- Awards -
After all skits and walk-ons have concluded, the judges will be dismissed to go backstage and make their final deliberations. They have a really hard job to do in so little time (generally like 20 minutes), and while there is a break usually the show will have a DJ or some other "half-time show" type intermission. Most contests I've been in, they give you an opportunity to either go back to the green room or they will have a roped off section in the audience so you can enjoy the half-time show. They will go through each of the awards offered and the winners will come on stage to accept their award. Types of awards vary but generally there is:
- Tier Awards -- best cosplay based on total score of the criteria in its tier.
Best Novice/Beginner
Best Intermediate/Journeyman
Best Advanced/Master
- Judge's Awards -- each judge gets to give their own award, to give at their
discretion.
- Best-in-Show -- best cosplay period across all skill level tiers, includes skits &
walk-ons.
There are some others that don't always show up, the above are at nearly every contest. Some others you might see, "Best Craftsmanship", "Best Performance", "Best Walk-on", "Best Skit", "Best Group", etc.
- Other Types of Cosplay Contests -
There are some "special" cases when it comes to cosplay contests. These are pretty cool to take part in and proof that you should check out what your con has as options to see what fits well for you.
Online Cosplay Contests
This is relatively new to the cosplay scene as this whole global pandemic thing has made the community adapt. I have only entered one so far, and I really enjoyed the experience and it was certainly unique for me. I have looked into a few others and they usually require something similar to the "brag binder" I mentioned earlier. This is to take place of the pre-judging and the only way the judges can use to judge craftsmanship. They have their own requirements as well, such as the requirement for Virtual Crunchyroll Expo 2020 required a short 2 minute video skit. This was one of my only experiences with coming up with and performing a skit. Since it was streamed, there were also some pretty restrictive audio requirements but the facilitators really helped with that issue. If your favorite convention is still going virtual in 2021, check to see if they have an online cosplay contest.
Usually they will stream these awards and the performances as part of a virtual con experience. Even if you aren't going to participate, I recommend checking them out as many allow for entries from all over the world!
"Hall" Cosplay Contests
These are sometimes present at larger conventions. These do not have a walk-on portion or a skit at all and are great for those who have a bit of stage-fright. The process is very similar to normal pre-judging, but that is the whole process. If you win an award from this, you will be called on stage at the end of the actual masquerade as well to accept your prize. This also needs to be registered for, and you'll be given a time and room to go to for your judging slot.
If you miss the big show, make sure to link up with the convention cosplay staff to see if you need to pick any awards up. These are the same people that you checked-in with.
- In Closing -
Well, that was long winded! I tried to be detailed enough to provide information that should be helpful to you if you decide to enter a cosplay contest. If I missed anything or you want me to explain further, send me an email (hnebadger_cosplay@gmail.com) or drop a comment below and I'll make the changes and reply.
Hope that helps, and see you next time!
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