Cosplay

One of the major events at Anime Mid-Atlantic is the Masquerade! This is where people dress up as their favorite manga, anime, video game, Asian mythology, etc. characters and strut their stuff. The skits that are done are always original and you never know what may happen.

Anime Mid-Atlantic's Masquerade has two judging sections! Skits and walk-ons will be viewed by a panel of Presentation Judges during the Saturday evening event. Craftsmanship judging is optional, so please mark your registration form correctly if you wish to have your costume's quality inspected by our separate panel of Craftsmanship Judges before the Masquerade, during our Green Room time slot. Rehearsal is MANDATORY for all participants, so make sure to attend! Do not miss our Rehearsal or Green Room/line-up, or you won't be able to participate in the Masquerade!

Again this year, Masquerade registration forms will be available by online pre-registration, or during the convention at our Cosplay Table. Pre-registration is open to the first 20 entries, with the remaining entries being held for on-site registration at the convention. If you have chosen to pre-register your entry this year, please stop by the Cosplay Table on Friday to confirm your registration. Cosplay Table staffing hours will be announced in a few weeks. Those who decide to wait for Masquerade registration until the convention, keep in mind that space is limited! Also, please take the time to review our Weapon's Policy! All weapons and large props should be taken to Convention Ops to be checked by Security.

On one personal note, there WILL BE YOUNG CHILDREN in the audience during the Masquerade!!! All Cosplay Staff would like these children and their parents to enjoy the show, so please keep your presentations free of foul language and overly lewd behavior! If you have any questions or concerns about your plans, please contact the coordinator at cosplay@animemidatlantic.com.

Masquerade Division System and Awards

There will be a division system consisting of Youth, Novice, Journeyman, and Master.

• Youth division: Any entry aged 15 and under.
• Novice division: Any costumer who has won 2 or less major awards in past costume contests. If you have never competed before, please select this division.
• Journeyman division: Any costumer who has won between 3-5 major awards in past costume contests.
• Master division: Any costumer who has won 6+ major awards in past costume contests.

Group entries please remember, select the skill division by the highest-skilled person in your group! For example, a group of novices and a master will be required to compete in the Master division. Entries may also enter skill divisions higher than they have earned through past awards, as there are many experienced costumers who just haven't taken the opportunity to compete. We highly encourage our competitors to do their best and challenge themselves!

There will be 4 major awards within each contest, picking the best within each skill division. There will also be Honorable Mentions as the judges see fit present.

Craftsmanship division awards:

• Youth Craftsmanship
• Novice Craftsmanship
• Journeyman Craftsmanship
• Master Presentation

Presentation/skit division awards:

• Youth Presentation
• Novice Presentation
• Journeyman Presentation
• Master Presentation

The two top awards for the evening will be selected from all entries (regardless of skill division) present in the contest: Best Craftsmanship Overall and Best in Show.

Best Craftsmanship will be awarded to the entry that shows not only the greatest skill in crafting his/her costume(s), but shows attention to detail, accuracy, and ingenuity in costume design.

Best in Show will be awarded to the entry that not only presents a well-made costume(s), but incorporates outstanding performance while on stage.

Anime Mid-Atlantic Performance/Skit Rules

1) Costumes must pertain to Asian culture in some way (ie. manga, anime, Asian video games, mythology, etc). Please, no fanfic or original characters.

2) You may perform in only one entry!

3) What goes on the stage with you, comes of the stage with you. For safety reasons things like confetti, fireworks, flash paper or other forms of pyrotechnics, rose petals, water, and other small messy objects are strictly forbidden from the stage area. The cosplay staff will be very unhappy with a mess, nor will the audience be amused by a cleanup crew.

4) Time limits! An Individual presentation has 90 seconds. Groups of 2-6 have 3 minutes (180 seconds). Groups with 7+ members have a maximum of 4 minutes.

5) Please keep your skit content and dialogue to a child-safe range. Profanity is not acceptable. Subtlety is a practiced art.

6) No more than ten people on stage at any given time.

7) Stage acrobatics are not recommended, especially for beginning cosplayers. If you plan to use martial arts, falling techniques or gymnastic talents, it must be approved by the cosplay coordinator ahead of time. If approved, rehearsal on stage is mandatory before line-up. -- 1st Corollary: Martial arts and weapons. If you REALLY want to impress someone, keep it at 1/4 speed. Again, this must be pre-approved by the coordinator. Do not try to sneak in a weapon, you will be pulled off stage by the coordinator herself! You risk the safety of the stage equipment, as well as your own should you attempt such a stunt... and both are not worth the risk. -- 2nd Corollary: NO LIVE STEEL ON STAGE AT ANY TIME!

8) No costume is NO COSTUME. Nudity and the display of bodily parts mandatorily covered by a bikini (for women) or speedos (for men) is strictly forbidden.

9) Music and dialogue tracks: The Tech crew allows the use of CDs if you wish to have background music or a dialogue for lip-syncing. Please label your name and address on the front of the CD, and also specify in LARGE writing which track you need. The tech crew cannot be blamed for any difficulties when entries are not prepared themselves.

10) There is a maximum limit of 30 skits, on a first-come-first-serve basis. Online Pre-registration will be open for the first 20 registration spots, with the final 10 held for at-convention registration. Times for on-site registration at our Cosplay Table will be posted in our forums in the upcoming weeks!

Anime Mid Atlantic Craftsmanship Rules

1) You must mark the Masquerade registration form's Craftsmanship section to enter your costume into this optional pre-judging section.

2) All participants must have reference material of their costume characters. Please bring pictures of your character(s) to the Green Room for the Craftsmanship judges. Books, toys, cards, any sort of memorabilia is accepted, as without proper reference material, the judges cannot assess the accuracy of a costume.

3) Craftsmanship is the assessment of the costumer's skill at making a costume. Costumes that are commissioned or consist mainly of bought items will NOT be allowed to compete for craftsmanship judging. You may not receive credit for another person's work! In the case of family members helping in the making of a costume, that is acceptable. However, we ask that the maker be present at pre-judging to discuss the costume with our judges.

4) Please be present and on time for our Masquerade Rehearsal. This is your chance to see the stage, receive your order number and practice walking across the stage and posing for the audience. Believe it or not, it does help if you take your time when moving across the stage. Entrants that miss Rehearsal will be dropped from the contest.

5) You may register as a group, however the maximum limit for a group is 10 people. All members must be present during pre-judging.

6) Craftsmanship judging and Line-up will be held in our Cosplay Green Room this year prior to the event. Entries opting for Craftsmanship judging are asked to arrive early. Once you check in, we also as that you remain in the room until you are led to the stage. We do plan on having snacks and drinks for those who are timely and respect the tight schedule of our Masquerade.

Helpful Tips and Things to Remember

1) Remember, Saturday evening busiest time at cons. Plan on being early with everything you need so you don't risk losing your entry.

2) For elaborate costumes, bring an emergency kit! Murphy's Law states that if anything can go wrong, it will... so be prepared. A small package of thread and needles, tape, scissors, safety pins etc., can go a long way.

3) Eat and Drink beforehand! Don't starve yourself! Stage lights feel hot and the backstage area is a crowded place to feel dehydrated. Especially if you're in a hot, stuffy costume. Also, make sure to use the bathroom before getting into costume. There's nothing more disconcerting than being on stage and needing to use the facilities.

4) If you've been shopping or are lugging around several things you don't want lost or damaged, have a friend drop them off in a room for you. The backstage is not a good place to leave items unattended.

5) Audiences love short skits. They also love funny skits. Put the two together and you'll have a memorable combination. And remember to practice, practice, PRACTICE!

Cosplay Contact
cosplay@animemidatlantic.com