CC08-SF-01: Aurora Borealis
Competition Staff & Rules
Staff:
- Director: Robin Schindler*
- Master of Ceremonies: Rick Foss
- Workmanship Judges:
- Workmanship: Rob Himmelsbach
- Make Up: Janet Wilson Anderson
- Presentation Judges: Bruce MacDermott, Alison Dayne Frankel*, Denice Girardeau
Rules:
RULES FOR BOTH MASQUERADES:
1) There will be a $1.00 per entry Polaroid fee for each masquerade, payable at the time you register. The Polaroids are to help the judges remember which costume was which, and you can pick them up after the masquerade in the Con Suite.
2) These masquerades are rated PG-13 – please, no flagrant nudity! (And remember–no costume is NO COSTUME!)
3) NO NOXIOUS SUBSTANCES BACKSTAGE. No messy substances, wet, dry, or oily, that might ruin the costume of any other contestant will be allowed in the green room or on stage. (The No-Peanut-Butter-or-Jelly Rule)
4) Each contestant may appear only once on stage. However, you may enter more than one costume, as long as it appears on another body.
5) Costumes previously worn in the hallways at this convention are ineligible for competition, since we are recognizing hall costumes separately.
6) Purchased or rented costumes are ineligible for competition.
7) There will be no live microphones. We encourage you to bring music/dialogue on a prerecorded cassette, or typed copy for the MC to read.
TAPES: Label the tape box and both sides of the tape with your name and costume name. Mark the side you want played “PLAY THIS SIDE”. Mark the other side “WRONG SIDE”. Make sure your tape is cued up and ready to play, so the sound man need only drop it in the player and press the button. DO NOT GIVE US COMMERCIAL TAPES CUED TO YOUR SONG. If they accidentally get played, we will not be able to find your cuing again. Dupe the music onto a separate tape with only your music on it. We suggest you put your music on the beginning of both sides of the tape, just in case. Leave a three second leader before the music. If you have any questions, you can discuss them with Craig Jones, our sound engineer before the masquerade.
There will be NO FLASH PHOTOS during the Masquerade for the safety of the contestants. We ask all contestants to go through Official Photography in the Green Room before going on stage, if at all possible. You will go through general photo after you come off stage. There will be a separate photo area set up for general photographers in the Lake Arrowhead room. We also ask all contestants to stick around briefly after the masquerade ends, so people who were in the audience can get pictures too.
SPECIAL PRIZES:
Rusty Dawe of 3D Video (our video chief is donating two CC8 video tapes for the winners of Best in Show at each masquerade.
Physicians Formula Cosmetics will be awarding prizes for makeup use: Most Creative Makeup in the SF, Most Authentic Makeup Look in the Historical.
FINAL AUTHORITY: We reserve the right to disqualify anyone from participation in the Masquerade on the basis of taste, behavior, danger to the audience or contestants, violation of the above rules or any other reason deemed sufficient. There will be no appeal. (The necessity to eliminate a contestant from competition has never yet arisen, but this policy is meant to protect the convention from real “loons”.)
GENERAL ADVICE: Please be kind to yourself on the day of competition. Try to finish your costume ahead of time, so you can get some sleep the night before. Register early and turn in all your materials. Don’t forget to eat and drink something a couple of hours before you go on. We will have snacks and beverages backstage for you. Check in on time and let your Den Mother take care of you beforehand. Stay in one place so you can be found when it’s your turn to go on. Let the crew help you on and offstage so you don’t fall. Let your Den Mother take care of your excess belongings, and let the catcher crew retrieve anything you leave onstage. Let us know what we can do for you to make your presentation everything you want it to be!
Science Fiction/Fantasy Masquerade
DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION: SATURDAY NOON
This competition is for costumes of futuristic, fantasy, mythological, science fiction or other original sources. It will take place Saturday night at 8 PM on stage in the main ballroom and will be judged by a qualified panel of experienced judges.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Registration for the SF & F Masquerade is located across from Registration and will open at approximately 12 noon on Friday, until 6 PM; and on Saturday from 9 AM until 12 Noon. Please turn in all necessary materials at the time you register;, i.e., documentation, specific instructions for the tech crew, and – if applicable – your audio cassette tape.
JUDGING: There will be two types of prizes awarded: Workmanship and Presentation. Workmanship awards are for exceptional accomplishment in the crafting of a costume. Judging is done before the stage presentation takes place and is at the option of the costumer.
Presentation awards are based on both the appearance of the costume on stage and on how well it is presented. All entrants are eligible for presentation awards.
Costumes in this competition will be judged on the Skill Division system in two categories: Original and Recreation:
RECREATION CATEGORY: A costume whose design is copied from a film, television, art, comics, theatrical presentation, book illustration or other medium showing a at least one good view of the costume. Recreation costumes are duplicates or design adaptations of the design work of someone other than the contestant. Those entering Recreation costumes are strongly urged to provide the judges with photos/Xerox copies of the referenced design.
ORIGINAL CATEGORY: A costume inspired by a Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mythological or other original source, but whose design is the creation of the contestant. A contestant need not wear his/her own design on stage, but may use a model(s).
SKILL DIVISIONS: These are designed to permit those of roughly comparable skill to compete against each other. In effect, this is a handicapping system to protect the less skilled against head-to-head competition with those more skilled. However, Best in Show, if awarded, may come from any adult skill level.
Junior Costumer: Costumers under the age of 13 if not part of an adult group. All kids in the masquerade must be members of the convention to participate.
Novice: Anyone who has won less than three awards for different costumes at the Novice level in SF/Fantasy competition at a major convention or International competition (Costume Con/Worldcon).
Journeyman: Anyone who has not yet won three times at the Journeyman level at a major convention, including International competition: anyone who has won three times at the Novice level: anyone not required to compete as a Master who feels their skill level is worthy of competing as a Journeyman.
Master: You must compete as a Master if 1) you have won three times as a Journeyman/Craftsman at major conventions or International Competition; or 2) you have ever won as a Master in International Competition.
Whatever a contestant’s award history, anyone may enter at the Master’s level if they feel their skill level is worthy. Professionals (those making a significant income as costumers) are encouraged to enter as Masters.
IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF YOUR SKILL LEVEL, ASK THE MASQUERADE DIRECTOR WHEN YOU REGISTER. Her decision is final.
DEFINITION OF A WIN: “A WIN IS A WIN IS A WIN”; except “Honored for Excellence” and “Honorable Mention”.
TIME LIMITS: The maximum time limits are one minute for every four persons, up to a maximum for any entry of three minutes, e.g. 1 -4 persons no more than one minute, 5 – 8 persons two minutes 8 – N persons no more than three minutes. If you feel that you need more time than allotted by these rules, you must convince the Masquerade Director of this prior to the event!
SF MASQUERADE WEAPONS POLICY: Weapons reasonable and appropriate to their costume may be worn on the Masquerade stage, as long as they are displayed in a safe and responsible manner. If you are planning on wielding them, you MUST clear the weapon and the routine in advance with the Weapons Master or the Masquerade Director, or you will be disqualified. No exceptions. Check the convention weapons policy for weapons that are banned totally.
There will be NO LIVE FLAME allowed on stage. No exceptions! Our insurance doesn’t cover the liability.
