CC23-SF-25c: Phoenix Rising
Competition Staff & Rules
Staff:
- Director: Henry Osier
- Master of Ceremonies: Marty Gear*
- Workmanship Judges: Ann Catelli, Mary Ellen Smith and Carol Inkpen
- Presentation Judge: Karen Heim, Betsy R. Marks and Eileen Capes
Rules:
Masquerade Contestant Information
You may surprise the audience, but NEVER SURPRISE THE CREW!!
Please remember that the Masquerade Staff are here to assist you with your presentation, and not to hinder you. We want your entry to please both you and the audience.
* No fire or flame is allowed on stage — NO EXCEPTIONS!!
* Smoking is prohibited in all designated masquerade areas.
* No messy substances — wet, dry, or oily — that might ruin the costume of another contestant will be permitted in the green room or on stage.
* The masquerade is PG-13. No flagrant nudity, please “No costume is no costume.”
* Each entry will be limited to 60 seconds on stage. A special exception may be granted by the Masquerade Director for groups over five people. This exception will be granted on “case by case” basis and must be requested in advance of the convention.
* There are no live mikes on stage. Taped music and dialog are encouraged. Text for the MC to read is acceptable.
* Each contestant may appear only once on stage. You may enter more than one costume so long as it appears on a different body.
* Hall costumes worn before the masquerade are ineligible to compete in the masquerade but may be shown out of competition. Purchased or rented costumes may not be entered in competition.
* Entrants competing Re-Creation costumes must provide documentation for the judges. Please provide COPIES ONLY of your source materials. Do not bring books or videotapes.
* WEAPONS. Nothing may be brought on stage that might endanger the entrants, audience, judges or crew. Display of weapons on stage requires the Masquerade Director’s PRIOR clearance. Entrants displaying weapons without clearance will be disqualified.
* SPECIALS EFFECTS. Nothing may be brought on stage that might endanger the entrants, audience, judges, or crew. Special effects must be clearly outlined in advance to the masquerade staff in order to determine that they are (1) legal and (2) safe. SAFETY IS OUR PARAMOUNT CONCERN.
* No flash photography is permitted while contestants are on stage. SAFETY IS OUR PARAMOUNT CONCERN.
* Any exception to these rules MUST be cleared in advance by the Masquerade Director. Only the Masquerade Director may approve exceptions.
* When in doubt, ask the masquerade staff.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
Masquerade registration will take place at the Con, on Friday afternoon and evening and on Saturday morning and early afternoon. All entries must be received no later than Noon Saturday. There are no exceptions.
FORMS should be printed carefully, since other will have to read them. In a group entry, every member must sign the release form. Instructions or text for the MC, Re-Creation costume documentation for the judges, audiotapes, and instructions for the tech crew should be turned in with the masquerade registration form.
Audiotapes should be pre-cued. Please do not give us a commercially recorded cassette cued to your music. Please use an otherwise blank audiocassette. Mark the side on which your material is recorded with your costume title and your name on one side. Mark the other side “WRONG SIDE”. (However, we recommend you record the identical material on both sides of the tape.) Please be sure your material is the ONLY recording on the tape.
Compact Discs should either be clearly marked as to which track should be played, or be a CD created with only the specific music, sound effects, narration, etc, that you want for your entry.
We advise that with either format you are using for your entry’s audio, you retain a back-up copy in case the copy you supply to the Masquerade Staff is lost or damaged before the competition.
All tapes and CD’s will be returned to the contestant, or primary contestant, in the case of a group, after the competition is completed.
COMPETITION SKILL DIVISIONS
The masquerade uses the following skill divisions:
Young Fan (youth).
Any contestant 13 years of age or younger who is not part of an adult group.
Novice (beginner).
Anyone who has not won an award for a costume in the masquerade at a major regional convention.
Journeyman (intermediate).
Anyone who has won 3 or fewer awards for different costumes in the masquerades at major regional conventions.
Craftsman/Master (advanced).
Anyone who has won more than 3 awards for different costumes in the masquerades at major regional conventions, world science fiction conventions, or costume-cons, or who has won Best in show at a WorldCon or costume-Con masquerade. Professional costumers must enter in this division.
The skill divisions’ purpose is to assure that less advanced entrants do not compete against more advanced entrants. However, any entrant may elect to enter in a higher skill division.
COMPETITION CATEGORIES
The masquerade has two categories of costumes: Original and Re-Creation.
Original Costume.
A costume whose design is the creation of the contestant, even though it may be inspired by a science fictional, fantasy, mythological, or other source.
Re-Creation Costume.
A costume whose design is copied from a film, television show, theatrical presentation, book illustration, comic, work of art, or other medium showing at least one good view of the costume. Re-Creation costumes are duplicates or design adaptations of the published design work of someone other than the contestant. They require documentation of the source. A picture or written description must accompany your registration form.
WORKMANSHIP JUDGING
Workmanship judging is optional. It takes place in the masquerade green room before the show begins. It allows the workmanship judge to consider exceptional accomplishment in crafting the costume. This is the place where exquisite (obsessive?) attention to detail may be recognized. Let your Den Mom know if you want your costume or a part of the costume judged for workmanship.
***IMPORTANT TIMES***
Noon Saturday
All entry forms, tapes, CD’s and additional paperwork must be turned in to the masquerade registration table. There are NO EXCEPTIONS.
1:30(?) — 5:30 P.M. Saturday
Masquerade technical rehearsal in the Ballroom. Entrants must attend. Tech sheets will be finalized at that time with the help of the tech crew. The lighting and sound crews will be available to talk with you about your light and sound needs and to let you know what options are available. This is your chance to get it right the first time! Please sign up for a rehearsal spot when you turn in your paperwork.
6:00 — 6:30 P.M. Saturday
Entrants will check in at the masquerade green room. Please be prompt. The green room will be staffed by Den Moms/Den Dads to help and care for you before the show. There will be a repair table in case of a problem with your costume. Some munchies and drinks will be available.
6:00 — 7:00 P.M. Saturday
Official photography and workmanship judging in the green room.
8:00 P.M. Saturday
Scheduled Curtain time! (if all goes as planned.)
SUGGESTIONS FOR A SUCCESSFUL COMPETITION
Please be kind to yourself before the masquerade. Get some sleep. Register early for the masquerade and turn in all appropriate materials at that time, properly labeled. Let the masquerade director and the staff know what you will need for your presentation to run smoothly. Get a lot of practice ahead of time. Eat and drink something a few hours before show time.
Check in early at the green room and let your den mom take care of you. If your costume needs a repair, the repair table will try to take care of you — don’t panic, the repair kit is quite complete and the repair person is very good. If you have a problem, let you den mom or the green room manager know. Stay in your den so your den mom can find you when it is time to go on. Let the stage crew help you on and off stage so you don’t trip or fall. Let your den mom take care of your excess belongings — like glasses! — and let the stage crew retrieve any props you leave on stage.
Stick around for the awards — it might be your name they call. Let us know what we can do to help you to make your presentation everything you want it to be.
Please let the Masquerade Staff, especially your Den mom, know if you have any medical conditions that we should be aware of, and what to do to assist you. If you do, please bring any medication that you might require to handle the condition. This includes things as basic as aspirin or antacids. Since everybody has various medical conditions, the only items that we will have are band-aids.
Remember, this is a costume competition, not a talent show. Never bore the audience! Don’t forget to enjoy yourself! The Masquerade Staff is your friend!
