Cosplay

Cosplay Online Pre-Registration

Masquerade submissions are now closed. Thank you everyone for your entries, and we’ll see you at the con!

For the convenience of both the staff and attendees, Katsucon will be accepting Pre-Registration for the Cosplay online. Please use the form below for your submission. If you have any questions, please contact the Cosplay Department.

There are no written submissions accepted.

All attendees and staff of Katsucon 16 are welcome to perform in the Masquerade. The only exceptions being Cosplay and Tech crew staff.

Cosplay Rules

1. Online registration will be limited to the first 25 confirmed entries. Confirmed means they have been contacted by the Cosplay Staff and have replied to this contact and given a reference number. Once 25 entries have been reached, we will post here that Cosplay signup is full. On site at the convention there will be an additional five (5) *slots open, with preference being given to young Cosplayers. This limit will be strictly enforced. Any unused pre-registration slots will be transferred to the At-Con signups.
2. There will be a mandatory Rehearsal for the Cosplay Saturday morning in the Main Programming room. The time for this will be posted in the programming guide at the convention. All Cosplayers are responsible for their own punctuality. We will be taking roll call for entries, sorting you into groups, giving out your cosplay badges, working out any problems with tech crew, and previewing all skits.

   There are no exceptions. All skits must be performed in full and will be reviewed by the Cosplay coordinators. You will also be given ample time to work out any details with the Tech Crew that you need. You are expected to arrive at the posted time (Remember kids: Check your programming guide!) for when to be at the rehearsal, as there is a lot of information to be given out and gone over.

   If your skit uses audio, Tech Crew will only accept CD music media. No cassettes. No MP3s. Make sure you have previewed your sound BEFORE bringing your home made CDs to the convention. Be sure to bring multiple copies of your CD’s. Tech Crew is not responsible for balancing your sound once you give them the CD, they simply put it in and press play at the proper time.

   If you are using video, the tech crew requests that it be given in the following format:

   1024 X 768
   Quicktime file format
   Do not encode larger than 5 Mb

   And made available to them no later than February 1st, 2010. Deviation from the format listed here will result in your video not being accepted. Once you have your video ready to go, upload it to the internet (if you do not have a personal web site to do it, you can upload it to one of the many file sharing sites that are available (Sendspace, etc.)) and e-mail cosplay@katsucon.org with your reference number and the URL to download the video. Tech Crew is not responsible for technical difficulties resulting from improper preparation of media.

   IMPORTANT NOTE:

   We cannot guarantee the use of the video wall at this time. For your skit, please plan for the possibility that there will be no video wall available.

   Failure to attend the Rehearsal or arriving late can result in the disqualification from the Cosplay of you and/or your group. If you cannot make the Rehearsal you must talk with the Head of Cosplay before Saturday morning.

3. Speaking of Rehearsal, here are some points to consider while preparing your skit.

   Time limits for each group are as follows:

   1 person = 90 seconds
   2 – 4 people = 3 minutes
   5+ people = 4 minutes*

   If you exceed your time limits by a few seconds, it is not grounds for instant disqualification. However, do not test the cosplay staff or the judges patience. We will shut the lights off on you if you go too far over your time.

   For safety reasons, there are to be no more than 8 people on stage at any given time. You can have more than 8 people in your skit; just choreograph so that no more than 8 are on stage at any one time.

4. While we all do enjoy a good martial arts sequence, Katsucon cannot vouch for the stability or ability of the stage the Gaylord is providing to withstand the devastating power of your martial arts demonstration. At Rehearsal, the coordinators will inform you if there are any problems. Also, Remember, there will probably be fragile equipment on the stage, and if you break it, we’re sending you the bi
5. We will publish the stage dimensions on the website as soon as we possibly can
6. We know that there are some risqué costumes out there. We have no problem with these as long as you follow the below guidelines:
   • Keep your costume at a G or PG rating. This means that everything is properly covered, no g-strings or thongs, and everything is properly secured so that you don’t give the audience a show they’ll never forget nor will you live down.
   • Intentional flashing of any kind will result in the immediate disqualification of you and/or your entire group, and possible removal from the convention.
7. No foul language please! Usage of any of the traditional “7 dirty words” or any other foul or abusive language is grounds for instant disqualification and removal from the Cosplay area.
8. Do not poke the cosplay staffers with pocky, spoons, your weapon, automobiles, needles, wet noodles, badgers, or anything else. It’s just rude.
9. We will be using our interpretation of the World Costuming Guild’s rules in our categorizations. Below are the descriptions to find which group you fall into:
   Youth - Any entrant aged 13 years and younger. For safety reasons, children under the age of 8 cannot be allowed on the stage during the Cosplay for any reason, unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian

   Novice - Any costumer(s) who has won 2 or fewer awards. This is the category you select if you have never cosplayed before, or have not won any contests

   Journeyman - Any costumer(s) who has won 3 – 7 awards.

   Master - Any costumer(s) who has won 8 or more awards.

   If you have a group, determine who had the highest skill level and use that when registering.

   Example 1: You have a group of 4 Novices and 1 Journeyman. You will be entered as Journeyman level.

   Example 2: You have 3 Masters and one Novice in your group. You will be entered as Master level.

   Entrants are always welcome to compete at a higher level should they wish. Awards will be given for the best Craftsmanship and Performance in each level, Overall Best Craftsmanship, Overall Best Performance, and Best in Show. Judges may wish to add their own special notes for outstanding entrants.

10. Big Danny T is in charge of the Cosplay. His word is law and final. Do not try to make his or his staff’s job harder than it already is, and follow any instructions without fail. They will not make any unreasonable demands. Their #1 priority is to ensure the safety of the entrants and that the Cosplay comes off as smoothly as possible.
11. The judges are immune to your wiles and attempts of bribery, and the MC has a microphone and is louder than you. Any attempts at heckling or bribery will be met with swift retribution and a look of foolishness on your part.
12. These rules are subject to change at any time with no prior notice. We will make every effort to inform you, the public, of any changes as far in advance as possible. The Head of Cosplay, and a select few officers of Katsucon have the right to reject any skit that they feel crosses the boundaries of good taste and decency, is in blatant violation of any of these rules, or might be inappropriate. (Don’t karaoke in the Cosplay, do it Friday night at the karaoke event!)
13. And keeping all these rules in mind, remember, the most important rule: Have fun!