Armageddon Cosplay Contest Rules and registration forms

By Mischa. 21/03/10, 10:27 pm

Cool :) thanks!

By neimhaille. 21/03/10, 10:37 pm

Prefer images separate if sending as a DOC file or as an email. Though in file is fine too, it's just me and my preference to use gmail's "view as html" feature.

PDFs are fine. I converted all emails to pdf for Aucks last year as a back up and it worked nicely.

Plain text is fine too.

By SpamTomatoSpam. 22/03/10, 08:12 pm

I'd just like to double-check: is it still acceptable to hand in registration forms on Saturday at Chchgeddon?

My sister and I are both entering the contest, but uh... our costumes aren't yet complete enough for us to fill out the form properly ie. I'm not sure I can describe the creation process of various components that I haven't yet started on. Oh dear.

I know it's much better to have the forms in earlier but I think if we were to send them in now a lot of the details would change before the day of the contest.

By neimhaille. 22/03/10, 10:06 pm

Understandable and that is the reason for the hand ins.

I will also be available to chat about and will collect the forms before going and crashing at the hotel at day's end ;) So you can leave it to quite late in the day if need be.

By **Mandie_Chan**. 24/03/10, 06:14 pm

So I didn't get around to handing in my form last night (sorry) and I remember last year I didn't have a clue where to hand in the form at chchgeddon.
Just to make sure, is the information desk near where you pass to get into the convention?
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By Huntress. 14/04/10, 01:56 pm

Apologies in advance as this may not be the right topic to tack this on to but have been looking and seems to be the most appropriate.

Have been reading over the cosplay rules again recently and have a query. I understand the "no commissions" is to prevent people from using a professional in order to win.
However, having had much discussion with a friend and also being involved in a group and being the person with the desire to enter and not being physically capable or wearing all costumes as well as an inability to find other cosplayers willing to be part of the group and make their own costumes. I have to ask if there is the possibility of entering cosplay using someone else to model your creation.

I am asking this, not based on issues with crossplay but for practical reasons. I know people who would like to enter but have physical disabilities which prevent them from being the person in the costume and from what we understand of the current rules and regulations for them to have someone else wear the costume would be prohibited.
But also, that there are individuals who for many reasons may not be comfortable with the idea of creating something they have to wear (the obese for example).

Also, within groups there are often people willing to wear the costume and help with minor details but not able to fully construct said costume. This may be a way bit out but I know for things like WOW and Body FX people display their work using others. Whilst I am not suggesting that this should be the norm I am asking if there is something I didn't read that would allow for this or if the judges have considered this.

Again, apologies if this is the wrong topic.
Help with this question would be greatly appreciated.

Huntress Change topic now

By **JVCA**. 14/04/10, 02:16 pm

Merged Huntress' post into this thread as it's a more appropriate location. Very Happy

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By neimhaille. 14/04/10, 02:59 pm

I have a severe physical disability myself that prevents me from making and wearing a lot of costumes. No I cannot make an exception for anyone, especially when there is an infinite number of alternatives that can be looked into.

Planning and working around what you have as advantages and disadvantages is what a competition is all about, regardless of the genre.

That said in a group the work is divided amongst everyone. So you can have people working on different parts of different costumes for each other. That is the advantage of a group: increased range of skills and labour hours. The disadvantage is everyone needs to contribute evenly so the score is the average of all components. It would be unfair to add another advantage to a group by allowing for swap outs of people. Solo entries cannot do that by their very nature.

By Mischa. 14/04/10, 04:12 pm

By Huntress. 15/04/10, 02:49 am

Hello again,

I can't help but feel you have missed the point of what I was saying. With regard to the comments you have made, I find them extremely restrictive and limiting. I know many designers who would love to participate in re-creating costumes of well-known characters but for various personal reasons either cannot model the costume, or are completely uncomfortable to model their creations publicly. This has nothing to do with outside audience perceptions of a persons body type or shape, but rather to do with a person's own comfort zones, beliefs and many other valid personal reasons for not modeling the costumes they recreate themselves.

Surely Cosplay is about the quality of the creation, not who wears it so long as that person is there on the day to receive the prize. For instance, I have a family member who loves to create, but because of a severe spinal disability of almost 30 years which affects 75% of their body is therefore unable to enter competitions like this.

Disabilities also come in all shapes and sizes and what is possible for one is not possible for another. Even in the fashion industry and shows like WOW, the creators are encouraged to use models so that they are free to ensure that the design is fitting as it should.

Surely as long as the design and its creation are correctly attributed to the appropriate person and no one is accredited with work that isn't theirs, this what truly matters. When people take the time and effort to recreate a costume, they want to display it to its best effect and impact.

When a competition is so limiting in respect to the way it allows entries by potentially preventing someone to enter by saying that they MUST wear their creation I believe it is extremely callous and cruel (I am not saying it is deliberately so) to require them to model a costume they personally feel unable to model - especially if for them this is a creative outlet which provides them with healing. I feel it is a lack of understanding in a competition which I had felt was for the encouragement of that creative streak.

People have many legitimate personal reasons they might not be comfortable modeling a costume such as severe scarring (that they are reluctant to reveal), or perhaps they suffer from Post Traumatic Stress disorder, or many other legitimate disorders. I was merely saying I felt that there were a group of people who were being overlooked who we might have a chance to encourage. A chance that many of us perhaps haven't been given.

The reasons for bringing this to light were out of a desire to remain true to what I felt were the unspoken precepts and ideals that this competition is based on. There are so many talented people from all walks of life - I was attempting to see more of it celebrated. I have not set out to deliberately offend anyone or say that the rules are ALL wrong - merely that I think there is more to be considered here.

Huntress.

By Mischa. 15/04/10, 04:16 am

I see where you're coming from but I find it difficult to think of a body configuration that cannot wear a costume.

I cannot speak for the judges, but they are pretty accommodating people and I'm sure that they would be happy to work with someone's health issues- ie. judging them earlier in the contest, arranging it so they have extra time to get on stage etc. etc

Personally I think physical diversity should be celebrated. There is a long history of hiding people who are "different" which is just depressing and wrong.

By neimhaille. 15/04/10, 09:51 am

I did not miss the point. You are asking three very different things:
Disability related and most people with disabilities who have had them for a long time know where their real boundaries are. If we can do something we will. Also I find it a bit insulting to suggest someone cannot wear a costume because of external (or mixed external/internal) aides. For one so long as I can get a good look at the costume I can judge based on quality. For the other if it is incorporated into the skit (and there are many ways of doing this) then it will not hamper performance. A prerecorded skit makes it easier too.

I also find it really insulting that you push my personal disability aside simply because you cannot see it. I mentioned it because it makes it clear I have thought about this (and not just in terms of the contest) and because I am not alone, I know there are others who have worked around their limitations without mentioning it to others. There are concessions and then there is disadvantaging others. What you are asking falls into the latter. A concession is to have help and support to attend the contest not make the contest totally change.

There is also leeway for getting help in the making. This is why it is mentioned specifically in the forms.

Second: that there are people too nervous to go on stage. Yes and half the competitors are terrified as it is but still get up and do it. Hell I wore a Slave Leia costume despite the sheer terror that my artistry in that costume was going to get totally overlooked by those only wanting a goggle fest. I was right too. Sigh. But I still did it. I have scars that I exposed in that costume. Scars that have a social stigma. I know others are in the same boat and won't show them. And while I think that's sad that is up to them to decide.
We had a few groups in Wellington that had to enter at the last moment due to members dropping out for various reasons- some more serious than others some for health and some for nerves etc. They still forged ahead and entered and it is all to their credit.

And ultimately there are OTHER COSTUMES to choose from. People all the time set aside super hard costumes because they are unable to finish it on time.

It is a contest. Just a contest. There are several other events within the event where costumes made by others can be worn. The rules are extremely basic and simple and the basic rules of nearly every costume contest anywhere where technical skill is rewarded. I have never seen it be an issue and in fact there have been times they have been used to advantage. I saw an incredible cyber/punk costume once that just would not be possibile for someone who had both arms. It was sheer magic. And she also didn't limit herself to the one costume, she has others where this is not a feature.

Yes, Mischa, should someone needing special considerations for the judging process it is easily accommodated. If mentioned in the form then it is easier and can be organised in advance. Emailing is the best as I can then ask Bill where the room is so I can work out if the judging of that entry can take place there or if I need to make a place on a level with the entrance. Wheelchairs or scooters do not impeded

By Keysha-chan. 15/04/10, 12:33 pm

What is wrong with choosing an alternative costume that suits yourself, or making slight little alterations to the original design (as I don't believe this is not allowed in the rules, just not OCs) to boost confidence (I've had a midriff-exposing costume in the past that covered a little more midriff than the original design did for my own personal comfort).

I too have also seen quite a few people overcome obstacles to cosplay and/or enter the contest. I have some personal issues of my own that I've had to fight in order to compete in the past.

I can understand where you're coming from, but as neimhaille said, she can't make acceptations for some and not for others as it really breaks the fairness of the contest as a whole - and help on the day if needed can always be provided. :)

By angellsnz. 15/04/10, 12:55 pm

We also now have the Cosplay Parade.

Where any costume (as long as it is family friendly) be it commissioned, brought off the internet, ninja'd from your wardrobe, can be displayed to the adoration of the audience. Details of the maker can be made known to the MC and announced etc...

By Mischa. 15/04/10, 02:15 pm