Armageddon Cosplay Contest Rules and registration forms

By u_ne_korn. 15/04/10, 04:47 pm

The rules for the Armageddon cosplay competition are the rules for the Armageddon cosplay competition. This competition is about a specific kind of costuming/performing.
The rules are the rules and if you can't abide by them, you can't enter.

HOWEVER, the Armageddon Cosplay competition is just one contest. It's the one that gets the most publicity around CNZ, but it's definately not the only one.

If people want to make, but not wear costumes, for whatever reason, then there are plenty of other places that accomodate this. You mentioned WOW, where the focus is on the outfit and makers rarely wear their own costumes. There are other cosplay competitions, where the rules may be different. There is just wearing the costume for the sake of doing so, or making them for specific occassions like LARPS or SCA type events.

By Freddie. 15/04/10, 04:51 pm

In relation to the above comment;

Are there any NZ groups looking for people to model costumes and such?

By **seraphik**. 15/04/10, 09:35 pm

i feel the need to add my 2 cents in.

having been competing for four years now, i have always found the judges very accomodating and helpful with a wide range of issues-- just because they're not willing to bend the rules doesn't mean that they're not understanding and sympathetic. if there's something in their power that they can do to help a group or an individual entering the competition, they will do it.

it's a challenge making a competition that everyone can compete in on a level playing field, but at the same time, having a disability is also all about challenges, and i can talk about this from experience.

also, the nature of the contest can then be questioned, re: the model notion. then it turns cosplay into more of a fashion show and a catwalk than what the hobby is really about-- you yourself becoming a different character. yes, physical disabilities or psychological hurdles might make it harder for you to wear the costume/get on stage in front of an audience, but those are challenges numerous people in the cosplay community undertake and fight to overcome them.
_________________

hetalia shoot: liechtenstein / auck: sun + mon - blue serpente elementalist [g.e.] (h.d. theory)

SUBVERSIVE GURGLINGS -- A COSPLAY BLOG || latest post: how to make a katamari head [katamari damacy]
LEVEL UP - a ke$ha's tik tok pokemon parody

h.d. theory.
'united we sew, divided we derp.'

By u_ne_korn. 16/04/10, 08:33 am

By Huntress. 16/04/10, 09:29 am

By neimhaille. 16/04/10, 10:04 am

For WoW you have to make the garment for a model not for yourself- you can choose a model or have them choose for you. The garments need to a specific size or (tiny) range of sizes- for the models to be uniform and in case they are displayed after they have to go on mannequins of WoWs choosing.
Also professionals are allowed to enter. The performance is choreographed and the garments are posted in well ahead of time for judging. The models are not being judged as they are part of the display, ditto for the dancers etc. also used to fill the stage.
Yeah I have studied their rules and even was on a shortlist to work for the museum.

When you are working in a school and have to make garments they are rarely for yourself unless the project is specified for that. I'm not sure how models are chosen but the pattern blocks etc are for industry standards and thus the sample garments made are to a standard size.

The only contest I know where you can have a model or not that works is the Trash to Fashion contest in Auckland which I am also part of (last year and this year). The judging is done over two weekends. Four full time days of work and the entire contest is done in stages over a few months (registration ends months before the garments are seen.) It is also aimed at children between the ages of 5 and ten as well as high school kids. The model still has to be heavily involved as they are the ones to answer judges questions about how the entry was made.
The winner of 08 won with her garment she created while recouperating from an incredibly nasty accident and in fact modeled it herself despite the pain she was in and despite it affecting how she moved. It was part of why she won as her costume was all about recovery mental, physical and emotional.

For all of the above the garments have to be original designs and creations by the designers.

I was asked to judge both this and T2F because of my understanding of costume, my absolute and utter non-bias, the passion I have for the work and the extreme empathy I have with the contestants. There is not rule that I haven't had tested for breakability by people who are cunning and sneaky (aka SCAdian mischief makers who like testing things to the extreme) nor one I haven't thought about in terms of parity across the board.

The regional issue is far more of a concern. The contests are suppose to pick winners from each region. It has been purely by fluke that so far the winners have happened to come from those regions (assuming South Island for Christchurch ;) though we do have a Dunedin contest in a few weeks...) If I really wanted to make rules for restriction then I would make the regional contests exactly that. And all those who fly to each city purely for the cosplay and the contest would then be SooL. So the compromise is to run each contest as stand alone events and screen photographs of the winners at the TTCC presentation. It would be preferable to have the contestants in their costumes for the presentation but given how many people would be precluded from the Auckland contest (solid numbers not what ifs) it would be unfair. Few people can knock out enough high quality costumes in a year to be likely to win more than one contest anyway. It is still something I am constantly thinking about and thinking of the fairest options.

The novice category was begun out of this need for fairness and how the contest has evolved. It still doesn't mean every one gets a prize but it means people have a better chance to being compared.

Fairness is not about individual special cases, "but I wanted to make this and no one wants to join in" "but I need another 20 seconds for my skit" "but I didn't know the rules" "But I can't make armour and want someone else to do it for me" "but I was working/going to school on the cut off date" It's about remembering everyone faces those issues and that everyone has the ability to work around them in some way. Self responsibility and creativity make all those problems go away.

Judging is a mix of presentation (even if you don't do a skit it comes into play as presentation counts) technical excellence and ingenuity. This way everyone has a chance with the skills they have. It is a skills based contest. It is also not an exhibition. The parade was introduced for everyone who cannot or does not want to enter the contest because they do what they do and it just doesn't fit.

Concessions for disabilities are to allow a contestant access to the contest. And that is all covered. There is room for this in being able to get help in the making of and there is support to gain access to the judging room and stage and to allow minders. I really strongly recommend more people use that if they are genuinely concerned- I don't want any parents especially being concerned.

Yes, invisible illness is something I am acutely aware of, obviously. Mental illness, yep very much aware of how it affects people as it has touched my life in many ways from my own experience, to people I work with or for. The contest is not registered as a therapy. But that said a lot of patience and care and lack of patronising has helped a lot of contestants with challenges of this order. The prejudging is so that if there are any real issues it is in a controlled environment, the contestants know the way out, there is room for minders to help them. No one is thrown onto the stage with callous disregard. Everyone chooses to enter of their own accord. There is no coercion to enter.

I will never judge based on body factors. If a garment/costume is well made it is well made regardless of who is wearing it- not height nor mass nor colour nor symmetry not texture cannot be used to advantage or balanced by skill. No one can stop anyone from feeling embarrassed about themselves. But the contest is not at fault. Personal feelings need to change, not make the contest. The contest has always accepted that humans come in all sorts of shapes. Change the attitudes of the audience or learn to accept if not love your own body, the contest already does.

I will however say that there are many many factors that have been considered, implimented, sort of work, failed spectaularly or permanently incorporated. There is room for the contest to change but it will be as it evolves not by forcing change and making it go a certain way. I'd love it to be a masquerade to have an originals section for instance. But it involves more than just me or a few contestants and any change affects the contest here and in Australia and may require changes in organisation and staff. No decision is made lightly.

By **Li-Bai**. 16/04/10, 10:53 am

By u_ne_korn. 16/04/10, 11:23 am

akal esh,
I reckon that if you want to participate in the cosplay competition, then do so. Your challenges sound like they are different to those that most cosplayers have to deal with, and I would not presume to tell you to "get over it". But we all deal with challenges, of a wide variety. From finding time and space and resources to create; physical difficulties which range from feet which refuse to fit into high heels to chronic conditions which daily impact our lives; to mental issues that range from chronic procrastination to anxiety that makes having fun extremely difficult.
Every year, people decide on the day that their personal conditions are such that they can not compete in the competition and drop out. Dropping out on the day of the competition is not a big deal. I know several people who have done it and they come back kicking the next year.

Nike may be a corporate whore of the worst variety, but "Just do it" is the best slogan ever invented.

By Highlander. 16/04/10, 12:07 pm

By Zeb. 16/04/10, 05:33 pm

Ah heck.

Lets go back to ye good old days when I was running the show and was a complete strict by the book cow.

*watches everyone run away screaming in horror*

Thought so.

Knew Michaela would make the comp fantastic, and she has gone above and BEYOND.

Total respect hun.

By Huntress. 16/04/10, 07:08 pm

By Mischa. 16/04/10, 07:18 pm

By **JVCA**. 16/04/10, 07:44 pm

I am stepping in as a mod as I believe this thread has crossed the boundary from reasonable discussion to petty argument and personal attacks. Huntress, these forums are about a fun hobby, and your behaviour is entirely inappropriate for the friendly, community atmosphere we try to uphold here. I am issuing you with an official warning for violation of our forum rules; namely rules 4 and 5 -