COSTUME CONTEST

Dust off your favorite creation or make something new and magnificent to show off on Sunday August 7th, in the Anime Festival Orlando Costume Contest.  A runway styled event designed for all levels of amateur costumers.

Qualifying costumes must be inspired by the following:

Anime/Manga: Representation of actual costumes from Japanese Anime and Manga.
J-Rock/J-Pop: Representation of actual costumes from J-Rock and J-Pop entertainers
Video Games: Representation of actual costumes from video games of Japanese origin.
Original Costumes/Other: Original costumes, Japanese Cultural clothing and other costumes inspired by Japanese culture.

 

ENTERING CATEGORIES:

There will be four judging categories for the contestants to be placed in.*

JUNIOR – A contestant at or under the age of 13.

NOVICE – A contestant with no more than one win in a costume contest.

INTERMEDIATE – A contestant who has won between 2-4 costume awards

ADVANCED- A contestant who has won at least four awards

Judging Criteria:

ACCURACY
How accurately have you constructed your costume as compared with the actual character in the series, game or original artwork?

CONSTRUCTION
How well constructed is the costume?  Are the seams straight and finished?  Has the costumer chosen materials appropriate to the costume?  Are the seams sewn with proper hand or machine stitches or glued together? Does the costume fit properly?  Etc…

DISPLAY
Is the costumer proudly displaying the costume or seemingly uncomfortable in it? Does the outfit fit the model like it would in the series, or does it hang loose, or wrinkle strangely? Etc…

SKILL LEVEL
In the event of a tie or at the judges’ discretion, the skill level of the costumer will be considered.

THE RULES:

The contest is for original works, not store bought costumes or commissioned costumes.  Costumes must be constructed by the contestants. The only exceptions are:

  1. If costumes for a group were made by one or two members of the group.
  2. If costumes were made by or if construction assistance was given by non-professional parents/friends.
  3. If the costume designer has chosen to use a model to exhibit the costume on a more appropriate body type. The award will be presented to the costume’s creator, whom must be present at pre-judging.
  4. All costumes must be at or under PG-13. Meaning please no T-backs, nudity, etc…
  5. All contestants of the costume contest MUST be registered members of the con for the day of the event.
  6. All props and weapons MUST adhere to the AFO weapons policy
  7. Time limit on stage: 30 seconds. Please remember to hold a pose in the middle of the stage for at least five seconds for the photographers to take pictures of your costume.
  8. Contestants MUST bring source material/images used as reference for the construction of the costume. This is the most important part of the judging process.
  9. One entry per person, OR per costume.
  10. Kids judged separately, up to age 13.
  11. If your costume has cumbersome pieces, props, or accessories, please clear the costume before the convention by e-mailing the director at afo.costume.contest@gmail.com
  12. All contestants must be wearing shoes of some kind.

Awards:

Each category will have a recognized First and Second place winner.

Outside of the categories will be the specialized “Best” awards as follows:

Best Prop

Best Overall Craftsmanship

Best of Show

*Contestants can request to be moved UP in rank if they believe that they would fit better into a higher category.  If the contestant chooses to be moved up, the judges will review them at the new rank and not take their previous level into consideration.  Moving DOWN in rank is strictly prohibited, as we want to give everyone a fair chance. A contestant may be awarded recognition in a higher category at the discretion of the judges, however the judges may not award downward. The judge’s decisions are final.
Any questions or concerns can be e-mailed to afo.costume.contest@gmail.com

Anyone wishing to be a contestant should attend the Costume Contest Prep & Registration in Main Events on Saturday between noon and 1PM (Sunday-only attendees wishing to enter the Costume Contest must register at the Information Table prior to noon). All contestants will be assigned a Pre-judging time for Sunday. An online registration form can be found here.

Thank you for your interest in Anime Festival Orlando’s 12th Annual Costume Contest!

 

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