Cosplay Rules
These rules apply to all contestants. Please read the rules to the very end as some of your questions may be answered further down.
- Masquerade area head has final say!
- You must be pre-registered with the convention before you register online for the costume contest.
- All members of an entry must individually sign the NDK Cosplay declaration (legal liability, publicity waiver).
- Participants can only sign up for one slot in either the walk-on or a skit. You cannot do both.
- Contestants may sign up for the category they think they belong in. However, the masquerade area head and the craftsmanship judges reserve the right to move contestants into a different category based on the work presented. If you are found intentionally entering a category below your level you may be disqualified from the contest.
- Contestants may not enter a costume that has won at a previous NDK, has won two or more awards or has won an award at a larger convention than NDK. If you have any questions, please email the masquerade area head.
- NDK weapons policy will be strictly enforced. As per the weapons policy, if you wish to have a weapon allowed, please email the masquerade area head.
- No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service: This is the hotel's policy. Please wear some form of shoes. Even barefoot characters must have shoes on for the contest. The lack of authenticity will be forgiven.
- All contestants must have a torso covering. Despite the double standard created by our society at large, in the interest of fairness to both sexes, we must insist that both genders wear appropriate torso coverings. This pertains to the chest area, not the stomach.
- Nudity, even the illusion of such, is strictly forbidden and will disqualify you. If you have questions, please ask!!!
- NDK's masquerade is rated TVPG (Parental Guidance Suggested): This program contains material that parents may find unsuitable for younger children. Parents may want to watch it with their younger children. The theme itself may call for parental guidance and/or the program contains one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), infrequent coarse language (L), or some suggestive dialogue (D).
- NDK is not responsible for items brought with you to the costume contest. Please make other arrangements for your valuables.
- All slots for the contest will be available online. Slots are filled on a first come, first serve basis. Any slots not filled after the 1 week online registration will be available on site. This means that there is a possibility that there will be no slots except for the children's category, which are only available on site, so please register early.
- All members of a group entry must sign up at the same time. There will be no late entries to any group.
- All online entrants must be at check-in on Friday night or Saturday morning. If you do not check in by the end of the check in period, your slot will be given away to someone on the waiting list and you will not be allowed to compete.
- At greenroom check-in, you will be given an entry badge. If you do not have the badge when you reach the stage, you will not be allowed to compete.
- Times and dates for pre-registration, check-in, green room, and contest are given clearly. If you miss any of these deadlines you will not be allowed to participate in the contest. No exceptions.
- While we appreciate costumes from other genres, NDK's masquerade will be limited to those of Japanese origin. Special exceptions may be made for costumes of other Asian media, but the masquerade area head must approve them. If you have a question regarding this, please email the masquerade area head.
- Any contestants who have music or audio must enter online and must submit any music or audio you want played for your walk-on or skit the day you fill out the online entry form. No music or audio submissions will be accepted late or on site. All audio submitted for walk-on entries will start when the first contestant steps onto the stage unless otherwise asked for. All audio submitted for skit entries must note visual cue, otherwise audio will begin when first contestant steps onto the stage. Total maximum running time is 45 seconds for walk-ons, and 2 1/2 minutes for skits. This does not include pre-audio set up on stage for skits. Overlong audio will be rejected and entrants will be asked to resubmit. Audio must be 7mb or under in .mp3, .wav or .wmv format. We will not cut down any audio for anyone, this must be done by the contestant, if you have questions on how to do this please ask.
- Scripts are due at the time you send in your registration form, I will no longer be accepting scripts separate from entries, if you are entering for a skit slot scripts are mandatory. If you are entering as a walk-on and are planning on acting out a little scene you will need to send in a little script.
- Singing is not a skit, please save it for the Karaoke room. Dancing is not a skit, please save it for the dances. You may include either of these elements in your skit, but your skit cannot be comprised of just singing, dancing or a combination of the two. Skits that contain dancing and/or singing must submit a video of the planned skit. Your skit is more likely to get approved if the dancing/singing portion is less than 50% of the total skit time. Special consideration may be given to people who are doing traditional Asian dances (like a Japanese Fan Dance).
- Contestants that sign up online and do not show up to check in, or notify the area head that they do not want the spot before Saturday will not be allowed to sign up for the contest the following year.
- If you need help getting on or off stage because of the size or intricacy of the costume you may have 1 handler with you. They must be pre-approved either online or at check-in on Friday night/Saturday morning. They do not have to be pre-registered for the convention but we will need their full name. Due to space issues children may only have 1 parent or guardian accompanying them backstage.
- You may not throw or whip props around. If you throw any props you will be immediately disqualified and if it causes any damage you will be held responsible for any and all damages and/or medical bills.
- You may not take or use any sort of spray paint, silly string, fire works, water or any other items on stage that could mar the stage or leave a mess. If you have a question regarding this, please email the masquerade area head.
- You may not run onstage.
- You must walk down the exit stairs or the ramp.
- Signs are not allowed in the costume contest, the convention has a no signage rule and so does the contest.
- Entry slots are non-transferable.
- There is no crying in cosplay.
Costume Contest
- Street Clothes: Street clothes are defined as any item that has been purchased off the rack. All requirements regarding this are given below in respective categories. Any costume containing street clothes that has not been approved by the masquerade area heads may be disqualified.
- Commissioned/Modeled Costumes: Modeled costumes are permitted only with prior consent given directly from the costume maker to the masquerade area heads. Costumes must be one of a kind costume created for the model, in other words no mass-produced costumes, Ebay or otherwise, will be allowed. Wigs and props are exceptions; however, credit must be given where credit is due. Any prizes won will go to the creator of the costume, not the model. If you fail to give proper credit, you will be permanently banned from the contest.
- Professional Costumer: NDK defines a professional costumer as any person who earns 25% of their income from costuming commissions.
- · By popular demand we have increased the skit length to 2 1/2 minutes because of this there will only be 7 skit slots available. All audio and music for your skit must be pre-recorded, be under 7mb, and be 2 1/2 minutes or less in length and it must be sent in with your registration form.
- Walk-on entries are limited to walk-on performances forty-five (45) seconds or less. There will be a total of 65 slots available to contestants entering in the beginner, intermediate, and masters categories during online registration. If the Cosplay slots do not fill up by the end of online registration, they will be converted to walk-on slots available on site. (Don't count on it.)
- Categories are based loosely on International Costumer's Guild guidelines. Please note your category and enter appropriately! If you do not know what category you should enter, please talk to the masquerade area head or the craftsmanship judges. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask!
- Specialty awards are awards such as the George Robbert's Traditional Costume Award, BakuDan's Video Game Award, DCCS Award, and The Plush Soiree's Mecha Award. It is possible however unlikely that these awards may change from year to year.
- Judge's Awards are awards given out by NDK's guest judges to their favorite costume or cosplay contestants.These awards go to the costume of each judge’s choosing. There are no contest-mandated criteria for who a judge may give an award to.
- Craftsmanship will be on a first come, first serve basis. Masters must sign up for a judging time when you sign up for the contest. If you don’t I’ll assign you a time, one that might not be convenient for you. Everyone else has the option to sign up for a spot online from August 22, 2010 to August 29, 2010. If we have any remaining spots after online registration they will be available onsite on Friday night during check-in/signup. If you are signing up online you will need to send in your craftsmanship questionnaire before Septemeber 4, 2010, otherwise your name will be taken off the list and your spot will be available to the first person signing up onsite.
Children's
|
# entries |
5 - all on site registration |
|
# entrants allowed per entry |
6 |
|
Restrictions |
All children 12 and under are in this category. Children of age 10 or over, who have made their own costumes, may elect to enter in the Beginner category. Any entrants wishing to do so will need to bring their costumes to the craftsmanship judges during Friday check-in time although they are not required to have Craftsmanship Judging. |
|
Street Clothes |
N/A |
|
Eligible awards |
None. This is not a judged category. |
|
Forms needed |
Waiver (to be signed by parent upon check-in) |
Beginner
|
# entrants allowed per entry |
6 |
|
Restrictions |
Open to entrants 13 and over who are not professional costumers and/or who have not won awards. All audio that you want played during your skit must be sent via email or submission form the same day you fill out the online registration form. |
|
Street Clothes |
|
|
Eligible awards |
|
|
Other info |
Contestants in any group may be from different series, games, or musical groups. However, all contestants in a group must be at the same skill level. If there is a member of the group that is at a higher level than other members your group will be bumped up to the appropriate level. |
|
Forms needed |
|
Intermediate
|
# entrants allowed per entry |
6 |
|
Restrictions |
|
|
Street Clothes |
|
|
Eligible awards |
|
|
Other info |
Contestants in any group may be from different series, games, or musical groups. However, all contestants in a group must be at the same skill level. If there is a member of the group that is at a higher level than other members your group will be bumped up to the appropriate level. |
|
Forms needed |
|
Masters
|
# entrants allowed per entry |
6 |
|
Restrictions |
|
|
Street Clothes |
Entrants are not allowed to have any street clothes. Any props not made by the contestant must be approved by the masquerade area heads. |
|
Eligible awards |
|
|
Other Info |
Contestants in any group may be from different series, games, or musical groups. |
|
Forms needed |
|
Cosplay Contest
|
# entries |
Maximum of 7 entries; all of which will be offered only online. Any left over cosplay spots at the end of the pre-registration period will be turned into walk on slots available on site. |
|
Max # entrants per entry |
6 |
|
Restrictions |
|
|
Street Clothes |
|
|
Eligible Awards |
|
|
Other Info |
Contestants in any group may be from different series, games, or musical groups. |
|
Forms needed |
|
How to Enter
Please read the rules carefully! Any questions can be directed to the masquerade area head.
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Online via email All of the entry slots will be available online with the exception of children's entries. There is room for 65 walk-on entries and 7 skit entries.
- Please fill out the appropriate form, which will be available Saturday, August 15, 2010 at noon Denver time, and submit it.
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On site at the hotel Any walk-on entry slots not filled by the time online registration ends will be offered on site. Any skit entry slot not filled by the end of the registration period will be turned into a walk-on entry and offered on site. (Audio will not be accepted onsite.) There will be 5 children's slots available only on site.
- Please note that there will be no skit slots available on site and plan accordingly.
Important Times and Dates
- Online signup begins Saturday, August 15, 2010 at noon Denver time (Mountain time) and ends Saturday, August 21, 2010 at noon Denver time (Mountain time). Any emails sent prior to the beginning of signup will be returned and the entrant will need to re-apply. To pre-register for the contest you need to be pre-registered for the convention. Email confirmation of walk-on entries will be sent within 3 days. Skit entries will be sent after the script and sound recordings have been previewed. If you do not receive an email, please inquire!
- Craftsmanship questionnaires (for those who are interested) will be sent out with online registration confirmations.
- Online registrants must check-in on site. There will be check-in on Friday evening from 6:30pm to 8:00pm in the autograph area and Saturday morning from 9:00am to 10:00am in the autograph area. All members of an entry must check-in by end of check-in on Saturday morning, September 11, 2010; any entry failing to do so will not compete.
- For those who did not get a slot in the contest, a waiting list will be kept with contestant names. If any pre-registered entry fails to make the 10:00am Saturday deadline, their slot will be offered to those on the waiting list in order. You must check in by 10:00am in the autograph area, unclaimed spots will be filled between 10:00am and 10:30am at which time the list will be closed.
- Onsite sign up for left over spots from online sign up will be Friday evening, September 10, 2010 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm in the autograph area.
- Craftsmanship judging will take place on Saturday, September 11, 2009 from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Any entry wishing to be judged on craftsmanship must fill out the appropriate forms (which will be emailed to you). Beginner, Intermediate and Cosplay entries that would like to be judged can sign up for a judging time from August 22, 2010 to August 29, 2010. If there are still spots available they will be filled onsite on Friday night. Masters must sign up for a judging time at the same time they sign up online. If Masters do not sign up for a craftsmanship time I will assign you one and it might not be convenient for you.
- Green room is mandatory. Any entry not present for final check-in will not compete. All contestants from an entry must be present; any person not at final check-in will not go on stage. The green room check-in will be held outside Primrose and will open at 5:30pm and close at 6:15pm on Saturday September 11, 2010.
Please, if you have any questions, no matter how silly they may seem, ask!!!