Nan Desu Kan

These rules apply to all contestants. Please read the rules to the very end as some of your questions may be answered further down. If they are not or if you have any questions regaurding the rules please email the Cosplay area head!!!

• Cosplay 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 the contest either walk-on or a skit.
• 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.
• NDK weapons policy will be enforced.
• No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service: This is the hotel's policy. Even barefoot characters must have shoes on for the contest. The lack of authenticity will be forgiven.
• All contestants, male and female, must have a torso covering. This pertains to the chest area, not the stomach.
• Nudity, even the illusion of such, is strictly forbidden.
• NDK's cosplay contest 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).
• All slots for the contest will be available online. Slots are filled on a first come, first serve basis.
• 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 and you will not be allowed to compete.
• While we appreciate costumes from other genres, NDK's cosplay contest will be limited to those of Japanese origin. NDK defines ìoriginî as the country in which your character was first created.
• Special exceptions can be made for costumes of other Asian media, characters that are specifically created for an anime/manga/video game coming from Japan or another Asian media, or characters that are significantly changed by anime/manga/video games; the cosplay area head must approve them. NDK defines ìother Asian mediaî as Chinese, Korean, Thai, etc.
• Examples of what is and isnít ok: Even though the Ironman anime was created in Japan, the character Ironman was created by Marvel (an American company) therefore Ironman is not ok for the contest. However if there is a character from the Ironman anime that was specifically created for that anime and does not appear in the story before the anime then that character is ok to enter into the contest. Avatar: The Last Airbender, though animated in Korean was created in America and therefore is not ok to enter. Characters that have been significantly changed (not in costume but in personality) from the original character or historical figure they are based on are ok.
• Any contestants who have music or audio must enter online and must submit any music or audio you want played the same 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 4mb or under in .mp3, .wav or .wmv format.
• Scripts are due the same day you register, 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.
• You may include singing and dancing in your skit, but your skit cannot be comprised entirely 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. 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. You may not run onstage or run/jump offstage or preform any other acrobatics. You may not use signs in costume contest. Doing any of these things will immediately disqualified and you will be held responsible for any and all damages and/or medical bills that may occur as a result.
• Entry slots are non-transferable.
• 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.
• Modeled Costumes: Modeled costumes are permitted only with prior consent given directly from the costume maker to the cosplay area head. 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.
• Commissioned Costumes: Must be one of a kind made for the wearer and must be entered as a modeled costume. No ebay costumes allowed.
• Professional Costumer: NDK defines a professional costumer as any person who earns 50% of their income from costuming commissions.
• Skit Slots are limited to 2 ^1/2 minutes and there will only be 7 skit slots available.
• Walk-on entries are limited to walk-on performances forty-five (45) seconds or less. There will be a total of 60 slots available to contestants entering in the beginner, intermediate, and master categories.
• Categories are based loosely on International Costumer's Guild guidelines. Please note your category and enter appropriately!
• Specialty awards are awards such as the NDK Directors Award, Cosplay Area Head Award, George Robbert's Traditional Costume Award and Best Video Game Award.
• 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 judgeís 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. Master contestants must sign up for a judging time when you sign up for the contest. If you donít Iíll 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 27, 2013 to September 3, 2013. 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 11, 2013, otherwise you will lose your spot.
• There is no crying in cosplay.

Children's

Beginner

Intermediate

Masters

Cosplay Contest

How to Enter

1. Online via email All of the entry slots will be available online with the exception of children's entries. There is room for 60 walk-on entries and 7 skit entries.
   1. Please fill out the appropriate form, which will be available Saturday, August 18, 2012 at noon Denver time, and submit it.
2. 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. There will be 5 children's slots available only on site.

Important Times and Dates

• Online signup begins Saturday, August 17, 2013 at noon Denver time (Mountain time) and ends Saturday, August 24, 2013 at noon Denver time (Mountain time). Any emails sent prior to the beginning of signup will be deleted and the entrant will need to re-apply. Email confirmation of walk-on entries will be sent within 3 days. Skit entries will be sent after the script and audio recordings have been previewed. If you do not receive an email, please email!
• Craftsmanship questionnaires (for those who checked the craftsmanship box on the online form) 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 7:30pm in the Photograph area, right behind convention registration, and Saturday morning from 9:00am to 10:00am in the photograph area. All members of an entry must check-in by 10:00am Saturday morning; 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 contestant fails to make the 10:00am Saturday deadline, their slot will be offered to those on the waiting list in order. Unclaimed spots will be filled by waitlist contestants between 10:00am and 10:15am in the photograph area.
• Onsite sign up for left over spots from online sign up will be Friday evening, September 13, 2013 from 6:30pm to 7:30pm in the Photograph area, right behind convention registration.
• Craftsmanship judging will take place on Friday, September 13, 2013 from 7:00pm to 10:00pm and Saturday, September 14, 2012 from 9:00am to 3:00pm in Bluebell. Any entry wishing to be judged on craftsmanship must fill out the appropriate form (which will be emailed to you). Beginner, Intermediate and Cosplay entries that would like to be judged can sign up for a judging time online from August 27, 2013 to Septmeber 3, 2013. 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 person who does not go to the final check-in will not go on stage, if you happen to be part of a group, your group will go on without you. Greenroom will open at 4:30pm and close at 5:15pm on Saturday September 14, 2013. The costume contest will start at 6:00pm.