**COSPLAY RETURNS**

[Mercury Promotions (UK)]

We wanted to let you all know after the success of our first cosplay competition last show - it will be back again in 2011!

Come and discuss your ideas in here with other fans and tell the world about the show ;D

Jaime

[NemJayG]

Hi guys, had a great time doing the Cosplay last time. Had a great day, was great to see all your costumes.
As usual here's the rules. Please read :

1. WEAPONS/PROPS & CONDUCT

All weapons and props should be brought to the cosplay desk upon arrival at an event to be checked by the organiser. This is to prevent anyone wandering around with anything potentially dangerous.

Weapons and props should be no longer than 5ft (1.5m) to be carried around - anything longer than this can be stored at the cosplay desk at your own risk until the masquerade. They should be constructed of foam, plastic, balsa wood, cardboard or other lightweight materials. They should have no sharp edges and any dangerous things removed.

Wooden or other solid (LEGAL) replica weapons must be peace-bonded (unable to be drawn).

The law on replica guns states:

- A person is guilty of an offence if he modifies an imitation firearm so that it becomes a realistic imitation firearm

You will not be penalised in the masquerade for not having the correct weapon if it would have meant you carrying a gun that you have made realistic yourself. Guns in bright colours are fine, and unrealistic weapons such as sci-fi replicas are allowed.

The organiser reserves the right to confiscate any weapon considered to be dangerous. Mock battles or 'play fights' are not allowed inside the event area. Please be safe with your weapon or prop. Anyone found behaving in a way which endangers themself or the public will have their weapon confiscated and/or be escorted immediately from the event without refund. During the event, you may be approached by a member of the cosplay team or security to check your weapon has been approved. If this happens, please be co-operative.

Finally, remember to be extra vigilant when transporting items to and from the event.


2. ELIGIBILITY
The competition is open to all ages, but entrants aged under 16 must have their entry form signed by a parent or guardian -

All types of costume may be entered within reason. Costumes from Film, Anime, Video games, Music, TV, comics, books, theatre and even original costumes may be entered.

You may enter a cosplay into a skit or masquerade, no more than three minutes long. Two stages of judging will take place, one for best cosplay and one for best performance. Each section will have either 1

We regret that bought costumes (as a whole outfit from a shop or from e-bay) are not allowed for entrants over 12 years; and cannot be entered for best cosplay. If you haven't made at least part of your costume (or modified something bought

The same cosplay cannot be entered into an event if it has previously won a prize. If you have previously entered but not won a prize, you may be able to enter it again if it has been improved but please check with the organiser in advance.


3. MASQUERADE
From the moment you walk onto the stage, you are trying to impress us. Show us the character's movements, personality etc. and pose as the character would! You have around a minute to pose and show your costume off. The longer you are on stage for, the more time you have to score points in this area, so it’s better not to just rush on and rush back off again.

If you are performing a skit, all sound must be pre-recorded and emailed before the closing date for entries. We can't provide microphones, and spoken skits tend to only be heard by the front row and can therefore be boring to the rest of the audience. You should describe your skit on the entry form so we can allow/disallow things based on their suitability for a general audience. Staff have the right to stop a skit at any time if it becomes inappropriate. The maximum skit length is 3 minutes for a group and 2 minutes for an individual.

You may use any song for your walk-on or skit, as long as it is suitable for a general audience (eg. no swearing or other explicit content).


4. REGISTRATION
Registration will be available online in advance for all events. You should fill in the form in the event's cosplay information thread and email it to [e-mail] by the date given in the thread. There will also be spaces available on the day, but we'd prefer if you register in advance. You must report to the desk on the day to sign your form and be pre-judged.

All entries in the adult category (over 12 years of age) must provide a reference picture. This should be emailed in advance. If it is an original costume that you are entering, a drawing/sketch or concepts will be accepted. You should also provide your own music, attached with your registration or emailed shortly after, as any entries that are still without music on the day will have something picked for them which may cause disappointment.

Entries made on the day must have a reference picture, no exceptions. We also don't accept music on the day, even for pre-registered entries.


5. JUDGING
For the best cosplay category, costumes will be judged in three areas - the quality of the costume and how well made it is; how much of a resemblance the costume and contestant have to the original; and how well you present the character's movements/mannerisms.
For the best performance category, you will be judged partially by cosplay, how well you react with the judges and audience and how well you present the character’s movements/mannerisms.

Pre-judging will occur on the day. If you are entering to win the best cosplay prize, the team at the desk will ask questions, take a closer look at the costume etc. This is because, when you are on stage, the judges can't really see up close or know anything much about how you've made the costume, and this way we are able to pass this information onto the judges for them to take into consideration while they are judging the costumes, to give everyone an equal chance to be judged. The masquerade will take place in front of an audience and a panel of judges.


6. MISC
You may be filmed or photographed during the masquerade, and Wales Comic Con or its associates may wish to use your image. By entering the masquerade you agree to this.

If you have any questions about entering the masquerade, post them in the online forum or email the cosplay co-coordinator: [e-mail]

[txteva]

What happened to the cosplay comp?