CHECKING IN (AT-CON EXPECTATIONS FOR HALL COSTUME CONTEST ATTENDEES):

• You must check in to confirm your registration at Masquerade Headquarters (located in room 201 of the Hynes) anytime during operating hours on Friday, March 21, 2008. The hours of the Hall Costume Contest Check-in will be posted closer to the convention. Please be sure to check in even if you are on the Waiting List in case some Registered Groups are unable to attend and spaces open up.
• Craftsmanship judging will occur on Friday, March 21st from 10am - 4pm. Participants will be given the option of a morning or afternoon slot when they register. We will reserve a few spaces for Saturday judging for those groups with special circumstances (difficult or elaborate costumes, travel difficulties, panels, etc.) If you require a Saturday judging time, please indicate this on your application, or contact the Cosplay Events Manager.
• The Hall Costume Contest awards will be announced on Saturday March 22nd, at the Masquerade (happening in Main Events on Saturday evening.). An exact start time will be posted closer to the convention. Hall Costume Contest participants may show their badges at the door to get special seating near the front of the theatre. If one is planning to participate in the Fashion Parade, sitting in these seats will be a requirement.

HALL COSTUME CONTEST RULES

• Anime Boston is a Japanese Animation convention, so all costumes must be based on Anime, Manga, Japanese-origin video games, OR live action series based on Anime or Manga (such as Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon and Cutey Honey.) Generally, if the series and/or character originated anywhere else than Japan, it doesn't qualify. (Obviously, Japanese adaptations of foreign material are permitted-- such as Rose of Versailles, Gankutsuou, or RomeoXJuliet.) If you have doubt as to whether your costume qualifies, please email the Cosplay Events Manager.
• J-ROCK AND J-POP COSTUMES ARE PERMITTED in the Hall Costume Contest. Please bring appropriate reference images.
• We do allow costumes based on promotional art for anime and manga, even if the costumes do not appear in the actual series. In these cases you must notify us ahead of time that you will be using promotional art as the basis of your costume and be certain to bring the promotional image with you to judging as a reference picture.
• Costumes for original characters are not eligible.
• You may not wear a costume at the Anime Boston 2008 Hall Costume Contest that was worn for any previous competition at Anime Boston. (This pertains to the Masquerade and Hall Costume Contests. Costumes that received ribbons in the Staff-Vote costume contest are still eligible.) For example, there is no limit on how many Ed Elric cosplayers we can have in a given Hall Costume Contest . Nor does it mean that someone can't dress up as Ed Elric every single year. All it means is that if you want to dress up as Ed Elric every year AND enter the Masquerade/Hall Costume Contest, you will need to have a new and different costume and a new skit each year (and it can't look exactly like the costume you used in a previous year. Make a different version of the character’s costume or something.)
• You may not enter both the Hall Costume Contest AND the Masquerade. If we (for some unknown reason) have trouble filling up all of the available spaces for the Masquerade, we may allow individuals in the Hall Costume Contest to take those spots, providing they enter with a different costume.
• Judges for the Hall Costume Contest and Masquerade may not paticipate in either competition.
• Anime Boston Staff may not compete in the Hall Costume Contest or Masquerade.
• YOUR COSTUME MUST BE HOME MADE. Costumes purchased or rented or any costumes made for you by a professional designer or seamstress, are prohibited. Ignoring this rule result in disqualification of your group even if only one person in the group has an ineligible costume. Please tell us if one person in your group made all the costumes. That person (as long as they are a member of your group and not a professional seamstress or tailor) is still eligible for a Crafstmanship Award. There are exceptions to the "purchased or rented" policy, for instance, "Found Item" costumes are allowed. (This is basically a costume that was built by collecting various pieces from normal clothing stores and combining them or altering them in a unique way, with or without sewing.) Also, if one or two minor components of the costume were professionally purchased. In such a case you MUST indicate all such items ahead of time, and these items will not be considered by the judges when they evaluate the costume for craftsmanship eligibility.
• You may wear a costume that was not made by you by a friend or relative, as long as the maker of the costume must be present for craftsmanship judging. In this case, any Craftsmanship award is presented to the creator of the costume, not to the model wearing it. Remember, no costume made by a professional tailor is eligible, no matter who wears it.
• If YOU are a professional tailor or commissioner, and want to showcase your own handiwork, you may do so, but you will be required to compete in the "Craftsman" division, regardless of previous awards.
• Each contestant may present (wear) one and ONLY one costume, or a group of people may wear one costume at the same time (i.e., a large costume that requires several people inside to move it).
• The maximum number of members allowed in one group is 8 people.
• Costumes must be self-contained. Connections to electrical sockets will not be available.
• Please review Anime Boston's Weapons Policy. All props used in the Hall Costume Contest MUST COMPLY with the Anime Boston 2008 Weapons policy.
• No costumes that would be banned in a "PG-13"-rated film will be allowed. The State of Massachusetts DOES have public decency laws

DIVISIONS The division system HAS CHANGED from previous years. All entries will register under ONE of the following skill Divisions:

Novice: Your group may compete in the Novice division as long as:

• No member of the group has won more than one minor award at Novice level at previous conventions
• No member of the group has won ANY major award.
• No member of the group has won any award above Novice level (Journeyman, Advanced/Craftsman or the equivalent).

Journeyman: Your group may compete in the Journeyman division if:

• No member of the group has won more than one major award at Journeyman level at previous conventions.
• No member of the group has won any award above Journeyman level (Advanced/Craftsman/Master or the equivalent).

Craftsman (previously called "Advanced." Also referred to as "Masters" in some contests.): Your group will be required to compete in the Craftsman division if:

• If any of the group members have won more than one major award at Journeyman level at previous conventions.
• If any member of the group has won any award above Journeyman level (Advanced/Craftsman/Master or the equivalent.)
• If any member fo the group is a professional tailor/commissioner

Youth: Your group may compete in the Youth division if all group members are age 14 or younger.

PLEASE NOTE that the definition of "Major Award" is any award that starts with the words "Best," "Most," "First," "Second," or "Runner-Up". Honorable Mentions count as Minor Awards. Three minor awards equal one major award. Both presentation and craftsmanship awards count. When in doubt about your eligibility for a division, contact the Cosplay Events Manager.

You may always choose to compete at a higher level than that for which you qualify. For instance, if you think the quality of your skit or costume is above the usual standards of Novice level, due to extra preparation, a more ambitious project, extensive stage experience, or for some other reason, then you are encouraged, though not required, to participate at the Journeyman or Craftsman level.

If you have opted to register and compete in a higher skill division (Journeyman, Craftsman etc.) in the past, and won ANY AWARD in that division, you are obligated to compete in the same Division (or higher) thereafter. Knowingly entering Novice division when you ought to be in Journeyman or Craftsman is grounds for disqualification.

Awards

• First Place, Novice division
• Runner-up, Novice division
• First Place, Journeyman Division
• Runner-up, Journeyman Division
• First Place, Craftsman Division
• Runner-up, Craftsman Division
• First Place, Youth.
• Runner up, Youth.
• Best Costume Design
• Best Accessory or Weapon
• Judge’s Award - Three awarded
• Honorable Mention (at Judges’ Discretion)

IMPORTANT INFO ON THE JUDGING PROCESS:

• You must indicate on your registration application what time you would prefer to be judged. You will be assigned a time slot by the Cosplay Events Manager, and will be notified of this time slot by February 15th. Craftsmanship judging will be held in Masquerade Headquarters (room 201 of the Hynes.)
• Craftsmanship judging will occur on Friday, March 21st 2008. The only exceptions (who will be judged on Saturday March 22nd) are those who need to apply heavy makeup or body paint, or those groups with traveling difficulties. If you need to be judged on Saturday, it must be prearranged with the Cosplay Events Manager before February 15th 2008. If you miss Friday craftsmanship judging and have not arranged ahead of time for Saturday judging, we cannot promise that we will have time to judge you.
• All Hall Costume Contest participants must bring at least one color picture, preferably two, of each character. A black and white image is acceptable if you have designed a manga-based costume for which no color image is available. We recommend that the images you choose be full length (including shoes), and show both, back and front, This is not required if such an image cannot be found. You should bring an actual image from the anime or manga - a screen cap, a manga page or a piece of promotional art. Failure to bring a reference picture may disqualify you from craftsmanship judging, since if the judges don’t know what your costume is supposed to look like, they cannot judge it.
• One of the major craftsmanship judging criteria is how closely the costume matches the original. If some portion of your costume is never shown, such as the back or the shoes, then you should design the missing components as best you can.
• "Embellishments" such as beadwork and embroidery are permitted so long as they are in line with the style of the original artist, and so long as the costume as a whole matches the reference pictures.
• If one person in your group made all of the costumes for that group, solely that person is eligible, and only for Craftsmanship Awards.
• Every contestant needs to be prepared to answer the judges' questions about his/her role in the construction of his/her costume. Some sample questions that the judges may ask can be found on our website.

THE FIRST-ANNUAL ANIME BOSTON FASHION RUNWAY SHOW! This year, Hall Costume Contest participants will be invited to wear their Hall costumes to the Masquerade and participate in a fashion show to be held during the Masquerade Intermission. This will not be mandatory. You will be asked to indicate on your registration application whether or not you would like to participate in this.

How this will happen:

• A section of seats in main Events will be set aside for anyone wanting to participate. You will be able to gain access to these seats by arriving to main Events before Masquerade seating begins, and showing your special Hall Costume Contest Badge to the Security staffer at the door.
• You will need to remain throughout the Masquerade in order to participate in the intermission fashion show.
• During the AMV presentation (after all of the skits are done) you will be lined up for the fashion show by our Stage Managers.
• The music for the fashion show will be pre recorded. You will not be able to bring your own music.
• All entrances are from Stage Right, exits are from Stage left.
• Upon being announced by the contest Manager, you will cross to center stage (which will be marked), pose, and exit.
• Contest participants will remain off stage left so that they can claim any awards they may receive. Awards will be presented immediately after the fashion show.

Weapons Policy

• Please review Anime Boston's Weapons Policy.

• Hall Costume Contest Basic Information
• Hall Costume Contest Rules
• Participation Form for Minors (This to be completed in addtion to the registration form).
• Hall Costume Contest Registration Form - NOT READY YET
• Craftsmanship Judging Sample Questions (same as Masquerade)
• Masquerade FAQ (answers many craftsmanship questions)