Anime NJ++ Cosplay Contest Rules & Guidelines
Anime NJ++ loves cosplay! Have you spent hours upon hours making the perfect and most accurate costume possible? Do you possess an incredible attention to detail and apply that to each and every costume? Do you love presenting on stage in front of a crowd? Then the Cosplay Contest is for you! This is a chance for you to show off your amazing costume! Contestants will be judged in the following criteria: Workmanship, Overall Appearance, Originality, and Stage Presence.
Official Rules:
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All cosplays will be considered, but preference will be to those influenced by Japanese culture; anime, kaiju, tokusatsu, and J-Cinema (Japanese movies and series).
- The contest will be Saturday December 16, 2023, at 6:00 pm EST, in the Hilton Woodcliff Lake amphitheater.
- There will be no pre-judging, and contestants will be asked to check-in at the cosplay table anytime Friday, or by 3 pm Saturday.
- You must purchase a 3-day ticket to participate.
- The host and judges are being selected. The judges will be individuals in the cosplay and costuming communities who excel at craftsmanship, design and have extensive backgrounds in costuming and prop creation, and cosplay competition.
- There will be 3 judges awards, a winner for each division, and a Best In Show winner.
- Entry into the event is at the discretion of the event staff, and we reserve the right to reject ANY entrant who does not adhere to these rules or whose costume is in violation of them.
- There are 3 divisions: Novice, Journeyman and Masters.
- The Novice division is intended for those who are new to both costuming and competitions. Even if this is your first competition, you may still be placed into Journeyman based on the quality of your cosplay.
- The Journeyman division is for those who have experience costuming and competing; regardless if you have placed in another competition.
- The Masters division is designed for the most advanced competitors. Ideally, you have competed previously and placed in another competition.
- Be mindful that a judge or the coordinator can bump you up to a higher division depending on the quality of your cosplay. Especially if you have competed and placed in another competition.
- Group cosplays will be allowed but preference will be given to individual cosplays. For a group cosplay, have only one member of the group apply and select the division applicable to the most experienced member of the group.
- Entrants must be onsite, in costume, and ready to go at least 45 minutes before the contest.
- Costume Composition:
- Store-bought costumes are NOT PERMITTED! Your costume needs to be made or modified by you.
- Modifications will be carefully assessed by our judges and must be at least 50% modified from the original piece. This applies to all aspects of your costume.
- Our judges may ask you to verify that your costume is an original construction or to confirm an acceptable amount of modifications have been made to pre-existing materials.
- While we do allow for a few minor pre-made, pre-purchased items, we are looking for craftsmanship and creativity. You may also give credit to your fellow costumer(s) who assisted you during the construction of your entry. Any assistance can only be up to 30% assistance, for example, you may have purchased a 3D printed prop as opposed to modeling and printing it yourself, but you may have finished the piece off yourself depending on the scale and amount of said 3D purchased piece. Or perhaps you’re too young to operate a certain type of machinery or tool. Again assessment of this will be at the full discretion of the judges.
- Original character designs and concepts are accepted as well! We are also allowing mashups and different takes on existing characters. Please be prepared to show the judges your reference for all characters not cannon to their original intellectual property. We highly encourage a build book!
- Build Books are not mandatory but appreciated.
- Kid-Friendly Show Reminder. There will be children present and your costumes and presentation should be suitable for ALL ages. No nudity and no profanity. That includes messages on signs, bad language or clothes. Remember: this is a family friendly show! As a reminder entry into the event is at the discretion of the event staff, and we reserve the right to reject ANY entrant who does not adhere to these rules or whose costume is in violation of them.
- During the competition, you will have up to 1 minute on stage. During this time there will be 3 spots on stage for you to make a pose. This is for photos and a chance for the judges to see your cosplay in action.
- If you need any assistance, you may have one person to help you.
- For safety reasons the following isn’t allowed: projectiles of any kind (darts, pellets, or even water), aerosol spray, pyrotechnics like fire, bubbles, smoke, or fireworks. No mess is to be left on stage after your presentation.
- No specific audio will be played for a contestant.
- Please refer to Anime NJ++ costume and weapon policy.
- Live animals are not allowed during the show unless they are a service animal.
- If you break any equipment or cause any damage to the facility, you will be responsible for paying to replace it. Be aware of cords, curtains, screens, etc.
- ANY Anime NJ++ staff, volunteers, celebrities or cosplay guests are prohibited from entering the Anime NJ++ Cosplay Contest.
- Violations of any of these rules will result in disqualification.
If you have questions or concerns, feel free to email the cosplay coordinator at hailiumworkshop@gmail.com. We hope to see you at the competition!
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