Sakura-Con 2010
Cosplay Contest Rules

1. The Contest

1. The Sakura-Con Cosplay Contest is a skit and walk-on competition for showcasing costumes and acting talent, open to Cosplayers of all levels and abilities. Entrants will be judged in both Skit and Cosplay categories according to their level of experience.
2. For all questions, suggestions, issues, confirmation requests, or offers of help regarding the Sakura-Con Cosplay contests, please contact the Cosplay Coordinator at cosplay@sakuracon.org.

2. Eligibility

1. You must have a membership to Sakura-Con 2010 to enter.
2. Staff members may compete, but groups containing staff members will be entered into a Staff Skit and Staff Costume categories for judging.
3. You may perform in only one presentation. Appearances in multiple skits, even as a background or audio-only character, are not allowed.
4. Any skit or costume that has won an award at Sakura-Con before may be entered as an exhibition performance, but is not eligible for any awards.
5. All costumes purchased as-is or created on commission by someone not a member of your skit are ineligible for a costume award.
6. As Sakura-Con is a celebration of anime, manga, and Asian culture, it is expected that all costumes will be related to Asian culture. This includes, but is not limited to, anime or manga series, religious or cultural garb, school or state uniforms, and musicrelated or drama-related costumes. When in doubt, please consult the Cosplay Coordinator.
7. Online entries must be submitted by Wednesday, March 31.
8. All other entry forms must be handed in by the Cosplay Pre-Meeting on April 2. Please check the official schedule for the Pre-Meeting time.

3. Safety

1. Nothing that produces flame, smoke, fog, or electricity will be allowed. No pressurized liquids or gases. No dry ice, wind machines, or lasers. This rule is in effect for the stage as well as all other Cosplay areas such as backstage and in the green room. All lighting or special effects must be approved by the Cosplay Coordinator and set up through the lighting technician. If electronic flashes are approved, they must be included in your MC introduction so appropriate warnings can be made to protect audience members who are sensitive to flashing lights.
2. All costumes and props must be self contained, and must not require external connections to, for example, power sources. Any costumes or props that require set-up time and/or are over 8 feet in any dimension must be approved by the Cosplay Coordinator before rehearsal.
3. No animals are allowed on stage or backstage. Service animals permitted by Sakura-Con may be allowed with prior approval from the Cosplay Coordinator.
4. No jumping on or off the stage. Jumping on or off the stage will result in immediate disqualification. Use the designated exits and entrances on stage.
5. Throwing of non-weapon items must be approved by the Cosplay Coordinator at the pre-meeting or the rehearsal. Any throwing of items that has not been approved by the coordinator will result in immediate disqualification.
6. The stage must be left in the same condition it was in when you. This especially applies to messy substances that will cause damage or cleaning bills to costumes, props, or the stage itself. If you will be leaving anything (props, pieces of costume, etc), arrange to have it picked up by the stage crew before the rehearsal or bring your own stagehand.
7. All entrants must sign a waiver before the rehearsal. Minors must have their guardian's permission and a guardian's signature on the waiver, and they must be accompanied by a guardian at the rehearsal, backstage and in the Green room.
8. Brandishing a weapon at anyone not in your Cosplay group may result in disqualification. Insulting or injuring other entrants, convention members, judges, guests, or their costumes may result in disqualification.

4. Schedule and Technical Issues

1. Plan to limit your presentation to 4 minutes in length, including any set-up or teardown time required. If the maximum of 35 groups is met, we will be enforcing this time limit. The official time limit will be announced at the Cosplay pre-meeting.
2. Entrants are required to attend the pre-meeting, the rehearsal and costume judging, and to show up at the requested time for the contest itself. Entrants who miss any of these events may be disqualified.
3. Costume judging will take place during the technical rehearsal. Skit judging will take place during the half-time show and awards will be presented immediately afterwards.
4. There will be no microphones available for live sound at the performance. All audio must be pre-recorded. Recording time will be available for those groups or individuals who have not already pre-recorded their skits or walk-on music.

5. Judging

1. Entrants will be placed into separate categories for skits and for costumes. Skits will be categorized based on the whole group, while costumes will be categorized individually.
   1. Skits:
      1. Any group where any of the following is true will be placed in the Professional Skit category.
         1. Performers in the group have won at least three skit awards at past Sakura-Con competitions, even if they were in different groups when those awards were won.
         2. The group itself has won at least two skit awards at past Cosplay Competitions, Sakura-Con or elsewhere.
         3. The group has performed outside of the Convention circuit at comedy clubs or similar establishments.
      2. Any group where any of the following is true will be placed in the Veteran Skit category.
         1. The group as a whole has performed at Sakura-Con at least twice previously
         2. The majority of the individuals in the group have performed at Sakura-Con at least three times each previously.
         3. Performers in the group have won two skit awards at past Sakura-Con competitions, even if they were in different groups when those awards were won.
         4. The group itself has won a skit award at past Cosplay Competitions, Sakura-Con or elsewhere.
      3. All other groups will be placed into the Novice Skit category.
      4. Skits containing staff members may be placed into a Staff category.
   2. Costumes:
      1. Any costume where any of the following is true will be placed in the Professional Costume category.
         1. The costume was made by a professional who is present for the costume judging.
         2. The costume was made by a person who has won at least two costume awards at past Sakura-Con competitions, or at least three costume awards elsewhere.
      2. Any costume where any of the following is true will be placed in the Veteran Costume category.
         1. Any costume made by a person who has made 5 or more costumes, or who has made 3 or more costumes for past Sakura- Con competitions.
         2. Any costume made by a person who has won a costume award at past Sakura-Con competitions, or two costume awards elsewhere.
      3. All other costumes will be placed into the Novice Costume category.
      4. Costumes made or worn by staff members may be placed into a Staff category.
      5. Costumes made by someone other than the person wearing the costume are only eligible for awards if the creator is a member of the wearer's performance group and is present for the costume judging.
2. These categories are subject to review by the judges, and the judges or the Cosplay Coordinator may place you in a different category than the one you chose for yourself. If there are three or more minors in the costume competition, or groups of minors in the skit competition, they may be placed into a Minor category.

6. Weapons

1. As a general rule, any weapon that is permitted at the convention may appear on stage, subject to the same conditions it was given when it was peace-bonded. For example, a sword that was peace-bonded on the condition that it not be removed from its sheath may appear on stage in the Cosplay contest as long as it remains in the sheath. Any weapon not permitted at the convention will also not be allowed on stage.
2. No functional bladed or projectile weapon will be allowed on stage. Projectile weapons that can be altered to become functional (i.e. currently disabled Airsoft guns) are also not allowed.
3. Projectile weapons that cannot be made functional but which look realistic, and metal-bladed weapons, may be allowed, but may not be brandished. They must remain holstered or sheathed at all times.
4. Non-realistic projectile weapons may be brandished at fellow performers in your group, but may not be brandished or otherwise pointed at anyone not on stage.
5. Realistic but non-metal weapons (other than projectiles) may be brandished at fellow performers in your group, but may not be brandished or otherwise pointed at anyone not on stage.
6. Non-realistic non-projectile weapons may be used on stage and brandished towards the audience.
7. All weapons that will be carried or used on stage must be approved by the Cosplay Coordinator at the pre-meeting or the rehearsal.
8. Any use of a weapon that involves pointing it towards the audience must be approved by the Cosplay Coordinator at the pre-meeting or the rehearsal.
9. Any use of a weapon that involves making contact with another person or weapon must be approved by the Cosplay Coordinator at the pre-meeting or the rehearsal.
10. No throwing of any weapon will be allowed. Any weapon leaving your hand must do so in a controlled manner, and must be approved by the Cosplay Coordinator at the pre-meeting or the rehearsal.

7. Adult Content

1. As Sakura-Con is a family friendly event, there will be SC-13 content restrictions in place for the Cosplay Contest, approximately equivalent to PG-13. We want to give parents an easy out when a six year old child asks them why that man poked the other person in the butt. (Answer: It's an attack called "One Thousand Years of Pain".) We don't want parents to have to explain hentai to the six year old. (Answer: Uhhhh... Ask me when you're over the age of consent.)
   1. No profanity is allowed. Excessive violence is not allowed.
   2. No sexual activity or contact allowed, real or implied. No nudity is allowed.
   3. All sexual jokes must have a non-sexual interpretation that is at least as obvious as the sexual one, especially to someone who hasn't seen the anime or game being referenced.
   4. Any adult content is subject to review by the Cosplay Coordinator. Any content deemed too explicit for family viewing may require that you rerecord your skit without that content. Refusal to do so may result in disqualification.