Masquerade Rules and Contestant Information

MASQUERADE RULES AND CONTESTANT INFORMATION

Version 1.4
Last Revised: June 21, 2018
Please check back periodically for possible revisions / updates

For anything possibly not included here, please check the Masquerade FAQ for further information, or if necessary, contact the Masquerade Director at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

CONTENTS OVERVIEW:

Before the Convention:

Calling all Costumers and Cosplayers!! Are you interested in exhibiting a costume onstage in the Worldcon Masquerade event? If so, please read this document for registration and all other related information! 

If you are at the convention and in doubt about entering, please come by the Masquerade Registration Desk in costume, or with a photo of you in your costume, or just talk to us about your costume ― we’ll be happy to help you decide.

Although it is advisable to premiere your Masquerade costume at the Masquerade itself, thus giving you the biggest possible impact on the audience and judges, this is NOT mandatory. (If we find you in a fabulous costume in the hallways of Worldcon 76, we might attempt to recruit you into the Masquerade!)

Should you decide to enter the Masquerade: Thank you very, very much! YOU make the show - we couldn’t do it without you! Registration information may be found below.

Participation and Entry Requirements

AKA: what you should plan on preparing.

  1. Who may enter the Masquerade:
    1. To appear onstage, you must be an Attending Member of Worldcon 76.
    2. To have a costume you created appear onstage (worn by a model), you must have at least a Supporting ​Membership for Worldcon 76.

  2. Themes: Costume entries should have some sort of relationship to a general Science Fiction / Fantasy / Cosplay theme (including Video Games, Comics and Animé), whether as an Original Creation, a Re-Creation, Creative Interpretation, or Assembled costume. If in doubt, please contact the Masquerade Director.

  3. Double entries:
    1. Each person may only appear on the stage in ONE entry.
    2. A person may have different costumes modeled by someone else in a different entry. (Example: a Young Fan (please see “Divisions”) may enter wearing a costume made or partially made by a parent, while the parent may be participating in an adult entry.)

  4. Eligible Costume Types:
    1. Original: A costume inspired by science fiction, fantasy, mythology, animé, alternate history, or other original source, including your imagination, but whose design is completely the creation of the entrant.

      Documentation about your costume, how you made it, and any other information is very welcome, and will be reviewed by the Workmanship judges if your costume is being judged for Workmanship (please see “Judging Categories”).

    2. Re-Creation
      A costume whose design is copied from a movie, video, television series, art, comics, theatrical presentation, book illustration, sculpture or other medium, showing at least one good view of the costume. Re-creation costumes are duplicates or design adaptations of the published design or work of someone other than the entrant.

      Entries based upon descriptions in books, online articles and such are not considered re-creations, as there is no visual source for the entry. These entries are considered as “creatively inspired by” the source material (please see “Creatively Inspired / Creative Interpretation”).

      Documentation: to be eligible for Workmanship judging, entrants competing with re-creation costumes MUST provide at least one image of the original source of the derivative work, as the judges may not be familiar with the work you are copying

      A picture and possibly a written description or sculptural piece may accompany your registration forms and/or be turned in, preferably at the Masquerade Registration Desk when checking in, or to the judges at time of judging. 

    3. Creatively Inspired / Creative Interpretation
      This is best illustrated with an example: a Victorian Steampunk Star Trek Uniform. 

      Documentation: as with re-creations, to be eligible for Workmanship judging, creatively inspired costumes must provide at least one image of the original derivative work at Masquerade Registration (or the detailed description of a character from a book / publication if there is no original visual reference), as the judges may not be familiar with the work you are being inspired by.

      While documentation is required only for Workmanship judging, the Presentation judges (if they feel they might wish to consult it for judging) will also be able to have access to documentation if it is in hard-copy format. You may bring image documentation to the judges electronically (eg: on a tablet), but this is not preferred, as they will be able to better assess your work by having prior access to your documentation.

    4. Assembled:
      A costume assembled from an assortment of pieces from different suppliers; when those suppliers were not all costume resources, you may use the “Assembled by” line on the Masquerade Registration form to indicate you did that. For instance, if you purchased some parts from a consignment shop, some from a donation store, and some from a costume shop, that would be considered an “assembled” costume. 

      Assembled costumes are allowed in competition, but are only eligible for Presentation Awards, not Workmanship judging. (Exceptions: a costume piece(s), such as a prop, that you created yourself - that particular item may be eligible for Workmanship judging.)

    5. NOTE ON DOCUMENTATION: Hardcopy documentation turned in to the Masquerade Desk prior to judging is highly preferred. If your documentation is in electronic format and must be shown to the judges at time of judging, please make sure it is pre-loaded onto your device, as the Internet may be difficult to access from the judging location.

  5. Presentation Length / Stage Time:
    1. Excluding a short amount time for stage setup (stage crew putting a prop, portable backdrop made for the entry, or a chair onstage for your presentation, for example) Individual presentations have a default time limit of 60 seconds from lights-up to lights-down, while larger group entries (typically 4 or more) have a default time limit of 90 seconds. 

    2. Think “TV commercials”; make your presentation as short and as to the point as possible so as to avoid losing the audience’s interest - you want to leave the stage before their attention has a chance to drift; and leave them wanting more! 

    3. If for any reason you feel it may be necessary for your presentation to run past these default times, please contact the Masquerade Director.

  6. Presentation Audio:
    1. SOUND BEATS SILENCE:
      Even if you are doing just a simple walk-on (e.g.: come onstage, make a couple of turns so that all parts of your costume can be seen, walk off), PLEASE bring at least a music CD with a track that complements your costume!

    2. YOU CAN’T SPEAK FROM THE STAGE!
      Because you won’t have a mic, and nobody will be able to hear you! You must PRE-RECORD all your presentation speech dialog, music and sound effects, (or provide a simple music file for walk-ons.) Two copies (preferably on different media, see below) should be handed to the Audio team via the Masquerade Registration Desk as early as possible. Please clearly label your media with the name and title of your entry, and NOT use a generic label such as “Worldcon 76 Masquerade — Star Wars”.

    3. BUT THE MC MAY ASSIST YOU...
      The only person who has a microphone and is allowed to actually speak from the stage is the Master of Ceremonies (“MC”). The MC will be happy to work with you in reading a short script, or to interact with you as planned ahead of time. Please provide your script in .txt or .rtf format by email to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or have it available on a thumbdrive to be turned in at the Masquerade Registration Desk. We will modify it solely for printing style, and print it out prior to the beginning of rehearsals.

    4. PLEASE KEEP IT SIMPLE / EASY:
      It is strongly suggested that you put ONLY the music and/or speech, sound effects, etc. that you want us to play on the media you bring us. Start the sound from the point you want it played during the show, and make sure to time all your sound to when it should be heard in your presentation. While we can do some minimal audio editing at the Masquerade desk, this does take time, which may be in very short supply.

    5. IF YOU ONLY HAVE A MUSIC CD:
      If you are using only a music track from a commercial CD, the Tech Crew will typically start at the beginning of your track and fade out when you reach your time limit. If you are using any other portion of a musical track, please bring in a previously edited version with your preferred starting point.

    6. SOUND FILE FORMATS:
      Large sound systems bring out the best and worst in recordings. If at all possible, base the music for your presentation from non-compressed sources such as CDs rather than from downloads. Keep the sound files in uncompressed .WAV or .AIF format throughout the editing process, and deliver final material as WAV, AIFF, LAC, ALAC, and AAC files for playback. Do not save the sound file in a compressed format (.MP3 or otherwise.)

    7. SOUND FILE MEDIA:
      We prefer that you bring your sound file on a USB thumb drive / flash drive. Please don’t bring the audio files on your smartphone or tablet;  that can cause the files to be compressed, and you probably don’t want to leave your phone with us.

    8. DOUBLE-CHECK YOUR SOUND!
      It is suggested that any recorded voice be checked for clarity by playing it in a car traveling at highway speed and making sure it is still understandable.

    9. WHAT TECH CREW WILL DO:
      Before your rehearsal, the Audio team will capture the sound file from your media and prepare it for playback. We will either return your media at the rehearsal, or at the Masquerade Show-and-Tell / Postmortem on Sunday, depending on time available.

    10. UM… I THINK I WILL NEED HELP FINDING MUSIC:
      Earlier requests for help (e.g.: via email) will have higher priority than requests received at-con. All help really needs to be requested in time to be ready BEFORE your Tech Rehearsal. If you show up at the rehearsal with no music, the Tech Crew may not have time to help you with that.

    11. QUESTIONS?
      If you have questions about any of this, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and we will help you.

  7. But I’ve worn this costume before at another event! / Can I wear my costume at Worldcon 76 before the Masquerade?
    1. There are NO restrictions on costumes being worn at this convention (or at another event prior to this convention) before the competition. We ask that you use your best judgment about whether to enter in competition or only as Exhibition (if you’re not sure, please ask us). 

    2. If you have won a major award with this costume (such as “Best in Class”) at an international competition (international competitions include Worldcons, Costume-Cons, and Anime North), we might ask you to compete up one level, or present your entry out of competition (Exhibition). We DO want to see your costumes here!

Logistical Restrictions and Safety Requirements:

  1. The convention is family-friendly - Masquerade entries should be at most PG-13.

  2. Local and State laws apply. You must be street-legal; “no costume” is not a costume.

  3. No open flame, sparks, or other pyrotechnics will be allowed. However, if you are a dragon, plenty of fake / safe flame is welcome.

  4. Don't design your entry so it depends on complex lighting. We will be working with tech to provide the best, most sophisticated support we can, but based on past experience, fancy tech equipment is one of the things that often falls to budget cuts.

  5. If you have a lighted costume or prop, all power and lights must be in self-contained, non-corrosive containers. Absolutely no leaking of corrosive or poisonous materials is allowed. Use batteries; you will not have access to electrical power on stage.

  6. Do not construct or decorate yourself or your costume or props with anything messy, smelly, or slimy. No liquids or viscous or drippy materials, including bubbles, steam, smoke, or mists that could leave a film on the stage or may be spilled, poured, squirted, thrown or projected during a presentation.

  7. Do not leave trash on the stage. That includes things like confetti, streamers, beads, Silly String, feathers, etc. A limited number of non-messy prop pieces that are quickly and easily collected by the Stage Crew / Ninjas after your presentation are OK.

  8. Do not throw anything into the audience!!

  9. Wireless (radio) remote controlled devices are discouraged. We do not know what sort of interference will exist in the Ballroom during the show. It would be a shame to base your entry on something that doesn’t work and that we cannot predict ahead of the show. In turn, your device might interfere with the Tech Crew’s equipment causing unknown glitches in the show as well.

Weapons Policy

Please read the Worldcon 76 Weapons Policy. Real and prop weaponry and weapon-like props as intended to be worn with costumes in the halls is subject to the Worldcon 76 Weapons Policy.

  1. The Masquerade Director must approve the use of any actual weapon(s) or item(s) that could be mistaken for a weapon when used as a part of a costume during the Masquerade. Both real and crafted fantasy or recreation weapons are considered weapons for the purposes of this discussion. 

  2. Any item resembling a real-life weapon must be concealed / wrapped when being transported to and from both the Masquerade rehearsal and the Masquerade proper.

  3. The Masquerade Director must be informed in advance of any weapons being used and must approve all such uses. When registering for the Masquerade, please include a clear description of the weapon and what you intend to do with it during your presentation.

  4. Absolutely NO functional firearms, even unloaded. Period.

  5. We strongly discourage the carrying of live steel; if you wish to carry it onstage, it must be explicitly approved by the Masquerade Director. Any special effects and weaponry (including props), and however you plan to wield them, MUST be approved by Tech, the Stage / Weapons Master and the Masquerade Director before the competition. The best time to do this is before the rehearsal, so that we can schedule enough time to insure to our and your satisfaction that the effects will work, and see a demonstration of your use of weapons in your presentation. 

  6. ALL weapons / weapon-like props must follow these guidelines:
    1. No object can be fired or thrown onto the stage or into the audience
    2. No heavy object can be dropped onto the stage or into the audience
    3. All edges must be dulled
    4. If you are wielding a weapon / weapon-like prop in a vigorous manner, you may be requested to secure it to your person via a wrist loop or in some other manner so that it cannot fly into the audience if it accidentally slips from your grasp.

  7. Items that are flammable, odorous, or unreasonably noisy are also considered to be weapons and must be cleared with the Masquerade Director.

  8. Costumers will have to demonstrate that they understand the appropriate safe use of any weapons planned for their presentation. Refusal to do so will lead to disqualification if, in the Masquerade Director’s opinion, the unrehearsed use could have endangered members of the convention, whether in the audience, backstage or on stage.

  9. The Masquerade Director reserves the right to disqualify any entry that is deemed problematic for any reason.

Masquerade Competition Categories (“The Sorting Hat”)

Information about skill divisions, judging, etc.

The Division System, explained:

(Open / Journeyman / Novice / Young Fan)

These Divisions are based on guidelines published by the International Costumers’ Guild (ICG), and have been modified for this competition. 

When you register for the Masquerade, you are required to choose which division you are entering. As always, when in doubt, check with the Masquerade Director before the competition.

If an entry appears to be grossly mis-categorized, the Masquerade Director reserves the right to re-categorize it.

  1. Open
    This division is for anyone who:
    1. is considered a “Master” in International Competition, or
    2. is a professional costume maker, or
    3. has won three or more awards or a Best in Class as a Journeyman at the Regional or International level, or
    4. chooses to compete in this class based on their personal assessment of their skill level.

  2. Journeyman
    This division is for anyone who:
    1. Is not required to enter as a “Master”, and
    2. has won at least one award as a Journeyman at the Regional or International level, or
    3. has won at least three awards or a Best in Class as a Novice at the Regional or International level, or
    4. chooses to compete in this class based on their personal assessment of their skill level.

  3. Novice
    This division is for anyone who:
    1. Is not required to enter as a “Journeyman”, and
    2. has won fewer than three awards as a Novice at the Regional or International level, or
    3. has just become old enough to NOT qualify for the Young Fan Class.

  4. Young Fan
    This division is for anyone who:
    1. is 12 or under on the day of the competition (born on or after August 19, 2005), and
    2. is also not part of an adult group.

  5. I’m in a group - what’s my Division?:
    A group should compete in the skill division of the group’s most experienced member. For any possible individual exceptions in a group entry, please consult with the Masquerade Director.

Judging Categories, explained:

(Workmanship / Presentation / Exhibition)

Entries considered as eligible for competition are automatically entered in Presentation judging. Entries eligible for competition are also encouraged to sign up for Workmanship judging, as warranted.

  1. Workmanship Judging:
    1. Takes place in the Masquerade Green Room before the show. There will be a certain number of time slots available for signup beforehand.

    2. Workmanship judging involves judging the construction of a costume / costume set, or specific parts of a costume (such as, for example, a particular handcrafted prop, headpiece, etc.) As such, it is strongly encouraged that the costume creator be present for Workmanship judging if at all possible, in order to be able to answer judges’ questions concerning construction. It may be difficult to effectively judge a costume and give due credit to a creator’s ingenuity otherwise.

    3. If the creator of a costume and the presenter of that costume are different people, any Workmanship award won by the costume belongs to the creator (who must be at least a supporting member of Worldcon 76).

    4. In the case of a group entry, the entry may be judged individually by participant and/or as the entire group. 

    5. While you may participate in the Masquerade in a commissioned or rented full costume, if you do so, the costume is not eligible for a Masquerade Workmanship award, unless the creator of the costume is a member of Worldcon 76. (These costumes may, however, be eligible for Presentation judging.)

    6. As stated earlier, if you are entering workmanship judging, please try to provide documentation of the details of your workmanship process and/or your source material especially if your costume(s) is a re-creation or creative interpretation. The judges do not necessarily have familiarity with all the sources. Sufficient documentation is extremely helpful for the Workmanship judges to fairly and impartially evaluate your work.
      1. Documentation should preferably be submitted to the Masquerade Registration desk before judging, or at the very latest to the judges at the time of judging - however, please strive to submit it earlier if at all possible, as later submissions may not be able to get sufficient attention. Please clearly label your documentation with the name and title of your entry, and NOT use a generic label such as “Worldcon 76 Masquerade — Star Trek”.

      2. The judges will have a limited amount of time to review your work and your documentation, so please, don’t write a novel. Photos, sketches, screenshots, and short written descriptions of your work are encouraged. 

      3. Photos and any other documentation will be returned to you after the show at the “Behind the Seams of the Masquerade” panel on Sunday, August 19.

    7. Entrants may choose to have only parts of their costume judged, such as a prop, armor piece, or headpiece. If in doubt, visit with the Workmanship judges anyway. Even if you’re not impressed with the work on your costume or props, they very well may be. Leave it to the judges’ judgment as to whether your work is special in the context of this competition.

    8. Entrants should if possible sign up in advance for Workmanship Judging slots; please see “Registration”.

    9. Workmanship judging will take place in the Masquerade Green Room. For additional information, please see “The Masquerade Green Room”.

  2. Presentation Judging:
    1. Takes place while contestants are onstage.

    2. Presentation Judging involves the judging of how a costume or costumes (individual or group entry) is/are presented onstage, whether in skit/performance format, or as a walk-on that showcases the costume at its best to the judging panel and the audience.

    3. The Presentation judges will be looking at your costume from the audience’s point of view. They will look at the costume itself and make-up, in addition to how well it works with the music, script, and choreography that you use on stage. Even a mediocre costume can win a Presentation award if it is presented well, and sometimes a great costume might be passed over for lack of a coherent or entertaining presentation. 

    4. You will make your best presentation by making sure the audience has enough time to see your whole costume, see what you can do once, understand your story if you are telling one, and then leave the stage. A good costume and presentation can be ruined by taking too long on stage.

    5. Remember, funny or theatrically dramatic is good, shorter is better, and short and funny or exciting is best!

  3. Exhibition:
    1. This category is for entries which do not wish judging, or are otherwise not eligible for Workmanship or Presentation judging (e.g., an entry that previously won a major international award. When in doubt, ask the Masquerade Director.)

    2. Exhibition-Only entries are not eligible for awards from the official Masquerade judges, although they might possibly be given an award by a special guest of the convention.

Masquerade Registration (before & at Con)

How / Where / When to Register

  1. Online:
    1. Online pre-registrations for the Masquerade will be accepted until 11:59pm PDT Tuesday, August 14, 2018. When you feel ready, please register online. Adjustments can be made to your details up until your technical rehearsal, so for now, just enter as much information as you can.

    2. If you register online, you (or at least one group entry representative) MUST check in at the Masquerade Desk at the convention as soon as possible to receive your information packet and release forms, submit documentation and audio, etc.

  2. At the Convention:
    1. Registrations will be accepted on-site at the Masquerade Desk at Worldcon 76 until 6pm Friday, August 17, 2018.

Masquerade Reg / Check-in Desk at Worldcon 76

  1. Hours / Location: The at-con Masquerade Registration Desk will be open Thursday, August 16 from noon to 6pm, Friday, August 17 from 10am to 6pm, and Saturday, August 18 from 10am to noon, at the San Jose Convention Center, near Cospitality and the Tower (please see your convention program guide which ought to show the exact location.)The at-con Masquerade Registration Desk will be open Thursday, August 16 from noon to 6pm, Friday, August 17 from 10am to 6pm, and Saturday, August 18 from 10am to noon, at the San Jose Convention Center, near Cospitality and the Tower (please see your convention program guide which ought to show the exact location.)

  2. What you do / what you get there:
    1. Register, if you have not done so already.

    2. You MUST Check In (even if you have already registered online) so that we can confirm that you are here!! If you have a group entry, it is strongly recommended that all members show up together for this, if possible. Only one representative for a group entry is required to check their group in, but ALL members of an entry must sign release forms which need to be turned in to the desk, or at the latest at the Mandatory Contestants’ Meeting - see below.

    3. Get your entry’s Information Packet.

    4. Get the badge ribbons that allow members of your entry into the Masquerade Green Room before the show.

    5. Get release forms for everyone in your entry to be able to participate onstage.
      1. In order to appear onstage, all members of your entry (including your personal Stage Crew if you have any) must sign the Worldcon 76 Masquerade Release in person. Note that these MUST be signed in the presence of Masquerade Staff.
      2. A parent or legal guardian MUST sign for anyone appearing onstage under the age of 18 at the time of the show.
      3. These can be signed & submitted either at the Masquerade Registration Desk, or at the latest at the Mandatory Contestants Meeting (please see “Mandatory Contestants Meeting”).
      4. To reiterate: NO ONE, entrant or crew, will be allowed onstage without a signed release form.

    6. Sign up for your Tech Rehearsal time slot (required)

    7. Sign up for your Workmanship Judging time slot (if your entry is competing in Workmanship)

    8. Paper and online Registration Forms will be available at the Masquerade Registration Desk. Entrants will still be able to check in there until noon on Saturday, August 18, but we will only accept new entry registration until 6pm Friday August 17, 2018, or until we run out of tech rehearsal slots, whichever comes first.

  3. What you submit there:
    1. Your registration information, if you have not already done so online.

    2. Costume construction documentation if requesting Workmanship Judging (this can also be submitted directly to the Workmanship judges at time of judging, but it is highly recommended to submit it beforehand, so as to allow the judges to view it earlier)

    3. Your presentation AUDIO files (please see “Presentation Audio”)

    4. Any questions you might have, which our staff will answer to the best of our ability.

After Registration - at the Con:

Mandatory Contestants’ Meeting, Saturday August 18:

  1. When / Where: 9:30AM PDT on SATURDAY, AUGUST 18, 2018, location TBD (available at Masquerade Desk if this page is not updated before the Con).

  2. ALL ENTRIES MUST ATTEND THE MANDATORY CONTESTANTS’ MEETING for check-in confirmation and any last-minute questions / new information. (If a group entry has already turned in all necessary release forms, at LEAST one member (preferably more, or all) needs to attend.)

  3. Anyone who has NOT yet signed a release form (or had a parent / guardian sign a release form, if a minor) MUST attend this meeting and sign their form.

Mandatory Tech Rehearsal:

  1. No one will be allowed to present on stage if they have not rehearsed with our MC, Stage Manager, and Tech Crew.

    For safety and coordination with the Tech Crew and the MC, you MUST rehearse onstage in the Grand Ballroom during the day on Friday or Saturday. You will be assigned a rehearsal time when you check in at the Masquerade Registration Desk.This will be your only scheduled “official” rehearsal time.

  2. Rehearsals will be scheduled during the day on Friday in 8 minutes slots, and Saturday in 5 minute slots.

  3. You should bring the following to your rehearsal:
    1. All persons appearing onstage in your entry
    2. Costume items in the dominant color or pattern
    3. Any props that will be used on stage, especially if they need to be pre-set or struck after your presentation is over
    4. Any part of your costume that is large or heavy, if at all possible
    5. Any mask or costume part that will limit your vision
    6. Footwear that you will be wearing on stage (very important! If you have slipping issues, you need to know!)

  4. NEVER surprise the crew. ALWAYS surprise the audience if possible. Together we can ensure that both these goals are achieved. You may surprise the audience, and we would be happy to help you do so. Thus, it is imperative that the Stage Manager, Tech Crew, the MC, and the Masquerade Director are completely aware of what you plan to do on stage. No exceptions.

Day of the Masquerade

The Masquerade Green Room:

  1. The Masquerade Green Room is where contestants check in before the Masquerade, are given their presentation order and organized into “dens” with “den parents”, have Workmanship Judging done, and have a Repair Table available for last-minute simple repairs.

  2. The Masquerade Green Room will open Saturday, August 18, at 5:30 PM, 2 1/2 hours before the show starts, for previously-assigned Workmanship Judging time slots.

  3. Your entire group MUST be in the Masquerade Green Room by 7 PM in order to compete.
  4. Re: Workmanship Judging in the Green Room:
    1. Documentation of your costume source and/or construction process is highly preferred (please see all prior references to “Documentation”.)

    2. There will be available sign-up time-slots for judging on a first-come, first-served basis at the Masquerade Desk before the show; otherwise your entry must be judged after all the assigned slots have been judged, and likely during the show itself. In that case, or if you were not able to be available for your assigned time slot, your Workmanship Judging may have to wait until after your presentation.

    3. The Workmanship Judges will talk to you and will want to see the best parts of your costume “up close and personal”. Please let these judges know specifically what you are most proud of in your costume and/or props, and be sure to tell them how you made your costume.

  5. The Masquerade Green Room will be in the San Jose Convention Center adjacent to the Grand Ballroom. There, you will find out your presentation order for the show when you arrive. Please sign in at the desk with the person in charge as you enter the room; if a group, ALL members must sign in at this desk.

  6. Young Fans will be sharing the Masquerade Green Room space with the adults. We will make assignments in the Masquerade Green Room to focus Young Fan entrants together (at least one parent or legal guardian is required to accompany their Young Fan at all times).

  7. You will be assigned a “Den” and given over to the care of your Den Mom or Dad.
    1. If you need anything, please let them know. It is their responsibility to insure that you appear for the Workmanship Judges (if you so choose).
    2. Your Den Mom or Dad will make sure you are lined up in the right order and on time to make your best entrance.
    3. They are also responsible for helping to make sure you are photographed at some point by the Official Masquerade Photographer.
    4. They are also available to care for anything like your eyeglasses and convention badges that you may need before and after your appearance on stage.

  8. There will be a Repair Table available for you to use. Please do not abuse this privilege. It is there to provide safety pins, a little glue, a dab of makeup. Do not expect to use the table for large projects; it is only here to cover last minute costume emergencies.

  9. There will most likely be some non-messy snack food and drink available in the Masquerade Green Room. The size and type of food and drink will be determined closer to the convention, and depends upon budget and Convention Center considerations. BE SURE TRY TO, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, EAT DINNER BEFORE YOU ARRIVE. Please do not bring any messy / drippy food items with you to the Green Room, as they might accidentally damage your costume or someone else’s.

  10. No alcohol or other mind-altering substances will be allowed in the Masquerade Green Room. Should you be found to be intoxicated, or otherwise impaired, by any of the Masquerade staff, your entry will be scratched from competition and you will not be allowed to present on stage.

  11. We hope to have a live feed of the show in the Masquerade Green Room. It is there to provide feedback to the team on how the show is progressing, and to allow entrants to see what’s on stage during your down time.

Onstage:

  1. We will open the show and introduce the MC. The MC will then introduce the judges and explain the Division System, before any presentations start.
  3. Young Fans will appear first in the competition. All presentation rules still apply. Young Fan entrants will remain backstage following their presentations. Young Fan recognitions will be awarded before the adults’ entries start. After the Young Fan awards are presented, the Young Fan entrants will be free to visit Fan Photography, go to bed, watch from the audience, or return to the convention at large in the charge of their parents and/or guardians.

  4. There will be Stage Crew AKA “Stage Ninjas” (people in black) both at the entrance and exit from the stage. They are there to help you with a hand up, to move your props onto or off the stage, and to prevent you from falling off the stage. They may catch you if you fall, but please don’t! It’s up to you to tell them how much assistance you need. The more assistance you need, the earlier you should let them know. So, if you have big props, please tell them about it at your Tech Rehearsal, and tell the Masquerade Director in your registration information as well. That way, we’ll be sure to have the right people there to help you, at the right time.

  5. There will also be Stage Crew at key points around the stage to try to stop you from stepping off the stage by mistake. Do not run, skip, jump, or dance so fast that the best they can do is to let you go. YOU are ultimately responsible for your own safety.

  6. After you’ve given your presentation, your Den Mom or Dad will take your den to the Fan Photography area in the Lobby of the SJCC. (This is optional.) After getting your picture taken you can return to the Green Room, hang out in the Lobby, or go to a reserved section of the audience to watch the rest of the Masquerade. Please be available somewhere in the general vicinity.

Photography and Videotaping:

  1. Participation in the Masquerade constitutes consent to be photographed by the Judges’ Photographer and the Official Photographer. There will be organized Judges’ Photography, Official Photography and Fan Photography.

  2. Judges’ Photos are solely for the purpose of providing a reminder of your costume to the judges during their deliberations. These photos may be shared by the Masquerade staff only for their personal use.

  3. Official Photos will be taken in the Masquerade Green Room with professional lights and in full costume. Those photos will be available to you and others for sale after the Masquerade, and generally no earlier than the day after the Masquerade.

  4. At this time, Fan Photos will be taken in the Lobby of the SJCC, by fans and possibly pros who have signed up to take posed photos of entries. This is optional; you may choose to not participate in Fan Photography. Some fan photographers may be offering free or paid copies of their pictures to you and others. Please make direct arrangements with any Fan photographer you wish to do business with. Fan photos sometimes appear on the ICG website and in ICG slide shows. See the ICG website for examples. Please be aware that Fan photos often appear on public websites such as Flickr, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
  5. In the convention hallways many fans may wish to take your picture. It is entirely up to you whether to allow people to take your picture.
  6. NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY from the audience is allowed during the Masquerade. Viewers will be ejected from the room should they be found to be taking flash pictures from the audience.

  7. We will be videotaping the full Masquerade, and may be broadcasting the video during the Masquerade live to additional seating locations in the San Jose Convention Center (SJCC.) 

  8. Participation in the Masquerade constitutes consent to be videotaped and to have that footage broadcast and distributed as described: The video will be preserved and shared with the ICG Archivist, and may be sold after the convention. We will send an email to you and/or your group’s primary contact when and if the video is for sale at a later date.

  9. We expect audience members to be taking non-flash photos and videos during the presentation for their own personal use. There will be reporters for the Worldcon 76 newsletter and others from the outside press in the audience taking photos that may appear in publications or online. We cannot reasonably restrict the use of such photos or videos.

Halftime / Judges’ Deliberations:

There will be a halftime show after the contestants have appeared onstage, in order to allow the judges adequate time for deliberations.

Awards:

  1. Awards will be given when the judges are ready. Be prepared to be called back onto the stage for awards. Don’t worry about wearing your whole costume, but remember that we’re a PG-13 show. Be comfortable and come onto and leave the stage easily and quickly.

  2. Workmanship Awards will be given at the same time as Presentation Awards. You may be called onto the stage more than once, or asked to remain on stage to receive different awards.

  3. Awards will be announced by the award name, and will be given by Division. First all Novice Awards, then all Journeyman Awards, and then all Open Division Awards. The final award in a Division will be the Best in Division (if there is one). The final awards in the show will be the Best in Show for Workmanship (if there is one) and Best in Show for Presentation (if there is one), or possibly a combined Best in Show award for the two categories to a single entry. 

  4. If you are called onto the stage for an award, please  approach the person handing out the awards and then form a line near the back of the stage until the final awards in that Division are called. You will be recognized as a group and then allowed to leave the stage with the rest of the winners for that Division.

Day after the Masquerade

Sunday Panel - “Behind the Seams of the Masquerade”:

  1. Our Masquerade contestants and staff welcome everyone to learn a little more “behind the seams” details about last night’s Masquerade competition.  This is a chance to hear how some of the costumes and props were made, and any special transport tricks that were required. It’s also a chance to hear a bit about the differences required for a presentation on the main stage as opposed to film or a hall costume. 

    You are encouraged to wear or bring your costume, or parts of your costume, to this panel and have the chance to talk about your creative process and how your entry came to be. Photos may possibly be taken.

  2. The judges, crew and other staff may be available to answer questions about the show itself, and address any issues that may have come up regarding the show itself.

  3. You will also have the opportunity to retrieve your documentation and/or audio at this panel (otherwise, please drop by The Masquerade Desk near Cospitality and the Tower on Sunday to retrieve them before you leave the convention.)

  4. When: Sunday August 19 at 1:00 PM in San Jose Convention Center 210A. (Please confirm time and location when you check in, as they might have changed.)
  5. When the Official Photographer is ready, they will make their photographs available for sale, the details of which we hope to be able to announce at this presentation.

  6. If you have any feedback regarding the Masquerade, this could be a good time to bring it to the attention of the Masquerade staff.

Thank you very much for your participation!!