The Masquerade at Westercon 56

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Whether you are competing for the first time or have a long history in the masquerade, it's always possible, and probably likely, we're doing something different. We hope to offer a premier event starting on time with some of the best talent available.

Registration

Registration may be accomplished by pre-registration (highly recommended) or by registration at the event. ( visit our online masquerade form in pdf format - please note that you will need the latest Acrobat player ) Pre-registration has the advantage of allowing us to give you the best possible placement in the show and potentially to address any special needs. We will take into consideration your requests to be in the 1^st or 2^nd half of the show if you pre-register. It is also advisable that you pre-register if your presentation is out of the ordinary.

The Seattle Westercon Masquerade will run in close compliance with International Costumers' Guild Guidelines, though decisions of the Masquerade Director are final.

The competition will be judged on the Division system.

Divisions and Judging

Junior Division: Any contestant under 13 years of age at the time of the competition may compete in the Junior Division. Junior contestants will present first. Other entries, which include children, may request to go on next if they do so at the time of registration.

The Junior Division is divided into two sub-divisions:

Self-Made: A Junior contestant who has largely or wholly constructed his or her own costume.
Adult-Made: A Junior contestant whose costume has been largely or wholly constructed by an adult.

Novice Division: A contestant who has not won a major award in a Worldcon or a CostumeCon masquerade, other than as a Junior costumer, may compete in the Novice Division. Awards for Honorable Mention or Honored for Excellence need not apply to this count.

Journeyman Division: A contestant who has won less than three awards at Worldcon or CostumeCon while competing in the Journeyman Division is eligible to compete in the Journeyman Division.

Master Division: A contestant who has won more than three times in the Journeyman Division at Worldcon or CostumeCon or is a professional in a costume-related business will be placed in the Master Division. For the purpose of this competition, a professional is defined as making 50% or more of their income in the costuming business.

Note for all contestants: A contestant may compete in a division higher than the one they would normally compete in. Keep in mind that if the contestant wins in this higher division, they may not return to their old division in subsequent competitions. You may also display your costume in the masquerade as a non-competitive entry. All rules will still apply and you still must fill out an entry form and mark the “Not in Competition” box.

Workmanship judging will be available backstage before the show. Workmanship judging is optional, and may be limited to one part of your costume if desired.

In addition to Divisions, contestants will compete in two classes.

Re-creation: A re-creation is a costume copied directly from a live-action or animated motion picture, television program, stage presentation, comic book or strip, or any form of artwork, including book covers. Within this class, contestants will be judged by the accuracy of the reproduction. Documentation must be provided in the form of non-returnable copies, no originals. If you intend to have your costume judged for workmanship, please bring a second copy of your documentation for the workmanship judges.

Original: Any costume other than a re-creation will be considered an original. These costumes will be judged on their own merits.

Sound

If you wish to have any special introduction for the MC to read, please have it typed or printed clearly, so we can easily read it. Without an introduction, the MC will announce only your entry number, division, and title at the beginning of your presentation. After your presentation is complete, the MC will announce your credits.

Note that no microphones will be allowed onstage, nor may any contestant directly address the audience. If you have narration or dialogue included with your presentation, it must be recorded on a tape.

Music is highly recommended for every presentation. We will be able to accept the following formats:

Standard cassette tape (Dolby B and C noise reduction accepted): The sound must start immediately after the "leader" of the cassette. This is the point to which the tape will be cued after rehearsals, etc. Please indicate the type of noise reduction, if any, on the tape and masquerade form. Please use a clean, fresh tape and record your material at the beginning of both sides of the tape. Please bring two copies of the tape in case one is unusable for whatever reason.

CD: The technical staff can cue a CD to the beginning of a particular track. There is not enough time during the masquerade to cue within a track. Please write the track number legibly on the CD. If you record your material on a CD, please make sure it is a standard audio CD. Please burn only one track and make two copies of your material.

If the sound runs longer than your presentation (i.e. a commercial CD), or must be cut on cue, please be very specific as to when to cut. The usual cue is to fade the sound as the entrant leaves the stage. It is best, when you want the sound to end at a specific point on a CD, to record the material you want onto a recordable medium such a cassette, or self-burned CD.

Sound media must be turned in before the close of Masquerade Registration.

Time Limits

Any entry of one to four contestants will be allowed a maximum of one minute (60 seconds) on stage. Each additional person in the presentation will add 10 seconds to the allowable time to a maximum of two minutes. Any time extensions must be authorized by the Masquerade Director and will only be granted for very good reason.

Note that set up time does not count toward your allotted presentation time.

Also, note that you do not need to use all of your allotted time.

General Rules

No open flame, fire, flash powder, or flash paper is allowed. If you are using a electronic strobe effect, please note it on your form so the MC may warn the audience.
No messy substances on stage. If in doubt, ask the Masquerade Director. The stage must be in as good a condition when you leave as when you enter. If you are leaving something on stage, it must be able to be easily picked up by the stage crew or helpers that you supply.
No nudity. There will be children in the audience.
The weapons policy of the convention must be followed. While weapons will be allowed on stage, our Masquerade Director must check them first. All weapons must be sheathed before leaving the stage. No real firearms or projectile weapons are allowed. If your costume requires a bow, it must be unstrung.
Each person may present only once during the masquerade. While any individual may enter as many costumes as they like, they can only wear one of them.
All pre-registered contestants must check in at the Masquerade Desk by noon on Saturday unless other arrangements are made before the start of the convention. Entrants that do not check in by the specified time may be eliminated. Be aware that the earlier you pre-register the better your position will be in the running order. Registering late does not guarantee you a spot at the end.
There will be an informational meeting on Saturday afternoon. At this time you will be shown the venue and have an opportunity to speak to the tech directors and MC. This meeting is mandatory.
All entries will have the opportunity for a short rehearsal. Rehearsals will occur the day of the masquerade. You must sign up for a rehearsal time at the mandatory meeting. At this time, you will have the opportunity to discuss issues with the technical coordinator and practice your appearance.
Contestants must report for the masquerade on time. Failure to appear or to be ready to go on stage may result in disqualification.
You must show up on time for your rehearsal! OR your time will be given to the next available contestant or group.
The Masquerade Director reserves the option to eliminate anyone from competition on the basis of taste, danger to the audience or other contestants, or for any other reason deemed sufficient.

NOTE: There may be slight changes to these rules as we move closer to show time. Please review them often and if you have questions please contact the Masquerade Director at michaeljk@attbi.com.


The Masquerade at Westercon 56 If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Whether you are competing for the first time or have a long history in the masquerade, it's always possible, and probably likely, we're doing something different. We hope to offer a premier event starting on time with some of the best talent available. Registration Registration may be accomplished by pre-registration (highly recommended) or by registration at the event. ( visit our online masquerade form in pdf format - please note that you will need the latest Acrobat player ) Pre-registration has the advantage of allowing us to give you the best possible placement in the show and potentially to address any special needs. We will take into consideration your requests to be in the 1^st or 2^nd half of the show if you pre-register. It is also advisable that you pre-register if your presentation is out of the ordinary. The Seattle Westercon Masquerade will run in close compliance with International Costumers' Guild Guidelines, though decisions of the Masquerade Director are final. The competition will be judged on the Division system. Divisions and Judging Junior Division: Any contestant under 13 years of age at the time of the competition may compete in the Junior Division. Junior contestants will present first. Other entries, which include children, may request to go on next if they do so at the time of registration. The Junior Division is divided into two sub-divisions: Self-Made: A Junior contestant who has largely or wholly constructed his or her own costume. Adult-Made: A Junior contestant whose costume has been largely or wholly constructed by an adult. Novice Division: A contestant who has not won a major award in a Worldcon or a CostumeCon masquerade, other than as a Junior costumer, may compete in the Novice Division. Awards for Honorable Mention or Honored for Excellence need not apply to this count. Journeyman Division: A contestant who has won less than three awards at Worldcon or CostumeCon while competing in the Journeyman Division is eligible to compete in the Journeyman Division. Master Division: A contestant who has won more than three times in the Journeyman Division at Worldcon or CostumeCon or is a professional in a costume-related business will be placed in the Master Division. For the purpose of this competition, a professional is defined as making 50% or more of their income in the costuming business. Note for all contestants: A contestant may compete in a division higher than the one they would normally compete in. Keep in mind that if the contestant wins in this higher division, they may not return to their old division in subsequent competitions. You may also display your costume in the masquerade as a non-competitive entry. All rules will still apply and you still must fill out an entry form and mark the “Not in Competition” box. Workmanship judging will be available backstage before the show. Workmanship judging is optional, and may be limited to one part of your costume if desired. In addition to Divisions, contestants will compete in two classes. Re-creation: A re-creation is a costume copied directly from a live-action or animated motion picture, television program, stage presentation, comic book or strip, or any form of artwork, including book covers. Within this class, contestants will be judged by the accuracy of the reproduction. Documentation must be provided in the form of non-returnable copies, no originals. If you intend to have your costume judged for workmanship, please bring a second copy of your documentation for the workmanship judges. Original: Any costume other than a re-creation will be considered an original. These costumes will be judged on their own merits. Sound If you wish to have any special introduction for the MC to read, please have it typed or printed clearly, so we can easily read it. Without an introduction, the MC will announce only your entry number, division, and title at the beginning of your presentation. After your presentation is complete, the MC will announce your credits. Note that no microphones will be allowed onstage, nor may any contestant directly address the audience. If you have narration or dialogue included with your presentation, it must be recorded on a tape. Music is highly recommended for every presentation. We will be able to accept the following formats: Standard cassette tape (Dolby B and C noise reduction accepted): The sound must start immediately after the "leader" of the cassette. This is the point to which the tape will be cued after rehearsals, etc. Please indicate the type of noise reduction, if any, on the tape and masquerade form. Please use a clean, fresh tape and record your material at the beginning of both sides of the tape. Please bring two copies of the tape in case one is unusable for whatever reason. CD: The technical staff can cue a CD to the beginning of a particular track. There is not enough time during the masquerade to cue within a track. Please write the track number legibly on the CD. If you record your material on a CD, please make sure it is a standard audio CD. Please burn only one track and make two copies of your material. If the sound runs longer than your presentation (i.e. a commercial CD), or must be cut on cue, please be very specific as to when to cut. The usual cue is to fade the sound as the entrant leaves the stage. It is best, when you want the sound to end at a specific point on a CD, to record the material you want onto a recordable medium such a cassette, or self-burned CD. Sound media must be turned in before the close of Masquerade Registration. Time Limits Any entry of one to four contestants will be allowed a maximum of one minute (60 seconds) on stage. Each additional person in the presentation will add 10 seconds to the allowable time to a maximum of two minutes. Any time extensions must be authorized by the Masquerade Director and will only be granted for very good reason. Note that set up time does not count toward your allotted presentation time. Also, note that you do not need to use all of your allotted time. General Rules No open flame, fire, flash powder, or flash paper is allowed. If you are using a electronic strobe effect, please note it on your form so the MC may warn the audience. No messy substances on stage. If in doubt, ask the Masquerade Director. The stage must be in as good a condition when you leave as when you enter. If you are leaving something on stage, it must be able to be easily picked up by the stage crew or helpers that you supply. No nudity. There will be children in the audience. The weapons policy of the convention must be followed. While weapons will be allowed on stage, our Masquerade Director must check them first. All weapons must be sheathed before leaving the stage. No real firearms or projectile weapons are allowed. If your costume requires a bow, it must be unstrung. Each person may present only once during the masquerade. While any individual may enter as many costumes as they like, they can only wear one of them. All pre-registered contestants must check in at the Masquerade Desk by noon on Saturday unless other arrangements are made before the start of the convention. Entrants that do not check in by the specified time may be eliminated. Be aware that the earlier you pre-register the better your position will be in the running order. Registering late does not guarantee you a spot at the end. There will be an informational meeting on Saturday afternoon. At this time you will be shown the venue and have an opportunity to speak to the tech directors and MC. This meeting is mandatory. All entries will have the opportunity for a short rehearsal. Rehearsals will occur the day of the masquerade. You must sign up for a rehearsal time at the mandatory meeting. At this time, you will have the opportunity to discuss issues with the technical coordinator and practice your appearance. Contestants must report for the masquerade on time. Failure to appear or to be ready to go on stage may result in disqualification. You must show up on time for your rehearsal! OR your time will be given to the next available contestant or group. The Masquerade Director reserves the option to eliminate anyone from competition on the basis of taste, danger to the audience or other contestants, or for any other reason deemed sufficient. NOTE: There may be slight changes to these rules as we move closer to show time. Please review them often and if you have questions please contact the Masquerade Director at michaeljk@attbi.com. "Westercon" is a registered servicemark of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc. Westercon 56 Home Page