Macomb-A-Con
Cosplay Competition
Official Rules and Judging Criteria
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Participation is limited to 20 attendees
You must be an attendee of Macomb-A-Con
All general cosplay rules apply.
The Macomb-A-Con Cosplay Competition will be held April 1, 2017 at 6:00PM.
Prejudging will begin at 5:00PM. All competition participants must attend prejudging. Each
prejudging session will take between 3 and 5 minutes.
No more than four people per group. If you are coordinating your cosplay with more than four
people, please enter as two separate groups, and note on your registration form which other
group you are with. Also note that prizes are intended for individuals, and should a group win, it is
up to them to split the prize among them.
You may not enter as an individual and in a group.
There is no minimum amount of handmade parts for the Macomb-A-Con Cosplay Competition.
However, judges will not be able to judge on craftsmanship for store bought cosplays. We can
judge on how items were changed or modified, or how well store bought pieces were used overall.
All Weapon Props must be checked by security at time of registration. If your prop is deemed too
realistic or made of materials considered to be dangerous you will be asked to remove it from the
competition and convention. As per college campus policies absolutely no fire arms, airsoft guns,
nerf guns, or weapon props shaped like any of the previous.
No pyrotechnics or projectiles. If your weapon prop is a bow or the like (ex. Ashe from League of
Legends, Madoka from Madoka Magica) there is to be absolutely NO arrows on your person at any
time, nor should it be fully drawn at any time.
You must use the designated entrances and exits. Jumping off stage will result in automatic
disqualification. Do not run across the stage.
This is a family friendly event, any actions during the course of the cosplay competition or judging
considered being illicit, rude, or adult will count as an automatic disqualifier and you will be asked
to leave the convention space.
Judging Categories:
All participants will be judged, out of a total of ten points on the following criteria:
Accuracy
Craftsmanship
Presentation
Audience Impact
TOTAL:
(How closely do you resemble the character?)
(How intricate/well-made is the costume?)
(How well do you portray the character?)
(How well does the audience respond to your costume)
40%
30%
20%
10%
100%
Accuracy
What the Judges are looking for?
The judges will be checking for how faithful your costume, hair, make-up and props are to the
character you are portraying. If you’re cosplaying as a character of your own making, or one that has not
been officially released, please have reference material available at pre-judging. Lack of reference
material will be cause for disqualification.
Secret Tip from the Judges: We love reference material! We’re all fans of anime, manga, video
games and everything that goes along with it, but we can only watch, read and play so much! We’re even
totally cool with pictures off of a mobile device (just not ours). Don’t forget to mention any variations you
took into account, and if your character is really new, unreleased, or something you made make sure you
give us a point of reference or inspiration!
Craftsmanship
What the Judges are looking for?
The Craftsmanship judge will be looking for how well the costume is put together, whether it is
handmade or store bought. This includes finished seams, material used, and how well it fits. If you used
pre-made or store bought pieces we look at how an item or items were modified or paired, and how
creative you are. Make-up (how well done is it?) and wig (or hair!) choice/styling will also be looked at.
The amount of effort put into putting together your final product will also be taken into consideration.
Secret Tip from the Judges: Point out how much work you did, even if the cosplay is store bought. We
favor handmade cosplays, but if it’s not try emphasizing something you have styled or modified, like your
wig and makeup, and make sure you stay positive!
Presentation
What the Judges are looking for?
The goal of cosplaying is to look as much like your character as possible, this includes what you
say and how you act. Presentation will look at your body motions and things you say.
Secret Tips from the Judges: Act it out! Walk and talk like your character, stand, pose, and move like your
character. Are you Wolverine? Try to talk in his gravelly voice, look at how he walks and stands, and don’t
forget he loves to call people Bub! Exception to the rule? Deadpool. Please, please be respectful when
portraying Deadpool.
Audience Impact
What the Judges are looking for?
The judges will be watching the audience as you walk across the stage to see how they react to
your costume. Do they applaud, or are they crickets? Did you tell a joke and they laughed? How excited is
the crowed about you?
Secret tips from the Judges: Don’t be nervous! You’ve already made it this far. Look at it this way: it’s out of
10 points but it’s only 1 point of your overall score.
Skill Categories:
The Junior/Youth category is for participants 12 years of age or younger regardless of how many
awards they have won or number of costumes they have completed, or performances they have been in.
If entering with a group, everyone in the group must meet the age requirement.
The Novice category is for contestants age 13 to 16, or those who have won no more than 2 major
awards or up to 5 minor awards, or have made 5 or less costumes.
The Journeyman category is for those 16 and up, or those who have won up to 4 major awards or
up to 10 minor awards, or completed 9 or less costumes.
The Master category is for those age 16 and up who have won up to 6 or more Major Awards or up
to or more than 15 Minor Awards, or made more than 9 costumes.
Major awards are considered to be best in show or division and the like, Minor Awards are considered to
be honorable mention, merit awards, judge’s awards and the like. Only awards won at conventions count.
It is possible to fall into multiple categories. For example, if you have made 11 costumes, but have only
won 2 awards, please circle the highest level and make a note of this in the “Additional Comments”
section of the registration form.
The skill level you chose will not necessarily help or harm your score and is used in the event of a tie. If
you cannot decide what division you fall into, or you have questions, please find the Cosplay Coordinator
to address your concerns.
How this all comes together:
After you buy your badge, and pay the $5 tournament and competition fee you will be directed to
another table to register for the cosplay competition (*YOU ARE HERE). Carefully read the rules and fill
out the registration form, and make sure you have any weapon props checked and approved by security.
Those wishing to participate must turn in their form before 4:45PM. Only 20 attendees will be accepted
into the competition, and they are first come, first serve. When you turn in your form and it is approved,
you will be given a sticker with your contestant number, and the number will be noted on your
application. Tournament Fee is non refundable.
Contestants must be lined up in the Main Programming hallway (the hallway with the entrance to
the main programming stage and the dealers room) by 5:00PM when pre-judging begins. Prejudging
round will take approximately 3 minutes for individuals, and 5 or more for groups depending on the size.
Please know what you are going to say about your costume and be ready to answer questions. In the
event that pre judging runs over the allotted time, the Competition will begin when the prejudging round
has finished. If there are less than 20 participants, individual pre judging rounds may be extended
depending on need.
Macomb-A-Con
Cosplay Competition Registration Form
Participant Information:
First Name
Last Name
E-mail Address
Phone Number
Please Circle One:
Individual
Group
*Number in
group?
*Skill Division
Master
Journeyman
Novice
Junior/Youth
Cosplay Information:
Character(s) Name(s)
Series or Property
Please tell us about your costume. List any construction details you would like us to know about:
Emergency Contact Info:
Emergency Contact Name
Relationship
Additional Notes/Comments
Emergency Contact Phone Number