Time: Sunday 3:30pm – 5:30pm

Contest Format/Time Requirements

Participating in a Costume Contest requires time commitment for the show itself, but also at other times during the convention. Be prepared to devote the necessary time during the weekend to check in, attend a pre-judging session if qualified, and a short rehearsal before the show.  Any scheduling conflicts must be brought to the coordinator’s attention ASAP to see if any accommodations can be made.

General/All Entries Rules and Information

• All contestants must be registered attendees of SwampCon and possess a SwampCon Convention Badge.
• All sign-ups are Online Only — No Entries will be accepted for the show or wait-list at the convention. Applications will be accepted until Februrary 29th  (Do not email asking for an extension.)
• To register for the costume contest, contestants should fill out the Costume Contest form linked above.
• This is a SC-13/PG-13 event – please keep this in mind when planning your performance/walk-on. No cursing will be permitted, and any innuendo must have an equally obvious non-suggestive interpretation. If you are unsure whether something is allowed or not, please email contests@swampcon.org.

• Any substances that may cause damage or mess to the stage, equipment, or other entrants costumes are not permitted on stage or backstage. This includes but is not limited to anything oily, greasy, or that can stain. (confetti and glitter included)
  If something is not listed here but you are unsure, please ask the Contest Chair.
• Surprise the audience, but never surprise the staff/crew —  Any ‘surprise elements’ must be run by the Contest Chair for approval. Like jumping on or off stage or acrobatics/flips/cartwheels etc. should be informed about in advance.
• Any weapons must comply with SwampCon regulations.
  

Stage Performance

All costume entries will participate in the show portion of the contest. Participants will be required to submit a short audio or video to accompany them as they enter the stage. Participants will also be allowed to bring props on stage that are part of their performance or costume.

Open to All: The stage presentation is open to all registered SwampCon attendees with a valid convention badge.

No Pre-Judging Required: Participation in pre-judging is not mandatory for the stage presentation, making it accessible to those who couldn’t commit to the earlier segment of the contest.

Audio/Video Submission: Participants should submit a short audio or video clip (maximum 2 minutes) to accompany their presentation. This must also adhere to PG-13 guidelines.

PG-13 Guidelines: All content, including actions, audio, and performances, must adhere to a PG-13 rating. This means:

• No nudity
• No excessive swearing
• No sexual innuendos
• No offensive imagery, signs, or words

Props: Allowed, as long as they do not damage the stage or other participants’ costumes. They must also adhere to SwampCon’s general policy on props and weapons.

Performance Time: Each performance should last no longer than 3 minutes. Overrunning your time may result in a points deduction or disqualification.

Set-Up and Take-Down: Participants will have a maximum of 1 minute to set up before their performance and 1 minute to leave the stage afterward.

Interactivity: Any interaction with the audience should be kept minimal and respectful. Do not invade the audience space without prior permission.

Technical Requirements: If you have specific technical needs (like particular lighting or sound cues), these must be submitted and approved in advance. Please either mention it in the submission or email contests@swampcon.org before the performance.

Pre-Judging

To be qualified for prejudging the costume must be at least 70% made by hand. The prejudging portion will take place on the second day of the convention. During pre-judging, contestants will display their costumes to a panel of judges, where they will have a chance to inspect costumes and props from a close distance. Contestants will be evaluated one entry at a time, in a private room with the judges with one Volunteer/Guard present.

Costumes will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Execution – How well the costume is constructed and finished.
• Fidelity* – How closely the costume resembles the source material and/or how well it interprets and reminds the judges of the design of the source material.  (adaptations made with intent/purpose and explained adequately to the judges will never count against you in this area).
• Complexity – How wide the range of skills used in the project, and the difficulty level of those techniques.
• Creativity –  Thoughtful use of materials, ingenuity, personalized embellishments, etc.

*Original Design entries will be evaluated on Thoughtfulness/Appeal of Design, rather than Fidelity.

Original Design Costumes:  To participate in the contest, if you are creating an original design your costume has to fit one of the criteria:

• Based on any fanart drawn/imagined by you or someone in your group.
• Mash-ups of multiple existing fandoms (example: Sailor Princess Zelda, Mario in the style of Borderlands, etc)
• Style re-interpretations (“Regency” Princess Serenity, “Punk” Tanjiro, “Dior” Belle, etc)
• Your Home-Brew Style Gijinkas (Anthropomorphized interpretations of non-human characters, designed by you)

• All costumes and props for prejudging must be at least 70% made from new or repurposed materials, by the entrant. Found/modified parts or props are allowed, though they must not comprise more than 30% of the whole costume, and must be disclosed at time of judging. (eg: shoes that were painted or covered, tights or simple gloves, a purchased undershirt or pants that were modified in some way, are all types of items that may be permitted, as long as 70% of your total costume is hand-made by you.) — if you’re unsure, ask the Contest Chair.
• Size and Mobility of your costume should be taken into consideration, and for purposes of safety your costume should conform to the following limitations while worn:
  • Can fit/be maneuvered through a standard ADA compliant doorway (the size/type in your home, not an extra-high, convention center double-door)
  • Should not significantly inhibit the cosplayer’s ability to navigate safely backstage in dim lighting/getting on-and-off stage, with minimal assistance (Limit 1 handler).
  • Should not significantly inhibit the cosplayer’s ability to navigate the main stage.
• Original Designs must provide their concept art and/or your inspirational materials in place of traditional ‘reference images’ – for example, if you are doing a mash-up design of Mario in the style of Borderlands, but have not created a single ‘completed’ image, you would include images of Mario from his original source(s), as well as images from Borderlands. Historical mashups may include pictures of the character from canon, as well as examples of the types of garments you drew inspiration from. One canon image with no additional references will not be accepted.

Policy

It is up to the contestant to state any possible conflicts of interest they may have. Such conflicts will be evaluated by the Contest Chair, and appropriate action will be taken at the discretion of the Contest Chair and SwampCon staff. 

All awards are final with the exception of those who are found to have been in violation of the rules.

All contestants are expected to follow SwampCon policies and codes of conduct. This includes not engaging in Harassment of judges / staff / other contestants, poor sportsmanship, misrepresenting this contest, or otherwise spreading misinformation.  These may result in disqualification and/or barring from future SwampCon contests.  Further action may be taken at the discretion of the staff.

And remember, have fun!