Costume & Cosplay Contest

Welcome to the Colorado Anime Fest 2024 Costume & Cosplay Contest! Here are some basic tenets to maintain as safe and enjoyable an environment as possible for everyone at the convention.

Overall Guidelines

First things first: please read all the rules and guidelines completely. The three most important things you need to know are:

1. Competition cosplay must be from one of the following sources:

   • Japanese anime, manga, culture, mythology, etc.

   • similar material from China, Korea, or mainland southeast Asia

   • material from anywhere that is heavily influenced by Japanese anime, manga, etc., or is a reboot of a Japanese franchise

2. This is a craftsmanship-based contest, so part of the finished piece must be handmade. Entirely store-bought cosplays cannot be considered for competition. The higher the level, the more original work is expected.

3. Read and respond to your welcome letter. If you don’t, you may miss vital information and could lose your spot in the contest or find yourself disqualified when you arrive at the convention. You must confirm your judging time with us or a time slot will not be reserved for you.

These are the most pressing matters you’ll encounter as you prepare for our cosplay competition, and they’re explained in greater detail below. We’ve tried to answer as many questions as possible. Chances are good that this page covers what you need to know, or at least points you in the right direction. If you’re still unclear, please contact us and we’ll do what we can to help.

We Are Gathered Here Today…

We’re all here because we love cosplay, so be kind and have fun. Be considerate of others. Diva fits or inappropriate pressuring of the staff or judges won’t be tolerated and may result in expulsion from the contest. If you experience bullying, harassment, unwanted physical contact, or any other inappropriate behavior, please notify a COAF Staff member. We take your safety seriously and strive to offer our guests and attendees the best experience possible.

Who Can Enter, and How Do I Register?

The competition is open to all Colorado Anime Fest attendees. You can register for the competition by clicking on the links within each individual category below. If there are any time slots still unoccupied, they will be made available at the convention itself. We have the traditional Beginner, Intermediate, Masters, and Skit categories, as well as a no-pressure Novice division.

Once you’ve applied for the competition online, you’ll be contacted on a first/ -come, first-served basis to pick your desired time slot for craftsmanship judging. Different divisions are allotted different amounts of judging time:

Planning Ahead

Be flexible. Things happen, and they’re not always in our control. The best way to combat this is to come prepared:

• Bring everything you need with you to the Green Room.

• Have all weapons properly checked and banded before your judging time. If you have any particularly large props or weapons, you can check them in at Cosplay Daycare until the contest. We’ll have you sign a waiver and leave them in judging room. We can’t guarantee their safety, but the room will either be locked or occupied by Cosplay staff—and it’s still safer than lugging an oversized claymore through the hallways.

• Give yourself extra time to get to judging and Green Room. People will want to take your picture. Bask in it.

If you miss your time, we may be able to squeeze you in, but we make no guarantees. Likewise, it’s your responsibility to arrive at Green Room with at least a half-hour cushion to get you into you correct division and in line order. If you arrive after the order is set, you might have to skip your turn on stage.

Any recorded music, effects, or dialogue must be submitted for approval as soon as possible. You’ll be asked to make note of any sound or light cue requests on your application. After submission, the Cosplay tech team will reach out to you. It’s important that you complete the tech needs form (if applicable) and stay in contact with our tech team. Otherwise, your onstage experience may not go as smoothly as you’d like.

Make sure to bring a handler if you need one!

If you’re running late or need to step out of the contest altogether, please, please, PLEASE contact the Cosplay staff immediately. This allows us to open up judging slots and is a courtesy to the judges and your fellow cosplayers. If you don’t contact us, you may be placed on the waiting list in future years instead of being granted a judging time, no matter how early you register.

Source Material, a.k.a. the Genshin Impact Effect

As mentioned above, previous years’ competition pieces were required to come from Japanese or Japanese-inspired source material. Then, everything changed when the fire nation attacked a certain game came out of China and made competitions like ours rethink everything. While COAF is still foremost a celebration of everything Japanese (anime, manga, J-rock, Visual Kei, history, mythology, and so on), we also acknowledge that Japan’s influence has spread far beyond its borders.

Of course, Japanese and Japanese-inspired cosplay entries are always at the heart of our contest. That being said, we’ve expanded our parameters to include other east Asian sources. That includes Korea, China, and mainland southeast Asia. We also accept entries from shows that are reboots of Japanese anime, series that are made in cooperation with Japanese studios, or ones whose plotlines and artistic style have been heavily influenced by anime or culture from any of the aforementioned countries. If you’re not sure something qualifies, please reach out to us.

Covering the Basics

Consider a PG rating as a guide for crafting your hallway and main stage cosplay. All pink bits must be concealed. No nudity or lingerie cosplay. Please use your best judgement on what’s appropriate for the con. If your clothing might elicit, “Mommy, what’s that?” from a five year old, you’re probably showing too much.

The same applies to any skit scripts and pre-recorded aspects of your competition piece. Violent, suggestive, discriminatory, or otherwise inappropriate submissions will not be accepted. Questions regarding suitability will be answered by the Cosplay department head and their decision will be non-negotiable.

Feel free to modify a garment to make it wearable for the entire weekend. Likewise, you may wear items that are a part of your faith or personal moral code. If you’re competing, make sure to provide documentation to the judges about what the original character looks like and what you changed. Such modifications will not detract from your final score, although ingenuity might give you a boost.

Likewise, weapons—particularly firearms—should be constructed to indicate that they’re props. Laser pointers or projectile weapons that can actually be fired are not permitted. Unstrung bows and other such modifications are allowed. As with clothing adaptations, you will not be marked down for these changes.

For all competitive divisions, fully store bought cosplays are not permitted. Depending on the category and level of difficulty, at least a portion of the costume must have been crafted by the creator:

• Novice and Beginner: Street clothing may be used, but it must be altered at least 25% from its original state, or 25% of the entire piece must have been crafted from scratch.

• Intermediate: At least 50% of street clothing must be significantly altered and at least 50% of the entire piece must be crafted from scratch.

• Masters: No street clothing is permitted.

• Skit: The degree of craftsmanship should adhere to the guidelines set for each category.

• Groups: The level of the group is determined by the level of the most advanced member.

Exceptions to the rule: Some items, such as shoes, hose, wigs, hat bases, and so on may be purchased and worn as-is. Modification of any or all of these is expected at Intermediate and required at Masters. Any exceptions at Masters level will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Any commissioned aspects of a cosplay must be noted. Allowance of such pieces is up to the judges’ discretion.

Any cosplay that has won a craftsmanship award at any level is ineligible for the competition.

The creator and the cosplayer do not necessarily have to be the same individual. In some instances, the finished product is worn by a model. If this is the case, any awards will be given to whomever built the cosplay.

Any cosplayer found to be violating these rules or falsifying information on their submission or during judging will be removed from the contest and banned from future competitions.

Decisions are made at the discretion of the Cosplay department head, their assistant, and COAF leadership. Additionally, these rules are subject to change for the benefit of Colorado Anime Fest, the convention space, and attendees of the con.

Scoring

One of the main questions we get from cosplayers is how scoring works. We’ve modeled our judging system off the one used at Anime Expo, specifically the guidelines used at the national finals for World Cosplay Summit. While this might not be a significant selling point for all of our cosplayers, we do know that there are a number of you looking to compete at a higher level. We’ve instituted our system to get you used to what you will experience as you progress. For those of you who are competing for fun rather than as a means to rise up through the ranks, it’s still an excellent rubric with clear expectations.

Accuracy — 20%

• How similar is the final piece to its original design?

• If there is any interpretation or modification, how well does it reflect the nature of its source material?

Quality — 40%

• How well is the piece constructed?

• How accurate is the fit?

• Is the finish neat and consistent?

Technique — 40%

• What is the range of skills demonstrated?

• Is there creative use of materials?

• Does the creator have a unique style that makes this piece unmistakably theirs?

Skits

• 50% of the score for Skit entries comes from the onstage performance.

• The above categories count for 10% / 20% / 20%, respectively.

Please keep in mind that this serves as a general framework for scoring that allows for individual interpretation for each cosplayer. A beginner is not going to be held to the same overall standards as a master. Rather, we are looking for how well a cosplayer meets these goals within the expectations of their division. Similarly, when there are people of varying divisions in the same group, each person will be assessed at their own level, even though the group must compete at the highest level among its members.

Portfolio = Panic

Many cosplayers, especially those in higher divisions, have noticed that more and more conventions are requiring that cosplayers present a portfolio. This may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! By the time most cosplayers reach a certain level, they’ve stored up sketches, concept art, fabric swatches, and progress photographs from many of their previous cosplays. That’s all you need for a basic portfolio. Arrange everything in a scrapbooking album or create a digital portfolio. Add pictures of the build process. Over time you can include descriptions, a table of contents, awards won, a resume, or pretty much anything else that reflects your growth as a cosplayer. That’s it!

Divisions and Applications

Novice

For cosplayers who’ve either never competed or don’t feel ready to enter in another category, this is a no-pressure zone. There’s no actual “judging” in this category, but you do get to show off your creation to a panel of enthusiastic fellow cosplayers who have been exactly where you are now, then strut your stuff on stage and get an otaku goodie bag. Welcome to our world!

Beginner

If you’re new to cosplay or have only competed a few times, this is your division. Craftsmanship is not expected to be perfect. Rather, the judges will be looking for how you have translated a character from paper or screen to your own person. Remember, even the most experienced cosplayers were once where you are now. We want to celebrate you!

Intermediate

This is the category for those who have several competitions under their belt or those who’ve won a craftsmanship award in the Beginner division. A higher degree of skill is required in this category as judges start to take fine details, fabric choices, and more advanced techniques into consideration. A portfolio is recommended.

Masters

This is the place for the most seasoned and decorated cosplayers. Competitors in Masters are those whose work is considered to be professional or near-professional quality. All aspects are considered, including seams, linings, underpieces, structure, and props. A portfolio is required, and a cosplay resume is recommended. At this level, the tiniest detail can make a difference in judging.

Skit

Just like the name says. This is a blend of performance and craftsmanship, and the group may be at any skill level. Standard craftsmanship judging will occur as per the other categories, but the performance will be much more heavily weighted. As with Masters, a portfolio is required for the Skit category. Skits may be up to four minutes long. Copies of the script and audio recording must be submitted for approval as soon as possible.

Hey, I know that guy!

Cosplay is contagious (insert evil world domination giggle here), and some of our staff have fallen victim to its sway. Yes, folks, the COAF Cosplay competition is open to COAF Staff as well as attendees. We’ll work around your departmental duties and you’re eligible for any of the awards, so bring your A game.

Children of Cosplay staff who are fifteen and younger may enter the contest but won’t be eligible for any of the division or craftsmanship awards, nor Best in Show. They can, however, win Audience Favorite. Older offspring may compete with the general population but run the risk of us being very, very disappointed that they cut corners by using hot glue instead of Barge Cement.

Wait… what?

There are times when the judges decide that an individual should be bumped up to higher category. If this happens to you, it’s most definitely a compliment on your work: you’ve leveled up and we want you to be placed correctly. If you’re not sure where you belong, enter the category in which you last competed. If you’ve won a craftsmanship award in a division, you belong in the level above that.

Ultimately, we want to accommodate as many competitors as possible and will make every effort to work with people’s schedules. If there are craftsmanship times still available, online applications will be accepted up until the Tuesday before the con. We’ll open up any available slots during competition check-in on a first-come, first-served basis.

We hope that we’ve answered your questions and set your minds at ease. If not, please drop us a line and we’ll do what we can to help.

See you at Colorado Anime Fest!