Masquerade Costume Contest

Director: Marilee Coughlin

In the grand tradition of convention costuming, dating back nearly five decades in SF fandom, Dragon*Con is proud to present the largest Masquerade Costume Contest in the Southeast and one of the largest in the world!

The Dragon*Con 2008 Masquerade Costume Contest will be held in the Hyatt Centennial Ballroom. Registration for the Masquerade will be available during the con at the Contest Registration Desk located outside the Centennial Ballroom in the Hyatt. We'll be open Friday and Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. There is no pre-registration. Simply drop by the Contest Registration Desk during the con and register.

NOTE: New time limits for contestant performance–individuals are limited to 90 seconds (a minute and a half) and groups to three minutes.

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Costume Contest Rules & Information

1. There will be a limit of fifty entries.  A group performance is considered to be one entry. Registration will be at the Con only; there is no pre-registration.


2. NO microphones may be used by the contestants. Except for the written emcee introduction, all audio material must be pre-recorded on a CD (see rule 3). Any contestant who attempts to address the audience will be removed from the stage immediately.


3. To have music or dialog accompany your presentation, you must pre-record it on a CD and you MUST bring the CD when you register so that it can be tested on our equipment. On your tech sheet, you will indicate when the CD is to be played during your performance. Untested CDs will not be accepted.


4. All contestants under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.


5. Individual presentations are limited to one and a half minutes; group sketches and skits are limited to three minutes.


6. No profanity allowed. Any contestant who violates this rule will be removed from the stage immediately.


7. No nudity allowed, this is a family costume show. No costume is no costume.


8. No flash pots or explosive devices. The Atlanta Fire Department will shut us down.


9. If you plan to carry a weapon, you must conform to the following:


• No illegal or loaded weapons.
• You must demonstrate that you can carry the weapon without injury to yourself or others.
• Transportation of weapons to and from the Masquerade must follow the convention's weapon policy.


10. Props will have to be carried on and off the stage by the contestants. If your props require more people to move them, you will have to provide the manpower. When you register for the contest, you must tell us why you need helpers and how many helpers you will have, and get backstage ribbons for each of them.


11. There is no pre-judging session. Registered contestants will report to the Centennial Ball Room prep area for set-up activities and information at 6:30 PM; child entrants can report to the area (with an adult) at 7:45 PM. We will do pre-show direction in the prep area of the ballroom. The photographer will also be set up in the prep area of the ballroom. There is not a large backstage area and there are no private dressing rooms; show up ready to go onstage. We will have a costume repair kit and a make-up person for repairs and touch-ups.


12. After your performance, you will return to the backstage area to await the judge's results. Children and their parents (1 per contestant) will be given front row sets to see the rest of the show. There will be a big-screen TV backstage so that everyone can see the show. Entrants will compete under International Costumers' Guild skill-division rules as Junior, Novice, Journeyman, or Master. These categories are defined as follows:


• Master: A contestant who has won at least one major award (Best in Show) or four category awards at a WorldCon, CostumeCon, Dragon*Con, or ICG-recognized competition.
• Journeyman: A contestant who has won at least one, but less than four, category awards at a WorldCon, CostumeCon, Dragon*Con, or ICG-recognized competition.
• Novice: A contestant who has never won an award (as indicated above) in competition.
• Junior: Any contestant under 16.

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FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions by Masquerade Entrants

We hope this FAQ answers your questions. If not, please stop by the Special Events table at the Hyatt in front of the Centennial Ballroom.

Q: How much does it cost to enter the Masquerade?
A: ZERO, but you must have a Con registration badge and show it to the Masquerade staffer who registers you.

Q: How do I enter the Masquerade?
A: Stop by the Special Events table in the Hyatt in front of the Centennial Ball Room and fill out a registration form before 3:00 PM on Sunday. We will be staffed Friday through Monday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Registration for the Masquerade will close Sunday at 3:00 PM.

We need your real name on the entry form, not your Con nickname. You will be given a ribbon that says "Masquerade" - this will get you into the backstage area of the ballroom. Lost ribbons will not be replaced.

Q: How is the order of contestants determined?
A: All children go on stage in the first group of the evening. The children's winners are determined and announced; then, the children and two family members for each child will be seated in a reserved area of the auditorium to enjoy the rest of the show.

The first item of business for the Director during the backstage prep will be to ask if anyone has a pressing legitimate need to be in the first adult group to go on stage. This will happen at 6:30 PM, so if you need to be among the first contestants to go onstage, be at the prep area before 6:30 PM. A legitimate need is defined as a physical limitation or a costume that is too hot or uncomfortable to be in for more than 2 hours or so.

All other contestants will be assigned sequence numbers for going onstage at the discretion of the Director, using a time-tested scientific method: pretty girl, monster, skit.

Q: Why can't I use a microphone?
A: Twenty plus years of production have taught us not to give a contestant a microphone. Do not try to project your normal voice into the audience. If you attempt to address the audience directly, you will be escorted off of the stage.

We can play CDs with any music, dialogue, etc. that you wish - as long as there is no profanity. We will not accept tapes. The CDs MUST be approved (played, on the equipment we will use Sunday night, and listened to) by a Masquerade staffer at the contest registration table when you register. Bring your approved CD to the prep area prior to the show. Your den mom will make sure that your assigned number is on the CD, and the CD will be given to the tech crew to play during your performance.

If you want your CD back, you can go to the tech station in the ballroom immediately after the contest (it is located on the wall across from the entrance into the ballroom), or the CDs will be at the Special Events table on Monday at 10 a.m. We will not be responsible for CDs left after the end of the Con Monday afternoon--they will be discarded.

Q: What's a "den mother" and what does she or he do?
A: During the pre-contest set-up, the Director will assign a Masquerade staffer to a group of contestants. There will be approximately 10 to 12 people in each group. This may be 6 individual entrants and one skit of 6 people, or a similar mix. The den mother will be responsible for collecting registration sheets with the assigned numbers, verifying that the contestants understand the rules and will abide by them, numbering any CDs the contestants may have, collecting contestants' tech sheets (all contestants must have a tech sheet whether or not they have a CD), and turning it all in to the staffer collecting the data for the Director and the tech crew.

The den mother will then make sure that the contestants stay as quiet as possible in the backstage area, and get up on the stage when the time arrives.

Q: The registration form asks me to categorize myself as "Novice," "Journeyman," "Master," or "Child" - why?
A: We will have all of the children go onstage first at the Masquerade - and each child receives a certificate.

The other categories help us create a level playing field. If an entrant has won "Best in Show" at a previous convention, he or she is considered a "Master" - then all the "Master" category entrants compete against each other for a "Best in Show - Master" Award.

We award a "Best in Show - Novice" award for the best first-time winner (someone who has never won in a contest before), a "Best in Show - Journeyman" award to the best competitor in the Journeyman category (someone who has won a category award previously), and a "Best in Show" to the best non-Master entrant. In any other shows they enter, they will then compete in the "Master" category.

Q: How are the award categories determined?
A: As stated above, we will have "Best in Show - Master", "Best in Show - Journeyman", and "Best in Show - Novice" awards. The top-scoring entrant who is not a Master will win an award entitled "Best in Show."

We will have awards for other categories, depending on the entrants. The judges score all entrants, the scores are logged into a spreadsheet, and we check the tallied scores for the highest total scores. This is a very quick process. The contestants with the highest scores are then checked for category. It all depends on the number of entrants, what they do on stage and the scoring by the judges.

Q: How do the judges score the contestants?
A: The judges (3 to 5 Con guests) award a score of 0 to10 for each of 3 attributes for each contestant. The attributes are:

• Originality/Adaptation: Is this the most original concept the judges and audience have seen, or the best adaptation of a known concept?*
• Composition: Did someone go out and buy this, or did the contestant spend hours gluing, sewing, welding, etc. - is this a labor of love or dollars?*
• Presentation: Does the contestant stay in character (or do something completely out of character) that grabs the audience? Note to contestants: get into character and stay there, or find a way to exploit or turn your character into the unexpected - grab the audience - humor helps.

Q: What do the winners win?
A: There are plaques for "Best in Show: Master", "Best in Show", "Best in Show: Children", "Best in Show: Journeyman", and "Best in Show: Novice"; the rest of the category winners get a nice certificate suitable for framing. Winners may receive dealer bucks. Dealer bucks are tokens accepted in the dealers' room for merchandise. Dollar amounts have not been announced for this year. In years past, it was $50 for "Best in Show: Masters", and "Best in Show"; other winners received $25.

Q: Can I use pyrotechnics, flash paper, smudge pots, or smoke machines?
A: NO.

Q: How do I get up and off stage?
A: We have a ramp on the entrance side of the stage, screened from the audience with pipe and drape. We will have staffers to guide contestants up the ramp; the director will be at the end of the ramp to help you on stage. On the exit side of the stage, there is a set of stairs - and two Masquerade staffers to help contestants down and direct you to the backstage area.

Q: Can I have someone take pictures of me in my costume?
A: We will have a photographer take pictures of all contestants for Dragon*Con backstage before the show. After the Masquerade, the photographer will take pictures of the winners. We will have a "photo op" in the Centennial Ballroom for all con attendees who would like to take pictures of all the contestants.

Q: Can I have friends backstage with me?
A: No-we do not have adequate room backstage for anyone who is not directly involved with the show. If you have a large prop, you can have a helper-but they will have to be approved by the Director prior to the show on Sunday.

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