Masquerade

Calling all Costumers and Cosplayers!

Are you interested in exhibiting a costume onstage in the LAcon V Masquerade? If so, please read this document for registration and all other related information!

If you are at the convention and in doubt about entering, please email masquerade@lacon.org or come by the Masquerade Registration Desk – in costume, or with a photo of you in your costume, or just talk to us about your costume; we’ll be happy to help you decide.

Although it is advisable to premiere your Masquerade costume at the Masquerade itself (thus giving you the biggest possible impact on the audience and Judges), this is NOT mandatory. If we find you in a fabulous costume in the hallways of LAcon V, we might attempt to recruit you into the Masquerade! Should you decide to enter the Masquerade…  thank you very, very much!

YOU make the show – we couldn’t do it without you!

Masquerade Rules and Requirements

Basic Participation and Entry Requirements

Who May Enter the Masquerade

To appear onstage, you must be an Attending Member of LAcon V.

To have a costume you created appear onstage (worn by a model), you must have at least a Supporting ​Membership for LAcon V.

Themes

Costume entries should have some sort of relationship to a general Science Fiction / Fantasy / Cosplay theme (including Video Games, Comics and Animé), whether as an Original Creation, a Re-Creation, Creative Interpretation, or Assembled costume. (If in doubt, please contact the Masquerade Director at masquerade@lacon.org.)

Double Entries

Each person may only appear on the stage in ONE entry.

A person may have different costumes modeled by someone else in a different entry. (Example: a Young Fan (please see “Divisions” below) may enter wearing a costume made or partially made by a parent, while the parent may be participating in an adult entry.)

Eligible Costume Types

Original: A costume inspired by science fiction, fantasy, mythology, animé, alternate history, or other original source, including your imagination, but whose design is completely the creation of the Contestant.

If you wish your costume to be judged for a Workmanship award (please see “Judging Categories” below), it is not required but it is highly recommended that you bring documentation about your original costume, how you made it, and any other information to be reviewed by the Workmanship Judges.

Re-Creation: Re-creation costumes are duplicates or design adaptations of the published design or work of someone other than the Contestant; for example, a design is copied from a movie, video, television series, art, comics, theatrical presentation, book illustration, sculpture or other medium.

Entries based upon descriptions in books, online articles and such are not considered re-creations, as there is no visual source for the entry. These entries are considered as “creatively inspired by” the source material. (See: “Creatively inspired” below.)

Documentation: for a re-creation costume to be eligible for Workmanship judging, Contestants competing with re-creation costumes MUST provide at least one image of the original source of the derivative work, as the Judges may not be familiar with the work you are copying.

Creatively Inspired / Creative Interpretation: Examples: a Victorian Steampunk Star Trek Uniform crossover, a character in a novel for whom there is only a written description and no illustration.

Documentation for workmanship judging: please see guidelines for original costuming documentation, above. If the character is based on a written work, it is recommended to provide a detailed description of the character from the work.

Assembled: A costume assembled from an assortment of pieces from different suppliers; when those suppliers were not all costume resources, you may use the “Assembled by” line on the Masquerade Registration form to indicate you did that. For instance, if you purchased some parts from a consignment shop, some from a donation store, and some from a costume shop, that would be considered an “assembled” costume.

Assembled costumes are allowed in competition, but are only eligible for Presentation Awards, not Workmanship judging. (Exceptions: a costume piece(s), such as a prop, that you created yourself – that particular item may be eligible for Workmanship judging.)

Presentation Length / Default Stage Time

Think “TV commercials”; make your presentation as short and as to the point as possible so as to avoid losing the audience’s interest – you want to leave the stage before their attention begins to wander and leave them wanting more!

Excluding a short amount time for stage setup (stage crew putting a prop, portable backdrop made for the entry, or a chair onstage for your presentation, for example) Individual presentations have a default time limit of 60 seconds from lights-up to lights-down, while larger group entries (typically 4 or more) have a default time limit of 90 seconds.

If for any reason you feel it may be necessary for your presentation to run past these default times, please contact the Masquerade Director.

“But I’ve worn this costume at another event! Can I wear my costume at LAcon V before the Masquerade?”

There are NO restrictions on costumes being worn at this convention (or at another event prior to this convention) before the competition. We ask that you use your best judgment about whether to enter in competition or enter only as an Exhibition (if you’re not sure, please ask us).

If you have won a major award with this costume (such as “Best in Class”) at an international competition (international competitions include Worldcons, Costume-Cons, and Anime North), we might ask you to compete up one level, or present your entry out of competition (Exhibition). We DO want to see your costumes here!

Please note: the Masquerade Director reserves the right to disqualify any entry that is deemed problematic for any reason, including but not limited to inappropriate material, weapons violation, etc.

Workmanship Documentation (Additional Information)

Hardcopy documentation turned in to the Masquerade Registration Desk prior to judging is highly preferred.

You may bring image documentation to the Judges electronically (eg: on a tablet), but this is not preferred, as they will be able to better assess your work by having prior access to printed documentation.

Also please make sure it is pre-loaded onto your device, as the Internet may be difficult to access from the judging location.

If you come to the Masquerade Registration Desk early, we may be able to arrange printing your images instead.

Presentation Audio Requirements

Sound Beats Silence!

Even if you are doing just a simple walk-on (e.g.: come onstage, make a couple of turns so that all parts of your costume can be seen, walk off), PLEASE bring at least a music CD with a track that complements your costume!

You Can’t Speak from the Stage!

Because you won’t have a mic, and nobody will be able to hear you! You must PRE-RECORD all your presentation speech dialog, music and sound effects, (or provide a simple music file for walk-ons.)

Two copies (preferably on different media, see below) should be handed to the Audio team via the Masquerade Registration Desk as early as possible.

Please clearly label your media with the name and title of your entry (perhaps even a short description), and NOT use a generic label such as “LAcon V Masquerade — Star Wars”.

But the MC May Assist You…

The only person who has a microphone and is allowed to actually speak from the stage is the Master of Ceremonies (“MC”). The MC will be happy to work with you in reading a short script, or to interact with you as planned ahead of time.

Please provide your script in .txt or .rtf format preferably by email to us at masquerade@lacon.org (be sure to include the name of your entry in the subject line!) or have it available on a thumbdrive to be turned in at the Masquerade Registration Desk. We will modify it solely for printing style, and print it out prior to the beginning of rehearsals.

This probably doesn’t need saying, but please avoid profanity or excessively controversial content; this is a family-friendly show, and there will be children in the audience.

Please Keep It Simple/Easy

Your submitted media should ONLY contain the audio file for your presentation and nothing else.

The tech crew will play your audio only from the beginning of your file, and start playing at the point that you want it played during the presentation.

Make sure to time your audio to when it should be heard in your presentation.

Sound File Media Submission (Non-CD)

Please bring your sound file on a USB thumb drive / flash drive (for a CD – see below.) Please do NOT bring the audio files on your smartphone or tablet; we cannot work with those.

Bringing a Music CD

If you are only using music and bring a CD, the Tech Crew will start at the beginning of your chosen track and fade out when you reach your time limit.

NOTE: If you want to use only a specific portion of a musical track, please bring in an edited version with your preferred starting point, and NOT the music CD itself. (See Sound File Media Submission, above.)

Sound File Formats

Large sound systems bring out the best and worst in recordings. If possible, base the music for your presentation from non-compressed sources such as CDs rather than from downloads. Keep the sound files in uncompressed .WAV or .AIF format throughout the editing process, and deliver final material as WAV, AIFF, LAC, ALAC, and AAC files for playback. If you must deliver it in MP3 format, use the highest quality setting possible.

Double-Check Your Sound!

It is suggested that any recorded voice be checked for clarity by playing it in a car traveling at highway speed and making sure it is still understandable.

What Tech Crew Will Do

Before your rehearsal, the Audio team will capture the sound file from your media and prepare it for playback. We will either return your media at the rehearsal, or at the Masquerade Show-and-Tell / Postmortem on Sunday, depending on time availability.

Questions?

If you have questions about any of this, please email masquerade@lacon.org, and we will help you.

Logistical Restrictions and Safety Requirements

The convention is family-friendly – Masquerade entries should be at most PG-13.

You must be street-legal; “no costume” is not a costume. Costumes must be decent and adhere to the nudity laws of the location.

No open flame, sparks, or other pyrotechnics will be allowed. However, if you are a dragon, plenty of fake flames are welcome.

Don’t design your entry so it depends on complex lighting. We will be working with tech to provide the best, most sophisticated support available at the venue, but based on past experience, fancy tech equipment is one of the things that often falls to budget cuts.

If you have a lighted costume or prop, all power and lights must be in self-contained, non-corrosive containers. Absolutely no leaking of corrosive or poisonous materials is allowed. Use batteries; you will not have access to electrical power on stage.

Do not construct or decorate yourself or your costume or props with anything messy, smelly, or slimy. No liquids or viscous or drippy materials, including bubbles, steam, smoke, or mists that could leave a film on the stage or may be spilled, poured, squirted, thrown or projected during a presentation.

Do not leave trash on the stage. That includes things like confetti, streamers, beads, Silly String, feathers, etc. A limited number of non-messy prop pieces that are quickly and easily collected by the Stage Crew / Ninjas after your presentation are OK.

Do not throw anything into the audience!!

Make sure you know the boundary of the stage and that your presentation is within the bounds. Avoid complex movements that may throw you off stage, especially if your costume limits your visibility.

Wireless (radio) remote controlled devices are discouraged. We do not know what sort of interference will exist in the masquerade area during the show. It would be a shame to base your entry on something that doesn’t work, and that we cannot predict ahead of the show. In turn, your device might interfere with the Tech Crew’s equipment causing unknown glitches in the show as well.

Weapons Policy

In addition to any existing jurisdiction or LAcon V weapons policies, real and prop weaponry and weapon-like props in the Masquerade are subject to the following:

• The Masquerade Director must approve the use of any actual weapon(s) or item(s) that could be mistaken for a weapon when used as a part of a costume. Both real and crafted fantasy or recreation weapons are considered weapons for the purposes of this discussion.
• Any item resembling a real-life weapon must be concealed / wrapped when being transported to and from both the Masquerade rehearsal and the Masquerade proper.
• The Masquerade Director must be informed in advance of any weapons being used and must approve all such uses. When registering for the Masquerade, please include a clear description of the weapon and what you intend to do with it during your presentation.
• Absolutely NO functional firearms, even unloaded. Period.
• We strongly discourage the carrying of “live steel” or anything which legally qualifies as an offensive weapon. If you wish to carry such an item onstage, it must be explicitly approved by the Masquerade Director. Any special effects and weaponry (including props), and however you plan to wield them, MUST be approved by the Masquerade Director as well as Tech, and the Stage / Weapons Master before the competition. The best time to do this is before the rehearsal, so that we can schedule enough time to ensure to our and your satisfaction that the effects will work, and see a demonstration of your use of weapons in your presentation.
• ALL weapons / weapon-like props must follow these guidelines:
  • No object can be fired or thrown onto the stage or into the audience.
  • No heavy object can be dropped onto the stage or into the audience.
  • All edges must be dulled
  • If you are wielding a weapon / weapon-like prop in a vigorous manner, you may be requested to secure it to your person via a wrist loop or in some other manner so that it cannot fly into the audience if it accidentally slips from your grasp.
• Costumers will have to demonstrate that they understand the appropriate safe use of any weapons planned for their presentation. Refusal to do so will lead to disqualification if, in the Masquerade Director’s opinion, the unrehearsed use could have endangered members of the convention, whether in the audience, backstage or on stage.
• Items that are flammable, odorous, or unreasonably noisy are also considered to be weapons, and must be cleared with the Masquerade Director.

Masquerade Competition Categories

The following section contains information about skill divisions, judging, etc.

The Division System, Explained

These divisions are based on guidelines published by the International Costumers’ Guild (ICG), and have been modified for this competition.

When you register for the Masquerade, you are required to choose which division you are entering. As always, when in doubt, check with the Masquerade Director before the competition. If an entry appears to be grossly mis-categorized, the Masquerade Director reserves the right to re-categorize it.

Previous Awards Consideration for Division Placement

• Awards won at competitions of smaller scope may be counted towards Division placement at the discretion of the costumer and the Masquerade Director.
• Minor awards (e.g.: “Most beautiful”, “Best prop design”, “Judges choice”) may be counted towards placement at the discretion of the costumer.

Open Division

Some competitions refer to this as the “Master” Division.  This Division is open to ANY costumer, including:

• Professional costume makers.
• Anyone who chooses to compete in this class based on their personal assessment of their skill level.

Journeyman Division

An intermediate Division for costumers who have consistently won awards in the Novice Division, but feel they are not yet ready to compete in Open.

• Who should NOT enter Journeyman:
  • Professional costumers.
  • An entrant who has competed and won in the Open Division in a competition of equal or larger scope.
  • An entrant who has won “Best in Show” or “Best Journeyman” in a competition of equal or larger scope. They should compete in the Open Division.
  • An entrant who has won more than three major awards in the Journeyman Division in a competition of equal or larger scope.
• Who may enter Journeyman:
  • Contestants who are not required to enter in Open, and
  • Contestants who have previously won major awards in the Novice division at a major competition (please verify with Masquerade Director if unsure)
  • Anyone who chooses to compete in this class based on their personal assessment of their skill level.

Novice Division

This Division exists to encourage people who are new to costuming and Masquerades to compete.

• Who should NOT enter Novice:
  • Professional costumers.
  • An entrant who has competed and won in any Division other than Novice in a competition of equal or larger scope. They should compete in Journeyman or Open as described above.
  • An entrant who has won “Best in Show”, “Best in Division” / “Best in Class” in a competition of equal or larger scope.
• Who may enter Novice:
  • Contestants who are not required to enter in Journeyman or Open, and
  • have won fewer than three awards as a Novice at the Regional or International level, or
  • have just become old enough to NOT qualify for the Young Fan Class.

Young Fan Division

This division is for anyone who:

• is 12 or under on the day of the competition (born on or after August 29, 2014), and
• is also not part of an adult group.
• Costumes worn by a Young Fan that are designed and built entirely by an adult should be entered for Workmanship judging (if eligible, and if requested) in the adult’s appropriate Skill Division, though the entry is still eligible for Young Fan Presentation awards.

“I’m in a group… what is my Division?”

A group should generally compete in the skill division of the group’s most experienced member. For any possible individual exceptions in a group entry, please consult with the Masquerade Director.

Judging Categories, Explained

Entries considered as eligible for competition are automatically entered in Presentation judging. Entries eligible for competition are also encouraged to sign up for Workmanship judging, as warranted.

Workmanship Judging

place on Friday (time and location TBD) and on Saturday in the Masquerade Green Room before (and possibly during) the show. There will be a certain number of time slots available for signup beforehand. It is highly encouraged to attend Workmanship Judging on Friday if possible; you may bring your costume (or the parts you wish to be judged) with you, in lieu of wearing it.

Workmanship judging involves judging the construction of a costume / costume set, or specific parts of a costume (such as, for example, a particular handcrafted prop, headpiece, etc.) As such, it is strongly encouraged that the costume creator be present for Workmanship judging if at all possible, in order to be able to answer Judges’ questions concerning construction. It may be difficult to effectively judge a costume and give due credit to a creator’s ingenuity otherwise.

If the creator of a costume and the presenter of that costume are different people, any Workmanship award won by the costume belongs to the creator (who must be at least a supporting member of LAcon V).

In the case of a group entry, the entry may be judged individually for individual participants and/or as the entire group.

While you may participate in the Masquerade in a commissioned or rented full costume, these costumes are eligible for Presentation judging only. The costume is not eligible for a Masquerade Workmanship award unless the creator of the costume is a member of LAcon V, and the award will be given to the creator.

As stated earlier, if you are entering workmanship judging, please try to provide documentation of the details of your workmanship process and/or your source material especially if your costume(s) is a re-creation or creative interpretation. The Judges do not necessarily have familiarity with all the sources. Sufficient documentation is extremely helpful for the Workmanship Judges to fairly and impartially evaluate your work.

• Documentation should preferably be submitted to the Masquerade Registration Desk or at the Contestants Meeting before judging, or at the very latest to the Judges at the time of judging – however, please strive to submit it earlier if at all possible, as later submissions may not be able to get sufficient attention. Please clearly label your documentation with the name and title of your entry, and NOT use a generic label such as “LAcon V Masquerade — Star Trek”.
• The Judges will have a limited amount of time to review your work and your documentation, so please, don’t write a novel. Photos, sketches, screenshots, and short written descriptions of your work are encouraged.
• Photos and any other documentation will be returned to you after the show at the Masquerade Post Mortem panel on Sunday, August 30.

Contestants may choose to have only parts of their costume judged, such as a prop, armor piece, or headpiece. If in doubt, visit with the Workmanship Judges anyway. Even if you’re not impressed with the work on your costume or props, they very well may be. Leave it to the Judges’ judgment as to whether your work is special in the context of this competition.

Contestants should if possible sign up in advance for Workmanship Judging slots; please see “Registration”.

Workmanship judging will take place in the Green Room prior to the masquerade, and also on the day prior (location TBD). More information will be made available as soon as possible.

Presentation Judging

Takes place while Contestants are onstage.

Presentation Judging involves the judging of how a costume or costumes (individual or group entry) is/are presented onstage, whether in skit/performance format, or as a walk-on that showcases the costume at its best to the judging panel and the audience.

The Presentation Judges will be looking at your costume from the audience’s point of view. They will look at the costume itself and make-up, in addition to how well it works with the music, script, and choreography that you use on stage. Even a simple costume can win a Presentation award if it is presented well, and sometimes a great costume might be passed over for lack of a coherent or entertaining presentation.

You will make your best presentation by making sure the audience has enough time to see your whole costume, see what you can do once, understand your story if you are telling one, and then leave the stage. A good costume and presentation can be ruined by taking too long on stage.

Remember, funny or theatrically dramatic is good, shorter is better, and short and funny or exciting is best!

Exhibition

This category is for entries which do not wish judging, or are otherwise not eligible for Workmanship or Presentation judging (e.g., an entry that previously won a major international award. When in doubt, ask the Masquerade Director.)

Exhibition-Only entries are not eligible for awards from the official Masquerade Judges, although they might possibly be given an award by a special guest of the convention.

Masquerade Registration
(before & at the convention)

How / Where / When to Register

Online

Note: Online masquerade registration will open in April 2026 and is not yet available.

Early online registration is preferred so that we can give you and the audience the best experience possible.  Online registrations for the Masquerade will be accepted until 11:59 PM PDT on August 26, 2026 (Wednesday). When you feel ready, please register online using the button below. Adjustments can be made to your details up until your technical rehearsal, so for now, just enter as much information as you can.

If you register online, you (or at least one group entry representative) should preferably check in at the Masquerade Registration Desk at the convention as soon as possible to receive your information packet and release forms. If timing does not allow, you may check in at the Contestants Meeting at the latest.

Documentation and audio may be submitted at the Masquerade Registration Desk or at the Contestants Meeting.

LAcon V Masquerade Online Registration
Coming Soon!

At the Convention

Registrations will be accepted on-site at the Masquerade Registration Desk at LAcon V until 4:59 PM PDT on August 27, 2026 (Thursday).

Registration is closed after the above time.

Registration Limitation

The Masquerade directors may limit the number of entries at their discretion.

Masquerade Registration / Check-in Desk

Hours / Location

The at-con Masquerade Registration Desk will be open Wednesday August 26 and August 27 – but note the above deadline. Your convention program guide should show the exact location.

What you do / what you get there

Register, if you have not done so already.

You MUST Check In (even if you have already registered online) so that we can confirm that you are here!! If you have a group entry, it is strongly recommended that all members show up together for this if possible. Only one representative for a group entry is required to check their group in, but ALL members of an entry must sign release forms which need to be turned in to the desk, or at the latest at the Mandatory Contestants’ Meeting – see below.

Get your entry’s Information Packet.

Get the badge ribbons that allow members of your entry into the Masquerade Green Room before the show.

Get release forms for everyone in your entry to be able to participate onstage.

In order to appear onstage, all members of your entry (including your personal Stage Crew if you have any) must sign the LAcon V

• Masquerade Release in person. Note that these MUST be signed in the presence of Masquerade Staff.
• A parent or legal guardian MUST sign for anyone appearing onstage under the age of 18 at the time of the show.
• These can be signed & submitted either at the Masquerade Registration Desk, or at the latest at the Mandatory Contestants Meeting (please see “Mandatory Contestants Meeting”).
• To reiterate: NO ONE, Contestant or crew, will be allowed onstage without a signed release form.

Sign up for your Tech Rehearsal time slot (required)

Sign up for your Workmanship Judging time slot (if your entry is competing in Workmanship)

Paper and online Registration Forms will be available at the Masquerade Registration Desk.

What you submit there

Your registration information, if you have not already done so online.

Costume construction documentation if requesting Workmanship Judging (this can also be submitted directly to the Workmanship Judges at time of judging if absolutely necessary, but it is highly recommended to submit it beforehand, so as to allow the Judges to view it earlier)

Your presentation AUDIO files (please see “Presentation Audio Requirements”)

Any questions you might have, which our staff will answer to the best of our ability.

After Registration (at the con)

Mandatory Contestants’ Meeting

The Mandatory Contestants’ Meeting is on SATURDAY August 29, 2026, location and time TBD

The exact time will be available at Masquerade Registration Desk (if this page is not updated before the convention.)

ALL ENTRIES MUST ATTEND THE MANDATORY CONTESTANTS’ MEETING for check-in confirmation and any last-minute questions / new information. (If a group entry has already turned in all necessary release forms, at LEAST one member (preferably more, or all) needs to attend.) If you or your group cannot have at least one member attending this meeting, you will not be participating in the Masquerade.

Anyone who has NOT yet signed a release form (or had a parent / guardian sign a release form, if a minor) MUST attend this meeting and sign their form.

Mandatory Tech Rehearsal

No one will be allowed to present on stage if they have not rehearsed with our MC, Stage Manager, and Tech Crew.

For safety and coordination with the Tech Crew and the MC, you MUST rehearse onstage during the Tech Rehearsal period. You will be assigned a rehearsal time when you check in at the Masquerade Registration Desk. This will be your only scheduled “official” rehearsal time.

Rehearsals will be during a block of time TBD.

You should bring the following to your rehearsal:

• All persons appearing onstage in your entry
• Costume items in the dominant color or pattern
• Any props that will be used on stage, especially if they need to be pre-set or struck after your presentation is over
• Any part of your costume that is large or heavy, if at all possible
• Any mask or costume part that will limit your vision
• Footwear that you will be wearing on stage (very important! If you have slipping issues, you need to know!)

NEVER surprise the crew or the Masquerade Director. (ALWAYS surprise the audience if possible.) Together we can ensure that both these goals are achieved. You may surprise the audience, and we would be happy to help you do so. Thus, it is imperative that the Stage Manager, Tech Crew, the MC, and the Masquerade Director are completely aware of what you plan to do on stage. No exceptions.

Information Rehearsal (Blocking) Time

We are working to try to arrange a block of time earlier in the convention where you may reserve 30 minutes on the stage to develop details of your planned movements on stage (“blocking”). This is NOT your tech rehearsal. There would be no technical support other than basic illumination (a wash) on the stage for visibility, but this will allow you and any group members to become more familiar with the stage layout and plan your stage presentation.

Day of the Masquerade

Masquerade Green Room

The Masquerade Green Room is where Contestants check in before the Masquerade, are given their presentation order and organized into “dens” with “den parents”, have Workmanship Judging done, and have a Costume Repair Table available for last-minute simple repairs.

The Green Room will open Saturday, August 29, at 5:30 PM, 2 1/2 hours before the show starts, for previously-assigned Workmanship Judging time slots.

Your entire group MUST be in the Green Room by 7 PM in order to compete.

Re: Workmanship Judging in the Green Room:

• Documentation of your costume source and/or construction process is highly preferred (please see all prior references to “Documentation”.)
• There will be available sign-up time-slots for judging on a first-come, first-served basis at the Masquerade Registration Desk before the show; otherwise your entry must be judged after all the assigned slots have been judged, and likely during the show itself. In that case, or if you were not able to be available for your assigned time slot, your Workmanship Judging may have to wait until after your presentation.
• The Workmanship Judges will talk to you and will want to see the best parts of your costume “up close and personal”. Please let these Judges know specifically what you are most proud of in your costume and/or props, and be sure to tell them how you made your costume.

The Green Room location is TBD. There, you will find out your presentation order for the show when you arrive. Please sign in at the Backstage Masquerade Desk with the person in charge as you enter the room; if a group, ALL members must sign in at this desk.

Young Fans will be sharing the Green Room space with the adults. We will make assignments in the Green Room to focus Young Fan Contestants together (at least one parent or legal guardian is required to accompany their Young Fan at all times).

You will be assigned a “Den” and given over to the care of your Den Mom or Dad.

• If you need anything, please let them know. It is their responsibility to ensure that you appear for the Workmanship Judges (if you so choose).
• Your Den Mom or Dad will make sure you are lined up in the right order and on time to make your best entrance.
• They are also responsible for helping to make sure you are photographed at some point by the Official Masquerade Photographer.
• They are also available to care for anything like your eyeglasses and convention badges that you may need before and after your appearance on stage.

There will be a Repair Table available for you to use. Please do not abuse this privilege. It is there to provide safety pins, a little glue, a dab of makeup. Do not expect to use the table for large projects; it is only here to cover last minute costume emergencies.

There will most likely be some non-messy snack food and drink available in theGreen Room. The size and type of food and drink will be determined closer to the convention, and depends upon budget and Convention Centre considerations. BE SURE TRY TO, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, EAT DINNER BEFORE YOU ARRIVE. Please do not bring any messy / drippy food items with you to the Green Room, as they might accidentally damage your costume or someone else’s.

No alcohol or other mind-altering substances will be allowed in the Green Room. Should you be found to be intoxicated, or otherwise impaired, by any of the Masquerade staff, your entry will be scratched from competition and you will not be allowed to present on stage.

We hope to have a live feed of the show in the Green Room. It is there to provide feedback to the team on how the show is progressing, and to allow contestants to see what’s on stage during your down time.

Onstage

We will open the show and introduce the MC. The MC will then introduce the Judges and explain the Division System, before any presentations start.

Young Fans will appear first in the competition. All presentation rules still apply. Young Fan Contestants will remain backstage following their presentations. Young Fan recognitions will be awarded before the adults’ entries start. After the Young Fan awards are presented, the Young Fan Contestants will be free to visit Fan Photography, go to bed, watch from the audience, or return to the convention at large in the charge of their parents and/or guardians.

There will be Stage Crew AKA “Stage Ninjas” (people in black) both at the entrance and exit from the stage. They are there to help you with a hand up, to move your props onto or off the stage, and to prevent you from falling off the stage. They may catch you if you fall, but please don’t! It’s up to you to tell them how much assistance you need. The more assistance you need, the earlier you should let them know. So, if you have big props, please tell them about it at your Tech Rehearsal, and tell the Masquerade Director in your registration information as well. That way, we’ll be sure to have the right people there to help you, at the right time.

There will also be Stage Crew at key points around the stage to try to stop you from stepping off the stage by mistake. Do not run, skip, jump, or dance so fast that the best they can do is to let you go. YOU are ultimately responsible for your own safety.

After you’ve given your presentation, your Den Mom or Dad will take your den to the Fan Photography area. (This is optional.) After getting your picture taken you can return to theGreen Room, hang out in the Lobby, or go to a reserved section of the audience to watch the rest of the Masquerade. Please be available somewhere in the general vicinity.

Photography & Videotaping

Participation in the Masquerade constitutes consent to be photographed by the Judges’ Photographer and the Official Photographer. There will be organized Judges’ Photography, Official Photography and Fan Photography.

Judges’ Photos are solely for the purpose of providing a reminder of your costume to the Judges during their deliberations. These photos may be shared by the Masquerade staff only for their personal use.

Official Photos will be taken in an official area near the Masquerade Green Room with professional lights and in full costume. Those photos will be available to you and others after the Masquerade. The photos will appear on public websites such as Flickr, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

We intend to arrange an area where Fan Photos may be taken, by fans and possibly pros who have signed up to take posed photos of entries. This is optional; you may choose to not participate in Fan Photography. Some fan photographers may be offering free or paid copies of their pictures to you and others. Please make direct arrangements with any Fan photographer you wish to do business with. Fan photos sometimes appear on the ICG website and in ICG slide shows. See the ICG website for examples. Please be aware that Fan photos often appear on public websites such as Flickr, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

In the convention hallways many fans may wish to take your picture. It is entirely up to you whether to allow people to take your picture.

NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY from the audience is allowed during the Masquerade. Viewers will be ejected from the room should they be found to be taking flash pictures from the audience.

We will be videorecording the full Masquerade, and may be broadcasting the video during the Masquerade live to additional seating locations in the LAcon V venues.

Participation in the Masquerade constitutes consent to be videorecorded and to have that footage broadcast and distributed as described: The video will be preserved and shared with the ICG Archivist, and may be sold after the convention. We will send an email to you and/or your group’s primary contact when and if the video is for sale at a later date.

We expect audience members to be taking non-flash photos and videos during the presentation for their own personal use. There will be reporters for the LAcon V newsletter and others from the outside press in the audience taking photos that may appear in publications or online. We cannot reasonably restrict the use of such photos or videos.

Halftime / Judges’ Deliberations

There will be a halftime show after the Contestants have appeared onstage, in order to allow the Judges adequate time for deliberations.

Awards

Awards will be given when the Judges are ready. Be prepared to be called back onto the stage for awards.

Don’t worry about wearing your whole costume, but remember that we’re a PG-13 show. Be comfortable and come onto and leave the stage easily and quickly.

Workmanship Awards will be given at the same time as Presentation Awards. You may be called onto the stage more than once, or asked to remain on stage to receive different awards.

Awards will be announced by the award name, and will be given by Division. First all Novice Awards, then all Journeyman Awards, and then all Open Division Awards. The final award in a Division will be the Best in Division (if there is one). The final awards in the show will be the Best in Show for Workmanship (if there is one) and Best in Show for Presentation (if there is one), or possibly a combined Best in Show award for the two categories to a single entry.

If you are called onto the stage for an award, please approach the person handing out the awards and then form a line near the back of the stage until the final awards in that Division are called. You will be recognized as a group and then allowed to leave the stage with the rest of the winners for that Division.

Day after the Masquerade

Sunday’s Masquerade Post-Mortem

The Masquerade Director will be answering questions and receiving feedback about the show. Bring your comments and suggestions!

The Judges, crew and other staff may be available to answer questions about the show itself, and address any issues that may have come up regarding the show itself.

You will also have the opportunity to retrieve your documentation and/or audio at this panel.

Thank you very much for your participation!!