What is the contest?
Who may enter the contest? Do you have to be a full-time or professional costumer?
What categories are considered in this contest?
Can children be entered in this contest?
Do the costumes have to be hand-made or can they be purchased?
Are we allowed to carry weapons as part of our costume?
What kind of documentation is required?
Does cost or time play a factor in this contest?
Who needs to attend the Pre-Judging segment of the contest?
Why do I have to attend the Pre-Judging?
Will there be time or space to make final adjustments or costume repairs?
Can the costumes have a presentation or skit?
Can costumes be entered in more than one contest over the weekend?
I pre-registered online. Do I need to bring a hardcopy of my entry form with me?

What is this contest?
The Friday Night Costuming Contest was started last year as a competition to display the construction and design talents of the costumers in attendance at Dragon*Con each year. We see many costumes in the hallways, panels, and other competitions but little attention was paid to the efforts it takes to design and construct these wearable works of art. For this reason, we created a contest that acknowledges efforts and abilities as opposed to presentation skills.

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Who may enter the contest? Do you have to be a full-time or professional costumer?
The Friday Night Costuming Contest is open to any and all registered attendees of Dragon*Con. You do not need to be a professional to enter this contest, but the better your skills and past creations; the further up the chain of categories you can be placed.

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What categories are considered in this contest?
We have 6 different categories:
Youth - this category is two-fold (see next question for details.) It is intended for entrants under the age of 15 and promotes the developing talents of our young attendees.
Novice - This category is for attendees over the age of 15 that are new to costuming or have never won an award for costuming at a major convention that promotes or focuses on Costuming. This is for the newbies, the ones that have talents and want to learn more and be judged on their designs and efforts.
Journeyman - This category is intended for those attendees that have been working at the art of costuming for a few years and have entered or won any number of costuming contests in the past. Even if they have been away from making costumes or entering contests for years, they would still be considered a Journeyman based on past skills and efforts.
Professional - This level is self-explanatory. This is for those attendees that have repeatedly worked on, entered, and/or won numerous costume contests at Dragon*Con or other conventions that place focus on costuming either in panels or contests. At this level, we are looking at construction skills, design effort, documentation, and presentation of the costume itself. These attendees are usually building and designing year-round and/or may be employed as costumers in their local cities. These costumes are judged at the highest standards.
Best Use of Materials - This is a new category that focuses on how well the designer or creator used available materials. This would include adaptation of found materials to create the desired look or effect. This is basically a creativity award that acknowledges how well a costume is constructed from the materials used. For example: This would include the use of wools vs. blended fabrics to achieve the desired look or the total look of a costume from headdresses to shoes.
Best in Show - This award would be similar to "Best Presentation Overall" but this contest does not allow for presentations or skits. This is a single award that can be given in ANY category that acknowledges how well the design was received or how well the creative effect was achieved. This is a Judge's Choice Award.

The categories are designed to make the competition fair for everyone by ensuring they are competing against people that have a similar skill level. If you think that the category guidelines are forcing you into a category higher than your skill level, email us and we'll work with you to determine the right category for you and your skills.

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Can children be entered in this contest?
Children may enter or be entered in this contest. The category for consideration would be whether the child created the costume themselves or whether the costume was constructed and simply being worn by a child. If the costume is just being worn, the category would be for the level of the person who actually constructed the costume.

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Do the costumes have to be hand-made or can they be purchased?
We get this question every year and it can be a hard one to qualify. Purchased costumes would not be considered your own work, so it would be hard to be judged on workmanship in this regard. However, you may use purchased items as part of your design. For example: If you are creating a Star Wars Stormtrooper costume, you may purchase your armor but the cleaning or cutting from the mold, assembling, painting, and/or decorating must be your own work. Buying armor from eBay or some other resource and simply putting it on would not constitute construction merely presentation. For those costumes, please see the Masquerade on Sunday Night. Creation of the undersuit, rubber neck pieces, attachment methods, etc would be construction. The same would hold true for other purchased items. If the entire costume was purchased "as is" and worn as such, whether hand made or otherwise, this also would NOT be a valid entrant for this contest.

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Are we allowed to carry weapons as part of our costume?
Weapons are allowed as long as they follow the con rules. The Con rules are as follows:
All weapons must be non-working and peace bonded. No functioning projectile weapons includes water pistols, silly-string guns, and ping-pong pistols. Bladed weapons must be cased or sheathed at all times. No clowning around or showing off in the common areas. Any weapon used in an offensive manner will be confiscated and rule #7 enforced. We expect you to use good judgment; with your help, we can continue to allow peace-bonded weapons.

Exceptions will be made to the weapons rule for the period of judging the costume. This means that you can bring an awesome sword or dagger that completes your costume as long as it is in a sheath or case until you are in front of the judges and you have asked their permission to show it off. After they judges are done judging it should be sheathed or cased until the stage manager tells you to line up for your slot on stage. As soon as the weapon comes off the stage you should case or sheath it again. The backstage area is a very busy place, and keeping your weapon sheathed or cased will help to ensure that no accidents happen. Explosions are prohibited for the same reason - to prevent accidents to anyone who may be startled by the sudden noise or light.

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What kind of documentation is required?
As part of this contest, we need to know how the costume was constructed, designed, and/or created. We want to know what the inspiration was and how much work went into this. You need to document your process for creation. This is also a method by which we can decide how much was purchased and how much was by design. During the pre-judging process, these questions will again be addressed and the answers there will help determine your proper level for judging. Many times, the entrant or designer will not know what level they would fall into, the pre-judging will help with this.

Documentation can include pattern numbers used, names of anyone who assisted with advice, and/or copies of emails and websites used as resources, the names of the fabrics used, quantities used, and where purchased. Progressive photos of the costume as it was being developed is encouraged. Bringing these items to the pre-judging will help answer the judges' questions, and provide them with insight into the costumes construction.

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Does cost or time play a factor in this contest?
We do not care how much time or expense went into the creation of your costume. By the very nature of experience, some people will require more time than others to achieve the look of their costume. This contest will focus on final results vs. effort expended. The new costumer will sweat and research over how to make a "pleated seam" whereas the professional will accomplish this with little effort. The time alone is not a factor but rather the time in conjunction with experience level will help make this determination.

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Who needs to attend the Pre-Judging segment of the contest?
Pre-judging will take place in the hour proir to the actual contest. Contestants and their designers (if they are separate people) need to attend this portion in order to be judged in the contest. Due to the number of entrants it is imperative that all contestants arrive at the scheduled time and not 20-minutes into the pre-judging. This is where you will defend your designs and your documentation, so come prepared.

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Why do I have to attend the Pre-Judging?
Pre-Judging serves two purposes; primarily, it allows the judges to ask questions and make the best determination as to where your efforts and results should be placed as well as examine your documentation. Secondly; since this contest is intended for the family-oriented hours of the convention, we need to make sure that all costumes are appropriate for this venue. Costumes that are too low-cut or too revealing may be disqualified or asked to re-enter in the Saturday Night ?Dragon-after-Dark? contest in order to keep things appropriate and well-received. While we are not discouraging revealing costumes or costumes based upon creations of a more mature theme, we do request that you consider fully the costume you are wearing and the venue you are presenting it in. If you have questions about the type of costume you have prior to arriving at the convention, please feel free to contact the Track Director and the staff can make a determination for you.

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Will there be time or space to make final adjustments or costume repairs?
The staff will make every effort to get you in the Ballroom, lined up, and ready before the contest itself; but you also need to allow plenty of time to arrive at your final destination. Only YOU know what your costume needs and you need to bring the necessary materials. Therefore, the Costuming Track will not have repair materials available. We will have space backstage for contestants and repairs can be made while you are waiting to go onto the stage. If your costume involves a degree of difficulty in moving, please supply your own handlers. How well you move is also a consideration that the judges will be looking at.

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Can the costumes have a presentation or skit?
The simple answer is NO. If the focus of your costume is the story behind it, the costume is probably best left for the Masquerade on Sunday. The Friday Night Costuming Contest focuses solely of presentation of skills and effort, not on the comedic nature of the costume or how well it is presented. Bear in mind that if your costume has a "reveal" nature to it, that is OK and can be used in this contest, but the "reveal" must be able to be seen in advance by the judges easily. For example: if your costume is a caterpillar that transforms into a butterfly with a 12-foot wingspan onstage, this is totally acceptable but you need to be able to show this aspect to the judges easily prior to the onstage presentation. But if you are a Jedi Knight, for example, that wishes to twirl and slash their lightsabre as part of a routine, this would be disallowed and referred instead to the Masquerade.

Also keep in mind that presentations should not have nudity or explosions. Weapons must follow con rules until time of judging. No parts of the costume should make a mess on the stage or damage other costumes backstage. This is a family friendly competition... Because there may be children in the audience nudity is not allowed. Your costume should cover the same area as a bikini for girls or a speedo for guys. Thongs, pasties, transparent fabrics and/or body paint are not sufficient coverage for these areas. If you have a costume in mind that violates this rule, consider entering it in the Dragon After Dark contest instead!

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Can costumes be entered in more than one contest over the weekend?
Although each contest has its own series of rules and regulations, there are no stipulations against entering a costume in the Friday Night Costuming Contest as well as the Masquerade, Dawn Look-Alike Contest, etc. The only rule we have in entering is that the same costume cannot be entered if it has won an award at Dragon*Con or another Costume portion at a convention in the past. If you have entered and not won or entered before but made significant changes (as reflected in your documentation), these costumes can be considered for entrance, but the final decision will rest with the Judges and primarily with the Track Director. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Track Director.

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Do I need to pre-register for this contest? Where is it done?
Pre-registration is encouraged to help cut-down on having an onsite surge of last minute entrants that need to be judged. Pre-registration will occur via this website or by contacting the Track Director. Pre-registration will include general information as well as a rough outline of your documentation or costume intent. Pictures of your work are encouraged but not necessary. When you register, you will receive an online confirmation but you will also need to stop by the Costume Track rooms in the Hilton to confirm your attendance at the convention and in the contest as well as receive any information regarding changes to policy or procedures.
You can also register for the contest at the Costume Track panel rooms during Friday but you must have documentation and information present when you register. Registration for the Friday Night Costume Contest will close at 5PM on Friday afternoon.

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I pre-registered online. Do I need to bring a hardcopy of my entry form with me?
Yes. We make every effort to ensure that your materials are present at the contest, but we are human and things could happen. Last year we had a couple hundred entries... one registration went awol. Be prepared should the one missing registration happen to be yours.

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Compliance with Dragon*Con rules.
Contestants are subject to Dragon*Con rules and regulations. Participants will be required to show their con badge for entry into the pre-judging. These rules are apt to change as necessary and without prior notice. The Friday Night Costume Contest staff and Dragon Con officials have the right to reject or ask for modification of any costume that does not follow the contest or convention rules. Dragon*Con and the Costuming Track reserves the right to tape or photograph contestant entries at its discretion. Entry into the contest constitutes an agreement by the entrants to allow Dragon*Con and the Costuming Track to use their likeness/image, etc. in any current/future advertisement, promotion, or product. If there are any questions about any of these rules please contact the contest staff for clarification.

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Where is the pre-judging and contest held?
This year, both the pre-jusging and contest is held in the Hyatt Regency Ballroom.