One of the major events at Anime Mid-Atlantic is the Masquerade! This is where people dress up as their favorite manga, anime, video game, Asian mythology, etc. characters and strut their stuff. The skits that are done are always original and you never know what may happen.

Anime Mid-Atlantic's Masquerade has two judging sections! Skits and walk-ons will be viewed by a panel of Presentation Judges during the Saturday evening event. Craftsmanship judging is optional, so please mark your registration form correctly if you wish to have your costume's quality inspected by our separate panel of Craftsmanship Judges before the Masquerade, during our Green Room time slot. Rehearsal is MANDATORY for all participants, so make sure to attend! Do not miss our Rehearsal or Green Room/line-up, or you won't be able to participate in the Masquerade!

This year, Masquerade registration forms will be available at our Cosplay Table, so keep an eye out for it as you wander the con. We also have our registration form available for download! If interested, please download and fill out the form, then bring it with you to the convention. Also, please take the time to review our Weapon's Policy! All weapons and large props should be taken to Convention Ops to be checked by Security.

Masquerade Division System and Awards

There will be a division system consisting of Youth, Novice, and Experienced. The Youth division is for contestants of the age 15 and under. The division split between Novice and Experienced will be based on the overall experience (such as past awards) of registered contestants, and up to the coordinator's discretion.

There will be 3 major awards within each contest, picking the best within each skill division. There will also be Honorable Mentions as the judges see fit present.

Costume Contest:
Youth Craftsmanship
Novice Craftsmanship
Experienced Craftsmanship

Cosplay Contest:
Youth Presentation
Novice Presentation
Experienced Presentation

The two top awards for the evening will be selected from all entries (regardless of skill division) present in the contest: Best Craftsmanship Overall and Best in Show.

Best Craftsmanship will be awarded to the entry that shows not only the greatest skill in crafting his/her costume(s), but shows attention to detail, accuracy, and ingenuity in costume design.

Best in Show will be awarded to the entry that not only presents a well-made costume(s), but incorporates outstanding performance while on stage.

Anime Mid-Atlantic Performance/Skit Rules

1) Costumes must pertain to Asian culture in some way (ie. manga, anime, Asian video games, mythology, etc). Please, no fanfic or original characters.

2) You may perform in only one entry!

3) What goes on the stage with you, comes of the stage with you. For safety reasons things like confetti, fireworks, flash paper or other forms of pyrotechnics, rose petals, water, and other small messy objects are strictly forbidden from the stage area. The cosplay staff will be very unhappy with a mess, nor will the audience be amused by a cleanup crew.

4) Time limits! An Individual presentation has 90 seconds. Groups of 2-3 have 3 minutes (180 seconds). Groups with 4+ members have a maximum of 4 minutes.

5) Please keep your skit content and dialogue to a child-safe range. Profanity is not acceptable. Subtlety is a practiced art.

6) No more than ten people on stage at any given time.

7) Stage acrobatics are not recommended, especially for beginning cosplayers. If you plan to use martial arts, falling techniques or gymnastic talents, it must be approved by the cosplay coordinator ahead of time. If approved, rehearsal on stage is mandatory before line-up.
-- 1st Corollary: Martial arts and weapons. If you REALLY want to impress someone, keep it at 1/4 speed. Again, this must be pre-approved by the coordinator. Do not try to sneak in a weapon, you will be pulled off stage by the coordinator herself! You risk the safety of the stage equipment, as well as your own should you attempt such a stunt... and both are not worth the risk.
-- 2nd Corollary: NO LIVE STEEL ON STAGE AT ANY TIME!

8) No costume is NO COSTUME. Nudity and the display of bodily parts mandatorily covered by a bikini (for women) or speedos (for men) is strictly forbidden.

9) Music and dialogue tracks: The Tech crew allows the use of CDs if you wish to have background music or a dialogue for lip-syncing. Please label your name and address on the front of the CD, and also specify in LARGE writing which track you need. The tech crew cannot be blamed for any difficulties when entries are not prepared themselves.

10) There is a maximum limit of 30 skits, on a first-come-first-serve basis. As yet, there are no limits for walk-on entries.


Anime Mid Atlantic Craftsmanship Rules

1) You must mark the Masquerade registration form's Craftsmanship section to enter your costume into this optional pre-judging section.

2) All participants must have reference material of their costume characters. Please bring pictures of your character(s) to the Green Room for the Craftsmanship judges. Books, toys, cards, any sort of memorabilia is accepted, as without proper reference material, the judges cannot assess the accuracy of a costume.

3) Craftsmanship is the assessment of the costumer's skill at making a costume. Costumes that are commissioned or consist mainly of bought items will NOT be allowed to compete for craftsmanship judging. You may not receive credit for another person's work! In the case of family members helping in the making of a costume, that is acceptable. However, we ask that the maker be present at pre-judging to discuss the costume with our judges.

4) Please be present and on time for our Masquerade Rehearsal. This is your chance to see the stage, receive your order number and practice walking across the stage and posing for the audience. Believe it or not, it does help if you take your time when moving across the stage. Entrants that miss Rehearsal will be dropped from the contest.

5) You may register as a group, however the maximum limit for a group is 10 people. All members must be present during pre-judging.

6) Craftsmanship judging and Line-up will be held in our Cosplay Green Room this year prior to the event. Entries opting for Craftsmanship judging are asked to arrive early. Once you check in, we also as that you remain in the room until you are led to the stage. We do plan on having snacks and drinks for those who are timely and respect the tight schedule of our Masquerade.

Helpful Tips and Things to Remember

1) Remember, Saturday evening busiest time at cons. Plan on being early with everything you need so you don't risk losing your entry.

2) For elaborate costumes, bring an emergency kit! Murphy's Law states that if anything can go wrong, it will... so be prepared. A small package of thread and needles, tape, scissors, safety pins etc., can go a long way.

3) Eat and Drink beforehand! Don't starve yourself! Stage lights feel hot and the backstage area is a crowded place to feel dehydrated. Especially if you're in a hot, stuffy costume. Also, make sure to use the bathroom before getting into costume. There's nothing more disconcerting than being on stage and needing to use the facilities.

4) If you've been shopping or are lugging around several things you don't want lost or damaged, have a friend drop them off in a room for you. The backstage is not a good place to leave items unattended.

5) Audiences love short skits. They also love funny skits. Put the two together and you'll have a memorable combination. And remember to practice, practice, PRACTICE!


Masquerade Registration Form

Click Here To Download The AMA 2008 Masquerade Registration Form
(forms can be brought to the convention or picked up at the Cosplay table)

Cosplay Contact
cosplay@animemidatlantic.com