BayCon 2009 - Masquerade

Masquerade

Basics | Divisions | Rules | Hints | Young Fans | Performance Tips | Stage and Green Room | Schedule | Forms | Awards | Half-Time

BayCon 2009 Masquerade Information and Rules:

The basic information:

Welcome to the BayCon 2009 Masquerade. We're your masquerade directors, Phil and Kathe Gust. We will be at the Con, so feel free to contact us with your questions.

"Presentation" and "Workmanship" judging are entirely separate. There is one judging panel for Presentation and another judging panel for Workmanship. Each panel selects and gives its own awards. Workmanship judging is not required for anyone, and the decisions of the Workmanship panel have no influence on the Presentation panel.

There will be a mandatory contestant meeting prior to the masquerade. If you are not represented at the meeting you cannot enter. This will also be the last chance to file an entry form for the event if you have not pre-registered. Groups may send a representative of the group.

Please remember, this competition is not all about you. It is all about you and your fellow competitors. By respecting the rules and procedures of this competition, you help ensure that all competitors get a fair shake.

Division Placement:

Most entries will be placed in the Novice, Journeyman or Open Division. A group entry will be placed in the division appropriate for its most experienced member. If there are only a small number of entries in Journeyman or Open division, the directors may choose to combine those two divisions.

Open:

Any competitor may enter in the Open division
The open division is considered the same as the "Master" division

Journeyman:

Professional costumers may not enter in the Journeyman division
If you have won an award before in the Open/Master division you may not enter in the Journeyman division
If you have won "Best Journeyman," you may not enter in the Journeyman division.
If you have won more than three awards before in the Journeyman division, you may not enter in the Journeyman division.

Novice:

Professional costumers may not enter in the Novice division
If you have won an award before in Journeyman or Open/Master division you may not enter in the Novice division
If you have won any award at any international competition (WorldCon, Costume-Con, San Diego Comic-Con International) you may not enter in the Novice division
If you have won "Best Novice" you may not enter in the Novice Division
If you have won more than 3 awards of any kind in regional competitions, you may not enter in the Novice division

Young Fan:

The Young Fan division is only open to competitors under the age of 15 who have participated in the design and construction of their costumes
If a costume is entirely adult-designed or entirely adult-constructed, it may not be entered in the Young Fan division

Exhibition:

Any presenter may enter in the Exhibition division
The Exhibition division is presentation-only. Exhibition entries are not judged, nor are they eligible for any award
Entries that have already won awards at other conventions and have not been significantly modified should enter in the Exhibition division

If you're not sure whether you should consider a past competition to be a major regional competition or a local competition, please ask the directors. The size of the event and number of entrants in the prior competition will be considered.

For this competition, any person who made more than 1/2 of his or her annual income from costuming during any of the last 5 years qualifies as a "professional."

Any competitor may enter in a more advanced division than he or she is placed.

The Rules:

If you violate any of these rules, you may be disqualified and dropped from the competition.

All contestants must be attending members of BayCon 2009. If the maker and presenter are different people, both must be attending members.
You should not wear the costume(s) you are presenting at the Con prior to their appearance in the masquerade, other than on the way to the Green Room.
This is a costume competition celebrating and rewarding the art and craft of costuming. Purchased and rented costumes may not be entered. Costumes using some purchased parts may still enter. When in doubt, ask first.
A costume may not be entered in this competition if it has won "Best in Show" or "Best in Division" at another competition, but it may be entered in the Exhibition division (not in competition).
Each presenter may only appear on stage in a single entry. One body, one presentation.
The standard PG rule applies. No costume is "no costume."
No live animals, with the exceptions of people and service animals, are allowed on stage without advance permission of the masquerade director at or before the mandatory contestant meeting (the earlier, the better).
No materials or effects that will leave a mess on stage or in the green room are allowed. No materials or effects that may stain/ruin another entrant's costume are allowed.
No pyrotechnics or any other open flames are allowed.
All special effects, acrobatics, and weapons use must be reviewed with the masquerade director at or before the mandatory contestant meeting (the earlier, the better).
Attending the contestant meeting is required. You need it to get a feel for the stage. We need it to double-check your tech, and to make sure the crew knows what to expect from your entry.
If you do not check in to the green room at least one hour prior to the masquerade, you may be scratched at the discretion of the green room manager.
Entries of one or two have up to 60 seconds on stage, entries of three have up to 90 seconds, and four or more have up to 120 seconds. This does not include travel time up or down the aisle. You may use less time, but if you exceed the limit, the judges may disqualify you from receiving an award. Remember, more is usually not better: it's just more.
An entry must be available to accept an award at the awards presentation. A parent or guardian may accept an award on behalf of a Young Fan entry, although we strongly encourage the young fan to accept it. If an entry is not available to accept an award, the entry will not receive it, and the masquerade directors may select an alternate at their discretion. We encourage entries who are not still costumed to wear or carry a recognizable part of their costume when accepting an award so the audience will recognize you.

Hints and suggestions:

The following information will help you ensure you get the most out of your investment in the competition. You don't have to follow these suggestions, but we recommend them.

Arrive in the Green Room promptly. Official Con photography and workmanship judging takes place prior to the masquerade presentation. You need to be in the Green Room for both of those.

All entrants are encouraged to participate in workmanship judging. You can't win a workmanship award if you're not judged. Workmanship judging happens backstage before the presentation. Your entire costume or a single piece of it may be judged. You choose.

If you're entering a re-creation costume, bring documentation. At least one letter-size color image of your source should be sufficient to show the judges what you're trying to recreate (2 copies would be nice). The judges will probably ignore anything other than that. Paper only, please. Digital viewing will not be available.

If you think a personal or business relationship with a judge will make it difficult for the judge to be objective, please talk to us. We will consult with the judging panel, and we'll come up with a reasonable course of action.

Don't plan on having access to power on stage. It won't be there.

Don't plan for complex lighting. If you need anything other than default lit stage, discuss it with the crew and us at the mandatory contestant meeting. Lights on and off on a specific cue is possible with advance notice. If you have a question about that please ask.

You will not have a microphone. Spoken narrative must be pre-recorded or you may provide a script for the MC to read (large clear type please!). Do not plan to speak from stage. The room is large and has over 500 people in it. You will not be heard.

We can accept a thumb drive, a data CD, or an audio CD. For audio CDs, make sure you clearly identify which track to play. For audio files on thumb drivers or data CDs, make sure you clearly identify which file to play. We recommend either WAV or MP3 audio file format. The audio will be played from the beginning of the file or track until the end or for whatever length you specify.

Bring a backup! We've seen too many people lose their only copy, or have their only copy fail to play properly. Test your media on several machines if possible.

We cannot guarantee to provide music for you if you do not have your own.

Tips for Young Fans and Their Parents:

Being in the BayCon Masquerade can be an exciting part of the Convention for Young Fans! Here are some tips to make it easier and more fun.

The Masquerade will be a late night for you. After the afternoon meeting (very short for our Young Fan division) you may want to rest or take a nap. Then you will be fresh for the masquerade. This is a good idea for ALL contestants!

The Masquerade Green Room opens at 6:30 and you need to check in NO LATER than 7:30 PM. If you have items to leave, the Green Room will be staffed from the time it opens, so you can bring your young fan's props or costume and leave them there until later.

If you are ready to go when you arrive, check in, make sure your paperwork is correct, then go right to the masquerade photographer. If you are not doing the optional workmanship judging then relax until the show starts. If you are doing workmanship — go to the line for those judges.

Here are some suggestions on how to occupy your time while you wait:

Bring a robe or cloak to hide your costume (we want you to surprise the audience when they see you for the first time) and check out of the Green Room until the 7:30 last call. Be sure to check back in with the Masquerade Green Room Managers by 7:30!
Have a snack or drink and chat with the other contestants who are waiting. The Masquerade Green Room snack table will have several kinds of snacks for you to choose.
Bring a book, toy, game or coloring book. We have a much bigger Masquerade Green Room this year, so a quiet area will be set aside for people who are ready and want to amuse themselves while they wait. Please don't bring anything messy (felt markers, silly string, etc) that could get on other costumes though! It might make people mad if you mess up their outfit.

Once you have presented your entry and visited fan photography, you can:

Go back into the Masquerade Green Room, rest and have a snack, or take your gear back to your room or car.
Go watch the half time show — it's a story about Martians invading Earth.
Go away until this is over and come back for the awards — costume on or not — the audience likes to see them again, but if you are not comfortable, take it off and just carry a nice piece of it under your arm — like a helmet, or other prop so they will know which costume you wore.

Awards will be given after the half time show, around 10 PM. Young Fan Awards will be announced first, so you can take your bows and leave after your long evening. Sleep tight and watch for your photo in the newsletter on Sunday!

If you decide not to stay for the awards ceremony, you will have another chance to take a bow at the Masquerade playback on Sunday. Award certificates (and any prizes) you missed can be picked up there, or at the designated post-Masquerade pick-up location.

Have fun, and good luck on your presentation!

Performance Tips for Novices and Young Fans

Performing in front of an audience may be new to some entrants, and it can be a daunting experience. The important thing to remember is that a masquerade is all about showing off your costume for the audience and the judges in an entertaining way. Here are a few tips for novice and young fan entrants as you prepare your performance.

1) Make sure your choreography shows off all the important pieces of your costume, front, back and sides
2) Tell a simple story; its much more fun for the audience and it will help them to connect with you
3) Let your movements and carriage convey your personality; use your limbs; think silent movies or Marcel Marceau
4) Pick music that accentuates your personality and movements; something with beats and cues is helpful
5) Do something surprising as you exit; a gesture, a pose, a tilt of the head, something people will remember
6) Make it as long as you need and no longer; more isn't better, it's just more

Information About the Stage and Green Room

The masquerade will take place in three ball rooms in the Santa Clara Convention Center. Here is a thumbnail illustration of the ballroom and green room spaces.

Follow the link to view a larger image in PDF format.

The green room doors will be clearly marked. The registration desk is just inside the door as you enter the green room. Once you have checked in, please move on to find a place in the main area of the green room. The pre-show professional photography area is at the far end of the green room. Please stay clear of this area. There will be plenty of chairs, and a few tables where you can apply makeup or make last-minute repairs. Light snacks and water will be available.

The performance auditorium is large, about 70ft deep and 100 ft wide. You will be performing on a raised stage 18ft deep and 24ft wide. Judges' tables will be in front and to either side of the stage. As you plan your performance, keep in mind that sight lines for many in the audience are restricted, and they may not seen anything from your waist or mid-chest down. The stage may be slippery, so plan your footwear and choreography accordingly.

When it is your turn, you will go up two steps and enter the auditorium from stage left (audience right), and exit to stage right (audience left) and down two steps. After your performance, you will exit the green room and follow the signs to the fan photography area. You can safely leave anything in the green room while you are at the fan photography area.

Masquerade Schedule — May 23rd 2009:

Mandatory Meeting — 1:00 PM. Someone from your entry must attend this meeting.

Entry Deadline — 2:00 PM. All entry forms must be turned in by this time. Sorry, but we cannot accept late entries.

Green Room Opens — 6:00 PM. Check in with the Masquerade Green Room Manager any time after this.

Official Photography and Workmanship Judging — 6:30 PM. Photography and judging are ongoing until finished or 8PM. Have your official photo taken first.

Check-in Last Call — 7:30 PM. If you aren't checked in by this time, you don't go on!

Masquerade! — the show goes on at 8:00 PM and lasts as long as it takes. After you are finished on stage, go to Fan Photography for more pictures by your fans.

Half-time show — Planned for around 9:00 PM. This year we have the War of the Worlds Radio Drama — Join the audience and watch this amazing radio play!

Awards — planned for about 10:00 PM. After the end of the half time show the awards are given.

Forms:

» Masquerade Registration Form [22KB PDF] 2/25/2009 4 pages
The above requires Microsoft TrueType Core Fonts

» Masquerade Special Award Form [69KB PDF] 3/19/2009
The above requires Microsoft TrueType Core Fonts

BayCon Masquerade 2009 Special Awards

This year the Masquerade will have special awards in the following categories.

[Alter Ego Comics] Young Fan Special Awards – sponsored by Alter Ego Comics. Any young fan entry is eligible for these awards. Alter Ego is also offering a special discount code for ALL BayCon attendees. Watch for it in your program book or newsletter!

[Sideshow Collectibles] Imagination Award – sponsored by Sideshow Collectibles. This award is for the costume design that best embodies the spirit of imagination. Artist Guest of Honor and former Disney Imagineer Tim Kirk will judge and present this award. All entries are eligible.

[Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild] GBACG Rising Star – presented by the Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild. All entries in the novice division are eligible.

GBACG Fine Workmanship Award – presented by the Greater Bay Area Costumers Guild. All entries in the novice division who select the optional workmanship judging are eligible.

[SiliconWeb Costumer's Guild] SiliconWeb Dreamcatcher Award – presented by the Silicon Web Costumers' Guild. All entries with creative use of technical/special effects are eligible.

Director's Choice – an award of exploration gear suitable for furthering the career of intrepid adventure seekers. All entries are eligible.

Hall Costume Awards – Carole Parker and her team of roving judges will be honoring spectacular hall costuming efforts with special ribbons and opportunity for newsletter inclusion and other recognition.

[Baen Books] The Lost Sky City of Pyrocumulon Award – sponsored by Baen Books. Recognizes the entry that best helps to explore and create the history, aesthetics, science, and magic of the city through costuming. Judged on originality, presentation, and how the entry relates to the theme. Entries must submit a special award form with up to a 100-word story or description that explains how their entry relates to the theme.

[Foggy Night] Steampunk Award – sponsored by Foggy Night. This award is for the costume design that best embodies the Steampunk aesthetic. Open to all novice, journeyman and open division entries.

Whimsical Costuming Award – sponsored by Happy About Books. This award is for the entry with the most whimsical costume design, construction or use of materials. One award will be made for novice division entries, and one for either journeyman, or open division entries.

Raven Players at Masquerade

This year the Masquerade will have a super special "half time" show. The Raven Players recreate Orson Welles' original earth-shattering radio broadcast, War of the Worlds, before your eyes. It's an authentic staging of the 1938 radio broadcast that caused millions of listeners to believe the US was under attack by aliens. The audience will enjoy the broadcast 'interactively' as the live studio audience! Be afraid, be VERY afraid!

When they did this last year, KRCB Radio simulcast the reenactment. You won't want to miss it!

BayCon is pleased to recognize its Masquerade 2009 Half Time Sponsors:

Happy About Books is happy to be a sponsor of the Raven Players' recreation of Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" radio broadcast, based on the book by H. G. Wells.

[Nouveau Systems] Nouveau Systems welcomes the Raven Players to BayCon and congratulates them on their production of "War of the Worlds."

The San Francisco Bay Area Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention May 22-25, 2009 The Hyatt Regency, Santa Clara, CA

Masquerade

BayCon 2009 Masquerade Information and Rules:

The San Francisco Bay Area Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention
May 22-25, 2009
The Hyatt Regency, Santa Clara, CA