Cosplay Mania Costume Building Contest (CBC) 2010

Are you ready for the challenge of building your costume?  Can you do it in just 5 hours?  Then try your wits and talent in the Cosplay Mania Costume Building Contest (CBC) 2010.  Below are the mechanics and other information.

General Mechanics:

Pre-Contest Procedures:

1. A team composing of two (2) to five (5) members may join the CBC. Only a maximum of six (6) teams are allowed to join the contest.  You may pre-register online at the link below.
2. There is no registration fee.  However, approved contestants will have to purchase their own entrance tickets (Ticket price to be announced soon) in order to join.  Approved contestants, upon submitting their tickets to the CBC Contest Area, will be automatically entered in the Elite Raffle, no longer needing to have their ticket signed by the various booths. (details regarding raffle tickets click here).
3. Costume design will be On-The-Spot.  No need to submit any proposed design.
4. The first 6 pre-registered teams will be chosen by Cosplay Mania panelists and will be informed one month before the Cosplay Mania event.  
5. All pre-registered teams must read all contest rules, especially regarding choice of tools and the materials provided.  

Contest Proper:

Registration Procedures:

1. The registration and contest proper will be held on Day 2 (October 3, 2010) of Cosplay Mania X.
2. All teams must be present one hour before the start of the contest to confirm their slots and have their tickets entered into the raffle.
3. The chosen teams must have at least 50% of their number present to qualify for participating the contest.  However if the rest of the team members are late for over 30 minutes after the contest has started, they are no longer allowed to join their team and the team has to finish the contest with whatever remaining number of people they have present..  If the team still has less than 50% of member attendance upon start of contest, they are disqualified.  Teams lacking in member count shall be allowed to pull in new members on-the-spot before the start of the contest to qualify.  However, they cannot add more than their submitted number of members.
4. If one or more of the teams failed to show up upon start of contest (or failed to be at least 50% in member attendance), the slot is open for any other team willing to join on-the-spot, on the first 30 minutes of the contest.
5. The chosen teams must sign an agreement form. Their tools will be inspected and approved.  If rejected, they can replace the tools if the contest has not started yet.
6. At the end of the registration period all teams must gather at the CBC area for final instructions and designation of working areas.

Contest Area Procedure:

1. The costume building period will start at the Marshal's signal.
2. At the start of the contest, each team must gather the rubber sheet/foam from a pile that will be provided by the CBC committee for 1 minute.
3. One representative of each team must approach the Marshal to pick up a slip of paper from the Assigned Task Box.  The slip of paper will instruct each team on what particular costume part they will start and finish.  
4. Each team will be given a total of (5) hours to build a costume, but for every hour, each group will create a specific part of the costume based on what they have picked from the Assigned Task Box:

1. Headgear - 1 hour
2. Arms and Shoulders - 1 hour
3. Torso and Chest - 1 hour
4. Legs (Pants) - 1 hour
5. Feet and Gloves - 1 hour

1. Parts will be determined via draw lots at the start of every hour until the final hour so it means each team task or part may differ from another.  
2. At the end of every hour, ALL WORK MUST STOP.  The finished part will be displayed on their Finished Display Area, where it can no longer be touched by contestants until they assemble them on the final hour.  Points will be deducted if contestants are caught still working on the part after the Marshal has signaled the end of the round.
3. If a group has finished their task before the hour ends, they may use the rest of the time bathroom breaks or refreshments.  However they should assign at least 1 member to guard their finished costume part.

5. Ten (10) minutes before the end of every hour, participants must prepare to return all unused scraps of rubber foam back into the pile.  The pile will be replenished with new rubber sheets but only with a few pieces.  Then at exactly the start of the next hour, they will be given one (1) minute to gather materials for their next assigned costume part.

NOTE: The ten (10) minutes and the one (1) minute are inclusive of the one hour work allotment per part.

6. The best and highest judged ranking entry wins.

Working Area Guidelines:

1. Each team will be assigned a working area within the duration of the CBC. All components of the costume must be created here. Creating any part of the costume outside their working area is not allowed.
2. No materials and tools other than the ones provided and approved at the start of the contest may be used as part of the costume.
3. A table will be provided for cutting only.  Floors are not allowed as cutting area, but areas that are covered in manila paper can be used for gluing.
4. Members of the team must stay in their working area during the duration of the whole costume creation period. At least 1 member of the team must stay in their working area during the duration of the whole costume creation period at all times. Should a member of the team wish to leave their work area (bathroom break and emergencies), they should ask permission from their assigned marshal. Each team will only be allowed to leave their working area three (3) times, and only a maximum of 30 minutes break.  If the team uses up their 3 breaks, they cannot leave their respective areas until the end of the time period.

1. The only exception from this rule is when the group finishes their part before the hour ends, where they can use the extra time to take a break.  This will not be deducted from their 3 allotted 30 minute breaks and will be treated as extra break time.  However the group must be present 10 minutes before the hour to clean up their workplace or else points will be deducted for having an unclean area.

5. Each team shall be responsible for the cleanliness of their work area. Teams must tidy up their working areas right after the costume building period. Teams with dirty and littered work areas will be given deductions against their score.
6. Team members are not allowed to bring any food or drinks into the contest area in accordance with the rule that food remain in the food area as the area is carpeted. They will be allowed short breaks, however, where they can eat and drink in between rounds.
7. Non-members of the team / non participants / visitors and friends (with the exception of the CBC Marshals, Judges, VIP and Cosplay Mania approved Media) are strictly not allowed inside the CBC working area.
8. Time check will be announced at intervals during the five (5) hour costume creation period.  CBC marshals shall announce the Ten (10) minutes before the end of the hour (in which members shall immediately clean up their area and return rubber sheet parts to the pile), and again announce the start of collecting materials one minute into the next hour.
9. All finished parts will be placed in the Finished Display Area before the hour ends where it will be untouched until assembly time at the end of the fifth round.
10. Exactly after five (5) hours, all teams must stop working on their costumes whether or not they have completely finished the costume.
11. After the 5 hour costume building period, teams will be given an additional thirty (30) minutes to dress up their representative with their costume creation.
12. Any member or team found violating the rules will be disqualified from the contest.
13. All created costumes (both winning and non-winning) are properties of Cosplay Mania after the contest but may allow CBC team members to claim and take home the costumes upon approval of the CBC head marshal.
14. Important Note! Teams whose work area has incurred damage such as cutting/ripping/burning/gluing of carpet, walls or flooring because they did not follow the safety instructions of the CBC team will be fined by SMX.  The CBC Marshals will do their best to avoid such incidents but they will need the complete cooperation of the teams to do so.

Judging Procedures

All entries are going to be judged by a panel according to the following criteria:

Design 50%

- Design is based on costume design and encompassing theme. Color scheme, symmetry and themed elements provide bonus points while designs that are patched together and lack design elements (bad fit, hampered movement or poor durability).

Creativity 30%

- Creativity is determined through gimmicks and innovative use of material and how it is worn. Good use of the provided materials in unexpected ways including ingenious ideas such as independently moving appendages, spinning parts, etc. will be awarded points.

Presentation 20%

- Presentation is how well the costume is presented. This includes the characterization of the costume as well as a description and or history of the original costume. Presentation also includes such factors as stage performance and how well gimmicks are utilized and maximized on stage.

Proposed CBC Schedule:

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM – CBC online registration confirmation

11:00 AM - 12:00 NN - On-site registration for CBC

12:00 NN – start of costume building (see breakdown below)

12:00 NN – 1:00 PM - round one (inclusive of 1 minute part collecting and 10 minutes cleanup)

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM - round two (inclusive of 1 minute part collecting and 10 minutes cleanup)

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM - round three (inclusive of 1 minute part collecting and 10 minutes cleanup)

3:00 PM - 4:00PM - round four (inclusive of 1 minute part collecting and 10 minutes cleanup)

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM – round five (inclusive of 1 minute part collecting and 10 minutes cleanup)

5:00 PM – end of costume building

5:00 PM – 5:30 PM – representatives wear creations; preparation time for presentation of costume.

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM – presentation of representatives, CBC judging

8:00 PM – announcement of CBC winner

Costume Building Materials:

Each team will receive the following materials that they will use to build their costumes. Note that these are the only materials they can use. Teams found using materials other than the ones given at the start of the contest will be disqualified.

Team Tools that they can bring along:

max of 3 Cutters

max of 4 Pencil/Ball pen (Pentel Pen not allowed)

max of 2 scissors

max of 3 rulers (wood or metal) any type

Any number of Greco 888 or any type of Super Glue (Rugby or Epoxy type glues not allowed)

NOTE: Tools will NOT be part of the costume.  

Materials Provided by CBC:

Rubber foams

Sintra Board (This will be used as the cutting board)

For more information please visit Cosplay.ph.