Masquerade Rules

The Masquerade is an amateur competition that rewards the creative labour demonstrated by participants. Most of the costumes must have been made by the participant. Expectations regarding this proportion increase depending on the division under which the participant is registered.

Divisions

People registered to the Masquerade will be divided into categories following the standard division system.

Professional costumers (individuals who derive more than 50% of their income from making costumes) are not eligible for awards, but can still present their work in the “Out of Competition” division. Due to the popularity of the event, the Management of the Masquerade reserves the right to give priority to entries in other divisions.

Groups

The maximum of participants per entry is limited to twelve (12). Groups larger than this size will not be accepted.

Maximum entries

Each person may participate in only one onstage entry during the Masquerade. However, anyone can display several costumes, as long as they are worn by other individuals within a single entry or they are part of a quick change.

No additional entries or additional time will be allowed for a person who has made more than one costume, whether they are wearing them themself or if someone else is wearing them.

Withdrawal

Participants must report to the Masquerade Green Room on time on the day of the event. Failure to appear to one’s assessment appointment or before the show, or to be ready to go on stage may result in disqualification. Note that only acts of God may, to an extent, mitigate this.

Respect and Courtesy

The Management of the Masquerade reserves the right to disqualify anyone who acts in ways that are obtrusively rude, disrespectful, discriminatory or racist, or who commits physical, sexual or psychological harassment in the context of the Otakuthon Masquerade.

This prohibition includes but is not limited to

• Deliberate costume damages and sabotage;
• Sexual harassment, including inappropriate glances and disparaging comments;
• Ill-willed refusal to use someone’s preferred pronouns;
• Politically charged comments or expressed opinions that can undermine someone’s physical or psychological integrity or their dignity.

No threat and/or act of violence towards anyone will be tolerated in the context of the Otakuthon Masquerade. Such behaviour can lead to expulsion from the convention.

The Masquerade Management encourages anyone witnessing such behaviour to inform a Masquerade staff member as soon as possible so actions can be taken promptly.

Further, the Masquerade Management reserves the right to remove anyone from competition for any reason deemed sufficient.

Judging

Workmanship

Craftsmanship is evaluated both before the Masquerade and during, to appreciate the rendering on stage. Quality work deserves recognition, regardless of division. Our judges will pay particular attention to chosen materials and fabrics, the clothes’ cut and finition, technical mastery, etc. Contestants must inform the jury if they have purchased certain elements of their costume. Wigs, small accessories and jewels are exempted from this rule.

Lying or deliberately omitting something during the craftsmanship evaluation will lead to disqualification. Honesty is an essential value of the Otakuthon Masquerade.

Presentation

Evaluation of onstage presentation measures contestants’ capacity to captivate the audience.

Documentation

While bringing documentation is optional during judgment, we strongly recommend it since it helps judges familiarize themselves with the chosen source. It is especially pertinent when you’re using materials or techniques in an unconventional way to help judges better understand the contestant’s creative process.  

Presentation Rules

Entry Duration

Presentations last a maximum of 60 seconds (alone or for groups of up to 3 participants) or one minute and thirty seconds (groups of 4 or more).

We recommend that you plan enough time on the stage for the audience and judges to see all aspects of your costume while keeping the presentation concise to maintain the audience’s attention.

WARNING: if your onstage presence exceeds the time limit, lighting and sound will be cut, and participants still on stage will be escorted away. Contestants and groups exceeding the allotted time limit risk seeing their entry disqualified.

Sound, music and soundtrack

Only MP3 files on a USB key or a cellphone will be accepted, provided you bring your own audio tape at your appointment on the event’s day. No audio tape on CD, YouTube, Dropbox or any other digital sharing platform will be accepted. The Masquerade team has no music library for contestants. If you do not bring an audio tape, your entry will be silent. We ask that you prepare and submit your audio file during your appointment onsite or online during preregistration.

Microphones will not be provided.

To avoid confusion, it is highly recommended to clearly identify the file (title of the entry) and to make sure it plays well before handing it over to the sound technician.

It is the contestants’ responsibility to control the audio tape’s quality, length and transitions (fade-in, fade-out). The sound technician’s task is not to do sound editing, but to make sure the tracks are played at each entry.

NEW - RULE ON PRESENTATION REGARDING RECENT CONTENT (SPOILERS)

Out of respect for the public during the Masquerade, a Contestant must follow these guidelines, or face disqualification to presentation prizes regarding any content published in the 6 months preceding the convention.

• They must make sure their costume, even if it reveals a turning point in the story (spoiler), does not spoil the official scenario during the onstage presentation, and keeps the audience guessing as for a personal interpretation.
• They must refrain from centring their presentation around a turning point in the story (spoiler) and from spoiling the official scenario during the onstage presentation.

Target Audience

The Masquerade is rated G, but not recommended to children. According to the Régie du cinéma of Québec, a G-rated work can include scenes of violence, albeit only seldom, and they are of little intensity and indulgence. Depending on the context, some inappropriate language may be heard. 

Blatant nudity will not be accepted and will be grounds for disqualification.

Security

• The use of open flame, fire, flash powder or flash paper is not allowed.
• If you are using a strobe effect, please note it on your form so we may warn the audience.
• No laser pointers allowed.
• No messy substances on stage.
• The stage must be in as good a condition when you leave as when you entered it. If you are leaving something on stage, it must be easily retrievable by the stage crew. Otherwise, you will be expected to bring your own ninja for that purpose.
• Costumes too voluminous to go through standard door frames (in height and/or width) will be denied for security and mobility reasons backstage.
• If in doubt, ask the Masquerade Management for permission when you are registering or before you do.

Weapons

• No real firearms, no realistic copies, and no projectile weapons are allowed.
• No metal blades are allowed, regardless if they are dull or sharp.
• If your costume requires a bow, it must be de-strung when you are not on stage.
• All weapons must follow the convention’s Weapons Policy. NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE.

Finality of Decisions

The decisions of the judges are final.

• Awards are selected for workmanship, presentation or a combination of both. In some circumstances, adding special categories may be justified.
• If the judges feel none of the costumes entered in a division are deserving of an award, they may not give any. They may not give out a “Best in Show” or a “Best in Division” award either.

Decisions of the Masquerade Management regarding the Masquerade rules and the standard division system are final.