Prime-time Saturday night will be LepreCon 29's Masquerade, featuring entries from young and old, hobbyist and pro. To enter your own costume, bring it along to the convention and attend the entrants' meeting to find out more.
As in prior years, Velavision will be on hand to videotape this event.
One of the most popular events at any Science Fiction Convention is the Masquerade. Here costume-makers, whether novice or master, share their moment of fame as their creations are presented on-stage to an appreciative audience.
LepreCon masquerades have a reputation for providing a low-stress, friendly environment for the contestants. The LepreCon Masquerade has had presentations with a theatrical flair as contestants present short sketches, renderings of a favorite character (original or from the media), visual puns, and simple walk on presentations. Come and show off your work!
A Black Velvet cloak has been donated by Southwest Costumers Guild for the best “Dark Fantasy” costume. By the way this is a lined velvet cloak, not cotton velveteen.
Here are the gory details. . .
How do I Sign Up?
There will be a sign-up sheet and information posted near the con's registration table in the hotel lobby. Please contact the Masquerade Director if you wish to sign up early. You must be signed up at or before the walk-through on Saturday.
There will be a contestants' check in on Saturday, check your pocket program for the exact time and last-minute changes. This is the time to bring your completed entry forms, tapes, notes for the MC, documentation, and to clear any presentation questions with the director.
Green Room
The Green Room is a meeting room that adjoins the ballroom. Here you can queue up for your presentation. We will have water, tables and volunteer den mothers for your convenience. The Southwest Costumers Guild will provide some emergency repair supplies. VelaVision will be taking pictures and interviews in the Green Room before Masquerade.
Sound
Your music and/or recorded narration should be submitted on a cassette tape or CD, cued up and ready to play. (Hopefully copy write free.) The tape should be marked with your name, costume title, and "play this side." A return mailing address would be a good idea. Give your tape to the director or sound man at the walk-through on Saturday afternoon. I recommend that you submit a copy of your tape, not the factory original. We'll endeavor to get your tape back to you, but Murphy's Law rules at SF Conventions.
At check-in on Saturday the sound man will have music available for contestant use.
The Master of Ceremonies will have a microphone, but no live mike will be available for contestants.
Narration to be read by the MC should be submitted on 4 by 6-inch note cards. These can be prepared in advance or filled out at the walk-through. Besides your narration, please include the designer, maker and wearer of the costumes; and any sources of inspiration for the presentation. Unusual words should be spelled out phonetically (fone-et-ick-al-lee).
Contestant Classes
Masquerade contestants will be registered in four classes:
Youngfen for children 0 to 12 years of age.
Contestants between 12 and 18 years of age may choose whether to enter in the Youngfen or another class. Youngfen are expected to be under the supervision of a parent or guardian.
Novice for those who have not previously won three or more awards in SF convention masquerades and have not won a Best in Show.
This masquerade is newbie-friendly--Try your wings!
Experienced for contestants who have won three or more awards or a Best in Show at previous masquerades.
Classic for costumes that have been previously seen at another SF masquerade.
Think about all those costumes that were built for other cons, shown once, then put in the closet. Why not give them a second chance? Classic costumes will be entered and judged separately from the virgin efforts. As a rule of thumb, a classic costume should not have been presented on stage at a LepreCon within the last three years. Costumes made for other cons and events or older LepreCon are fair game. If your costume was previously presented at a fan gathering or other smaller venue, this masquerade would be "competing up" and you have your choice whether to enter as a new or classic costume.
These classes are meant to be fairly flexible. For instance, if this is your first SF convention masquerade but you have costume experience in theatre, historical societies, or other venues, you might choose to compete as an experienced costumer. These classes are mainly for choosing the winners of special prizes.
If your costume is something you designed yourself, it is an original. If your costume was taken from a picture, film, etc, it is a re-creation. Please bring a copy of the picture for the judges to see. If your costume re-creates a particular period of the past, it is a historical costume. If you choose to bring documentation, please limit it to five pages or less and bring at least three copies for the judges to review.
Necessary Rules and Useful Suggestions
1. Please limit your presentation to 60 seconds or less. It's longer than you think. Brevity is the soul of wit.
2. No fire or flame allowed on-stage. It's a hotel thing.
3. Purchased or rented costumes may not be entered for competition, but are welcome as display-only. You can use a few purchased components, but the overall costume is to be fan-made.
4. The designer, builder, and model of the costume do not have to be the same person. Costumes are a great place for teamwork.
5. No messy substances (wet, dusty, oily, etc.) that might damage the stage or interfere with other contestants. Thou shalt not slime thy neighbor.
6. There will be children present, so this masquerade is rated PG-13. Please, no flagrant nudity or deliberately offensive language and action. If you have an idea that sounds good, but might be over the top, talk to me first.
7. No smoking in the green room or ballroom. We'll be packed fairly tight at some points.
8. No flash photography while participants are on-stage. Posed pictures can be arranged off-stage or after the masquerade.
9. No Sniveling! Contestants and their support people are presumed to be adults, or under the supervision of one.
Relax and have fun! Don't let stress ruin the experience for you and those around you.
10. Weapons or other sharp, pointy, and loud things must be approved in advance by the masquerade director at the walk-through or earlier.
If the weapon and its presentation have not been cleared, you will be disqualified from competition. This is a safety thing. I like weapons as much as the next Pirate, but I want to see for myself what you are carrying and what you intend to do with it. This safety approval rule also applies to off-stage action, stunts, energetic dances, et cetera. A friend once scared the heck out of a director because he forgot to tell her that a pratfall was part of his presentation.
11. NO ATTACKING THE MC! (It really happened.)
12. The masquerade director has full authority to eliminate anyone from the competition on the basis of unrepentant bad taste, danger to the contestants or audience, violation of the above rules, or any other reason deemed sufficient. There will be no appeal. This rule is intended to protect you and the convention from the real loons (see Rule 11) and will not be invoked frivolously
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