After attending my first gencon in 2006 I became facinated by the culture of cosplay. The following year I started to join in a little at a time with Poison Ivy. Since then it has evolved to mostly ones focusing on Battletech or Catalyst Game Labs Properties, as I have chosen to become a demo agent of theirs.
This past Gencon I decided to take it a step deeper and entered the costume contest. I discovered quite a few things that I had not expected. While it takes a certain kind of person to push themselves on the cosplay scene, it takes something else on the costume contest scene. There is a stage element that is added in that I had not anticipated.
I am not unfirmilar with the stage itself as a singer in choirs and a performer in high school musicals. The stage for a costume contest is it's own beast. You have to know how to own that stage and make the crowd work for you. That 150 word into is all you get to win them over, so make that your fluff piece (not educational, or about how you made it). Get into your character and live it up. Work the crowd up and make them respond in your favor. Their response is about half of your chances of winning a costume contest, assuming that is your goal.
Mind you, this comes from someone who attended once just to see what happened. There are those who try years in a row and get nothing, but they enjoy the thrill. If that is your cup of tea, bravo. Do what makes you happy.
Regardless of the outcome, if you go into any contest with a positive outlook, you will not come out of it disappointed. Having high expectations will be your downfall. Do, be positive and have fun, that is what cosplay is all about. That is also what the contests should be about!
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The Convention Survival Guide
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