TREK
EXPO Masquerade
Contest
Will
be held on Saturday, June 24th in the UMAC the John Q.
Hammons Arena in the evening. Seating is available for over a
Three thousand people, the UMAC Center is a sure place to get your
costume seen!
Deadline!!
The Masquerade Registration Desk will be open from the start
of the convention up until 7pm on Friday.
Anyone
who wishes to enter the masquerade must be registered with the
Masquerade committee & be an attendee of Trek Expo. Registration
forms will be provided at the Masquerade Registration desk during the
convention or by email Theeblkrose@yahoo.com. To register, fill out the
registration form and drop it off at the Masquerade Registration table
before 1 pm Saturday. Full disclosure of the costume and presentation
should be on the registration form or attached to it. All entry
information will be kept in the strictest confidence. No late entries
are permitted!
Entry
Categories
Junior:
Costumers 16 and younger can
compete in the Junior Level.
Novice:
Anyone who has never won an
award at a costume contest is a Novice.
Journeyman:
A winner of two "Best of
Novice" awards competes as a Journeyman. If you have won a
"Best of Show" award at a smaller convention, you should
compete as a Journeyman at Trek Expo.
Master:
Anyone who has won two
"Best of Journeyman" or “Best In Show” or Combination of
these awards at a large regional con should compete as a Master. If you
make your living in the costume business, please compete as a Master.
Exhibition:
Anyone who would simply like to
show his or her costume! These entries are not judged. This is for those
costumes that have already won a competition.
Judging
Workmanship Awards: Our
Workmanship Judges work backstage before and during the Masquerade.
They look at the contestant's skill in design and construction.
The judges may award ribbons for everything from fine stitching to
prop construction. Chain mail, fabric painting, leatherwork,
mask making, make-up design, embroidery, and beadwork have all been
honored in the past. If you take photographs of the costume in
progress, the workmanship judges would like to see them. Designing
Costumes and how they are pieced together.
Stage Awards: Our
Stage Judges sit in front of the stage and look at the overall effect
of the costume and how it is presented. They may not see your
fine beadwork, but they will notice if you don't stay in character.
Many potential costumers are scared away from entering masquerades
because they don't know what to 'do' on stage. Sometimes, a
simple walk across the stage accompanied by appropriate music is all
it takes. Remember, this is a costume contest, not a talent
show!
Time
Limit-Entries in the Trek Expo Masquerade are limited to one minute. .
It is not necessary to use the full allotted time, however, as a simple
turn about the stage may only take 30 seconds. Any
presentations that are longer than one minute must be approved by the Masquerade
Director
prior to the convention weekend.
Documentation-While
the Masquerade Directors choose their judges carefully, it is impossible
to find some who has seen or read everything. It would be helpful if the
costumer brings a visual reference to show the judges where their source
costume or inspiration comes from. A good photocopy of an
illustration or book cover is often all that is needed. Please
don't bring in tapes or DVDs, as our judges are unable to watch them
before the masquerade. Also, do not bring in your rare,
autographed books, as we cannot guarantee their safe return. Many
costumers like to photo document their construction process, and these
photos are of interest to the judges. Put them together in a
binder with some notes, and 'Presto', instant documentation. Any
documentation should have the costumer's name and entry title clearly
marked on the front. Documentation is not essential to the
competition, and many a costumers have won without it. As the Trek
Expo Masquerade continues to grow in number of entries, however, a good
visual reference for the judges becomes increasingly helpful.
Lights
and Sound-Tapes, or disks
should be turned in at your scheduled Tech Rehearsal. Cassettes
should be labeled with the correct side as well as your name, and
costume title. CDs should have a note secured on the inside of the jewel
box visible from the outside. The note should have the track number you
would like played as well as your name and costume title. When
preparing a sound byte for use at any masquerade, several suggestions
come to mind. The first, Keep it simple. Second, Your sound clips will
be heard. The Lighting
Director will choose lighting that he thinks best flatters your costume. We
will not be able to accommodate you at the last minute.
All masquerade participants must be registered
attendees of the Trek Expo convention.
Register
before 6pm on Friday
1.
This
masquerade is rated PG-13. Please use some discretion, as there
are usually children in the audience.
2.
The following costumes may not be worn for competition: purchased
costumes, rented costumes, or costumes that have won a Best in Class or
Best in Show award at a World Con or Costume Con. These costumes may be
worn on stage for Exhibition but will not be judged for the competition.
(If you have any questions Please feel free to ask.
3.
Small children must be under the control of a responsible adult
at all times.
4.
Your costume must be finished before you get to the Back stage
area.
5.
Costumers By appearing in the Masquerade, a costumer allows the
convention to make videotape and/or photos of the event and offer them
for sale.
6.
All
costumers are required to walk the stage before the Masquerade. This
will be done at your assigned tech rehearsal.
7.
For safety reasons, the following is not allowed:
substances which might damage or soil other costumes, aerosol
sprays, or projectiles.
8.
No pyrotechnics will be allowed. including but not limited to:
fire, flash powder, explosives, smoke bombs or fireworks.
Additionally, the use of oil based smoke/fog machines is prohibited, as
they will set off the John Q Hammons UMAC’s fire detection system.
9.
Illegal weapons of any kind are not allowed. Legal real or fake
weapons used as part of the costume must follow the Trek Expo Weapons
Policy. Costumes with electric power requirements need to be
self-contained. There will be no access to electrical outlets on
stage.
10.
Costumers who want to use special effects in their presentations
(i.e. strobe lights, fog, etc.) must notify the Masquerade Director
prior to the convention. The Masquerade Director has the right to
deny requests for special effects due to safety concerns and building
regulations. Don’t plan your presentation around unapproved
special effects!
11.
Costumes that could potentially damage the John Q Hammons UMAC
facilities will not be allowed.
12.
Trek Expo does not supply costumers with any of the following:
make-up, make-up applicators and/or removers, glue, paint, etc.
Please come to the Masquerade with everything you need to complete your
costume.
13.
Smoking is not allowed in the John Q Hammons UMAC.
Contestants who leave the building for a smoke break may lose their turn
to appear on stage.
14.
Surprise the audience, not the Masquerade staff. If you are
planning something completely different, let us know well in advance.
All information will be held in the strictest confidence.
15.
No Whiners! Entrants are presumed to be adults, or under the
supervision of one. All judge's decisions are final.
The Masquerade Director has the right to eliminate any entry from the
competition on the basis of taste, danger to the audience, building or
you, violation of any of the above rules, or any other reason deemed
sufficient. There will be no appeal.
