Cosplay Judging Information:

At 2008, we will once again have a special division for Cosplay Craftsmanship Judging. This competition judges cosplays on the quality of their construction only- those looking for a chance to act or showcase their character should look to the Masquerade rules above. Participation in the Crafstmanship Competition is not the same as participation in the Masquerade, and Cosplayers who do not wish to do not need to participate in both.

However, sign-ups for each will be in the same place, and awards will be given at the same time, so that even attendance at the Cosplay Masquerade itself is in fact necessary. 
Because this competition is based on the creation of the costume itself, the cosplayer wearing the costume need not be the one entering the costume in this competition. However, the creator does need to be the one entering- thus if the costume is professionally made, it should not be entered. If multiple people worked on the costume, the judges must be told during judging.

There will be different categories based on the creators’ level of skill, ranging from novice to expert: 

A Novice has never won any awards for cosplay at any other event, or has never cosplayed before. Please be aware that those with a lot of tailoring experience outside of cosplay may be moved out of this category.

A Journeyman has won up to 5 awards at cosplay competitions.

An Expert has won more than 5 awards for cosplay competitions.

Costumes into those which are Fanworks, that is, based on a game, anime or other character, and those which are Original Designs. They will also be split into costumes which were made individually, those which were a team effort, and those which were created out of found items. The Found Items category still requires that those pieces which were found were altered in some way by those creating the costume.

However, the most important rule for participation in the Craftsmanship Competition, is that the participant have a picture of their character or original design to attach to the sign-up sheet. Although the judges can see how well the costume was made without this, they will in no way be able to judge the accuracy of the costume. All the work on the little details which can make or break a costume will go to waste. If a picture is not available at the time of sign-up, the competitor MUST have it by the time of judgment, or the judges will have to turn them away.

All questions may be directed to portconcosplay@gmail.com.