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Masquerade

Page history last edited by Garand 9 years, 8 months ago Saved with comment

Contest Details 

Where Hyatt Centennial Ballroom
When Sunday 8:00pm
Prizes

1st-3rd in Classes, 

Kids Participation

Preregistration required Yes
Prejudging No
Judging Panel/Jury
Broadcast on DC TV Yes

The Masquerade is a major event at Dragon con. Playing to a capacity ballroom in the Hyatt, at least 1 near capacity overflow room, and on Dragon ConTV, most people will be watching. Expect to see costumes and skits running the entire range from the really great to the really lousy. Entrants compete under International Costumers' Guild skill-division rules. Also note, the guest emcee(s) may be intoxicated and/or irreverent.

 


 

About

 

The Masquerade at Dragon Con is held on the convention's Sunday in the Hyatt's Centennial Ballroom at 8pm. This room fills up, so overflow rooms are available in other hotels. This typically includes the Marriott and may include the Sheraton. Alternatively, guests of the 5 host hotels may watch the show live on Dragon ConTV, check the Pocket Program for channel. The Emcee for the event is normally one or more of the guests.

 

Registration for the Masquerade will be available during the con at the Contest Registration Desk located outside the Centennial Ballroom in the Hyatt. Registration is open Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. There is no pre-registration.

 

Contestants are judged in separate classes. Children are grouped together and all all awarded. Others are divided based on rules set forth by the International Costumers' Guild as Junior, Novice, Journeyman, or Master. These categories are defined as follows:

  1. Master: A contestant who has won at least one major award (Best in Show)or four category awards at a WorldCon, CostumeCon, Dragon Con, or ICG-recognized competition. 
  2. Journeyman: A contestant who has won at least one, but less than four, category awards at a WorldCon, CostumeCon, Dragon Con, or ICG-recognized competition. 
  3. Novice: A contestant who has never won an award (as indicated above) in competition.
  4. Junior: Any contestant under 16 (There will be two groups – ages 1 – 4, and ages 5 – 16.) 

 

As this is considered a family event, complete with children's competition, foul language and nudity are not allowed. There's a separate costume contest for that. Individual contestants are allowed 1½ minutes (90 seconds) of stage time. Group skits are allowed 3 minutes. No pyro or audience interaction allowed. Rule violators will be removed by Stormtroopers from the 501st. More detailed rules can be found later in this article.

 

More information can be found at the Masquerade web page at Dragoncon.org.

 

Rules

 

  1. There will be a limit of fifty entries, at the Director's discretion and depending upon the "mix" of contestants. A group performance is considered to be one entry.  Registration will be at the Con only; there is no pre-registration.  Registration closes Sunday at 3:00 p.m.
  2. Individual presentations are limited to ONE AND ONE HALF minutes; group sketches and skits are limited to THREE minutes. The Director reserves the right to remove contestants who violate these time limits.
  3. NO microphones may be used by the contestants. Except for the written emcee introduction, all audio material must be pre-recorded on a CD (see rule 4). Any contestant who attempts to address the audience will be removed from the stage immediately. (Contestants need to be aware that anything spoken onstage, without amplification, cannot be heard in the hall, or even at the judges' table located directly in front of the stage.)
  4. To have music or dialog accompany your presentation, you must pre-record it on a CD and you MUST bring the CD when you register so that the track can be reviewed, approved, and loaded onto our equipment.  Once approved, your CD will be kept by the staff in case the track has to be re-copied.  On your tech sheet, you will indicate when the track is to be played during your performance. Untested, unapproved, new or changed CDs will not be accepted after registration has closed - Sunday at 3:00 p.m.  If your track exceeds the time limits (see rule 2), it will be truncated (cut off at the time limit).
  5. All contestants under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times; if not, they will be turned over to hotel security.
  6. No profanity allowed. Any contestant who violates this rule will be removed from the stage immediately. Your CD will be checked for profanity when you register.  If you attempt to shout profanity to the audience you will be removed  (see rule #3).
  7. No nudity allowed, this is a family costume show. No costume is no costume.
  8. No flash pots or explosive devices. The Atlanta Fire Department will shut us down.
  9. If you plan to carry a weapon, you must conform to the following:
    1. No illegal or loaded weapons.No whips may be used onstage. 
    2. You must demonstrate that you can carry the weapon without injury to yourself or others. 
    3. Transportation of weapons to and from the Masquerade must follow the convention's weapon policy.
  10. Props will have to be carried on and off the stage by the contestants. If your props require more people to move them, you will have to provide the manpower. When you register for the contest, you must tell us why you need helpers and how many helpers you will have, and get backstage ribbons for each of them.
  11. There is no pre-judging session. Registered contestants will report to the Centennial Ball Room prep area for set-up activities and information at 6:30 p.m.; child entrants can report to the area (with an adult) at 7:45 p.m.  You must have your “Masquerade” ribbon to gain access to the area.   We will do pre-show direction in the prep area of the ballroom. The photographer will also be set up in the prep area of the ballroom. There is not a large backstage area and there are no private dressing rooms; show up ready to go onstage. We will have a costume repair kit and your den mother may be able to help with repairs and make-up touch-ups.
  12. After your performance, you will return to the backstage area to await the judge's results. Children and their parents (2 per contestant) will be given front row sets to see the rest of the show. There will be a big-screen TV backstage so that everyone can see the show. 
  13. Entrants will compete under International Costumers' Guild skill-division rules as Junior, Novice, Journeyman, or Master. These categories are defined as follows: 
    1. Master: A contestant who has won at least one major award (Best in Show)or four category awards at a WorldCon, CostumeCon, Dragon*Con, or ICG-recognized competition. 
    2. Journeyman: A contestant who has won at least one, but less than four, category awards at a WorldCon, CostumeCon, Dragon*Con, or ICG-recognized competition. 
    3. Novice: A contestant who has never won an award (as indicated above) in competition.
    4. Junior: Any contestant under 16 (There will be two groups – ages 1 – 4, and ages 5 – 16.)

 

Traditions 

 

Dragon ConTV creates a unique opening every year for this event. Openings have referenced/spoofed The Matrix, Dr. Who, Mythbusters, The Muppet Show, and Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, amongst others. Most openings can be found on the Dragon ConTV website.

 

Also, as a tradition and quite possibly the sole reason some people watch, while the judges are calculating scores and/or drinking away some of what they just saw, Dragon ConTV staff will show the Daffy Duck classic, "Duck Dodgers and the 24½ Century". In 2008, a skillfully crafted "Rick Roll" was inserted during a scene. A clip can be found on YouTube.

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