~Cosplay Skit/Masquerade Tips~

Hello fellow cosplayers and cosplay enthusiasts!

If you've been to a con or are interested in going, you've probably heard of cosplay competitions, skits, and masquerades! I am here to give you some tips and information on these competitions.

First, lets cover what skits, competitions, and masquerades are. They are a competition where you perform or show off your cosplays against other cosplayers. If you perform you will typically write and perform a 3-4 minute sketch. If there isn't a performance portion you may just walk on stage and show your costume for a minute or two.


Now, let's get down to pre competition stuff.
1. Make sure you pre register! Most cons require that you send in progress photos, a full color photo of the character you are cosplaying, and enter the proper category for your cosplay. Categories are different for each con for example with Sakura con, they are broken up into novice, intermediate, and masters. Plus there is limited space so make sure you get your cosplays in by the deadline!

2. Most skits are pre recorded! A few conventions have mics for you to use but most don't. Make sure you use good recording equipment because you will be sending it in yourself. You want to make sure that your audience and the judges can understand what is being said. There's nothing worse then a great line being misheard.

3. Some cons will provide stage ninjas for your skits and some won't. Be sure that you check to see if you need to find people to help you on stage. Just remember that the stage ninjas will count towards the amount of people you have in your group. Keep that in mind while casting for it.

4. This one is fairly simple. Cons require that at least 75% of your cosplay was made by you or a non professional friend of family member. That means you can't buy a cosplay or pay someone to make it for you and enter it in.

5. Research your cons weapons policy. You can be disqualified and banned from con for breaking their policy.

6. Be creative when writing your skits! Don't go with something that a lot of people will be doing on the con floor. Or if you do, make it unique. You aren't the only one competing so you want to stand out.

At the con:
1. Often times there is a meeting either the day before or a few hours before the competition where staffers will go over how everything will work and the line up of the competition. This is a required meeting so make sure your give yourself enough time to find the room that it will be held in and set reminders for yourself.

2. There is a pre judging that happens. During prejudging you will get a few minutes to go over your cosplay. You will have to describe hours or months of work in just a couple of minutes. Do not be upset if the judges miss a small detail because they have 80 to 100 other cosplayers to see.

3. Go over your skit before you compete if you can. The more confident you feel about it, the better you will perform.

4. If your cosplay needs to be ironed before prejudging or the competition, make sure you do. you want your cosplay to look its best.

The competition:
1. Relax. If you feel nervous before hand breath in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 2, then release out your mouth for 6. This method actually combats the symptoms of anxiety. If you are allowed to have a friend backstage bring them with cause they can help you relax.

2. Have fun! If you're having fun performing or showing off your cosplay then the judges will notice and having fun is the most important part!

3. Don't sweat the small stuff. Did you mess up on a part? Don't worry about it! Play it off and keep going because mistakes happen. We are only human.

4. Listen to the judges' advice. Your judges will know a lot about cosplay and they can give really good advice that can really improve what you do.

5. When comes to awards each con is different, Some hand out ribbons and trophies, sometimes its a free badge for the next year, and only sometimes its cash. Don't be upset if you don't walk away with a big cash prize. If you don't win, don't worry about it. There are a lot of competitors and there's always the next year right?

Afterwards be proud of what you accomplished! You went out onstage in front of a ton of people. That in and of itself is rewarding.

Feel free to post any other tips I may have missed. Or, post about your experience. I would love to hear it! And as always, keep on cosplaying my friends.