HANDCRAFTED JUDGING CRITERIA
Pease read through the rules below when it comes to handcrafted cosplay judging. Those who are competing in advanced cosplay will be required to produce a portfolio showcasing the journey of their work. For questions, please email cosplay@imagiconnd.com
Costume Judging (100 points)
Points are awarded according to the following three criteria related to the production of the constituent elements that express the character (costumes, hand props, makeup, etc.) The judging will be done based on the costume portfolio submitted by the participants.
* The differences of race, gender, or size of the cosplayers with respect to the original characters will not influence the judging of the degree of completeness of the costume proper.
1) Level of precision in the costumes (40 points):
The costumes are evaluated by comparing the actual costumes with the design of the costumes in the original work. If the actual costumes are completely identical to the costumes in the original work, the full points are awarded. If completely different, the lowest score of 0 points is given. In addition, in cases where there is an unknown part in a costume that appears in the original work, as long as the costume for judging is true to the spirit of the character and the atmosphere of the original work, design construction and choice of color are left up to the discretion of cosplayers, and
differences between it and the image submitted of the costume in the original work will not affect scoring. (ie: In the black and white manga, it is not possible to know the correct color of costumes)
2) Costume Quality (40 points):
The costumes are evaluated according to multiple factors, such as how well the costume is combined, how well it suits the contestant, how beautifully it is painted/sewn, etc.
3) Technique (20 points):
Evaluation of costume-making skills. Costumes that have been made by utilizing a variety of challenging techniques are scored more highly than those using a few basic skills. These criteria look more at the level of quality rather than the number of techniques employed. If any special techniques such as transformation or other mechanisms are used, the concepts will be evaluated here.
Stage Performance Judging (100 points)
Points are awarded for the on-stage performance according to the following four criteria:
1) Performance (50 points)
Evaluation of aspects such as the quality and degree of accomplishment of the performance, the manner in which the story is conveyed, the usage of props, the respect to the original work, or the overall entertainment value.
2) Acting/Stage proficiency (20 points)
Evaluation of the expressiveness on the stage, including aspects such as the degree of accomplishment of singing, dancing, or other active elements in the performance and how well-rehearsed they appear, the expressiveness of performers in scenes with simple or no action, or the delivery of dialogue.
3) Costume stage presence (20 points)
Evaluation of the impression caused by the costumes on the stage, such as the values that are first perceived when the costume appears on stage. Aspects such as the use of gimmicks to change the appearance or the structure of the costumes during the performance are also taken into consideration.
4) iMagination Factor (10 points)
The additional evaluation of points that exceed expectations and results which are particularly moving or exciting, or of the realization of new ideas that had not been seen before in the competition.
ABOUT THE SCORING
1. The total score is on a scale of 200 points (total of 1. Costume Judging and 2. Stage Performance Judging).
2. An average score is to be calculated from the score of the members of the jury, excluding the highest and the lowest scores, and the final classification is to be determined by the total combined score of Costume Judging and Stage Performance Judging.
3.Should the final score for the Costume Judging and Stage Performance Judging result in a tie, the ranking will be determined at the discretion of the stage judges.
JUDGING METHOD
Costume Judging
1) In the Costume Judging, each judge evaluates the excellence of the participant cosplayer’s handmade costume creation technique, design, or overall atmosphere. Costume Judging is carried out in such a way that for an average value for the costumes of all teams, those with outstanding characteristics receive a higher score, and those in which the costumes are deemed incomplete or are in violation of a rule shall receive lower scores.
2) Judging is to be carried out evaluating all the individual elements of the character which the participants have requested to be included as part of the evaluation. Costumes (one or more per participant), make-up, wigs, and hand props are all to be judged, but the average score is to be determined only with the points of the elements subjected to this evaluation.
3) Judging is to be carried out by means of a registration. FOR ADVANCED HANDCRAFTED portfolios are to be delivered digitally to cosplay@imagiconnd.com OR a physical copy to be delivered in person on Friday (day prior to competition) to the Cosplay Competition Team at iMagicon. Final sign up for ALL handcrafted competition is Thursday before convention start; last minute cosplayers have one final opportunity to sign up by 5 pm, Friday, the day prior to handcrafted competition. Any sign ups on Friday will be penalized for late submission.
4) While there shall be no particular order for judgment, the Cosplay Team will gradually disclose the documents to the organizers of each participant in order of reception and confirmation that they are approved for the contest. All contestants will be assigned a competition number attached to their name.
5) Handcrafted competitors must register by the Thursday prior to convention start. All Friday sign ups will receive a 10% deduction in pre-judge scoring. Any registrations received after 5 pm Friday will not be allowed to compete in Saturday’s handcrafted competition at any level. ADVANCED HANDCRAFTED COSPLAY: If you register on Friday and fail to produce proof of construction, it is an automatic 20% dedication (inclusive of the 10% registration deduction).
Additionally, in case the Cosplay Team requests the correction of documents determined to be incorrect/incomplete, it is required to resend a corrected version of the documents addressing the errors indicated from the Cosplay Team within 24 hours from the communication of the request. The Cosplay Team will be communicating via email to the email address registered with at signup. For registrations, the week of the convention, up until 5 pm Thursday a 10% deduction of the score in Costume Judging will be applied for every 24 hours of delay, and a score of 0 points will be awarded without judgment in the case the delay exceeds 72 hours. Example: If the Cosplay Team requests corrections on Monday of con week, and we do not receive a response until Thursday, you would be receiving a 30% deduction; after the 72 hours, 0%. Please watch your email daily during con week!
Stage Performance Judging
1) In the stage judging, the judges evaluate the participant cosplayer’s staging, expressiveness, creativity, entertainment value, and other overarching impressions through an on-stage performance. There is a minimum stage time of 1 minute and a maximum of 4 minutes. The more high-scoring results that emerge during the performance judging, the more the judges will score by employing the “score-adding method,” in calculating points, which consists of adding the results of the performance to results of prejudge. In the event that the performance exceeds the 4 minute time limit, 10% will be deducted from the score for performances that exceed the time limit by less than 10 seconds, and 25% will be deducted for those that exceed the limit by 10 seconds or more.
2) All the required items must be filled in on the sign up, which must be submitted by the deadline before the judging, together with original photos of the costume progression data and materials.
3) While contestants are free to select the content of their performance, they should leave the stage promptly after the conclusion of their performance unless otherwise advised. Actions that have the potential to dirty the stage or leave any residue or marks behind are prohibited, and contestants should act in accordance with the competition rules. The props left on the stage after the performance will be collected by the staff members, and neither the staff members or the Cosplay Team shall be held liable for any damage caused to the props during collection.
4) The period of about 30 seconds before the start of each performance is treated as change-over time. Performances that have stage props will have the props set (pre-set) by staff during this interval.
5) All items required by the participants or necessary for the performance will be put on standby to the left of the stage. If the participants appear on the stage from stage right, they are to cross the stage to configure the items during the 30-second change-over time.
6) It is not possible for anyone other than designated handlers to act as support during the performance.
7) The order of performances will be decided beforehand through a fair lottery with all teams. Once the order has been decided, it cannot be changed for any reason other than health reasons.
CONTEST RULES
Costume Judging
1) Judging is to be carried out evaluating all the presented elements of the character that the participants request to be included as a part of the evaluation. Costumes (one or more per participant, if there is a costume change during the performance), make-up, wigs, and hand props are all to be judged, but the average score is to be determined only with the points of the elements subject to evaluation. All the elements deemed indispensable to portray the character are to be considered a part of the costume and can be subject to judging. Elements which are not worn by the cosplayers but placed on the stage (objects to be used as assistance for the performance) cannot be subject to costume judging.
2) All items that are judged should all be made by the participant(s) themselves. A proportion of 75% or more of the items should be handmade, and the process and method of production shall be explained in the cosplay portfolio. If friends or family members have assisted in the creation process, this should be clearly presented in the costume report. If it is determined that 25% or more of an item is not made by hand, the item will not be included in the judging.
3) Shop-purchased items (i.e. props, weapons, etc) that are included or used will not be eligible for judging, excluding wigs.
4) If details of the original are changed (i.e. parts added for augmented purposes), this must be clearly presented in the costume report.
5) It is permitted to use fully automatic production tools that rely on data input, such as 3D printers or fabric printers. Aspects such as the modeling data, balance with the costume, finishing, paint, and coating or fitness with the participant are to be judged for each item, and objects for which modeling data or patterns have been downloaded or obtained from other sources and printed as they are will be treated as a Shop-purchased item (commercial article). In case it is determined that commercial articles constitute more than 50 % of an item, it will be excluded from judging. Proof of creation by competitor is mandatory.
6) If an issue arises upon which it is difficult to make a decision regarding a participant’s costume, it will be discussed and judged by the Cosplay Team.
Stage Performance Judging
Items including costumes that are necessary for the performance are to follow the rules below:
1) A maximum of 3 stage props are allowed. Each item should weigh under 20lbs and measure no more than 85 inches in height, 83 inches in width, and 35 inches in depth. Furthermore, unique items that are used to hide the costumes or that have mechanical augmentations or remarks, must be presented clearly in the performance sign up sheet. If such items are deployed in a way that is connected to the stage props, this must be carried out within the 4 minute limit for the stage judging.
Should the size of one of the stage props exceeds the maximum allowed dimensions for height, width, or depth, character judging points will be deduced as follows:
• 1 point deduction for every inch in excess of any of the maximum allowed dimensions for height, width, or depth
• 1 point deduction for each inch in excess of the combined figure for the height, width, or depth.
• For excess dimensions a total of 5 inches or more, an unconditional score of 0 will apply to Costume Judging
2) Items other than the stage props that need to be set on or at the side of the stage before the performance are to be set by the handlers.
3) All forms of props are prohibited from leaving the stage during performance (including, but not limited to imitation swords, katana, nerf guns, or similar items/projectiles). Props must be under the control of the competitor at all times. If the iMagicon Team considers an item to be dangerous, for such reasons as the possibility that it can be dropped and/or cause injury to the audience during the performance, its use may be prohibited.
4) Using the following materials is NOT allowed
• Powder, small metallic confetti (lamé, glitter)
• Fire (Smoke – Smoke Machine is permissible WITH handler)
• Liquids (water, gels)
• Paper confetti smaller than 1 inch (includes flower petals and feathers to scatter on stage). Paper confetti bigger than 2 inches can be used up to a total of 100 pieces but must be able to clean up within the 30 second time window after performance
• Crackers that use gunpowder. Crackers that do not use gunpowder can be used. However, the paper confetti expelled from the cracker must be larger than 2 inches, as stipulated above.
5) iMagicon will stop the use of any material that it deems dangerous or a hindrance to further stage conversion. When planning any special stage effects please consult with iMagicon in advance. Only equipment that has been approved by iMagicon can be used for special effects. (i.e. items that produce a smell, make an explosive sound, emit strong light, etc.)
6) Performers are not allowed to use any other external power source, such as the plugs, at the venue. All power must come from built-in batteries only.
COSPLAY CONTESTS
Now that we’ve gone through our rules and ensuring everyone is having a blast, let’s move onto our Cosplay Contests! We’ve completely revamped them this year! We will have the following categories this year:
SKIT CONTEST (Friday)
Store bought AND Handmade costumes allowed. Get on stage and show your abilities! This category is HEAVILY performance based and is great for starters as well! Limited to 4 minute skits. Placements of first, second and third in each category.
HANDCRAFTED CONTESTS (Saturday)
Handmade costumes only! What is handmade? iMagicon follows a strict 75% Handmade and 25% policy (typically allotting for Wig, Minor Accessories, ect). In this competition our focus is geared more on the craftsmanship involved. Amateur and Advanced with placements of first, second and third! Our age range is age 11-Infinity! Please be honest and gauge how you feel your work is during registration. Major prizes up for grabs too in each category and a $500 cash prize for the Cosplayer of the Year, courtesy of Rock 30 Games – Minot! That being said, see the two handcrafted categories below for the specific requirements of each.
Amateur: Follows the basic cosplay contest rules. This tier is a great introduction for those new to handcrafting cosplay who want to get up on stage! It is more forgiving towards details such as seams, sealing, edges, painting, accuracy. It also includes a SKIT portion that can be used to show off craftsmanship as well as earn bonus points that could tilt things favorably in a close contest!
Advanced: Each year the quality and competition of our cosplayers and their suits has stepped up! Let’s make this year the most intensive, close competition we’ve ever had! Work hard and bust out your best work! See you at the convention!
Pre-Registration online will be available until Thursday, April 24! After that you will have one final chance for late registration at the door on Friday, April 25 to sign up for Saturday’s handcrafted competition (advanced handcrafted will be penalized 10% for a Friday late registration)!
After that, no sign up, no competing!
And we mean what we said above. Handcrafted cosplay has been in the works for months. There is no reason for late entries. Our judges spend the week prior to iMagicon preparing for these contests, so being entered in a timely manner is highly important.
REGISTER NOW
Amateur Handcrafted Cosplay Contest
5 pm, Saturday, April 26, 2025
Prejudging held at 1 pm – 3 pm, Saturday (must wear your cosplay!)
Calling all Cosplayers of all ages! You’ve put in the effort and everyone wants to see it. Come out and show off your hard work! We want to see you in your suits and owning the characters you represent! So come ready to show off your moves in a 1-3 minute skit that focuses on the character immersion you are representing! We are here to have fun, so let’s show them what you got!
• This division has two categories – junior and adult; awards in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
All participants in the cosplay contest must present their cosplay during pre-judging at 1 pm Saturday by the Superhero Stage. IF YOU ARE NOT PREJUDGED YOU WILL NOT COMPETE.
Advanced Handcrafted Cosplay Contest
6 pm, Saturday, April 26, 2025
Prejudging held at 3 pm – 4 pm, Saturday (must wear your cosplay!)
The Big Chalupa
It’s time to bust out the big, the best, the baddest suits you can rock out on the competition floor!
You’ve put tireless hours, blood, sweat, tears and who knows what else to make this a reality and it’s time to own it. Suit up and immerse yourself in your character and give us a 1-3 minute skit showing us your moves and skill! Let’s make it the hardest competition yet!
• There is only one category for this division; awards in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.
NEW RULE CHANGE: All participants in the Advanced Handcrafted Cosplay Contest must submit a portfolio that showcases their cosplay crafting journey. Contestants must present their cosplay during pre-judging at 3 pm Saturday by the Superhero Stage. IF YOU DO NOT SUBMIT A PORTFOLIO THE WEEK PRIOR TO COMPETITION AND ATTEND PREJUDGING THE DAY OF, YOU WILL NOT COMPETE.
iMagicon Cosplayer of the Year
Announced at the end of the Cosplay Contests at the end of Saturday night! This is the biggest prize we offer and the one everyone wants with the $400 grand prize package! To compete for the Cosplayer of the Year, you must have entered the Advanced Handcrafted Cosplay Contest! Good luck and OWN IT!
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COSPLAY PRIZES
Cosplay contest awards will be issued as follows:
Best Skit Role Play: 1st, 2nd & 3rd (Award trophy & prize)
Best Amateur: 1st, 2nd & 3rd (Award trophy & prize package)
Best Advanced: 1st, 2nd & 3rd (Award trophy & prize package) – YOU MUST SUBMIT PORTFOLIO (proof of construction)* to cosplay@imagiconnd.com a week PRIOR to competition.
iMagicon Cosplayer Of The Year (Award trophy, $400 cash prize, prize package and title of 2025 iMagicon Cosplayer of the Year!)