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[alpha_helix]

I've got a ranking question too. I usually compete as a journeyman in regional cons and novice at costume con and such. In the historical masquerade at this past costume con they combined the novice and journeyman classes. I got an honorable mention ( listed as novice/journeyman class), so I'm not sure if I should count it as a journeyman award or...?

[CapsuleCorp]

Did they really? Wow. Weird. Were there just not enough of one class or something?

That's a tough one. I would almost ask the CC masquerade director themselves, what they would personally weight it as considering it is an INTERNATIONAL competition. That's kind of important.

[alpha_helix]

I think that was part of it. There were 2 novice and 4 journeymen.

[Traeonna]

Originally Posted by kuroi_shi

I've got a question about the ranking system..
I have never entered a masquerade in the 10+ years i've been cosplaying.. But, I went to fashion school, and I work at a place that makes mascots. I've heard from a friend that because I work in a costume related business, I have to enter the master division, regardless of the fact that I've never even participated in a masquerade..
Is this true? .. I'd be super nervous to compete at the master level if I've never done it before..

Every competition has it's own rules regarding this. If you are concerned, contact the Cosplay Director/Coordinator to clarify.

Personally, if you were competing in a competition I ran, I would ask you about your job, what exactly it entails, how many costumes you've constructed due to your job, etc. to get a better idea as to what type of skills you have. The reason why many competitions go off of how many costumes you made or how many awards you have won is because it is VERY difficult to come up with another way to determine skill level. If you've gone to fashion school and you work on costumes daily as part of your job, you have acquired certain skills that far surpass your average Novice. If after my discussion with you I determined you'd be at a higher level because of your skills, then I would ASK you to CONSIDER competition in a higher level. I do not FORCE people to compete higher if they meet our posted guidelines with exceptions in some competitions for Professionals (e.g. commission businesses) for which there is typically a subrule that states they must compete Master, but not all competitions do this.

Anyhow, when ever in doubt, talk to the Cosplay Director/Coordinator. They will be able to give you the answer you need for THEIR competition.

Best of luck!

[Traeonna]

Originally Posted by alpha_helix

I've got a ranking question too. I usually compete as a journeyman in regional cons and novice at costume con and such. In the historical masquerade at this past costume con they combined the novice and journeyman classes. I got an honorable mention ( listed as novice/journeyman class), so I'm not sure if I should count it as a journeyman award or...?

Each competition deals with different "levels" of awards differently. When I run competitions, we EXCLUDE Honorable Mention, Judges Awards, etc. when writing our guidelines. Not all do this. Also, I tell people that if they were "bumped up" a level because of something like not enough competitors or the judges felt they deserved a higher level, etc., then have the Cosplay Director/Coordinator write a letter explaining that you were competing as NOVICE, but were bumped up due to [fill in the blank reason]. This way if you compete anywhere else and there is question about that award, you have written documentation showing what happened and why you have an award from a higher level.

[Satine]

Originally Posted by kuroi_shi

I've got a question about the ranking system..
I have never entered a masquerade in the 10+ years i've been cosplaying.. But, I went to fashion school, and I work at a place that makes mascots. I've heard from a friend that because I work in a costume related business, I have to enter the master division, regardless of the fact that I've never even participated in a masquerade..
Is this true? .. I'd be super nervous to compete at the master level if I've never done it before..

The division is to protect those who do not have experience, awards are just one method of determining that. Working in the field is another.

I have a laurel in the SCA and were I to ever enter at CostumeCon (historical anyway) I would also automatically have to enter master, or rather not be able to enter novice or journeyman. lol! but would be a novice at D*C which is frankly ridiculous. I should not be competing against real novices. This should be saved for those with little experience. If I have those years of experience I should be able to compete with my peers not those who do not have that advantage.

[FalconW]

I have a question regarding the ranking system, well I think it's in relation to it as I couldn't any other thread about this question and it sort of deals with it. When competing in the divisions and the rules say that the costume must be 80% made by the wearer, how do you calculate that? In relation to that, with one of my costumes, I just want the armor judged and the rest of costume excluded, the cosplay coordinator told me that if the armor covers 80% of my body, I'm eligable. How do you calculate your body as 80%?

[CapsuleCorp]

In all honesty, it's arbitrary. This is why most contests who try to have a percentage-made-by-you, it's 50%, because it's easier to estimate half of your costume than it is...well, 80%. No one has measuring tools or even standards, it's all an educated guess.

Half I can usually do. 75% tends to be halfway between half and all...so 80 is more than that? IDK. It's a weird number and unless the director him/herself can say whether they have some kind of standard that helps them estimate 80%, you're pretty much on your own. All you can really do is go in hoping you pass, and if you don't, you're at the mercy of the director whose word is final.

[Traeonna]

Originally Posted by FalconW

I have a question regarding the ranking system, well I think it's in relation to it as I couldn't any other thread about this question and it sort of deals with it. When competing in the divisions and the rules say that the costume must be 80% made by the wearer, how do you calculate that? In relation to that, with one of my costumes, I just want the armor judged and the rest of costume excluded, the cosplay coordinator told me that if the armor covers 80% of my body, I'm eligable. How do you calculate your body as 80%?

If you are really unsure if you meet such a requirement, my advise is to discuss it with the Cosplay Coordinator. They would best be able to help you determine if you qualify or not.

For example, let us say you made chest armor, a helmet, tunic, and sword, but purchased pants, and wig (that you did not style in any way), then I say you would qualify. The bulk of the costume was created by you. But if the ONLY thing you made was the armor and everything else was purchased and not modified in any way, then you may be on the line with things. This is where speaking to the coordinator would be most helpful.

[benihime]

OK, so question!
Recently at AX I won Best Intermediate Construction. Technically this is my 2nd craftmanship award, since I keep forgetting judges awards don't count for craftmanship. SO, the next contest I want to compete in, says 2-3 awards, but i'm not sure if that award bumped me up? I'm a little afraid of competiting in the master category

[Ali]

It's really totally your call, but I think AX is a large enough con that winning your division should be a good sign that you're ready to move up to the next one. What other intermediate awards would you want before continuing?

But then I also just don't like awards-based divisions, especially as it applies to that murky area between "novice" and "master". I've been very pleased since one major group win bumped me up there and I didn't have to think about it anymore.

[Winters_Cosplay]

So I'm hoping someone can answer this for me. I'm a novice this is my first skit that I'm doing, I have been part of others skits so I kinda understand the system a little bit. I have two friends that i believe are in master division but they aren't like helping me with anything other then being in the skit. So am i still considered a novice or do I have to put Master due to my friends? I'm planning my skit for Katsucon 2013 if that helps with determining the answer for this question. Thanks

[Elycium]

Originally Posted by Winters_Cosplay

So I'm hoping someone can answer this for me. I'm a novice this is my first skit that I'm doing, I have been part of others skits so I kinda understand the system a little bit. I have two friends that i believe are in master division but they aren't like helping me with anything other then being in the skit. So am i still considered a novice or do I have to put Master due to my friends? I'm planning my skit for Katsucon 2013 if that helps with determining the answer for this question. Thanks

I -think-, and this could very from convention to convention, but I think, in general, that you're supposed to go by the highest skill level in the group, regardless of who plans the skit.

[CapsuleCorp]

Elycium is right - to a point. What it depends on is who did what work on the costumes. If your two friends are not making any part of their costumes, or providing a part of their costume to be judged, and are merely warm bodies in your performance, then overall you may still slide under the Novice umbrella. But if they're contributing ANYTHING that will be judged - even revisions on the skit script, music for the performance, a wig that they intend to get workmanship judged - then yes, you have to enter at the level of the most qualified person in the group. If that person is a Master, then you're entering at Master.

But, then comes the caveat: not all masquerades are run or judged the same way, so your best bet is to run it by the director or cosplay coordinator. Whoever's in charge at THAT con. Be honest and up front about just how much work is coming from each member of the group - and if the two masters really are contributing zero, then make sure you say so. Then the director can determine, according to their rules and their judging system, whether you should be in Novice or Master or split the difference. It may be that they allow you to be judged separately (for workmanship) in a different class.

In such a case, it's definitely a good idea to run it past the director of the masquerade regardless - because if anyone recognizes the other two and knows they've competed at Master level before, and they hear your skit announced at Novice, they may be confused at best and accuse someone of cheating at the worst. As long as the director has had final say and cleared you for which division to enter, they can handle any confusion that arises later by saying "we said so, period." And you're all safe. So that's the general guideline, but definitely ask the director.

[Elycium]

Technically, though, if the two masters are contributing their "acting skills" by taking active parts in participating in the skit (not costume craftsmanship for the skit, since that's not required to be judged), wouldn't they have to compete as masters? I've 98% of the time seen it stated in the rules that you go by your highest skilled member in the group.