I tried sending this as an attachmentb but Yahoo stripped it off. I think my second attempt may have only gone to Les, in response to his note. Let’s try it again.
This is somewhat dated, at least the info regarding sound media for presentations, and also doesn’t cover a lot of things, but I was trying, at CC18, to give a quick overview of the costume competition situation that might help a real newbie. At this year’s CC, there were a couple of total novices in the Green Room who were getting serious cold feet at the idea of going on stage (they had nice costumes). I especially tried to address the myth of the stand-offish big-shot costumer (as in, they’re not stuck up, they’re simply jet lagged, hungry and nervous about their presentation later in the con). It was also necessary to get it onto a single piece of paper – “War & Peace” would just scare them off. Frankly, a nice little handbook for newbies would be a nice thing to have as a handout not just at CC’s, but also at the Masq. sign-up desk at other cons. Not just the stuff below, but also a brief and not overly technical description of the tech side of things. Because I primarily do Green Room, I’m a bit vague on Stage Right/Stage Left and lighting options other than Fred, myself (and “Fred” should be explained as well, both the tech “Fred” and “The Ambassador from the planet Fred”). The more accessible we make things, the more new blood we are apt to attract.
Tina
Frequently Asked Questions: A brief primer for the new (and not-so-new) costumer
I’m new to this. I feel really nervous about…
… appearing in costume on stage.
A: We all had to start sometime. Yes, it can be scary going up on stage the first few times. Probably, every person you see up there felt that way at first (some of them who have been doing costumes for years still feel that way), but try to remember that you’re among friends at this convention.
… talking to these strangers in costume, talking to experienced costumers who may look down on me as a newbie, etc.
A: Costume fans are one of the friendliest groups of people around. Most of them love to talk to other people about costuming and costumes, especially their own costumes. On the other hand, don’t decide that someone is terminally stuck-up if they don’t want to talk to you just then: they may be on a serious sleep deficit, need caffeine or food desperately, be jet-lagged and not feeling very functional, or they may just be really, seriously, nervous about their presentation a bit later in the con and have a major set of butterflies distracting them. Just as you sometimes don’t feel like talking to people, you may also be catching the other person at a bad time.
… competing against more experienced costumers.
A: This is why the Division system was created. What is the Division system, you may ask? It is a means of separating the new or inexperienced costumers from the more experienced costumers, for purposes of judging. The judges (and audience) will recognize that a Novice costumer is likely to have less experience, and (in some cases) less well honed skills than a Journeyman, Craftsman, or Master costumer. Novices are judged in relation to other Novices, Journeymen in relation to Journeymen, and so forth. A Novice costume is not an inferior costume — on a number of occasions, Novice costumes have won Best In Show, over costumes made and presented by experienced Masters.
What do all of these things regarding the Masquerades/Competitions mean?
What is the tech (technical) rehearsal and why do I have to go to it?:
A: The tech rehearsal is very important to you. At many larger conventions, and definitely at WorldCon or Costume-Con, it is required for all entrants. It ensures that you actually see the stage you will be appearing on. Hopefully, you will also Awalk@ the stage, as well. If you have a “feel” for the space you will have available, your presentation will look better, and you are less likely to fall off the front, back or side of the stage — this is also a safety factor.
The “tech” crew really want to make you look good on stage. Unfortunately, this is harder if they have no idea what you have in mind. By going to the tech rehearsal, you will have a chance to explain to them what you want to do in terms of sound (if you brought a sound effects tape), lighting, and any other special effects they may have available. They may even make suggestions that could make your costume or presentation look better.
The MC (Master of Ceremonies/Narrator), who will be announcing your costume, will also be there. You will have a chance to talk to him or her about your presentation. If your costume introduction text has any exotic words in it, you should plan to spell them out phonetically for the MC. Any text you want read should be CLEARLY printed or typed.
Above all, no matter how much you want to surprise the audience and your fellow costumers, never, ever, surprise the masquerade director. He or she will not divulge anything about your planned presentation, but the director needs to know about anything that may be unusual or potentially unsafe. This includes things like flash powder, smoke bombs, fog machines, stuff you plan to throw around on the stage, etc., as well as any unusual props (accessories) or weapons, or unusual moves (such as leaping off the stage). Note: throwing objects out at the judges and audience is a no-no!
What is the Green Room?
A: The Green Room is the backstage area where the contestants gather as they prepare to go on stage. Check-in time usually is at least two hours before the expected curtain time. The costumers can finish getting into their costumes (if they haven=t already done so in their rooms), test their props one last time, and maybe put on or touch up their makeup. Contestants should not bring friends or family members (especially children) backstage, unless they are also going to be on stage B the Green Room is chaotic enough as it is without non-contestants milling about! Contestants are grouped in “dens,” with a Den Mom or Den Dad, who helps the costumers in his or her group. This may include helping you get into your costume, trying to calm jittery nerves, fetching water/snacks for you if your costume is bulky or awkward to get around in, and generally doing his/her best to make sure you are ready to go on stage and look great! The Green Room Manager is the overall backstage person who keeps the chaos from getting out of hand. He or she keeps track of which costumes have checked in (or not checked in yet), and makes sure that the “dens” go up on stage in the proper sequence.
Also customary in the Green Room (at least at larger conventions) is a Repair Table. It offers basic equipment to effect repairs to a costume which has developed problems. It is not there for the purpose of building/assembling/creating your costume — it is only for repairs. Typically, the repair table offers needles, threads of various colors, safety pins, bobby pins, hot glue guns, small hand tools such as pliers, adhesives, tapes, string and wire, etc., and may also include a makeup mirror and some basic makeup repair materials (again, this is for repairs or touch-ups, not to create a full makeup job). For
(Over ¸ ¸)
health/sanitary reasons, you should plan to bring your own special colors of lipstick and eye makeup. Sometimes the repair table person will have some experience with stage makeup, but you cannot rely upon this for sure. Please note: the equipment and supplies on the repair table are usually the personal property of the person at the repair table, who has kindly donated the use of them to the con; you should make every effort to return tools, etc. when you are finished using them.
Stage Aninjas@ will help you get on and off of the stage safely. If you hear someone out there in the dark say ASTOP!@, or feel a slap on your leg or ankle as you are about to leave the stage, you should stop. It probably means that you aren=t lined up for the stairs and were about to fall off the stage, because the lights were in your eyes. When you walk the stage during tech rehearsal, check to see about how many steps you can take forward (or backward) safely.
What is Workmanship Judging? Do I have to be judged for Workmanship?
A: The workmanship judge does exactly that. He or she gets “up close and personal,” looking at the special details, such as applique, beadwork, leather or metalwork, special design and construction of interest, and the many other facets that comprise superior workmanship on a costume. You do not have to present yourself to the workmanship judge. However, if there is some aspect of your costume that you feel exhibits special workmanship or ingenuity on your part, this is your opportunity to have it recognized. You do not need to have your entire costume judged for workmanship — you may elect to have just a tiny facet of your costume judged — a beaded bodice, a lovingly-hand-hammered breastplate, the cleverly designed mechanism you invented to make your wings open and close, or the gloves or shoes you made from scratch. If your costume is held together with spit and baling wire, don’t even consider it! If there are bits of detail you are really proud of, you definitely should give workmanship judging serious consideration.
What should I do about a sound track?
A: Hopefully, you already gave this some thought before you arrived at the con. The perfect bit of music can help to “make” a so-so costume, just as a poor choice of music can be jarring and may detract from an otherwise great presentation. Preferably, your sound should be on tape, not CD, for ease of cueing. It should not be recorded in “stereo” (right side different from left side), as the sound system available may not be able to play both Atracks@ — you might end up with a vital bit of your sound un-played. It should be clearly labeled with your name and your costume’s title. It should also be labeled “right side” and “wrong side”, so the tech knows which side of the tape has your sound on — there=s nothing worse than going out on stage expecting music or voice-over, only to find that your tape got put in upside down because of poor labeling. (The easiest way to avoid this is to record your sound on both sides of the tape.) The tape you hand in to the masquerade director should be already cued-up (on the Aright@ side) to the point at which you want it to start. It is best to start with a clean tape, rather than taping over an old one (which could lead to embarrassing bits of inappropriate sound-track). Put on it just what you need for your presentation, rather than an entire song/piece of music, to also ensure that what you want will be played. If your tape is properly labeled, it should be easy to get it back to you after the masquerade. If you didn’t bring a tape with you, sometimes “tech” can help you out — frequently, they have a variety of suitable sound bits that they can play, if you work with them (see “Tech Rehearsal,” above).
What’s all this about “Presentation”?
A: How you look and move on stage helps you show your costume to the audience and judges, and helps to convey the costume=s mood or story. Yes, you can just walk on stage, and then walk off the other side, but this won=t show off the work you put into your costume (see also, Tech Rehearsal – walking the stage). Your movements on stage should be planned to let the judges and audience see the back of the costume as well as the front, and show off any special decoration or details. At the very least, plan to move in a circle on stage, to show the back and sides of your costume as well as the front. Stay in character: if you’re a warrior, stomp; if you’re a princess, be regal; if you=re a cat, slink and prowl. Your movements will set the tone of your costume. Think of it as Amethod acting.@ One more thing — remember that the judges are sitting with their eyes at about the level of your ankles or knees B don=t forget to hem your costume and wear appropriate footgear.
Why is there a time limit on stage?
A: It may not seem like it, but when you=re up there on stage, a minute is a LOOONNNGGG time! Unless you have a sizable group, it only takes half or three-quarters of a minute to do a little Astage business@ and go off. The longer you stay on stage, the better a Astory@ you should have your costume and presentation tell; if you bore the audience/judges, you lose them. Dances or martial arts displays that go on forever are booorrring! One of the sayings in costume fandom is Ashort is good; funny is better; short and funny is best.@ While that isn=t always the case (there are plenty of serious costumes), it does express the general idea.
I just saw someone walk up to another costumer and say AI hate you!!@ That doesn=t sound very friendly to me!
A: It may seem strange, but that phrase is one of the ultimate accolades in costume fandom, along with AYou=re despicable!!@ What it really means is AYou=ve got a killer costume that I can=t possibly win against, and I should be jealous, but it=s SO great that I love it!@ Costumers enjoy and respect a great costume and great workmanship, even when it=s not their own B that=s what this is all about!
NOW, most important of all, go out and have FUN!!! Oh, and don=t forget to eat something and get some sleep!!
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