Cosplayers who want to compete:
Have you ever watched a movie and been “eh, that was fine. Definitely Oscar bait though, the critics are going to eat it up”?
Did you know you can do the same thing with cosplay?
Here are some tips for competing with cosplay that I’ve picked up from my own experience as well as advice given to me.
Step one: Picking your cosplay
There are movies that do everything they set out to do and are by all accounts good movies, yet are completely ignored by critics. Likewise there are character designs that you could perfectly pull off, but they won’t garner much attention from the panel.
-Is it a very simple design or a well known character? There’s much less room for error with a simple design, and if you’re cosplaying Goku then the panel, even subconsciously, will be comparing your Goku to all the other Gokus they’ve seen.
-How many components does it have? Are you showing skill in multiple areas? Spread your points out between more categories: garments, props, armor, makeup, wigs, detailing and accessories.
-Are you stretching your limits? If you compete every year as the Guy Who Makes a Big Suit Of Armor in a new Big Suit Of Armor, you’re not going to win anything past the first or second time. Judges love to hear what you tried that was NEW- was it the first time you made a lining? Made pockets? Tried embroidery? Did non-human makeup? Make special note of that.
Step Two: Make the Cosplay
-Spend the extra time to make it solid. Make a mock-up, finish your edges, iron your seams, prewash your fabric.
-Here’s a secret. The judges EAT UP super time-consuming detail work. Did you hand embroider your jacket? Did you weave your own cloth? Did you individually glue on every rhinestone? What did you do to Make It Perfect? Make sure you tell them because they will love you.
-The judges also love incorporating historical garments or your own interpretations into a design. Did you seek out an accurate hakama pattern? Did you reference classical undergarments? Did you turn that weird accessory detail into something that matters? They’ll love you.
Step Two and a Half: Record, record, record!
-Take progress photos of everything and keep records of how long things take. The app Cosplanner is indispensable for this. You will need this information for later.
-Presenting to a panel of judges is scary. You always worry you’re forgetting something important. But! I have a solution.
-Now is when you use those records and progress pictures you kept. Put your process in a document- pictures and captions that help show the judges all the amazing work you did.
-Especially if it’s not visible! Did you nicely finish the interior seams before lining the jacket? Include a picture! What would a layer-by-layer breakdown look like? Are there any close up details that are hard to catch from a distance? Is there an imaginative solution to a what-the-hell-is-that shape? Write it down!
-Also put reference photos in there! Judges won’t know every character and at least want to know what you were looking at while you made it.
-Take that document to a Staples. Print it off in full color, put it in sleeve protectors and stick it in a binder. You’ve already poured so much work into the cosplay you can afford the $5-10. Budget for it. Put it in front of the judges while you get your 3 minutes to present. Boom: not only are you great at cosplay, you’re PREPARED and THOROUGH.
-Finally: DO NOT TELL THE JUDGES WHAT WENT WRONG. Do not draw their attention to flaws or imperfections. It’s a waste of your very limited time. They. Will. Not. Notice. Unless you tell them. And if they ask? THEN you briefly explain.
-DO tell the judges what you changed on purpose! They’re judging you against your reference pictures, letting them know that a longer skirt or a more comfortable wig was purposeful will not lose you points (unless the judge is a dick).
-Now you’ve done all you can do, you’re backstage either waiting for your turn to go up or you already went and are waiting for results.
-Nothing left to do now, right?
-Those people around you? Your peers, competitors, rivals, idols? Talk to them. Make friends. Share Instagrams. Ask how they made their stuff. Share how you made yours.
-Pick up tips and ideas and engage in a community of people who love the same thing you do. Bonds are forged in those greenrooms.
When the winners are announced, be happy. At least tell yourself to try. Know that the cosplay you made was great, and if someone beat you then they must have been incredible. Being bitter because you didn’t win, or didn’t win the award you wanted, is a self-defeating emotion. It’s hard to train yourself to be happy- it took me YEARS. If you only get bitter, not only do you lose your drive to compete but it tints your view of your competitors. And if you won anything- enjoy the recognition! Add it to your trophy shelf! Take a lot of pictures!
Congratulate your new friends who won and say goodbye to everyone.
Time to start your next cosplay.