Regulations, Rules and Guidelines

• Registration forms are available on the LouisiANIME website and during the convention on Friday and Saturday at the Cosplay Sign-up booth. Sign up early, spaces are limited. Early Entry can be guaranteed by filling out an entry form from April 10, 2020 until May 10, 2020.
• By entering this contest you agree to read and abide by all rules as posted and that failure to do so will result in your disqualification from the contest and/or removal from the event.
• No custom music is allowed. Music will be played for each entrant.
• There will be no skit entries for 2020.
• Group entries are allowed, limit of 8 entrants. Competing in multiple groups is NOT allowed.
• Cosplays that have won awards at conventions of a smaller size (calculated by attendance) are allowed. Any entrant found to be entering a cosplay which has previously taken a major award at a larger convention (without at least 50% of the cosplay being altered or remade) will be immediately disqualified and risk being banned from future Tetra Event competitions. Current attendance as of 2019: Approx. 1500
• We want to keep the competition fun and fair, so anyone found competing outside of their level will be moved or, depending on the circumstances, disqualified. Additionally, no sandbagging of costumes is allowed. In order to prevent sandbagging, entrants wishing to compete with costumes that have previously won a costume competition must declare this upon registration.
• A cosplay that has already won a major award may be entered under ONE of the following conditions:
  • At the discretion of the directors.
  • The cosplay is entered as an exhibition piece.
  • The cosplay is entered into a more experienced skill division.
Failure to inform the judges and staff of previous awards will result in being banned from future contests.
• 60% of the cosplay must be constructed or altered by the entrant. If you are modeling a cosplay that someone else made, to be eligible for an award the constructor MUST be present at pre-judging.
• Purchased or commissioned cosplays are NOT eligible for any awards and cannot be entered into the contest.
• There is no “exhibition” category.
• Professional cosplayers are NOT allowed to enter. A professional cosplayer is anyone who makes a significant portion of their income from costume design, construction or sales.
• Skill division is strictly enforced. If an entrant is found to have entered a division below their skill level, they will be immediately moved to a higher skill division. If an entrant is found to have intentionally entered a class below their skill level, that entrant risks immediate disqualification.
• Cosplays that have won awards at conventions of a smaller size (calculated by attendance) are allowed. Any entrant found to be entering a cosplay which has previously taken a major award at a larger convention (without at least 60% of the cosplay being altered or remade) will be immediately disqualified and risk being banned from future Louisianime competitions.
• All props must be approved by weapons check. Cosplays with parts that extend beyond arm’s length (e.g. wings), cause trouble walking up and down stairs, or vision impairment: be sure to bring a handler(s) or address your concerns with cosplay staff.
• Cosplays must maintain a PG-13 rating. No excessive violence, sexual content, exposed bodies, etc. Please wear coverings under skirts or consider wearing nude body suits. Complaints will be handled at the discretion of the convention staff/security.
• Bring at least one color reference image of your cosplay for pre-judging (on paper, phone, tablet, etc). If entering with an original character cosplay, bringing a drawing is acceptable. Progress portfolios are HIGHLY encouraged, they include photo documentation of your work from start to finish. Email the cosplay coordinator for examples.
• Pre-judging is NOT open to the public. Only participants, handlers, and parents/guardians of those in the youth category are allowed. Each entrant will have five minutes with the judges.
• Participation in the Cosplay Contest Pre-meeting is required. Arriving after the pre-meeting will result in being removed from the contest.
• Do NOT leave debris or other items on the stage. Do NOT throw anything into the audience or at the judges. Examples include: props, glitter, confetti, petals, water, etc.
• For safety concerns, any battle or fight scenes must be done at ¾ speed and one leg must remain on stage at all times.
• Be respectful to other cosplay entrants and the judges. Unruly or disruptive behavior during pre-judging, backstage, or during the contest is not permitted and entrants associated with this behavior will be disqualified. Entrants will not be notified if they have been disqualified, and judges are not permitted to discuss the judging process or the results. This is to protect entrants, judges and staff as well as to maintain the professionalism of the contest.

Note: The cosplay directors reserve the right to refuse or revoke entry to any entrant for any reason.

Entry Types:

Walk-ons: Contestants walk onto the stage and do several different poses for at least 30 seconds to show off their costume.
 

Skill Levels:

Junior/Youth:

• Contestants 12 years and younger are eligible to enter this category.
• A child wearing a costume designed and built entirely by an adult should be entered in either the appropriate skill division for the adult or as an exhibition piece.

Novice:  

• The Novice division exists to encourage people who are new to costuming and masquerades to compete.
• DO NOT enter the Novice division if:
  • You are a professional costumer.
  • You have competed or won an award in Journeyman/Masters/Advanced at Louisianime or any other convention.
  • You have won Best in Show at any convention; or Best Novice more than three times.
• DO enter the Novice division if:
  • If you are above 12.
  • You are new to costuming, have never competed before, or are not a professional costumer.
  • You have won a major award in the Novice division less than three times.

Journeyman:  

• The Journeyman division is an interim division for costumers who have consistently won awards in the Novice division, but who feel they are not yet ready to compete in the Master division.
• DO NOT enter the Journeyman division if:
  • You are a professional costumer.
  • You have competed or won in the Novice or Master divisions.
  • You have won Best in Show, Best Novice, Best Youth, or Best Journeyman.
  • You have won more than THREE major awards in the Journeyman division.
  • Minor awards may be counted at the discretion of the costumer.
• DO enter Journeyman if:
  • You are above 12.
  • You have been cosplaying for a number of years but do not yet feel like a master of your craft or are not a professional costumer.
  • You have won more than three major awards in the Novice division or less than two in the Journeyman division.

Master:

• The Master division is open to any competitor who wishes to enter.
• DO enter Master if:
  • You are no longer a Youth, Novice, or Journeyman. Anyone may enter this category.
  • You are not a professional cosplayer.
     

Found Objects:

• Found Objects is for anyone who has made a costume mostly comprised of items they found at the store or in their home, but did little altering or sewing, therefore they do not meet the “% made” rule.
• These entries ARE NOT eligible for any awards given.
• Found Objects entrants must still abide by all rules set forth by the LouisiANIME Masquerade staff.
• You may not enter this category if your costume is purchased or commissioned.

If you have questions or are not sure what category you qualify for, cosplay staff would be happy to help you figure it out. If you are entering as a group you must enter under the highest placing member.

For your safety and enjoyment of the convention, and for providing the same for others in attendance, please adhere to the following rules in order to ensure LouisiANIME is a fun and friendly place for everyone:

1. This is a family-friendly convention, please try to keep it as PG-13 as possible.
2. Make sure your costume does not contour to private body parts. If it does, please wear extra undergarments as necessary.
3. Please make sure if you wear a skirt, you are covered underneath.
4. Men must also wear proper undergarments (this includes dance belts where applicable).
5. If your costume requires a lot of exposed skin, consider wearing a nude bodysuit.
6. Ice Skates (with or without the guards) are not allowed as either shoes OR props.
7. No regular skates or rollerblades allowed inside the event space.
8. Shoes may be removed for photo shoots only and must be worn at all other times. Socks do not count as shoes. A sturdy covering on the bottom of your foot is a must.
9. Costumes that can be confused with local, state, or federal law enforcement of any kind are not allowed.
10. Any symbol that can be characterized as a hate symbol should not be worn. This includes the swastika, “SS” thunderbolts, the noose, “HFFH” symbols, and any other symbol that is widely accepted as a symbol of oppression, hatred or violence towards a specific group of people. You will be asked ONCE to remove the offending symbol, and then removed from the con floor if not found compliant.
11. No accessories that you could use to attach yourself, even temporarily, to another person is allowed. This includes, but is not limited to: handcuffs, leashes, ropes, etc.
12. There is no profanity allowed on costumes or clothing during the convention.
13. If a complaint is received about your costume or outfit the matter will be investigated and you may be asked to change.
14. Make sure all pointy objects have been dulled so as not to cause harm to others.
15. If wearing a large costume with wings or other large pieces that extend beyond your reach, are difficult to retract, or impair your vision then make sure you have a handler or two to assist you and/or be more aware of your surroundings.
16. Make sure you get cool air or ventilation while cosplaying.
17. Stay well hydrated by drinking water or Gatorade, not soda and Ramune!
18. Don’t forget to eat a proper meal!
19. If you are asked for a photo, please make sure to move out of the flow of traffic. Blocking hallways/walkways is a violation of the fire safety regulations and you will be asked to move.
20. All cosplayers are expected to conform to conventional standards of personal hygiene. If you or the items you wear emit an odor that offensive to other cosplayers and guests, you may be asked to leave. Axe Body Spray does not count as a shower.
21. Leave the judging to the judges.
22. Remember we are here to have a good time and be respectful.
23. Because cosplay can sometimes be a gray area in accommodating the rules, if you are concerned about if your costume meets the convention regulations, please email [email protected]
24. The cosplay director/cosplay staff and safety department have the final say on the discretion of what an acceptable costume is, without exception.

Contest: SFX is a new type of hall contest that will focus on three categories: horror fx, makeup fx, and prop building. This contest is designed to showcase skill sets that are unique and yes… a little scary. These aspects of cosplay are some of the most technically difficult and least talked about. It takes time, practice, and dedication to create in-depth horror characters. It’s time to take the monsters out of the closet! This contest is separate from the main contest and you are welcome to enter both as long as you enter two totally different costumes and they abide by the rules of each contest.

Prop Makers, Makeup Artists, and Horror Cosplayers Welcome!

This contest is a secondary contest to the primary cosplay contest. This is aimed at those who want to showcase a more specialized skill set. This means there are no overall rules when it comes to the full cosplay. Prop makers, makeup artists and original characters that have been pieced together from purchased items are welcome. You will be judged on what you made and how well you showcase your skills.

If you made your prop but bought your costume, made your armor but not your props, pulled off a killer special effects makeup, have a scary take on a normal character or you want a chance to walk your scary character out in the daylight for once… this is your chance!

Please, follow all the rules and do not push personal boundaries of other guests. This event is made to be fun! Please don’t be “the one” that gives the spooky community a bad name. Failure to follow the rules will result in you being asked to leave the convention floor. If you choose to continue the behavior, you run the risk of being removed from the convention without a refund of your badge.

Rules for makeup, props, attire, and behavior:

• Shoes must be worn at all times.
• All cosplay must follow "swimsuit" etiquette. All genitalia MUST be COMPLETELY covered at all times. Body art and pasties used as cover are not allowed.
• All props must follow the standard cosplay rules for safety. (No real weaponry, metal props, guns, or anything that appears to pose a threat.) Convention security reserves the right to check and reject any prop.
• No projectiles (including glitter, blood, business cards or anything not attached to your physical body). This applies to both the con floor and stage show.
• No cosmetics may be used which include oozing, dripping, or sticky substances that could run off on merchandise or cause a hazard to others on the floor. All stage blood MUST be dry.
• No scare chasing. If someone is afraid of your awesome makeup or character design, please do not follow or attempt to further creep them out. We do not want anyone getting hurt or feeling uncomfortable.
• No “pop” scares. Please do not hide around corners or in enclaves with the intention of leaping out or scaring passersby.
• Be polite! You are scary! Let your work do the scaring! Be kind and understand that everyone reacts differently to everyone.

Painted, scary or just plain crazy, let us meet the other you!

Makeup is an important part of cosplay. It takes years upon years to nail the shading, detailing and nuances of a good transformation, This is the place for you to shine! Put on your best (or worse!) face and come show the judges what you can do.

Build log tips: Please bring a reference photo of the inspiration to your makeup. It would be helpful to include previous attempts at the make-up prior to competing. Include a material list of types of make-up including brands, type and anything important about your look we should know. Be prepared to leave this with the judges.

Bloody is fine with us! We only ask you limit the oozing, dripping, or drooling aspects of your makeup to you. As we all know, vicious is slippery! To protect the safety of our hallways and the other attendees, please make sure all parts of your makeup stay firmly on your body!

Scary is IN!

Regardless if you have a penchant for making a zombie out of the everyday princess or you have a super spook you want to bring out… this is the place for you! Bring the best side of your worst side to show the judges what it is that goes bump in the night. Screen accurate horror cosplays are welcome here as well! Be it a Silent Hill nurse or a version of a beloved character, come delight and disturb with this category made for you.

Build log tips: Please bring a reference photo of the inspiration for your design. It can come from any source or place, Include a material list of where your pieces came from, any aging or painting methods you used and anything important about your look we should know. Be prepared to leave this with the judges, but it can be collected after the contest is over.

While we want to feel the fear, we do have to be courteous to others in doing this. Please keep all horror related cosplays to a PG-13 rating. No overt and easily recognized cosplays relating to sexual harassment, child abuse or endangerment, domestic violence or drug addiction. Basically, please do not try to shock your way into our hearts. Win us over with your version of fear suitable to teens and younger.

Props, Parts, Armors and More!

One of the things we hear a lot is “I would compete but I didn’t make my costume, only my prop.” Well, guess what! That is still what cosplay is all about and we have just the division for you! After all, pouring 2 months into a single aspect of a prop is a struggle we have all been through. So why not showcase that in a division made for it? We are looking for skilled weapons smiths, armor makers or wig designers who poured their time and skills into that one crucial part of their cosplay they couldn’t live without.

• For prop judging, you MUST make or modify at least 70% of the prop.

Build log tips: Please bring a reference photo of the prop you made. Please make sure you include photos if your creation process and a material list of what you used. We want to see how you created this from the ground up! Be prepared to leave this with the judges.

We all have different styles of creating and there is nothing wrong with that! This division celebrates what you can make! If it’s a mask, a prop, a wig or armor, we want to see it!

We will be awarding 3 awards for our most impressive!

• Best Makeup: This is awarded to the best of the best makeup! Clean or creepy, painted or applied. Whatever stages you took to create your look, this is the prize for your effort.
• Best Scary/ Horror: This is for the best of the best that showed their scary side across the board.
• Best Fabrication: Props, armor, wigs or whatever it is you did really well, this is the prize box and title you stand to bring home!

* All prizes are subject to change without notice. If you are interested in sponsoring the contest and for visibility of your products with our winners, please contact [email protected].

These are the times that you can be judged for your work by a panel of experienced industry professionals on the spot at their booth. Just show up, fill out a form, and be judged immediately! Times Subject to change.