Programming
 

Cosplay Skit Exhibition Rules



If you have any questions on something that is not covered here, please ask. Remember is your responsibility for you to read and understand the rules and procedures before signing up. Please contact us with any questions or comments.

Please be advised that all cosplay events at Providence Anime Conference are strictly NON-COMPETITIVE and will not be judged.

This skit exhibition is designed to be a break from the typical anime convention masquerade. We're looking for people to get creative -- to try out different types of presentations. What if your character were to give a stand-up comedy routine? What if your group of characters were to go to a karaoke bar? What would they sing? Have you ever wanted to try out a serious "dramatic" skit? Or maybe, you had a skit that you had to "cut down" in order to have it fit in to another convention's time limits. What would it be like if you could perform it the way YOU wanted to? OR maybe you'd like to perform a favorite skit AGAIN! Well, we would love to see it!

Please read through the rules and start planning your presentation.

  1. Signing Up: Pre-Con Expectations
  2. Checking In: At-Con Expectations
  3. Rules
  4. Music and Sound
  5. Announcements by the Emcee
  6. Damages


Signing Up: Pre-Con Expectations for Fashion Show Participants
  1. You must sign-up online. Sign-ups began on May 31st, 2008 and will close on October 1st, 2008. At this point, we can foresee room for approximately 25 presentations, depending on how long some of them run.
  2. All groups are required to submit a short summary of their presentation when they submit the sign-up form. These summaries may be very brief, only one or two sentences. These are required to prove that you have started working on your presentation. Any sign-up form submitted without a summary will be returned with the request that it be re-submitted when a summary is available.
  3. E-mails confirming the receipt of your sign-up are typically sent out by midnight of the day in which they are received. If you fail to hear back from us within 24 hours of submitting your application, please contact us to be sure it has not been eaten by a spam filter.
  4. The Cosplay Programming Manager will be e-mailing the primary contact for your group on a regular basis with important updates. You must keep your contact information updated. If your e-mail is bouncing and/or your phone number no longer works, we will be forced to remove you from the lineup. You can update your contact information by simply sending us a message alerting us of any changes.
  5. Changes to group lineups (including cancelations) will be taken up October 1st. Any changes after that date will need to happen at the convention.
  6. All participants must be registered members of Providence Anime Conference and will need to provide a badge at both check-in and at the event itself. Group leaders who are submitting sign-ups should already be registered members of Providence Anime Conference.
  7. By signing up, all participants agree to let Providence Anime Conference and The New England Anime Society use their images for promotional purposes, both photographs and video.

Checking In: At-Con Expectations for Participants
  1. You must check in to confirm your presence anytime during operating hours on Friday, October 3rd, 2008. The hours and location of check-in will be posted closer to the conference.
  2. Everyone must be checked in and have their music/audio submitted by noon on Saturday, October 3th or you will not be allowed to participate.
  3. The Cosplay Skit Exhibition will be held on Saturday, October 4th, in Main Events. The show will start at 5:00pm and a debriefing will occur in the Green Room area at 4:15pm. Reporting time will be 4:00pm. (These times are subject to change.)

Rules
  1. Providence Anime Conference is a Japanese animation conference, so all costumes should be based on anime, manga, J-rock/J-pop musical groups, Japanese-origin video games, or live action series based on anime or manga (such as Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon and Cutey Honey.) Japanese adaptations of foreign material are permitted -- such as Rose of Versailles, Gankutsuou, or RomeoXJuliet. If you have doubt as to whether your skit qualifies, please contact us.
  2. Providence Anime Conference may be a 21+ event, but please use common sense when designing your costumes. While we may be a bit more lenient in regards to language and innuendo than a typical anime convention event (and while you may certainly dress as a character from a hentai series) nothing will be allowed that would be banned in a "PG-13"-rated film. Actions, dress, or mannerisms that would not be allowed in public must be avoided. (ie: explicit sexual gestures, nudity, and explicit swearing) Violating these rules will potentially result in the revocation of your membership badge and being escorted from the premises.
  3. We do allow the use of American (and other non-Japanese) music in your skit.
  4. You are certainly invited to wear a costume that has been worn for previous competitions -- since this event is non-competitive in nature.
  5. You are allowed to enter both the Fashion Show and the Skit Exhibition. It is preferred that you do so with different costumes.
  6. Providence Anime Conference staff are permitted to enter this event -- if approved by their department managers beforehand.
  7. We recommend pre-recorded music and/or dialogue for skit presentations. If your presentation is something other than a traditional skit (ie: something like a stand-up comedy routine or a live vocal performance), microphones will be available.
  8. The maximum permitted length of a presentation is 4 minutes.
  9. The maximum number of members allowed in one group is 8 people. This is for safety reasons. (Stage hands or assistants that do not come onto the stage may be exceptions to this rule.)
  10. Please do not wear or use any messy substances that might ruin the costume of another participant. If you are wearing body paint or make-up, please make sure it will not come off in casual contact with others.
  11. Do not leave anything on the stage that cannot be picked up and removed in a few seconds -- this includes confetti and rose petals. (Glitter is not allowed by the convention center.)
  12. No throwing things from the stage (for example, T-shirts or beach balls.) This is a safety precaution.
  13. Costumes must be self-contained. Connections to electrical sockets will not be available.
  14. Nothing will be allowed that the Providence Anime Conference staff feel may pose a danger to people or the stage area.
  15. Please review the Weapons Policy. All props MUST COMPLY with the Weapons Policy.
  16. No fire, flash powder, lasers, explosives, or open flame of any kind will be allowed. Electronic flashes will be permitted provided that you notify us in advance. It must be announced by the emcee in your introduction to protect those who may be affected by the flashing lights. Strobe lights are not permitted.
  17. All presentations must be confined to the stage area. The aisles and other audience areas are not to be used for any part of the presentation.
  18. Feel free to surprise the audience, but not the staff. If you are planning something "unique", you must let the Cosplay Programming Manager know in advance.
  19. We have the right to cancel your performance at any time for any reason.

Music and Sound Guidelines
  1. It is encouraged that you bring pre-recorded sound for all skit-type presentations. If your presentation is something other than a skit (like a stand-up comedy routine or a live vocal performance) microphones will be available.
  2. It is highly encouraged that you prepare your sound ahead of time and submit a digital sound file or MP3 by e-mail, or via a file sharing site such as SendSpace or MegaUpload. These files should be sent directly to the Cosplay Events Manager. The earlier you send in your sound the better. Sending it in ahead of time will allow us to pre-screen it and notify you of any problems.
  3. We do our best to return CDs but cannot guarantee it. We recommend that you bring your music on a home-recorded CD which you don't mind losing, rather than a professional copy, since there is a risk that any disk you bring will be lost.
  4. Your sound must be all on ONE TRACK. Any skit soundtrack that is divided into multiple tracks cannot be used. If you need silence at the beginning of your sound, you must record it into the track. Conversely, if you think something is going to get a laugh, leave a pause after the line before continuing.
  5. Your dialogue and/or music "file" must be 4 minutes exactly, or under. Please note there are no exceptions to the 4 minute rule. If your music and/or pre-recorded routine is longer than 4 minutes, we will trim to 4 minutes. If the sound runs longer than your presentation, we will fade it out as you walk off the stage. If you do not want your sound to end with a fade-out (if you want a cut off) you must make the recording such that it cuts off at the point you want.
  6. Everyone must have their music/audio confirmed by noon on Saturday, October 4th so that we can check and verify the final playlist.

Announcements by the Emcee
  1. Any narration to be read by the emcee will be limited to 35 words or less. All narration by the emcee will be read prior to your performance. Your names and character names will be read after the performance.
  2. On the sign-up form, you will be requested to supply an introduction to be read by the emcee. If you do not supply one, we will write a simple introduction for you. Introductions may not contain profanity, sexual innuendo, or anything else that does not comply with the PG-13 rating.
  3. Please do not interact with the emcee. We prohibit any involvement with the emcee in your skit. We also prohibit any emcee dialogue during your performance.

Damages
  1. "You break it, you bought it" - If you break a piece of equipment, deface the facilities, or cause any other damages, then you pay to replace what you damaged. No exceptions.
  2. Remember - no jumping off the stage, at any time, for any reason.
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