Cosplay
Cosplay, or Costume Play is the act of dressing up and acting as a character from pop culture including cartoons, anime, manga, comics, video games, movies or TV. Many cosplayers hand-make their own costumes so they accurately resemble the characters while others purchase readily-made ones for the fun. Cyprus Comic Con receives a large number of cosplayers every year who can enter the convention free of charge, get to meet professional cosplayers from abroad, take professional photos at a photo-booth and compete to win grand prizes.
Cosplay Contests
Cyprus Comic Con holds two contests during the weekend of the event. They are craftsmanship oriented and cater to all levels of cosplay experience ranging from beginners to those more proficient. Cosplayers with hand-made or partly hand-made costumes can participate in the following contests, as long as they can meet the contest requirements and criteria.
It is only permitted to participate in both contests if using a different costume for each one.
CCC EuroCosplay Qualifier
Competition Day: Saturday September 2nd
Maximum Entries: 25
Registration Deadline: Sunday August 13th – Online Only
Check-In: Saturday September 2nd 10:00am – 1:00 pm at the Cosplay Desk
Registrations Closed
The EuroCosplay Championship is comprised of a series of qualifier cosplay competitions held in conventions all over Europe. The winner of each qualifier receives the honour of representing their country in the EuroCosplay Final which is held annually at the MCM London Comic Con in October.
The winner of the Cypriot Qualifier will not only be awarded with the usual grand prizes, but will also receive a return plane ticket to London, accommodation for 2 nights and a VIP 3-day pass to the October 2017 MCM London Comic Con.
How do I qualify?
In order to be eligible for representing Cyprus in the EuroCosplay Final, you need to:
- Be 18 years old or over by the start of MCM Expo (27/10/2017)
- Be of Cypriot nationality with relevant documents OR have lived in Cyprus for 3 years or more
- Have a fully handmade costume which was made by yourself with minor help from others
- Be available to travel to the UK from the 27th until the 29th of October 2017 with valid travel documents
- Comply to all of the rules in the official EuroCosplay rulebook (click to view)
Registration Process
- Once a cosplayer registers using the form, they will receive a confirmation email indicating that we have received their registration.
- The cosplay team will then assess their costume photos and eligibility and will let them know via email if they’ve made it into the contest. All registered cosplayers will go through this screening process due to the limited amount of competition spots. Anyone who doesn’t make it into the EuroCosplay Qualifier, is welcome to compete on CCC Masquerade on Sunday.
- The approved cosplayers will then discuss their stage performance with the cosplay team.
Stage Performance
- All contestants are required to perform a skit lasting between 1 to 2 minutes on the cosplay stage.
- An mp3 of the performance audio has to be provided by the contestant and lighting settings will be discussed with the cosplay team.
- Stage props with the maximum dimensions of 2m x 2m x 1m are allowed and should require 30 seconds or less stage preparation time.
- CCC Cosplay Rules and Guidelines still apply.
Judging
There will be a private judging session before the stage show, where the judges can closely look at your costume and ask you questions.
Special Guest Judges
Prizes
1st Place
- €1000
- Represent Cyprus at EuroCosplay in London
- A paid flight ticket to London & accommodation & VIP entrance to MCM Expo for 3 days
- A Wanhao Duplicator i3 PLUS 3D Printer
- A full body 3D scan of you in your costume which will be printed as 3D Statue
2nd Place
- €500
- A 3D scan of your face which will be printed on a superhero body as a 3D Statue
3rd Place
- €250
- A 3D scan of your face which will be printed on a superhero body as a 3D Statue
1st & 2nd Runner-Ups
- €150 worth of nerdy merchandise
More about EuroCosplay
The EuroCosplay Final is one of the biggest international cosplay contests with over 25 countries participating. The judging panel of the London Final is always comprised of big names from the international cosplay scene flown in from America or Asia. The main focus of the judges is craftsmanship and all participating cosplayers are scored according to their accuracy 40%, costume construction 40% and performance 20%.
All participants are first inspected by the judges in a private session before the stage show, then they are given a couple of minutes on stage to perform a quick skit which best shows off their costume such as a dance or performance (e.g. sword swinging and posing), a song or even a short theatrical performance.
Visit the EuroCosplay Facebook Page, Twitter or Website.
EuroCosplay Qualifier Judging Criteria
Construction – 40%
The judges will pay close attention to:
- the quality, stitching and finish of fabric
- the choice of structural materials such as foam, worbla, wood or cardboard and the way they were treated
- the detail put into crafting the decorations and trimmings
- the overall techniques used and the originality of ideas applied in the costume
- the quality of the wigs, wig-styling, props, customised shoes and makeup
Accuracy – 40%
The judges will be checking how faithful your costume, hair, make-up and props are to the character you’re cosplaying as. Important things to look for are dimensions, material and textures, colours and detailing.
Performance – 20%
The goal is to look as much like your cosplay character as possible, this includes body motions and poses. Your stage performance can be dramatic or comedic or a mix of both. Overall a good performance should entertain the audience and the judges.
CCC Masquerade
Competition Day: Sunday September 3rd
Maximum Entries: 60, register and check in early before all the spots fill up
Registration:
- Online until Friday September 1st 12:00 am
- At Cosplay Desk on Saturday September 2nd until 1:00 pm
- At Cosplay Desk on Sunday September 3rd until 1:00 pm
Group Participation Allowed: Maximum 3 people
Check-In: Sunday September 3rd 10:00am – 1:00 pm at the Cosplay Desk
This competition welcomes all hand-made and partly hand-made costumes! Any skill level is eligible, from beginners to the more proficient. Both locals and foreigners can compete, solo or as groups of 2-3.
How do I qualify?
- Have a partly or fully hand-made costume. Purchased costumes are not eligible.
- Be 12 years old or over
Judging
Judging will take place on stage where each contestant at a time will have 2 minutes to be assessed by the judges. Remain in character, strike poses and act like your character as much as possible.
Judges
Prizes
1st Place
- €500
- A 3D scan of your face which will be printed on a superhero body as a 3D Statue
2nd Place
- €250
- A 3D scan of your face which will be printed on a superhero body as a 3D Statue
3rd Place
- €100
- A 3D scan of your face which will be printed on a superhero body as a 3D Statue
CCC Masquerade Judging Criteria
Costume Quality – 70%
The judges will mark this category by taking into account:
- the difficulty of the project and effort put into making the costume
- the attention to detail and craftsmanship quality
- the prop and accessory quality
- the resemblance to the character portrayed
- the amount of pieces created from basic materials and not purchased
Performance – 30%
The goal of cosplay is to look as much like your cosplay character as possible, this includes body motions, poses and phrases you say. Those who act in character will score higher than those who do not. We encourage you to remain in character during your on-stage judging!
Cosplay Parade
An on-stage cosplay parade will take place on Sunday at 7pm. All Cosplayers are welcome to participate, both contestants or not!