If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Whether you are competing for the first time or have a long history in the masquerade it's always possible we're doing something different. You can contact the masquerade directors, Pierre and Sandy Pettinger, at costumrs@radiks.net, or at 5100 Leighton Ave. Lincoln, NE 68504.

Registering for the Masquerade may be accomplished by pre-registration (highly recommended) or by registering at the event. Pre-registration has the advantage of allowing us to give you the best possible placement in the show and to adequately address any special needs. A pre-registration form (in PDF format) is available here. NOTE: There is no provision for submitting this form through the Web. Please either cut and paste the form into an e-mail to fill it out, then send it to us, or print the form, fill it out, and send it via postal mail to the address above.

The ConJosé masquerade will take place in the San José Civic Auditorium, just across the street from the Civic Center, on Saturday August 31st at 8:00 pm.

The Civic Auditorium possesses an actual theatrical stage with wings, makeup rooms and showers. If you think you will need a private dressing room or the shower room, indicate that on your pre-registration. Rooms will be assigned on basis of request date and group size/needs, as the number of rooms is limited. No guarantees are made as to whether or not you will get one. Default entry will be stage right and default exit will be stage left. We will be able to handle variations. Sorry, but no center front entry or exit will be possible. Plan your presentation accordingly.

The ConJosé Masquerade will run in compliance with International Costumers' Guild Guidelines. The competition will be judged on the Division system now in use for 20 years.

Junior Division: Any contestant under thirteen years of age at the time of the competition may compete in the Junior Division. The Junior Division is divided into two sub-divisions.

Self-Made: A Junior contestant who has largely or wholly constructed his or her own costume.

Adult-Made: A Junior contestant whose costume has been largely or wholly constructed by an adult.

Novice Division: A contestant who has not a major award at a Worldcon or a Costume-Con masquerade other than as a Junior costumer. An Honorable Mention or Honored for Excellence need not apply to this count.

Journeyman Division: A contestant who has won less than three awards at Worldcons or Costume-Cons while competing in the Journeyman Division.

Master Division: A contestant who has won more than three times in the Journeyman Division at Worldcons or Costume-Cons or is a professional in a Costume related business. For the purpose of this competition, a professional is defined as making 50% or more of their income in the costuming business.

Note: A contestant may compete in a Division higher than the one they would normally compete in. Keep in mind that if the contestant wins in this higher Division, they may not return to their old Division in subsequent competitions.

Workmanship judging will be available backstage before the show. Workmanship judging is optional, and may be limited to one part of your costume if desired.

In addition to Divisions, contestants will compete in two classes.

Re-creation: A costume copied directly from a live action or animated motion picture, a television program, a stage presentation, a comic book or strip, or any form of artwork, including book covers. Within this class, contestants will be judged by the accuracy of the reproduction. Documentation must be provided – copies only, no originals. If you intend to have your costume judged for workmanship, please bring two copies of your documentation. This will ensure that all judges see it.

Original: Any costume other than a re-creation. These costumes will be judged on their own merits. Documentation may be used if you think it will enhance the judges' appreciation of your costume. As above, if you intend to be judged for workmanship, please bring two copies.

Junior contestants will present first. Other entries, which include children, may request to go on next if they do so at the time of registration. All other contestants may request positions within the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd or 4^th quarter of the show. The Masquerade Directors will attempt to comply with your requests, but cannot guarantee placement. Contestants who register on site will be unable to request placement, except in the matter of children.

If you wish to have any special introduction for the MC to read, please have it typed or printed clearly so we can easily read it. Without an introduction, the MC will announce only your entry number, division and title at the beginning of your presentation. After you presentation is complete, he will announce your credits. (Note: Other arrangements are possible. Please detail on your registration form.)

Note that no microphones will be allowed onstage, nor may any contestant directly address the audience. If you have narration or dialogue included with your presentation it must be recorded on a tape.

Music is highly recommended for every presentation. We will be able to accept the following formats:

Standard cassette tape (Dolby B and C noise reduction accepted): The sound must start immediately after the "leader" of the cassette. This is the point to which the tape will be cued after rehearsals, etc. Please indicate the type of noise reduction, if any, on the tape and tech form. Please use a clean fresh tape and record your material at the beginning of both sides of the tape. Please bring two copies of the tape in case one is unusable for whatever reason.

CD: The technical staff can cue a CD to the beginning of a particular track. There is not enough time during the masquerade to cue within a track. Please write the track number legibly on the CD. If you record your material on a CD, please make sure it is a standard audio CD. Please burn only one track and make two copies of your material.

Minidisc: The same rules apply as with cassettes. Use the first track and make sure the sound starts immediately. Please bring two minidiscs of your material.

If the sound runs longer than your presentation (i.e. a commercial CD) or must be cut on cue, please be very specific as to when to cut. The usual cue is to fade the sound as the entrant leaves the stage. It is best, when you want the sound to end at a specific point on a CD, to record the material you want onto a recordable medium such a cassette, minidisc or self-burned CD.

Sound media must be turned in before the close of Masquerade Registration.

Please list any large props you plan to use. While we will have some room for props to be stored before the masquerade, they must be removed for the Hugo awards the next day.

Any entry of one to four contestants will be allowed a maximum of one minute (60 seconds) on stage. Each additional person in the presentation will add 10 seconds to the allowable time to a maximum of two minutes. Any time extensions must be authorized by the Masquerade Directors and will only be granted for very good reason.

Note that set up time does not count toward your allotted presentation time.

Also note that you do not need to use all of your allotted time and it is usually advisable not to do so. Even 60 seconds is much longer than most people think.

1. No open flame, fire, flash powder or flash paper is allowed. Sealed electronic flashes are permitted. If you are using a strobe effect please note it on your form so the MC may warn the audience.
2. No messy substances on stage. If in doubt ask the Masquerade Directors. The stage must be in as good a condition when you leave as when you enter. If you are leaving something on stage, it must be able to be easily picked up by the stage crew, or bring your own ninjas.
3. No nudity. This masquerade is rated PG-13. There will be children in the audience. We do not want a situation where a parent feels obligated to remove their child from the audience.
4. The weapons policy of the convention must be followed. While weapons will be allowed on stage, they must be checked by our weapons master first. All weapons must be sheathed before leaving the stage. No real firearms and no projectile weapons are allowed. If your costume requires a bow, it must be unstrung.
5. Each person may present only once during the masquerade. While any individual may compete as many costumes as they like, they can only wear one of them. The others must be on other bodies.
6. All pre-registered contestants must check in at the Masquerade Desk by noon on Friday unless other arrangements are made before the start of the convention. Entries which do not check in may be eliminated. At the con registration will be available until Saturday afternoon. We will also have more than one location available for registration. Be aware that the earlier you pre-register the better your position will be in the running order. We will have to place late entries together in the middle of the running order.
7. There will be an informational meeting on Saturday at the Civic Auditorium. At this time you will be shown the venue and have an opportunity to speak to the tech directors and MC. This meeting is mandatory.
8. All entries will have a rehearsal time. Rehearsals will occur the day of the masquerade and possibly on Friday if needed. You must sign up for a rehearsal time.
9. Contestants must report on time. Report times will be supplied at check in. Failure to appear or to be ready to go on stage may result in disqualification. Note that Acts of God may, to an extant, mitigate this.
10. You must show up on time for your technical rehearsal!
11. The Masquerade Directors reserve the option to eliminate anyone from competition on the basis of taste, danger to the audience or other contestants or for any other reason deemed sufficient.

"ConJosé" is a service mark of San Francisco Science Fiction Conventions, Inc. (SFSFC), a California non-profit corporation recognized as tax-exempt under IRC 501(c)(3). The ConJosé logo was created by and is © 2001 David Cherry, and is a service mark of SFSFC. This web site is © 2002 SFSFC except where otherwise noted. "Worldcon," "World Science Fiction Convention," "WSFS," "World Science Fiction Society," "NASFiC," and "Hugo Award" are registered service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society.    ConJosé Privacy Policy