Saturday Masquerade Contest Rules & Entry
Hello and Welcome to the Colossalcon East 2025 Masquerade Rules and Guidelines. Please ensure you read our rules and guidelines as we have made some updates from previous years.
All prospective performance entries must follow the rules below. Disregarding or failing to follow these rules may result in disqualification.
Applications for the Masquerade will open on June 13th, 2025.
Guidelines, Rules, and Requirements
The Masquerade is our performance competition as well as our Hall Cosplay Fashion Show presentation. Anything from comedy, to drama, to drag, to lightsabers, to dancing and more are welcome to apply to perform during this Saturday evening event!
-Staff members are not permitted to compete in the masquerade. However, we will permit them to perform an exhibition skit. You will not be allowed to be in the running for awards, but can still perform.
-Costumes and skits must be no more than PG-13. If it’s appropriate for a PG-13 movie, it’s appropriate for the competition, but please keep in mind that there will be children in the audience. If you are unsure whether your skit or audio is applicable, please email the cosplay staff for feedback. If you are questioning the content, then perhaps it should not be in your skit.
The Cosplay Director and/or Assistant Director reserve the right to decline/disqualify your skit if the content is deemed inappropriate for the PG-13 rating.
-You do not have to make your own costume to enter the Masquerade. Fanart costumes are also permitted in Performance. Cosplay is required, however. If your skit has original characters and/or non-cosplaying characters, they should make up the minority of characters in your skit. (Stagehands are considered part of your group but not considered for the “cosplay required” rule.) Costumes must meet the rules and guidelines of the convention. (Please see dress code)
-The usage of weapons on stage is permitted as long as they follow the guidelines and are checked by con security. Stunt weapons, combat steel, etc. are not permitted in the convention or masquerade. This also applies to the usage of prop firearms.
-Contestants are allowed to utilize our large screens for a video to help enhance their skits. This could be a video background or just a photo of a location to help bring the audience more into your performance. Please note that the contents of your video must also meet the PG-13 standards.
-If you would like to use this option, please link your audio and video together in one file. We will only be accepting .MP4 videos. NO YOUTUBE LINKS WILL BE PERMITTED. PLEASE SUBMIT USING DROPBOX/GOOGLE DRIVE LINKS ONLY.
-If you are using the video background, please select such on your entry form.
Skit audio length is determined by how many people are in the skit.
1-2 people: 2 Minutes
3-4 people: 2:30 Minutes
4+ people- 3 Minutes
Skits can be up to their set times and no longer. In addition to the performance time, you will be given time to enter and leave the stage.
-Pre-recorded audio/video is required. Audio and video must be already edited for length and content. Colossalcon East’s Masquerade no longer accepts live singing acts. You will be required to submit your files before the convention. Please note that we will not accept changes on-site. The deadline for audio and video changes will be no later than August 15th, 2025.
-Audio and Video must be completed upon submission of the application. Stating phrases like “Audio isn’t ready” or “will submit if accepted” will result in a waitlist/disqualification. Please stay within the allotted time allowances. Going over by more than 15 seconds of the set time for number of people can result in your disqualification. Our submission window is long and is not first come, first serve. Please take your time and confirm everything is completed before the submission of your application.
-The description of your skit should tell us, in detail, what you plan to do on stage. Single-word descriptions do not give the staff enough information on what you plan on doing. As this is an application process, this is your chance to sell your performance to the panel.
-One skit per person. We do not allow individuals to enter multiple skits.
-No surprises! What you present to us during practice on Saturday morning is what we should see when you go on stage during the event. Any dangerous stunts, messy stage props, or anything that could hinder the performance experience for others will result in instant disqualification.
-Craftsmanship Judging IS NOT A REQUIREMENT OF PERFORMANCE. Craftsmanship and Performance are two separate competitions at Colossalcon East. If you want to have your craftsmanship judged for your masquerade, you are more than welcome to do so. But it is NOT required.
-Changing your skit after acceptance is not permitted. If members drop or are added, we can adjust. However, you are being evaluated on what you submit to our form. Changing your entire skit due to drops/change of mind will have you disqualified and removed from the masquerade. A waitlist entry will be given the spot.
-Contestants are not permitted to leave the stage and go into the audience. Jumping, leaping, or diving from the stage will result in your immediate disqualification and you will be pulled from the event.
-If it comes on stage with you, it must leave the stage with you. Nothing dangerous or messy. Throwing objects off the stage is prohibited. Reckless behavior resulting in falling off the stage, or breaking/damaging equipment (or nearly doing so) will result in disqualification. If you break stage equipment, you buy it. Extreme physical acts may need approval from the Cosplay Director at rehearsal to ensure safety.
-No Show/ No Contact= Disqualification. Colossalcon East staff is available through email communication before the show. You will receive your rehearsal time, locations, and information through email before the event. If you need to drop out of the competition, please reach out to the staff so that another contestant on the waitlist can have the opportunity. We ask that you respect your fellow contestants and the cosplay staff by appearing when expected (for example: during judging sessions, mandatory green-room seating, and performance rehearsal.)
-Harassment of any kind (both online and in person in regards to this event) will not be tolerated and can result in automatic disqualification. Be it of your fellow contestants or our staff/judges, all Colossalcons have a zero bullying and harassment policy.
Skill Divisions
A division is simply your placement and competition level. We advise all entrants to enter at the divisions/skill level they feel comfortable at within reason (see below).
Novice Division: This division is intended for those new to making their own costumes or performing on stage and have yet to compete much, if at all.
No more than 1 major award won previously at a comparable-sized convention or larger for their costumes or performances. These include “Best Of” awards (“Best Overall” or “Best in Class”) only. At your discretion, “Placed Award” (such as a 2nd or 3rd place award) and Honorable Mentions or Judges Awards, do not have to be considered.
Journeyman Division: This division is intended for those who are more experienced with creating their own costumes or performing on stage.
No more than 2 major awards won previously at a comparable-sized convention or larger for their costumes or performances. These include “Best Of” awards (“Best Overall” or “Best in Class”) only. At your discretion, “Placed Award” (such as a 2nd or 3rd place award) and Honorable Mentions or Judges Awards, do not have to be considered.
Master Division: This division is intended for those who have advanced experience with creating their own costumes or performing on stage.
More than 3 major awards won previously at a comparable-sized convention or larger for their costumes or performances. These include “Best Of” awards (“Best Overall” or “Best in Class”) only. At your discretion, “Placed Award” (such as a 2nd or 3rd place award) and Honorable Mentions or Judges Awards, do not have to be considered.
Note: The Cosplay Staff has the right to place a competitor in an appropriate division at their discretion.
Mandatory Performance Rehearsal
Rehearsal will take place on Saturday morning. A run-through will be given to all skit performances to allow the tech crew a chance to learn your cues and to allow cosplay staff to pre-screen your skit for content, subject matter, and length. If you miss the rehearsal, you will be disqualified from the competition. Please plan your time accordingly, as EVERYONE must be present at practice in the morning.
Sportsmanship In Cosplay Events
At numerous events across the country, displays of poor or unsportsmanlike behavior have been rampant. Like any competition, some will win, and others will not. At Colossalcon East, any and all displays of Poor Sportsmanship will not be tolerated.
Feedback sessions will be available with judges on Sunday for all judged events, and you may discuss your questions there. However, this is not the time or place to blame the judges for your loss. You may ask for constructive criticism and feedback. But if you are not prepared for any type of constructive feedback, this may not be the panel for you.
AI-Generated Images, Video, and Audio
Colossalcon East does not support the usage of AI-generated music, video, and images. Usage of these things for any of our cosplay contests is not permitted, and usage of said things will result in disqualification.
If you have any questions, please email us at cosplay@colossalconeast.com. Best of luck with all of your prep and applications! We’ll see you at the convention!
Masquerade FAQ
Due to the overwhelming popularity of our masquerade event, we will have an application process moving forward. This means that there will be acceptances and a waitlist. If your skit is waitlisted, there is still an opportunity to perform if another skit does drop. A staff member will reach out to you if that is the case.
The biggest thing we can tell you is to relax and have fun. Our masquerade community at CCE is always incredibly supportive of each other. Practice, practice, practice! And if you still need to chat about your skit, please feel free to find one of our staffers during rehearsal. We will gladly talk to you about any concerns you may have!
This is to help with time management and to ensure that the audio does not run over. It also allows us to ensure the quality of your audio. We no longer accept live musical performances.
The time limit is in place to keep the show on its time frame. Unlike in previous years, we will not be making any exceptions.
The masquerade rehearsal is on Saturday at 10am. We ask that you plan accordingly to schedule things like shoots afterward as we run practice to help figure out the run time. We ask that you have respect for your other constants while they work through their skits. You are free to leave once you are finished and you pick up your stage badge.
Stage combat swords are not permitted at the convention. Even if you are professionally trained, we ask that you follow our rules and use an alternative weapon.
All intense levels of combat do need to be cleared by the Directors of Cosplay before being performed. If you can verify your training and uphold the safety measures to ensure that no one will be hurt, then we will gladly approve it. However, this can be subject to very intensive screening from our staff and video proof of safety may be requested.
Skits must be registered to match the highest-ranked contestant. If you are a Master and your partners are Novices, you must compete in the Master division.
Our stage size is 16×32 feet. We will be having a runway attached to the stage as well. Please plan your performances accordingly.
The Deadline For Applications is Friday, August 8th by 11:59 pm.