The WORST cosplay contest I've ever seen
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- Опубликовано: 28 май 2024
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This was truly one of the worst contest I've ever seen, but DO NOT reach out to or harass any one involved in the contest, especially the judges, they don't have any control over how this contest is run.
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Im not easily impressed but that ad transition was so fucking smooth, give your writer a fucking raise
wait... you did that rose cosplay :O
awesome!
Hey excuse, completely unrelated but for some reason my brain thinks i know you, did you at some point grow up in france or Thailand ??
Maybe family vacations to another country
As a novice cosplayer, If i came onto stage and got shoo'ed off by a paper, I'd cry immediately. How awful. And I can tell the man who raised his hand, and Joe, both were angry/annoyed. as they should be!!?
RIGHT! seeing that intro just punched me in the gut..
seeing RS cosplay alone is just so exciting let alone a first timer :(
I’d cry and then cry harder cuz I ruined my makeup 😭
I have terrible stage/performance anxiety, so if I'd managed to make it far enough to get to the stage and be asked to get up there, it would be because I took a MAJOR deep breath and stepped up. If I walked 10 steps across that stage and got the shoo-ing, I would've been mortified to turn around, see the audience, and feel a fool and have to walk off....even if it was not my fault in the least.
this comment brought to you by a recent non-cosplay event I participated in which took three solid weeks of building a prop and then making an outfit and then finding out on arrival when queued up that I would have to DANCE MY WAY THROUGH THE CROWD to music I'd never heard to be judged. I died. A lot.
i have really bad anxiety and just coming on stage would already take a lot out of me, but this would be so humiliating and i definitely would've cried.
As a disabled cosplayer who lives in Atlanta I will say it fucking sucks. I’ve been in so many competitions but I’ve literally had judges who are supposed to be fair and judge on craftsmanship say to me “Sorry if you can’t show us the garment standing up then I can’t accurately judge it.” I CANNOT WALK?! I USE A WHEELCHAIR?! When I pushed back against it to the organizers saying the judges were being discriminatory they said “Well they are the judges so if you can’t comply with their requests then you can just not compete.” IM NOT EVEN JOKING. And this has happened multiple times to me. Different reasons each time. “I can’t see the back seam in your chair?” “This is incorrect for the character.” When I was in cosplay but I had to shorten the length and details so it wouldn’t get caught in my power wheelchair as I moved! They said it wasn’t accurate enough! Sadly I haven’t had many good experiences being in competition. And I honestly stopped because every time I would get so heavily discriminated against that it was emotionally exhausting having to constantly fight to be heard when I feel like that enough daily already lol.
Edit: Wow I didn’t expect this to kinda blow up lol. So I want to explain a few things. I am not suing because honestly I don’t have the time, money, energy and emotional space to do so. I do still cosplay and enjoy cons and fandom spaces a lot! I wanted to elaborate on one thing I said. When the con judge said “I can’t see the back seam in your chair.” I asked if they would allow me to have my mom who was with me help me stand for just a minute so they could see it. But I asked if we could go in another room as it can be embarrassing. But I was told no that wasn’t allowed. Ableism is built into society as much as racism. They intertwine and connect.
Augh that’s so awful, they are so stupid for what they said! You deserved so much better
you deserved better. if you ever want to try again I'd recommend having a camra or microphone on you to be able to expose them publicly.
@@Libby-Phantom Thank you. Yeah I don’t think I will. Sadly it made me lose passion for cosplay and fandom for a while so I’d rather just enjoy the community of good people if that makes sense lol.
@catcheek7761 Well, if you ever do become interested again, call them out. Do not be afraid to be loud about them being discriminatory. Embarrass the fuck out of them. No one that would say fucked up shit like that deserves your grace nor your sympathy. You deserved and still deserve better, and I'm sorry that you were treated with such blatant ignorance.
IK you said that you have stopped going into competitions, but if you ever do go back to one, try to secretly record your interactions with them and then post it online. It will garner more attention to this issue.
Call me a sore loser, but my worst cosplay show experience felt a bit awkward in regards to the fact that I handmade and crafted an entire suit of armor, had sewn the clothes and put them through a serger to give them that completed look, had handmade a giant sword and painted tiny details into it and had actual lights built into it so it could glow green, and what won the contest? A kid with a closet cosplay of Ness from Earthbound. Didn't hand make the shirt or shorts or anything, bought a red cap, no backpack, no baseball bat. That won best in show, and I didn't get a damn thing. When I asked the judges why he had won, they said it was because he had the most recognizable character to them, and I didn't fit the character I was because I was just a bit chubby, even though the armor was built with my size in mind. For the record, I was barely overweight, but that actually full on sent me into tears and a bit of an ED later on
that's terrible! no matter what nothing is wrong with you or your body! what's wrong is their prejudice and that's something they should be shamed for.
thats horrible that they did that to you, i hope youre alright!!!!
That's horrible! A cosplay contest should never account a person's body type, especially weight, in the judging. It should be about the actual outfit and, in contests about craftmanship, the craftmanship put into the costume!
@@sinfulpuritan3430Yeah seriously imagine how awful a cosplay comp at an anime convention would be if the judges cared about what the person wearing the costume looks like so much, literally no one but skinny japanese (and maybe some white) people would be able to compete
…what? Someone who didn’t even make their costume won? I thought you had to make the vast majority of your costume to compete. You have every right to be a “sore loser”. Especially since they commented on your body like that. The contest is supposed to be about how accurately and nicely you made your costume, not about your body. Remind me never to go to that con.
the number one rule of ANY live show: DO NOT LET THE AUDIENCE KNOW SOMETHING HAS GONE WRONG!!!
if you've misspoken, PUT THE FREAKING MIC DOWN!!! you are likely to misspeak AGAIN!!!!!
i feel so awful for those poor novices as i know i would have simply crumpled to dust on stage then and there.
yes unless it is something major that has full on held up the show do not let it be known there was a mistake. literally was at a concert that got delayed for hours due to technical difficulties, they skipped the opener, then the curtain thats meant to drop at the start was rigged wrong and got tangled as they unfurled it ready for the band to come on stage, so of course in that scenario they announced that something was wrong. I've also been in a production where someone massively missed their cue and we had to improv until they arrived (I had literally one line and was not prepared for this) but we made it work and got a bloopers reel out of it
Gosh that announcer was AWFUL, the shooing hand motions? She was just plain rude! Mistakes happen but you can't host a thing and be that rude!
exaclty 💀 even the student government in my highschool knows how to ask someone to sit down during events WITHOUT being rude... They are in 8th and 9th grade mind you but that announcer IS A DARN ADULT 😭
People make mistakes in the moment
@@anegwathere’s making a mistake and then there’s being an asshole, that woman was being anbasshole
Well he KNEW that he shouldn't have gone up there....😂😂😂cope
And then you get trolls in your comments section
they didn’t even kick the people who bought their whole cosplays at the gen con cosplay comp (a mainly craftsmanship comp) cuz the comp was mostly to have fun
okay having now watched the whole video: gen con does their contest really weirdly. it’s not based on having won unless you win like grand champion or something (in which case you go to the professional category) and there’s only one judge per competitor for the craftsmanship aspect but 3-4 for the performance aspect. they were also having issues when i competed though, they had just lost their prejudging space so they were just working out of an alcove
Gen con does do it weirdly. I've not competed personally cause I don't think I've had a good enough cosplay or not made enough of it to take part.
@@cottoncosplayso it’s a costume contest.. but only professionals win?
@@KingOfGaymes i’ve only competed once but it was a guy from the gaming category who won. they choose grand champion by basically having the crowd choose their favorite of the “best in category” people, then that person has to compete in the professional bracket for the next 5 years.
@@lilithrosedecay i think you should do it! there were totally people when i competed who were only there to have fun. i competed for fun too, tbh
I was booed on stage once at a cosplay costume contest because of a mistake the host said - I was the second person cosplaying as my character to go up, and I admit my costume was nowhere near as good as the first girl (I was an absolute beginner and probably only about 15, this was 12 years ago), but the host said "definitely better than the first!" And there was a HUGE symphony of boos from the crowd. It was humiliating. The host panicked and said she meant the version of the character, who was from a reboot of the franchise, was better than the original character design. Nothing to do with me or the other cosplayer. I competed a few more times after that but the anxiety eventually caught up to me and I quit cosplay. Hosts need to be so careful with their words!!!
holy fuck that is awful, i’m so sorry that happened to you :( i can’t believe people booed, that’s insane
God that’s terrible:( I would definitely quit if that happened to me I’m cosplaying for the first time next month and this is why I’m scared to even consider competing at all
Bruh why would people do that, so rude
Nah sorry the people who re wrong here are the one who said boo
Like tf ??? There no need to humiliate someone like that
what was the character. They need to add a no heckling sign for the audience
There's a lot of terrible in this video, but Greatest Showman's supportive husband at 14:11 is 100% pure and good.
That moment was so adorable and suprtive that I kept int in mind while listening to the story. Tbh ig kept me going and I managed to get through this angering story!
So wholesome!! 🥰
That was freaking adorable!! 🥰
Seeing her beaming and smiling literally made me so happy for her. Obviously I don't know them, but they seem genuinely happy and in love.
Yeah lol. "That's my wife" that woman has a good good man.
Tbh I hate the whole "nobody wears deodorant at cons!!!" joke. It def was a bigger issue at one point but I feel like this has changed a lot recently and the joke is just old and overdone
Its also uncomfortable to be recorded randomly.... if I was that person I would've asked first before recording ALWAYS.
@@shinigami9816 ya- and like ppl who have social anixuety or smt like that(like me) have a possibility of having a panicattack bc of getting scared of it or sum
To be fair, it is still a massive problem at some cons, usually the 1s geared to younger crowds, especially the 1s right after pandemic restrictions were lifted
This is still an issue at many gaming conventions specifically. My husband used to go to EVO and man did that place have an odor from what he would tell me..... more so for some games than others. Not so much in cosplay and other conventions.... just seems to be a gamer issue mostly which it shouldn't be by now, but I heard its getting slowly better over time. I think its the whole gotta spend all my waking hours on practicing or I will lose and who has time to shower attitude.
are you telling me a big enclosed area full of people who are walking around lot, excited, getting sweaty, and many of who are in thick costume might have some kind of body odor going around??
sorry ya'll big groups of people in this situation are going to smell like people, don't know what folks expect lol
Can we please campaign for these qualifications to judge. I am an internationally recognized master's level cosplayer. And I have had tik tok influencers who have never sewn a seam judging me. Or people who do/ or do not give out awards because of who they are "friends" with. We need rules lol
Or Tik Tok influencers who have never sewn stating winners who won Best in Show didn't deserve it, I'm like CHILD! Did you see that costume up close? Did you examine it or did you just see a grainy vid online from the audience?
@@rebeccaabram2312as someone who isn’t a TikTok person but has a Belle cosplay who had my dress made by someone who could make it ebcause I didn’t want to risk ruining it and going down a spiral due to ocd issues - I paid the commissioner 500+ dollars and then tipped properly - I think general cosplay stuff for fun could be fun! It not being made by them shouldn’t affect the vote. If it’s a craftsman cosplay then YES but if it’s just for fun is okay as long as it’s not because of their popularity.
You seem like you have a bit of an ego.
@@user-xj4bm1iq3cI don't think it's an ego issue to want someone qualified to judge a contest. Sarah said the same thing in the video.
@@compassrose1466 most cosplay comps advertise themselves as mostly craftsman ship with sometimes a "crowd fave" or "performance" based award for those who didn't craft their cosplay but still want to show it off a little
On behalf of the fighting game community, I'd like to formally apologize to the cosplay community for having to put up with Jebailey.
cosplayers 🤝 fighting gamers
hating jebailey
@srahhh yep
Idk who that is and I'm too scared to google
yep we are sorry for letting Jebailey get away from us
She's mental. I need to research this loser.
As a person with anxiety, I’d begin crying IMMEDIATELY after being told to leave by an announcer. Especially when they’re talking directly into the microphone while telling me to leave, and even making shooing hand motions at me, while an entire crowd is watching me. And the way the announcer was even saying awkward, it was understandable that it would be awkward if someone walked on the stage uninvited, but the way she spoke directly into the microphone was so unnecessary! Sarah’s example “Put down the microphone and tell them personally” was so much better in my opinion
Edit: wth IM FAMOUS😭
I just wanna say that bawling out on stage is pretty relatable, but there’s something seriously wrong with me😫 If i get too nervous i literally THROW UP
I’m serious like it’s some sort of problem I cant get rid of
Fr I would start crying my eyeballs out
Don't cry and don't let those type of people get to you. It's not your fault for someone else's being unprepared and irresponsible, you should never feel that way.
That being said, if I was in that situation-I'd have to throw some hands
I hear your argument. Not only would it be embarrassing, but it would also be seen as unprofessional and rude, since it was broadcast to the audience.
As a person with anxiety I’d not participate in a cosplay contest to begin with.
I'd be mad crying cause wtf?
The moment when the person with the mic said, "AWKWARD!" made me feel awkward just watching the video, but I couldn't describe exactly why so I really like how you explained specifically what went wrong.
exactly like just watching that in a video gave me secondhand embarassment and now i feel real bad for the people who got shoo'ed off like that must be horrible
It made my cringe.. I physically recoiled.
had to pause the video at 17:16 because OH MY GOD cosplay announcers trying to do improv standup comedy routines is one of my biggest con pet peeves
There was only one announcer who did semi-improv comedy and literally entangled it with all contestants and their cosplays to boost their morale, this was amazing and that is the only time I will accept it
I’ve watched one cosplay judging thing and the announcer had the BEST stand up comedy and boosted morale and was funny without upsetting anyone
Agree. No matter what, the star of the cosplay contest is not the announcer, it's the cosplayers. It's their moment to shine.
@@jagtaggart936 exactly that's a really good way of putting it
One small con I went to the announcer tried to do the cringey improv-comedy bit and after the first round every single cosplayer literally walked away from the announcer without saying a word, some cosplayers played it up by ignoring/dismissing them in-character LOL it was so funny, very memorable.
I watched a small cosplay contest at a small local con, where they has a childrens, teen and adult catagory, where everyone posed and was interviewed, and the MC asked a teenager dressed as Indiana Jones ‘is there anything missing from your cosplay, or something you could have done better?’ Which I thought was rude because they were basically trying to point out that they didn’t have the whip, which doesn’t matter? They were a teenager who thrifted a really cool and recognisable cosplay, which is amazing! Cosplayers KNOW the faults of their cosplays, competitions should be a space to praise what cosplayers do RIGHT not what’s missing!
Anyway, that’s my little rant done
Seems like that should be a prejudging question, not on stage!!
Also, a lot of cons have a no realistic weapon prop rule? I don’t know that con, but honestly I wouldn’t risk it either.
When I went to a local con as a teenager (my first ever con), I came in a Reimu Hakurei cosplay I bought when I was in Japan but still had to source or make my own version of some of the smaller details like the shoes, hair ties, staff, clip on bangs, etc. which didn't come with the cosplay. I had no idea of cosplay etiquette and decided to join the cosplay contest, on stage they asked me if I made it myself and I had to say no not really, only some of the pieces, in front of the audience which was really embarrassing. It made me feel really bad because I had no idea I was even MEANT to make my own. One of the winners was a dad and his kid wearing a costume fully bought from a local costume store, only really rubbing in the salt...
If no weapons are allowed (which is the case at most cons now) the teen could have pulled out some Twizzlers and said they had their whip. Still tacky of the MC to do that.
@@wolfgalleader exactly!! unless it's literally made out of cardboard or foam, I never risk it cause I was almost kicked out of a con for a 3d printed weapon :/
As someone at this competition, the announcers made it very clear who won which is not professional. When they made extra comments about certain cosplayers, we all knew that person had won.
Also, one of the winners was someone who had won a best in show prize with the cosplay they entered at DreamHack and lied right to the judge’s faces about it. Despite that being against the rules and having multiple people reach out, the organizers haven’t done anything about it. They also mixed up some of the stage names of people entering and completely lost my friend’s information. She had pre-registered and they lost her entry entirely. Had to ask her for name while she was on stage
Jeez... So the whole thing was corrupt
@@SessmaruKusanagiGaming not necessarily corrupt, just extremely disorganized. Nobody seemed to be communicating with each other
@@sarelcon9223 Well that's bad too. Communication is key. How did they expect this to go with no comminicatuon? Or poor.
@sarelcon9223 probably a mix of disorganization and corruption of the higher ups.
The fact they made it so obvious so early they already determined the winner then claimed they misspoke to cover their behavior is quite telling.
Novice cosplayers are the most important entries, they are the ones that are just starting out and need to be encouraged to keep trying, they need the full experience so they know how to prepare for the next attempt. I would absolutely be getting up and checking all the seams regardless of how the costume is constructed. Also personal opinion, it’s hard work depending on entry numbers…but if feel judging in costume really helps give the entrant an idea that the person they are being judged by has an idea of what their doing (I’ve judged in a full 4 layer costume before which was hell, but I hope it made all the contestants feel like they where being taken seriously)
I agree 100% with the judging in costume part. As someone who doesn't participate in this culture, watching this video I definetly felt more confident in the judging abilities of the judges shown in cosplay themselves
How would they know if the cosplayer even made the costume themselves? You can order all the stuff online tailor made?
@@user-sm6od4tx2p ah yes, let's just assume the worst out of people. You must've a happy and fulfilling social life.
@@user-sm6od4tx2p that's why build books are usually required with in progress photos
@@thebighoney9034 happier than you 100% If you feel you need to go around online checking people. And for the record my comment was purely in context of the competition, i couldn't give less of a flying f*ck what people do else in their spare time.
11:18 - _"and be able to judge a cosplay on its craftsmanship alone and not the appearance race weight or disabilities of the cosplayer wearing it"_
This immediately made me recall a quadruple amputee (someone who has both legs and both arms removed),
cosplaying as Black Knight from Monty Python's Holy Grail (Character that got both legs and both arms cut off)
W cosplay I love that
pls thats SO fucking funny, that person has a fantastic sense of humor
I will say it time and time again, amputee humour is the best humour.
That's living their best life! :D
i saw someone with prosthetic legs cosplaying octane from apex legends, even going so far as to match her prosthetics to the costume! it's such a banger thing for someone to turn a daily struggle into something they can be proud of
That man excitedly shouting, "That's my wife!" and then finding out he helped her make part of the cosplay was just adorable.
Still made me upset she called out "Novices join us on stage" then goes "Not all novices"
Tbf she said
lets bring our novices, if we just lined you up come on stage.
I think people heard the first part and in the shuffle it was hard to hear "we just lined up"
I competed in my local con’s cosplay contest - the tiniest cosplay contest you could ever imagine, with no stage, no requirements (lots of people in fully bought cosplays), no prejudging, but it was run 10x better than this. Went very smoothly and the first time I participated, where I made only a single prop and had no chance of winning, the judges were still incredibly kind to me and I still felt great competing. Absolutely wild that a con this big got it this wrong.
It's the arrogance.
I had the same exact experience! Im an amateur cosplayer who does not have the materials or skills (at least currently) to handmake my own cosplays, nearly all of them are pre-made or each article of clothing was commonplace enough to be sourced seperately online. I participated in two local cos comps so far, and though I had no chance of winning, everything was smooth sailing. Judges were extremely nice, the in-between sessions were goofy and the atmosphere was overall very fun. The fact that bigger cons like this can't even get it right is extremely disheartening for someone like me :(
I was very sensitive as a young cosplayer and incredibly insecure about my cosplays. If that had happened to me, I would have been so upset. They definitely didn’t give cosplayers the respect they deserve
Yeah I have terrible stage fright and even if me not winning wouldn’t have bugged me (I’d be bummed but not a huge deal) being shooed off stage would absolutely freak me out. Not entirely the MC’s fault but also still pretty bad 😅😅😅😅
@@saltydinonuggies1841 since the organizers have a history of casting bad MCs, it’s their fault
Respect is earned.
@@cursedcancersurvivor cosplayers earn the respect by putting our blood, sweat and tears into the costumes we make. For my last cosplay, I spent 20 hours on hand embroidery alone, not counting everything else. There is a hell of a lot of work that goes into it.
We’ve earned our respect.
I was NOT ready for your boyfriend to be in wise old man runescape cosplay. he's amazing
Yeah, that is a classic, I recognized it right away. But I bet a lot of younger ppl don't.
im sure they do. theres thousands of runescape players. and wise old man is basically a you meet him eventually.
in runelite he even shows up to say : congrats on quest complete. with a plugin. @@emcg4131
Same, straight up recognised it, RS feels so forgotten so I love seeing any references to it, it's such an under rated game nowadays sadly.
The only reason I clicked on this video was bc of his wise old man cosplay 😂💖
I thought wizard
As someone who has judged competitions you made me remember one where there was a specific participant that had entered with extremely poor execution on his cosplay it really speaks to me with what you are saying to take the time to go through their costume as well. Turns out he entered since his best friend had entered and his best friend was so extremely nervous to the point of not being able to speak, him being a bro making a costume last minute to be there with him so he would be able to have support.
❤🎉 that's so wholesome
If you gatekeep beginner level, you'll never have anything better. As stated, "it feels like you are not worthy", which can very easily be misconstrued into "this isn't for you", "don't try."
I got the feeling just by watching this and don't feel like I should even bother to try.
@@Naomi-pq6tv This comment is to address what it might feel like, or what some may think in a similar situation.
I didn't keep my first armor set I made and I didn't even get to wear it for the full day. It just takes time and experience. Everyone starts somewhere, no one is born an expert
And I haven't tried to make a better armor, because of COVID-19 and moving. So I truly have one experience that is not great in memory, but it's a learning experience.
Some gatekeeping is good. If 1 mediocre event put someone off competing, they never really wanted to do it in the first place.
My worst cosplay contest experience was after I hosted the Disney cosplay meetup at Sac Anime. The girl who usually hosted that meetup was pissed that I registered before her and was running it. She sat on the sidelines pouting and loudly complained about how I made a bad Tinkerbell and a shitty host. Later that day, I went to the cosplay contest, and after waiting in line for hours to be judged, I finally got up to the judges. She was one of them, looked me up and down, and announced to the other judges and me that they should cut off submissions because it was "taking too long," even though judging was supposed to go on for another 35 minutes. So, I didn't get to compete, and neither did the people in line behind me because she was a spiteful, classic mean girl. I still keep running into her, and even years later, she makes loud, mean comments about me even though the only words I have EVER said to her was pointing out that I was the listed host for that meetup.
Was she also dressed as tinker bell? Because she kinda sounds like her. All pouty and mean, that’s classic tinker bell
I think she was like Anna from Frozen or something but you are so right. We should have swapped cosplays so we could be in character.@@dancesmokesmile344
I hope u get a chance to call her out on her bs one day. That's not ok. I can't believe they got away with it when there was 35 minutes still left. How was there no backlash?
@@xXWaifuInsuranceXx@xXWaifuInsuranceXx I mean, the people who weren't judged were definitely upset, but they wouldn't have known the reason she called off the judging. I bet people did complain about it though but yeah it's not a very noteworthy story when it's just "the judges said they were running out of time earlier than anyone expected" rather than "vindictive princess cosplayer sabotages dozens of cosplayer's chances to compete over petty meetup confusion"
that is some of the pettiest shit i’ve ever heard like girl needs a chill pill
As someone who competed in this contest, this contest was so hard for me because it felt so unorganized. I was also in front of your boyfriend in the line and he was so sweet, I felt so bad for him.
They completely messed up my name when I got on stage that I had to correct them and they didn't even put my @ on the screen because they messed up. And the whole thing with lining up the winners was so disheartening so thank you for speaking up
I feel so bad
It’s weird, as someone that works in a theatre costume shop, I find seam flipping very fascinating. Because for stage costumes, what the parts you can’t see from the audience look like are not important at all, all that matters is if it’s sturdy and if it looks good.
I think in a craftsmanship competition, it can be a way to differentiate skill, as even a plain unfinished seam can show skill and effort. Over my journey as a sewist, I've seen a difference in how my seams go together, even ignoring finishing. From ragged uneven hacking with the shears and skipped stitches to a more even seam allowance with better tension. I think it's far less important to seam flip in a performance competition where the display of the costume is more important than the quality of the techniques for the judges, more akin to a theatre costume setting.
I think a lot of the smaller con judges come from backgrounds like the SCA, where costuming is part of the Arts and Sciences and they have competitions that include construction methods, historical embroidery patterns, accurate fabrics, etc.
Real. Very real.
I feel this so much. I've been costuming for about 3 years while also working in bridal alterations. It took me a bit to remember that I don't need to do my super perfect, bridal-style sewing for stage costume alts. Especially when I have a cast of 40 🤣🤣
@@JInuOneSix I get why they do it, especially when you have close calls between very amazing costumes you probably get down to the nitty gritty. Also with theatre, you are usually on strict budget and time constraints so you don’t have time to make the inside look nice too. Plus cosplay is being built for a singular person, vs most theatre costumes where you have to make it easy to alter since you may be building before the show is fully cast. They are just very different worlds
i got bumped up from novice to journeyman at my very first cosplay contest in chicago. they announced it before they announced awards, after i went on stage. but i DIDN'T WIN ANYTHING???? people clapped like it was some big honor, but if they bumped me out of novice then i probably should have won novice........ rip
what contest was this????
If it's any consolation, I was told that there tend to be fewer people competing in that category so it may be easier to win?
Wait, so you if you get bumped up, you win the category you gut bumped out of?
@@luna_nova_09 That seems to be logical, like in sport, where to advance to next league you need to win one you are in.
It sucks how the announcer made the situation sound like it was the novice's fault for getting on stage and not a mistake on their end. I would've cried. :(
As the Ponyo from Momocon at 14:30 - I would have just cried if I was called on stage… just to be kicked off 😭
I love you're cosplay!!!
@@olivezeditz thank you!
I love your dress and the hair looks so good 😊
I cosplay but have never competed due to my stage fright, but while in the audience for a cosplay contest I attended recently, I was spontaneously called on stage. The contest had been delayed and the MCs wanted to entertain the audience, so they asked me questions related to my cosplay and I proceeded to bungle the most BASIC trivia in front of everyone. To make it worse it was Star Wars trivia. At a sci-fi con. The MCs did their best to cover for me, but it was mortifying. Hearing you say that’s it’s unfair to thrust a mic on a cosplayer who wasn’t prepared for it is incredibly validating and also 100% true. Thank you!
Yeah...not everyone have improv skill.... The HOST however SHOULD and entertaining guests is their job
I understand your struggle, but at the same time, I would assume they asked you to come on stage. They didn't drag you on, right? You had all the rights to deny and stay in the audience. If I would be an MC and asked someone from the audience and they accept to come on stage, I would expect them to not be shy and unconfortable with being on stage. Although, if you said no to that request and they insisted for you to come on stage, now their attitude is a problem.
I’m Rubbing my hands together deviously with this one. I’ve been waiting for more details for this story 👀
anonymous participant spotted, bounty
This reminds me, just after you posted your first Dreamhack video last month I went to a small con and ohhh my god the cosplay MCs really bothered me. As well as being just generally unprofessional and unfunny they kept doing this thing where they'd announce the next cosplay by hyping up a DIFFERENT franchise, like "oh hey did you guys watch the Barbie Movie? Wasn't it great?? Anyway this cosplay is from Monster High!" and it was so weird. and so bad. and so awkward.
That's SUPER weird wth
I'm sorry that happened !!
@@flowerfloofs YEAH idk if they were told they needed to stall for time or what but they so clearly hadn't thought out what they were saying. And thanks, though fortunately I was only watching
"oh hey did you guys watch the Barbie Movie? Wasn't it great?? Anyway this cosplay is from Monster High!" I mean, once it could be funny (still a bit annoying) :') But if it is for the whole show... Omg no thanks !
All amazing and critical points aside, i died when my dude yelled: "THATS MY WIFE" 14:10 💯🤣
Seriously awesome to see loving and supportive relationships!
I was one of the competitors at DH ATL 2022 and yea it definitely hurt my feelings a bit when no one looked closely at the outfit or really said anything about my costume other than just talking about how thick my accent was 😭 so I totally get what you’re saying.
I’m normally shy, but I’m not sure I would be able to stop myself from giving the “judges” a cutting rebuke for that one. Maybe something like “Yes, some people tend to have strong accents…unlike some bland voiced MCs…” or “Yes, I do. Thanks for pointing out the obvious.” People being obsessive with the most petty of things tends to grind my gears.
I'm sure your voice is beautiful, have a good day
@@corvidaegudmund1186hindsight 20/20
@@corvidaegudmund1186 Right, cannot count the amount of people i met that had that attitude, it's so annoying.
That getting kicked down the stage just would have crushed me if it was me, because I have never done any competition but I really want to but if I ever do then I most have encourage myself so much to take that step. I am shy, I overthink and if I was kicked down the stage I would have felt so embarresed and destroyed and never would have walked up on that stage again because of getting even more anxiety than the first time...
Right? The whole thing gave me secondhand anxiety.
Picking up what you mentioned right at the start about the creators of the con; The cosplayers come to YOUR event, take part in YOUR show that's meant to boost attendee engagement, so YOUR event is an actual event and not just a garage full of market stalls, and you don't even care to replicate what other events are doing for some semblance of quality and feel-good atmosphere? That is soooo cheap and lazy of them
god this reminds me of the time i was put into a cosplay competition as a novice with my first cosplay, my friends wanted me to show it off (even tho it was BAD) so they signed me up and told me i was lining up to meet a VA i wanted to see (thankfully the VA was nice enough to come see me after :") )
When i got up on the stage (since once lined up THEY WOULD NOT LET YOU GO) the MC shoved the mic straight into my face and smacked me in the mouth before saying "oh you were so to close" then proceeded to ask me questions like my age and stuff like that.
after the questions he just said "oh you're a weird and awkward one huh?" before the lights went out and i was forced off the stage before even being allowed to do my pose for the photo's and even before the judges could say anything (no one else was treated like this so i felt abit singled out like the MC didn't like my character i was doing or something)
the VA i wanted to meet was a judge so i felt abit humiliated but the judges basically had to tell the MC to stop the next person from coming out so they could tell me their thoughts but he had already had some of the people get me off the stage (and apparently you aren't allowed back on the stage after being escorted off).
i felt really humiliated and cruddy after it but there were alot of people after who asked me to pose for photos against a wall where they took the professional photos and even the judges came out to tell me their thoughts because they weren't happy with what happened, they were really nice and told me what needed work and what was done well and the VA i wanted to meet was super nice and signed my DVD for free and got a picture with me.
The MC was told to apologize afterward but refused to apologize and even told me he wouldn't apologize. i think a few other cosplayers from the contest saw that too because i recognized some later who had changed their cosplay to other characters from the anime i was doing and were trying to make me feel better about the situation.
I was young and cosplayed as Negi Springfield from Negima! (i was old enough but i was really short and young looking so it worked)
tbh this put me off making and wearing my own cosplay for a few years, i just didn't feel good enough after that and have only recently been tempted to do a new cosplay though i doubt it will be anything well made ^^"
hold up, this could just be me misreading what you wrote here but... the mc forced you off stage because you were a character from an anime he didn't like!? the fuck!? that dude sounds like an immature hack!
@@puppyhowler pretty much, sadly
@@jaycornu3351 yikes, that's extremely immature on his part. he should know as an MC to a cosplay contest that he's going to see characters he might not like, it's just how it is. people like that should NOT be MCing events like that
Jump scare didnt expect to see myself lmao. I was the Link shown halfway through Sarahs video. Can confirm that this contest was a mess, having both entered and judged contests nefore as well. Really made me never want to enter at dreamhack ever again
Beautifully done coslpay it was very pretty!
When I saw the moment of Joe and others getting kicked out of the stage again, I was just so happy and relieved that people in the crowd got disappointed
The worst thing about the "awkward!" to me is that if I'm there, nervous about walking on-stage, nervous about being judged, nervous about being called forward, nervous about being sent back...I'm never going to assume she meant "damn, I said the wrong thing, that was an awkward mistake for me to make." I'm going to assume she's telling the people who are in the audience/stage "ew, they thought I was calling them on stage with the actual people who matter. Awkward." And that would wreck me in the moment.
21:00 a similar thing for me in music is, if you make a mistake(when performing) you just have to continue on EVEN if you make a mistake because you(the performer) are probably the only one who knows you made a mistake, so if you continue as if there wasn't a mistake, no one in the crowd will know there is a mistake. the same could apply here as you said
Bingo!!!
One of my favorite ways to learn about something is to hear someone who's an expert in it go on a righteously indignant tear about something that was done incorrectly, and this was fantastic. Informative, fair, and a bit of rage sprinkled in for flavor, like cilantro. I loved this!
Honestly if I was a part of that comp I just never would have gone back to that con. That was a sh*t show
Yeah, smaller cons are becoming more and more like this, sadly. Stuff like this is why I stopped volunteering at cons - something that i used to love doing. I wonder how much other con departments were interfering with the costume contest at this one.
@@lyllydd I’ve participated in masquerades at smaller cons and there were a few things that were like huh that’s weird but nothing close to this bad😭
My friends and I have been "bumped" up a category in multiple competitions despite having never won anything.
We're always super confused when we're told to sit with/stand with a different category because we were "bumped" even though there was never a reason for it. I don't think we ever deserved the win or anything because it's true that our craftsmanship wasn't up to par with the others. But even our first cosplays we made ourselves in high school and entered into a craftsmanship competition didn't have a chance to win because we were "bumped up" and now we always have to ask which category we belong in since we have 14 years of experience and we've been "bumped up" to masters despite having zero wins under our belt.
I have a lot of patience for competitions now, I know that they may have been organized by people who have no idea what they're doing. I hope to compete in a competition one day though that feels fair and well run and allows us to enjoy ourselves more 🤞
That freaking sucks. You'd probably win a novice if they stopped bumping you for no reason 🤦♀️
Usually they only bump a person if they are winning in the category they got bumped up into... this all seems so wrong.
"Wow, your cosplay looks so much better than anyone else's in the category! I know, how about putting you into a higher category, so you can't win? Isn't it a great idea?"
Excuse me, but WHAT???
The saddest part about this is that this whole experience has tanked the Dreamhack cosplay contest's reputation. It's gonna take real big, substantial changes for like,,anyone to trust the organizers again. Which really hurts the community around it and puts a lot of pressure on the people who get picked next year to run it that they didn't have to face if it was just done right the first time like years prior.
The person with the mic and the people who organized this should have won the award of making people feel awkward, heartbroken and disappointed. I really hope there will be better organization next time because I can't immagine it getting worse than this
I did the NYCC costume contest a number of years ago I will say, it was an overall positive experience that I hope to repeat one day. I had this very detailed armor with handmade chainmail and everything. It was my first BIG contest. I had done a bunch of walk ons previously but I knew, in this case, that they were going to get up close and personal with what I made. I went in for pre-judging and I basically hit a wall. The judges just sat there behind their table. They didn't ask me any questions about things and I had to offer my helmet up for them to look at. It was disheartening. Again. It was an overall great experience, and I was just so happy to be there and be able to get on that stage, but I wish they had gotten a good look at my work.
In Finland, we have the same thing and it is called
assembly summer/ winter. the competitions have been nice but the judges don't examine the outfits. they sit in their chairs, look at the original anime outfit (not cosplay) and ask questions
My first few comps they asked questions but no touching. The next year however they must have gotten a new batch of judges because they DECENDED on me and my costume LOL, hems flipped seams examined props poked ect it was quite jarring and warned people when I got out because if you are not ready it gets overwhelming. Now more ask first before getting handsy LOL
I could tell that cosplay was an oldschool runescape cosplay and it's not bad by oldschool runescape standards. They basically said "Don't cosplay oldschool runescape characters because it looks horrible"
(comment made before watching the full video)
oh my GOD. that lady literally shooing those guys off stage is a nightmare. you’re right, they took it like good sports, but i can’t imagine the embarrassment. embarrassment they shouldn’t have had to feel, because it wasn’t even their fault!!
the way she handled that was just sooo ick. hope she’s barred from these competitions in the future, or at least learns well enough from this to never let it happen again
Watching this reminds me of the DISASTERS I'd witness at the Midwestern cons. I still remember a year at Kitsune Kon (WI con) where cosplayers were immediately REJECTED if they were cosplaying from specific series (Naruto, One Piece, Dragon Ball, even stuff like Supernatural). It caused a huge stir when some phenomenal cosplayers were just shy of rioting because of this "rule". Like??? If it's handmade and someone puts in all that effort, who CARES if it's a popular character???
I believe that was...2015ish? It's been years so I'm a little foggy on the exact year, but I do remember this was a common "rule" in the MW before 2020.
I've been to one con so far, and the cosplay contest there consisted of 3 party city Spider-Man costumes, fat Batman, walmart Ash Ketchum, and Jack Sparrow with a jar of dirt. Everyone had fun with it and Jack walked away with the top prize.
my heart breaks for Joe and the other two. oh my god the horror. As someone who is to afraid to get on stage with her own cosplays FOR THIS EXACT REASON- oh my heart
If I at any point dared doing the impossible, breaking through my social anxiety and major stage fright, and I was then shoo'd away like an unwanted animal, and have my hygeine questioned or be the butt end of a joke at my expense, and nobody wants to give me the exact same treatment and respect that I see others receiving, I think I would've become so affected by it, that it would set off my disorder, which would likely cause a seizure. I would've never dared trusting anyone ever again, about something that's meant to be enjoyed, fun, and bring people together. How disgusting.
I competed in a contest where they did line all the winners where the audience could see them off stage and it felt weird. I won my division at the contest but even as a winner I felt so bad for all the other contestants who automatically knew they didn't win before they even announced the winners.
damn they kicked off the wise old man from runescape :(
I was looking for thus comment!
my first cosplay contest was terrible, the judges didn't even look at our cosplays! they were behind us on the walk on and that was it.
the mc wouldn't shut up and was very biased, she kicked me and some others off stage in under a second, but would keep others on stage for several minutes talking about how much she liked their shoes. (I was last in line and was told that they might run out of time before they got to me)
the mcs microphone was so loud I nearly had a meltdown and she wouldn't stop screaming into it and telling the audience to scream, that's how the "judges" were supposed to pic but because of that the winner was in a popular character cosplay that was literally collapsing and partly made of cardboard.
on top of all that the signe up was hidden behind a stand and I only got to "compete" because someone who managed to find it was having second thoughts and told the staff to swap me in.
this doesn't even mention the celebrity guest going on about unrelated things (also nearly ran the time out) and the cons general mishandling (didn't turn the advertised cooling on till over an hour in nearly making me and some people I was with pass-out, no food in the con and only a bbq outside that didn't cater to anyone who didn't eat red meat, no wheelchair access, no clear difference between staff and guests (I think I asked an actor for directions to the sign-up), the ableism and the pissy email I was sent for daring to try and tell the company of the fiasco claiming they did nothing wrong)
don't go to "unleashed events"
this is so insane and awful oh my gosh - it’s so jarring to hear because dreamhack aus had a cosplay competition last year, and I accompanied a friend to pre-judging. they were so meticulous, and the organisation was absolutely incredible so it’s so disappointing to hear that this con didn’t do the same!
It’s such a shame that not only the participants felt bad but also how the directors and certain things were handled! Costume contests are supposed to be fun and also a learning exsperience. Not a humiliating and awkward situation. I am so sorry if anyone has ever felt like they haven’t done good enough because of cons like this. Never give up! Then only thing from stopping is yourself! ✨❤️
Honestly, it's good you spoke about it because if no one did they would probably keep pulling these stunts
To me lady, this screams of disrespect. That the organizers of the event actually don't think much of cosplayers and don't respect them. I'm not a cosplayer, I like to admire from afar, but this screams to me that you all need an organization of professional cosplayers, that can set standards, etc. I'm shocked you don't already.
I was first on stage this year and they didn't even have my username on the screen. The name was for one of my mutuals 😅 and they name they called for me wasn't even the name I wrote down. It was like the weirdest mashup of my actual name with my cosplay name.
Also one of the winning masters outfits previously won a best in masters award, and it literally states in the rules that you can't compete with a cosplay unless its had major upgrades or you go up a ranking. The cosplay in question had no upgrades as far as can be seen online comparing the previous win to DreamHack win, and the cosplayer had been trying to compete in that outfit at a ton of Atlanta contests in 2023 after winning already.
That Scentbird Ad segue had me cackling omg
Update: I am never fxxking going to Dreamhack if they have another flop this year (2024).
Thanks for not being shy and spilling the tea Sarah:)
Also best to avoid AA(V)E and cultural appropriation, if not a black person and not from the culture you are?
@@TheSapphireLeo ?
Yeah... the 2024 ECCC cosplay showcase was like this. It was my first contest, I'd spent months hand making my costume down to the tiniest detail, made my wig, and felt like a million bucks. It was the best costume I've made to date, but I was in between someone with a Squidward costume from Party city and Lady Rebecca Fashions of RUclips fame. There was no regulation on who could enter and I don't think they capped how many could enter either so it was a mad house. I'm not saying that people who buy their costumes can't be in contests and that famous youtubers shouldn't compete, but they should not be in the same category. There was no pre-judging because giving everyone their numbers for going onstage took too long. No judge ever looked at my costume (I didn't have an exposed seam in sight. We're talking hand stitched lining and French seams!) I didn't even see a judge during the entire process, so I think it was based solely on what they could see from the stage alone. The entire thing was such a negative experience that I think I'll refrain from entering further contests unless they manage them better.
Edit: They also mispronounced Hatsune Miku. How do you not know Hatsune Miku?
The cosplay showcase at ECCC is not craftsman competition, I've judged a reedpop contest before, Florida supercon was one. So I know that the showcase is kind of a weird egg, its sort of just a way to open the door to anyone who isnt in the Crown Championship Qualifier. When i judged It at FL Super we were all kind of confused about what we were judging the cosplays on, and we did our best. But at the end of the day It's really just what the name suggests, A showcase, not really a competition. I think you would like an actual craftsman competition though! And If you put that much work into that cosplay i'd encourage you to enter it into one!
I went to a local con in 2017 where you had to sign up online in advance. I wasn't expecting to win or anything because I am very beginner level at sewing, however as soon as the contest started, they began calling for people to join even if they hadn't signed up. They put the children and novice section together, and they included store-bought costumes in the line up. I had just spent three days making costumes for me and my brother, and only finished mine that morning, and I lost to a girl in a store bought black dress and headband. I haven't made a full costume since then, but I'm trying to motivate myself to try again.
THE TEA WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR
* sips my peppermint tea *
* obnoxious sips peach tea*
* sips my toe *
* Sips Boba tea *
* sips hot chocolate because I dont like tea aggressively *
My heart actually sank when watching that clip of Joe being kicked off stage in that video, I've never competed (yet 🤞🏻) but I've been to tons of comps and I've NEVERRRR seen something so demoralising 😭 this video was so deserved & necessary, I'm from the UK so I couldn't go to dreamhack even if I wanted to but I'll make sure to warn any American friends about it in the future lol 😅
As an ex dancer I’ve seen crappy dance shows organised better than this 😅 even when judges are very clearly biased (I’ve seen ones where contestants and judges are RELATED)
Oh my god, the Cruella cosplay at 12:28 is my friend! She won second place at Supercon with that!
Ain't no way the kicked the wise old man off! 😡
Here in Italy, in most contests, there is no prejudging or categories. Whether their costume is bought or handmade, each participant is judged equally. The awards are usually best female and male cosplay (based on the character's gender), best interpretation, greatest resemblance to the character, best handmade dress, sometimes best armor, best accessory and, more rarely, best wig.
You can either do a simple walk or a performance, but the latter is preferred. MCs are not always professional, I have repeatedly witnessed teasing, inappropriate jokes, uncomfortable questions and general ignorance.
I find that the American system is very different from ours, with its strengths and weaknesses (like perhaps an excessive contempt for purchased clothes), but it is certainly interesting to find out more about conventions in other countries thanks to these videos!
Unless you're in performs category, usually you're being judged on your personal craftsmanship abilities. That's why clothes that are purchased are not super well received in competition. If you're just using them to enjoy the convention rather than compete, there are very few who care.
except for the mcs this sounds much better, I've always thought that there should be a content for just how it looks (is the inside lined? no that would cost too much for many peopl, did it have a bunch of work put into it where you can see it? yes and that's what should matter.)
I know quite a few cons have separated into 2 competitions. "Closet" for bought and altered cosplays and "craftmanship" for cosplays made from scratch. That way everyone gets a chance to compete. And some even allow "walk-ons" where you can just get up and show off your costume, not be judged.
Contempt for purchased clothes?
Hun explain to me in laymans terms why you think it's fair to enter a CRAFTSMANSHIP contest when you did not craft anything? A bought cosplay should never outwin a handsewn cosplay in a craftsmanship competition. Thats distespecting the actual time and effort it takes to make it yourself. Theres no "comtempt" here. You just want to be pat on the back for having money(money=buyin cosplay)
Oh I’m so glad that you mentioned that joe didn’t care about being shooed off the stage, because I would have been absolutely crushed
"if standing up and looking at a cosplay in detail can make or break someones experience of competing, im gonna do it for every person that walks through the door"
the world would be such a better place if everyone had this ammount of kindness
XD every time you raised your voice I felt like you were yelling at me and I was like "but I didn't do anything! DX"
I really appreciate how protective and supportive you are of ALL the participants. I wish everyone went into competitions (of any kind) with that kind of attitude, celebrating that we're all passionate about the same thing, and everyone has to start learning somewhere.
Still cringing to this day about how awful the MCs did at explaining the contestants cosplays- its not that hard to say cosplayer name, cosplayer is cosplaying (blank) from (blank) and there still be time for banter!!!
As a disabled cosplayer who needs to use a chair I won’t ever enter competitions because half the time they can’t even let me on the stage. It sucks so much
As someone who organizes and runs a large cosplay contest I am mortified that the organizers would think any of this was a good idea.
thats horrifiying.. im someone who panics when i make a mistake and id feel absolutely humiliated and break down like some other people said, she’s one lucky mc for sure. this whole video is just saddening tbh
I’m not a cosplayer. Never even seen one irl. Definitely haven’t watched a contest. Don’t even know why this video was suggested to me. And even *I* was speechless with the way the stage show was handled. Absolutely unprofessional. What a mess.
As someone who rarely cosplays at cons or events such as, If I entered a contest and hypothetically was a winner and I witnessed someone SHOO'D OFF STAGE... I would rather not win and leave.
Honestly, this is a good way to understand how cosplay contest shouldn't be run. I want to enter one at some point (maybe a walk on or beginner idk) and I'm scared of getting kicked off cause that would've completely crushed me and to publicly announce it would've made it worse.
The only time an MC at a cosplay contest should be making jokes is to vamp for time in between sets. At Salt Lake FanX, the same announcer has been there for years, and during judging, he'll hype up the crowd so expertly by telling a max of 3 bad jokes, but also engaging the crowd trying to get chants going, etc. But that's either in between categories when they got to reorganize people back stage, or while the judges are making last minute judgements. I can't imagine a stand up routine during the contest itseld 😭
I really appreciate you going into so much detail and depth to explain how these contests are run because, though I could tell how messed up it was in your con video, I didn't know just HOW BADLY messed up it actually was, good lord
I bumped myself to masters when I started competing. I entered a couple of contests as a beginner, but with 22 years of sewing experience it didn't feel right to enter against new creators. So the next year, I just started entering masters category and won best in show at the next 4 competitions I competed at. This was before I really understood how the categories worked (I thought it was mostly years of crafting experience and not necessary competition experience). But it all worked out.
I subscribed the instant you delivered the "I will call your mom" threat. Already loving this channel.
I’ve watched a small cosplay competition run in regional Australia that wasn’t better organised but allowed each cosplayer to shine regardless of their skill level. They didn’t have pre-judging. Instead, the two judges (who appeared to me as seasoned cosplayers, though I wasn’t familiar with them at all) had time to look at the competitors up close after all the categories were presented before making their final decision. They had every competitor in each category come to the “stage” (it was the back third of a hall shared with the artist market; we had no stage 😂) for a round of applause before announcing the winners. The judges were also allowed to explain why each winner was chosen and what made them stand out. Overall, the cosplay competition was haphazardly organised and we could barely hear what anyone was saying in the mic. But at the very least the welcoming spirit of the cosplay community was maintained.
ohhhh my god. okay, I am also a cosplayer who has competed, but more importantly, I have put on a cosplay contest for a smaller convention. this is APPALLING. the contest I ran was a standard walk-on format as well. my team (which included the emcees) & I were very clear about keeping communication flowing not only through us, the judges, and tech crew but through the cosplayers as well. if there was something that needed to be said, it was said ASAP and it was made sure that everyone understood. we assigned each entrant a number when they lined up for pre-judging, and this was further elaborated on by category, and this was the number that they also walked on stage in order of. this was my first time putting on a contest, and it went far, FAR more smoothly than this did. by a damn mile! maybe even several! the shock and horror I am experiencing throughout this video is equivalent to if not larger than the stress I felt while I was running around making sure everything behind-the-scenes was as smooth as silk, because THAT WAS MY JOB! and YES, all of our judges were vetted and celebrated guests who were all very talented cosplayers. not to mention that our venue did not have a stage, so we had to make sure that the ballroom that was selected for the contest was well-organized and that every guest and contestant would have enough time to truly appreciate and show off their incredible work.
I am so so sorry that your boyfriend suffered through such a horrible first competition experience, and I am so so sorry to the other participants as well. you all deserve far more respect and dignity. good lord, if I had been unfortunate enough to have entered and then shooed off at top volume to the entire room... I would have burst into tears and melted down. I absolutely agree that there should be more standardization re: cosplay contests, not only for the sake of people's sanity but for safety. this could have gone even worse, and I shudder to think of what might happen if this contest in particular goes on and does not improve.
to be that guy, I would suggest that any cosplayer who wants to participate in a contest that is true to the spirit of the community... don't bother with Dreamhack. you deserve to be supported, loved, and respected for all of the time, effort, and passion you pour into your work. please do not let this horrible catastrophic "contest" crush your spirit. you are worth so much more!!
You're a winner in my heart Joe
Here's hoping the organisers can be shamed into improving for next year.
This year i had my first competition, i got anxious and had a couple seconds of silence before beginning my skit on stage, i missed the beat slightly, the music was louder than my mic, and i hated the way my makeup looked; i almost cried getting down and being called again because i won a prize and the judges STILL complimenting me about my performance was what made me determined to keep competing.
If a judge shooed me away like that i probably would have stopped going to cons in general; no one deserves that treatment, its rude, and if she got a more anxious person like me or others It could have really crushed their spirit, this is so disgusting.
I also want to add, that nervous tension right before winners are announced, I've held hands with other contestants as we waited to see who would be called. It has a way of bringing people together. Also, nothing like talking to other people in line as you're waiting back stage and talking about each other's costumes. It's a lot of fun.
After the first video came out I’ve been patiently awaiting this update! Thank you for keeping us in the loop!
I am glad that my local con's cosplay contest seems to be pretty good, but the point you brought up at 19:03 is so incredibly important
I love hearing about how much work was put in, and what all they did for the work. It honestly inspires me for different cosplays, and makes me work towards figuring out how to make my own cosplays and props. It makes me try to figure out all the little details, which I enjoy, and I'm even currently doing for a character while watching this.
For an example on just how important telling the audience about WHY a cosplayer won is, several years ago, there was a cosplay that I was surprised won my local contest until one of the judges mentioned that the cosplayer spent hundreds of hours hand-beading THOUSANDS of beads and gems onto the entire cosplay. Because I wasn't super close to the stage (and didn't yet know I need glasses), the camera for the projectors isn't great (the projectors are pretty old too), and I didn't get to see the costume up-close before or after, I NEVER would've known just how much effort was really put into it. When the audience doesn't get to see small details and the reason behind the win is never explained, a lot of audience members will end up wondering why some bigger, flashier, or more popular character cosplay didn't win instead, even if they weren't built as well as the winner.
There was another one at a contest I went to last year, where the winner had molded and cast every single buckle on their cosplay (which was for a character that had SO many buckles. like, an excessive amount) theirself. I would've never known that if they didn't explain why the cosplayer won, but it made me understand and appreciate their cosplay so much more, and made me realize that there's even more techniques that I can learn to improve and broaden my own skills
this came out the same day a friend and i are starting to plan our duet skit for a cosplay competition in july and oh my gosh a lot of this was really nice to know 😭 im so sorry you two had to go through that, that's such terrible organization
It was super helpful seeing how things worked for contestants. I've never taken part in a contest like this, so I never really knew how they were judged before the winners were announced.