Bought Costume Category Check-List and
Documentation Tips
Everything you need to have for entering the costume contest is listed below. The costume category is
for children ages 5 to 12 and bought costumes ages 13 on up. If more than half your costume is
handmade or altered, please see the Cosplay Categories.
Child’s Costume Category
This is for children ages 5 to 12, bought or handmade costumes. There is no documentation required
for this category. Make sure to include the following when you fill out the entry form online.
 Name and age
 Character name and series, book, film, comic, etc. that the character is from
 Category you are entering: Child Costume
Children will all receive a participation award and there will be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes.
Please remember groups are limited to no more than 5 contestants.
Bought Costume Category (Adult)
If 50% or more of the costume was bought or unaltered by the contestant, then this is the category for
you. This is for entries ages 13 on up. Make sure you include the following when filling out the entry
form online.
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Name and age
Character name and series, book, film, comic, etc. that the character is from
Category you are entering: Bought Costume (Adult)
Documentation (Tips below) After filling out the form online you will be given an e-mail to send
your documentation to.
Documentation Requirements
Documentation is a category for helping with the pre-judging score costumes and cosplay, so make sure
you do not forget this information when you submit your entry. Keep all documentation under ten
pages please (not including Cover Page.) This is a summary, not a novel of how you put together your
costume. Points will be docked if over ten pages.
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Cover Page with this information for each contestant:
o Your character’s name (and version if it is not the default version)
o Series character is from
o “Costume (Adult)” clearly labelled
o
You should include a picture of you in the costume as well on this page
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MADATORY: Reference images of character(s): It is required to have at least ONE reference
photo of your character; front, side and back references will help! Not every judge will know
every character out there so help them know the character with good references.
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MADATORY: Summary Page: This should include the following information for each member of
your group:
o Your name
o Age
o Character Name
o Series Character is from
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Information on each element of the costume(s): This is important since over half your costume
was bought for this category. All bought items need to be given credit to where they were
purchased. If it was commissioned, please state who it was that made the item. You can include
the following information:
o Pictures of the items, up close (SEE GENERAL ADVICE for info on how to take good
pictures. We want to make sure you can show off the work in the best way!)
o A short description with each picture stating who the creator/store was where you got
the item and why you chose them
o SEE GENERAL ADVICE below for some fun tips on how to organize this information
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Hand Made Items: If you made an item on your cosplay, show pictures of the progress and
include any short descriptions about the methods you chose to use.
Remember: Documentation must be ten pages or less.
General Advice on Documentation
Take lots of pictures of your process!! A picture is worth a thousand words. Here is some advice to
organizing your documents and photo taking.
What do I take pictures of?
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If you made something, show yourself making it
Do “before and after” pictures to show off the progress
Was it a complicated thing that cannot be shown in person? Take a picture of it! Show it off!
Is there a really cool detail that cannot be seen from far away, get a close up picture
How do I take pictures so they look good?
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Make sure your pictures are taken in good lighting and with a decent camera. Set up a lamp to
help light your costume, especially when doing close ups of the details.
Pictures of you in the costume should be taken in a well-lit environment with little to no clutter
around you.
Keep the background clear of clutter and confusion.
Use a lamp: remove the lamp
shade to help light the object.
Place the object on a solid colored
sheet to keep the background
clear of distractions.
Keep camera steady. Place it on a
tripod or box to keep it from
moving around too much.
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Have a short, one or two sentence description on each picture. Make sure the pictures are big
enough to see.
Where do I start? If you are worried about where to start, here are a few ideas. You can always start
from the head and work your way down the costume, talking about each part. The other option is to
start with the coolest parts, or the things you are most proud of! Are there any special techniques
you used? What skills did you use/learn while making this cosplay?
GROUP your information!!! If you used one method over different parts of the costume, then group
them together to save space. You are writing a summary on your work, not a novel.
Most of all: HAVE FUN!