> This also depends on Judging Style. While I'll put points on the sheet I > rarely use them except as a rough guideline during deliberations.
Hi, I do something similar as my role as judge for the cosplay contests over here here (and come October in Oz too :) ) because of time limits. I though start with everyone at 5 out of 10. This is to assume they have followed the two very basic rules: it was made by the wearer and they told me how. Those are in the official rules and so this is the minimum of what I would expect of everyone. The C grade if you will, or pass or whatever. This is fairly moot as the contestants don't get to see these numbers/grades but they help me in sorting out the awards. Anyone over a certain mark is automatically in the running (though not automatically awarded) and anyone below it will not- then I can compare the individual entries. So it is in the contestants interest to do more than the minimal amount required! Points do get lost for not even giving me the basics but that happens once a contest if that. Points are gained far more frequently, as should be the case, and they are given for everything from fine finishing to fit to choices of materials to creativity. In this contest I am dealing with children through to adults and I have to make sure that there is a truly even playing field and to encourage everyone to be the best they can be. It's tough as well as I am comparing not just time periods but every technique that can be used in costuming that there is. I've had Spartans (fibreglass, leather, vacuumforming oh my!) and ballgowns and bodypaint and latex and tailoring... some in the same contest! So I do make notes of complexity and execution. It means something apparently simple done brilliantly can get the same score as a very complex costume not quite so perfectly finished. And of course anyone who can execute a very complex costume beautifully deserves to be rewarded for that! I do have to be tough at times. Every time we have run the contest there are people who do not read the rules or expect to enter on the day. These are not little contests. We had a good 60 people in the last contest and for a country of around 4 million people that is quite a staggering number. We do this three times a year and we get that many in Auckland and Wellington but less in Christchurch due to geographical location. So remain very polite and explain why it is unfair to let people break the rules when there are so many who follow them and have been working on their costume for many months. I also judge in SCA kingdom A&S contests when I attend kingdom events so I have a different set of judging criteria to work on. I think we took two hours to judge 6 hats last weekend. Comments and marking schedule included. Michaela de Bruce http://costumes.glittersweet.com _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list h-costume@mail.indra.com http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
