FFXIV Fan Festival 2014 (NA) Art & Costume Contest, Now taking entries!

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Originally Posted by Serileth

As far as this being just for fun, then it would be carried out like a costume hall contest and everyone would win the same thing, regardless of what they are wearing. If you want to only pander to the lowest denominator then you can't call it a contest since there is no competition. There are hundreds of dollars worth of prizes up for grabs, so this isn't just for fun. If you worked your butt off making something amazing and you lost purely because someone entered something they bought from a professional studio you would be very upset. You're basically awarding someone for emptying their pocketbook, not for hard work, love, and skill they have earned through years of practice. No, not everyone is a skilled professional, but neither was Yaya when she first started. She started out as a complete novice just like the rest of us and she earned the right to be on those shows by constantly improving herself and re entering contests over and over and winning awards for her work.

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I am sorry but I have to disagree, while you are entitled to your own opinion that I wont try to change, I will not be changing mine either. Someone who loves this game enough to want a professionally made set is no less caring than someone who will make it themself. yes hard work should be acknowledged, however, if you love the cosplay and want something extremely accurate you are going to turn to someone with the most expertise. Someone who is a master with worbla or eva foam may not be the best seemstress, does that devalue their love for cosplay simply because they turn to someone for their expertise in making a robe. I am also of the opinion that someone who cosplays simply for the prizes and attention should not be awarded regardless of how much hard work they put in. Cosplay is about expressing yourself and that of what you love. I would not be mad if a professionally crafted outfit beat out something I made myself (as long as they are willing to acknowledge the artist of said pieces) because in the end I am there to enjoy myself and enjoy being around like minded people. I know how to sew, thats it, thats all, I have no idea how to work with eva foam or worbla... so for something like a thyrus if I wanted one made for my WHM outfit and commission it does that mean I should be ashamed of myself? If I hand made (which I will likely look at doing for the next fanfest) a whitemage Mythology or High Allagan outfit and someone who commissioned say a nael dues darnus outfit wins will I be upset? No I wouldnt. I would ask who made it so I could compliment the artist on their work and move on with my life.

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Originally Posted by Serileth

If you worked your butt off making something amazing and you lost purely because someone entered something they bought from a professional studio you would be very upset.

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actually no, i wouldn't care. Because to me Cosplay is about love for the medium being portrayed. 50% costume 50% personality.

Edit- So just be clear, I'm a terrible crafter IRL. But I can be creative with media. Should I be excluded from Cosplay contests because I don't have years of experience then? Ami I not allowed to share my love for the medium I enjoy in an outfit and show it off?

Edit #2- the reason for being a bad RL crafter has nothing to do with not being able to learn. I do not have steady hands. I can't cut straight, draw a straight line. Anything that involves precision I have trouble with.


Edit #3-

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Cosplay (コスプレ kosupure?), short for costume play, is a performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character or idea that is usually identified with a unique name. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centered on role play. A broader use of the term cosplay applies to any costumed role play in venues apart from the stage, regardless of the cultural context.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosplay

Doesn't say anything about making your own cosplay is a requirement to enjoy cosplaying.

Oh lord no, i'm not talking about excluding people who are cosplaying for the love of it. I don't think those people who commission costumes are bad people or should be ashamed for purchasing something. You do not have to make your costume to enjoy cosplaying, that enjoyment is all your own and no one can dictate that.

My only argument was that it is a Contest - "an event in which people compete for supremacy in a sport, activity, or particular quality."

You can wear your costume and do not need to feel bad about where it came from or how it came to be, but this is a contest and therefore you are competing with the art you are wearing. The same way people are competing in the art contest. Is it ok for someone to submit a piece they didn't make to the art contest because they love art so much? Entries submitted to the art contest that are proven to not be owned by the submitter would be disqualified.

(I hate the damn character restriction on posts)

They are not comparing your love for the craft or how much you enjoy doing it. They are comparing your costume to numerous other costumes and you are being judged on how good that costume looks.

If you're going to say that artwork is different than cosplay because it is 50% personality, that's fine. You're not a mannequin wearing a costume yes, but that's not what you're being judged on. There is no criteria for personality or performance. There is no skit, no acting. You will be standing on a stage and you will be able to pose for pictures but that is after judging has finished.

Cosplay is a full world of roleplay and acting and experience and love. It is all sort of things that can not be defined, but this is not just cosplay, this is a Costume Contest - a competition of art and skill.

Right now I'm just a little worried if they got the email. I get excuses at work with emails saying "They did not get it" or "Maybe you put in the wrong email". Wish they at least have like an automated mail saying the email got through to confirm that they have it in their inbox.

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Originally Posted by Wenora

Right now I'm just a little worried if they got the email. I get excuses at work with emails saying "They did not get it" or "Maybe you put in the wrong email". Wish they at least have like a automated mail saying the email got through to confirm that they have it in their inbox.

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I know the feeling, but I suppose the best thing to do is check your sent mail and make sure that the email is right: na.ffxivfanfest2014_costume@square-enix.com. And if you didn't get a mailer daemon response back, that's also a good sign. If they do have some sort of response, hopefully it will be before the 30th so we have a chance to send another submission. And if in the end they really mess things up, they let us apply at the con.

Also, the two email address seem a bit different. One is na.ffxivfanfestival2014_art@square-enix.com and the other na.ffxivfanfest2014_costume@square-enix.com. Could be nothing, but just found it interesting.

A few conventions typically have categories set up to give everyone a fair chance for anyone to win something in a Cosplay competitions. ‘Most Accurate’, ‘Best Character Interpretation’, etc.. Then they have certain categories set aside for those that are actually based on the costumers’ craftsmanship skill. Majority require 50% or more be made by someone in the cosplay group or be present to be eligible for either the ‘Craftmanship Award’ or ‘Best of Show’ categories. Most cons do not allow professionals entry in contests. A professional deemed as: works with clothing, costuming, or fabricate props as their primary source of income (like Volpin Props to name one).

I’ve had my highly detailed hand-made Kefka costume I made for a friend be beat-out by another cosplay character who only wears a black tank-top and a pair of ripped jeans. Its anyone game, so I would not discourage anyone from entering.

Serileth, do you have some sort of complex or something?

Your messages are one of the reasons why people just can't "fully' enjoy doing the things they want best. It originally started off as an announcement, and now as a debate as to how "people" should cosplay?

If someone wants to enter a competition 50%, 80%, 100% commission, let them. You are in absolutely no position to judge, let alone talk what another chose to do.

There are judges currently in place for the competition to decide who they want in the competition and not. Don't provoke that.

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Originally Posted by Leash

A few conventions typically have categories set up to give everyone a fair chance for anyone to win something in a Cosplay competitions. ‘Most Accurate’, ‘Best Character Interpretation’, etc.. Then they have certain categories set aside for those that are actually based on the costumers’ craftsmanship skill. Majority require 50% or more be made by someone in the cosplay group or be present to be eligible for either the ‘Craftmanship Award’ or ‘Best of Show’ categories.

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Exactly. This just goes back to a person who is expressing appreciation for that character, and by wearing the cosplay it tells others: "Hey everyone, I am a big fan of the character you see me as.". I remember going to California to Hollywood and there are people dressed up in costumes there making pictures with tourists all the time, "making a living".

Actually my first post on the subject was just asking for clarification from forum admin and it became a discussion afterwards. I wouldn't have even asked on here if I hadn't been directed here by square enix support that said this was the best way to get an answer.

This is getting off topic, and I let it get to this point as well. I'm not looking to argue how people should cosplay, all I wanted to know was what the rules for this contest are because they are different everywhere and until the question is answered by an admin, everything else is a discussion and a difference of opinion or statement of rules or examples from other contests.

I reiterate, i'm asking about this specific contest, not cosplay in general.