Lots of people freeze up when a contest wants costume documentation.
Face it, I wrote enough term papers in high school and college, or maybe
still have to write them, and I don't want to write another just for
fun. And I feel for you. Really. I too have avoided contests that
require documentation because it seems scary. But then I figured out
the 10 minute way to write documentation that will please any judge. So
sit down, grab a scrap of paper or a napkin, and we'll have good
documentation in no time.
Start with a finished (or nearly
finished) costume. I know, if you're like me the costume will NEVER be
finished and you'll be working up until the day of the contest. But
work with me here. The best documentation is of what you've done, not
what you're going to do. If necessary print this out and do it in the
car ride to the con. Just be sure to do the last step before you leave.
Okay,
let's start then. The first question to ask yourself is "What rocks
about this costume?" Yup, that's it. What's the one thing that will
make you really sad if you forget to tell the judges? If you met
someone in the hall and they only had time to ask one question, what
would you want it to be? In short, in your opinion what's the greatest
thing about what you've done? Take a minute to think about it, then
write that thing on the top of your card. Take one sentence (30 words
or less) to describe why it's the best thing. Is it the first time
you've ever tried that technique? Is it different from every other
costume you've ever seen? Was it really hard for you to perfect?
Whatever it was, simplify it and write it down.
My Edna Mode costume is cool because I had to do lots of math to get the proportions right on the skirt width and length.
Don't
worry about it being too simple, because in all the contests I've seen
that want documentation you'll have time to talk to the judges about
what you've written. You can always give them more information when you
talk to them.
Now draw a line across your card/napkin/hotel notepaper. Yup, that's the end of part one. Not so hard, is it?
Next
think about everything you eliminated in writing part one. You're
going to get slots for three things this time, so all the ones you liked
that were close, but not quite winners can be put here. However, now
you've got a 15 word limit for each of those things.
The dress is satin that is quilted and supported by hidden hoops.
The sleeves are a base of cotton that is covered with vinyl 'scales'.
The scale proportions were obtained by making mock-ups out of newspaper.
Now draw another line. Part two down! Only one to go! See, this is simpler than you thought!
For
the final part you get a little more space. Write down anything you
think they'll ask for that you might forget. Start with what pattern
you used, if you used one. Write down what fabric the costume is made
from. Write down where you bought your wig/sword/shoes, and whether you
modified them at all. You only get enough space to fill a 3x5 card, so
be stingy. Remember, you'll be there to explain anything written, so
if you only need two or three word clues, only write three or four word
clues.
The shoes were bought, but I had taps
installed to make them sound like the movie character. The leotard is a
full bodysuit so that I don't have to worry about wearing an
undershirt. I sewed the bottoms of the legs together so that there's no
break in the shoe vamp. The wig is bought. I do my hair in a special
braid wrap to make the sides stick out more square like the movie. The
glasses are costume glasses from a costume shop. The cigarette holder
is bought. The newspaper was grabbed just outside the con because I
liked it better for stage than the smaller cig holder.
Now,
one final thing. And you'll probably want to think about doing this
one before the con. Find a color printer. Then find ONE good shot of
your character FULL LENGTH. That means you can see his/her head and
their feet. The bigger the better. Print it out full-size on an 8x10
sheet of paper. If you've got cool details you've copied exactly then
think about printing out smaller pictures of those, but an 8X10 is a
minimum. You can't prove to a judge how well you copied a costume
without showing them the original. And trust me, after 4 hours of
judging people's costumes in a small room you can't even remember what
your shoe size is, let alone what that specific character in Naruto
looked like. So be kind and print it out for them.
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