J-Tsoon BURNING PUMPKIN FEST Cosplay short video Competition Rules

The Cosplay Short Video Competition will take place on the 3rd of November, 2024, in Kultuurikatel, Tallinn, Estonia. There will be showcases of selected entries and prize distribution for the winners. Our competition is designed for cosplayers who love creating video content on the most popular social media platforms — TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube.

1. Video rules:

• The characters you choose to cosplay can come from any form of media. Original characters are also allowed.
• There is no requirement to be in full (official/canon) costume in the video. Casual cosplay is also accepted.
• The video’s duration cannot exceed 30 seconds.
• Your audio could be any audio from social media, or participants can create their own sound. Both must comply with the rules of our contest. (no profanity, sexual content, violence)
• Short Video Competition strictly prohibits explicit or sexualized material.
• Entries must adhere to a standard of respect and decency. The use of obscenities, profanities, gestures encouraging violence, and pornography is strictly prohibited. Entries that go against cultural and/or social norms will not be permitted. Please ensure that your videos are ethical and maintain an aesthetic and respectful tone.
• Only videos from Instagram (Reels), TikTok, and YouTube (Shorts) are accepted.

2. Nomination Categories:

• Best Lip Sync: Awarded to the video with the most impressive and accurate lip sync performance.
• Best Cosplay Transformation: Recognizes the best video showcasing skillful embodying a character with precision and creativity through costume, makeup, and portrayal.
• Best Tutorial/Best Costume Creation Video: Given to the best instructional video or the most creative costume-making process.
• Best Character Portrayal: Honors the video that best captures and portrays the unique associated features and personality traits of the character.
• Best Dance: Awarded to the video with the most outstanding and well-executed dance performance.

Best Spooky Vibe: Embrace the post-Halloween season! This category recognizes the video that best captures a spooky, eerie, or horror-themed atmosphere.

3. Registration

• To participate in the competition, a mandatory presence at the event is required to be eligible for prizes.
• Participants must complete the official registration form available on the J-TSOON website.
• Participants must upload their video to their TikTok/Instagram/YouTube account after the competition’s official announcement.
• Participant must use  #JTSOONBPF2024Video and #JTSOONBPF2024 as their main hashtags.
• You must be 13 years or older to participate.
• Participation is allowed only as a solo entry.
• The deadline for submissions is Sunday 15.09.2024 at 23:59. Videos uploaded after the deadline will not be accepted in the competition.
• It is allowed to submit a maximum of 3 different videos. They can feature the same character or a different one. You cannot submit the same video 3 times.
• The same video cannot be submitted multiple times. The time of publication determines which account is considered in the competition. 
• It is prohibited to use an old video that was posted previously.
• The person submitting the video must be in the video. If there are others in the video, you must have their permission to use it in the competition.
• Participants’ accounts must be public, otherwise, the cosplay video competition organizers and the judges won’t have access to it.

4. Judging Criteria:

The Short Video contest will be judged by a panel of judges who will evaluate the following criteria:

• Character Portrayal: How well the participant conveys the character. (Participants will be assessed on their ability to effectively portray and embody the chosen character. This includes aspects like character likeness, acting, and overall representation.)
• Visual Creativity: Use of effects, editing, and transitions. (Evaluation of the participant’s creative use of visual elements, including special effects, editing techniques, and smooth transitions between scenes.)
• Audio-Visual Innovation: Creative use of sound and light. (Recognition of innovative approaches in incorporating sound and light elements to enhance the overall quality and impact of the TikTok video.)

Each video will be judged based on these criteria, along with the specific aspects relevant to each nomination category described above.

The number of likes and views that video gains on social media will not be taken into consideration when judging.

5. Organizational Matters Related to Competition

• Participants must attend J-TSOON:BPF on 3rd of November 2024 to enter the Cosplay Short Video competition.
• Participants must arrive at the designated registration time, which will be provided in the email after your application is accepted for the check-in. If you fail to check-in on time you will not be eligible to win the prize.
• Festival staff may request an identification document from you in case of any suspicion regarding the participant’s identity. This could be a passport, ID card, driver’s license, or student ID.
• As organizers, we reserve the right to limit the total number of entries. We are aiming for up to 20 videos in total. In cases where the number of submissions significantly exceeds this limit, we may consider selecting participants. Due to limited applications, we prioritize inclusivity and aim to allow participants of all experience levels to participate, and we will only implement this option as a last resort.
• By submitting a video for the J-TSOON:BPF competition, participants acknowledge and agree that the J-TSOON Cosplay Team has the right to showcase the video on the big screen during the event.
• The owner of the social media’s account where the video is published qualifies to receive the prize.
• The winners of the Cosplay Short Video Competition will be announced at the J-TSOON:BPF Award Ceremony on Sunday 3rd of November 2024.

Note: The organizers reserve the right to make changes to the rules and regulations of the competition to ensure fair judging, maintain order, and ensure the safety of all participants.

By applying to the competition the competitors agree to adhere to the rules.

For any additional questions, please reach out to our email cosplay@j-tsoon.ee.