JUDGES’ INSTRUCTIONS (MASQUERADE)
PenguiCon

SUMMARY
The Masquerade judging is a formal process using a panel of judges who confer to agree on the winners in various categories. Category names may be set in advance or may be determined by the judges if appropriate. Judges use standard forms to score competitors during their Masquerade presentations, then meet afterwards to determine the winners. The awards and the names of winners will be announced as soon as the judges have made their decisions.


AWARDS AND "PRIZES"
Unless otherwise announced, there are no "prizes" associated with the Masquerade Awards. Each Award consists of a Certificate and a ribbon.


CLASS DIVISION AND AWARD CATEGORIES
- If numbers warrant, we will use the standard class divisions of Novice/Journeyman/Master/Junior. The Director will determine if the class divisions will be used, and an announcement will be made at the start of the Masquerade.
- Judges are expected to use their discretion in deciding how distribute awards. The entry forms ask entrants to select a Type (Original or Recreation) and a Category (SF, Fantasy, Historical, etc.). Awards such as "Best SF" may be given, but it is not necessary to give awards in all such categories if it does not seem warranted. It's nice if there are a fair number of awards, but it is not necessary to give an award to every entrant!
- Award names can be simply descriptive, or somewhat humorous. Humorous award titles are particularly common for Honorable Mentions.
- Juniors all get participation certificates.
- The Director will be available for clarification if required.

CRITERIA
Judging should be based on the following criteria (in no particular order):
- Creativity and originality (for original designs) or Faithfulness to the source (for re-creations)
- Theme/concept
- Quality of execution
- Presentation/audience impact
- Overall look and consistency
- Experience level of the entrant should be taken into account, especially in classed competition
These criteria are reflecting in the judging form.

DOCUMENTS FOR DELIBERATION
The judging form provided allows the judges to compare their assessments numerically. Judges use the judging form to score participants during their masquerade presentations and to make any relevant notes.
During the judges' deliberations, the Director will provide the original entry forms to help judges reach their decisions.
The Director will provide an award summary sheet for the judges/Director to fill in. The summary sheet is intended to simplify the announcement of awards.

TIME FOR DELIBERATION
This year we have a presentation for the audience while the judges are making their decisions. Because of this, the judges are encouraged not to linger over their decisions. The Director will monitor the judges' deliberations and deal with the documentation.


If you have any questions about the masquerade please contact the Masquerade Director.