SNAFU Con
Sierra Nevada Anime Fans Unite!
SNAFU Con is an anime convention in the Reno/Sparks area of Nevada. Friday, October 31st through Sunday, November 2nd, 2025 in The Reno-Sparks Convention Center, 4590 S Virginia St, Reno, NV 89502
Quicklinks:
Masquerade
IMPORTANT CHANGE
We are changing our Masquerade to a Cosplay Contest. This is functionally the same for most entries except: we will not be accepting any skits to the contest. All entries are walk-ons.
Costumes will still be judged by experienced cosplayers, you will still go on stage, you can still give us music, and a brief intro to say before you walk on. If you want to make some action poses: great! You should definitely pose for the audience to take pictures while you're on stage!
If you would still like to do a skit, you can join the Talent Show which runs on Sunday.
Rules, info sheets, and information will change as soon as we can get to them.
We look forward to seeing you in our Cosplay Contest!
Costumes will still be judged by experienced cosplayers, you will still go on stage, you can still give us music, and a brief intro to say before you walk on. If you want to make some action poses: great! You should definitely pose for the audience to take pictures while you're on stage!
If you would still like to do a skit, you can join the Talent Show which runs on Sunday.
Rules, info sheets, and information will change as soon as we can get to them.
We look forward to seeing you in our Cosplay Contest!
Cosplay Contest Policies
Thank you for your interest in SNAFU Con's Cosplay Contest! The event will take place on Saturday, November 2, 2024 at 5:00PM PST. Please read through our policies and rules before entering. If there are any questions or comments reach out to Cosplay staff at [email protected]
Requirements for signup:
Cosplay Contest Registration is through SNAFU Con's Registration Portal: Register Here
Requirements for signup:
- All entries must be registered for the convention and be able to provide their badge at the time of sign-in and judging.
- All participants must sign a performance waiver. Participants under 18 must have the waiver signed by a parent or guardian in advance. Copies will also be available on-site.
- Read, understand and comply with the listed convention, cosplay, and contest rules.
Cosplay Contest Registration is through SNAFU Con's Registration Portal: Register Here
Rules
General Performance Rules:
- Entries are limited to 30 seconds on stage.
- Contents of the entries must adhere to a “General Audience” rating. Audio, background music, outfit and behavior cannot violate general ratings. I.E. No explicit gestures, nudity, swearing, mention of drugs, sex, or violence.
- Group entries limited to 7 members. Individuals are only allowed to be in one entry.
- Entries are limited to 1 costume per contestant.
- SNAFU Volunteers and Staff are allowed to enter the Cosplay Contest because we use impartial third party judges for the contest. Volunteer schedule must be clear for the rehearsal, judging, and the Cosplay Contest itself. Cosplay staff cannot compete (you can't compete in a contest you're helping run).
- All entrants must have some form of audio. If no audio is submitted, audio will be provided for you. Audio must be submitted via the contest registration system or brought to the rehearsal where the audio tech will be there to assist you.
- Up to 30 words may be read by the MC as an introduction for your skit.
- Costumes and Props must adhere to the the SNAFU Con Dress Code
- Costumes must be able to fully leave the stage with you. Confetti, silly string, and other "messy" props are prohibited.
- Costumes must not leave the stage without you! Throwing a piece of your costume off-stage is prohibited.
- No flashing lights, fire, flash powder, lasers, explosives, smoke or open flame of any kind.
Divisions
Entrants may always enter a higher division, but cannot enter a lower division. It is up to the discretion of the Judges or director to move participants into different categories based upon skill level, category attendance, etc,.
Novice
Novices are new to costume making and competing in Masquerades / Cosplay Contests. Participants cannotenter the Novice division if:
Anyone may enter the Master division.
Youth
Anyone aged 13 or younger may enter the Youth division. Costumes fully designed and created by an adult must be entered in the adult’s appropriate skill division or entered as an exhibition piece.
Exhibition
If you do not wish to be judged you may enter as an exhibition piece. Your costume and presentation must still conform to all of the contest and convention policies.
Novice
Novices are new to costume making and competing in Masquerades / Cosplay Contests. Participants cannotenter the Novice division if:
- Participants are professionals in the sewing or costuming field. This includes if entries run a cosplay commission-based business.
- Participants have won major awards such as Best in Class or Best in Show at previous SNAFU Cons or other regional conventions.
- Participants have won multiple (3) awards at prior regional conventions.
Anyone may enter the Master division.
Youth
Anyone aged 13 or younger may enter the Youth division. Costumes fully designed and created by an adult must be entered in the adult’s appropriate skill division or entered as an exhibition piece.
Exhibition
If you do not wish to be judged you may enter as an exhibition piece. Your costume and presentation must still conform to all of the contest and convention policies.
Craftsmanship Judging
Craftsmanship judging is required for participants to compete. The entry may be judged as a group or as an individual. Participants must be present during judging prior to the Cosplay Contest show during a dedicated Judging "panel". If the entrant is not present at the time to be judged, entrees will be disqualified for any prize.
Craftsmanship Rules:
Craftsmanship Rules:
- Costumes must be inspired by an anime, manga, comic, video game, TV show, movie, web comic, or other form of media. Original designs must have concept sketches and be fully handmade.
- “Found Item” pieces are allowed to represent up to 20% of the costume. These are items that have been found at various retail establishments (i.e. gloves, shoes, belts, etc.,). These items may be altered or unaltered.
- Costumes, as a whole, must be made by a member of your group. Commissioned, rented, or full purchased costumes are not allowed and will not be judged.
- Entrants must provide a reference picture of the characters being portrayed. This can be done on site, or uploaded ahead of time on the Cosplay Contest Registration.
Awards
Category winners are awarded prize baskets that include physical trophy award, gift cards, and of course, bragging rights. Awards may include:
- Best Master - Best craftsmanship in the Master category.
- Best Novice - Best craftsmanship in the Novice category.
- Best Youth - Best craftsmanship in the Youth division.
- Merit Awards - Given at the discretion of the Judges.
Walk-ons
Walk-ons consist of a the entry walking on stage, striking a pose and then exiting the stage. Time on stage will be limited to a 30 second maximum.
Costumes must be made by the entrant or the creator of the costume must be present at the time of craftsmanship judging.
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Tips for Walk-ons
Costumes must be made by the entrant or the creator of the costume must be present at the time of craftsmanship judging.
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Tips for Walk-ons
- You have a 30 second limit. 30 seconds is an eternity when you're on a stage so don't rush! It's going to be really tempting to rush on stage and rush off but you will make a better impact if you walk on confident and with purpose.
- Slow down! Take your time and make sure to show off all of your outfit. Practice and time your actions in advance so you know how long you realistically have.
- You don't have to use your full 30 seconds, but ideally you want to be doing something new every 5-10 seconds that you're up on stage and not repeating the same action or pose. Plan different poses and actions.
- Think about how your character moves and acts. Try to be your character for the entire time you are on the stage from the moment you step onto the stage until you are completely out of sight.
- Count to ten in your pose to ensure that there's enough time for the cameras to get their shots. The count will seem like forever but it's not. This is your stage right now. Own it.
- Plan your exit! You will make a much stronger impact if you leave as strong as you entered. (Keep in mind we may keep you on stage to ask you some questions about your costume before your exit!)
- Breathe.
- Tell yourself how awesome you are! Keep your confidence up because you are amazing and brave. Really.
- During craftsmanship judging, do not ever talk down or say bad things about your costume. It leaves a negative impression. Always talk about the parts you worked the hardest on and are most proud of.
Questions/Comments
Please email us at [email protected]