Cosplay Combat Chess

Cosplay Combat Chess is AMKE’s spin on a popular event in which your favorite characters go head to head in a contest of wit and skill. Don’t think that this is some high school chess meet! Expect high-flying action as the competitors fight armed with swords, fists, energy blasts, and insults.

Want to join the battle? We are looking for entertaining and enthusiastic cosplayers to act as game pieces. Candidates will be judged based on their costume and their ability to role-play as their characters. Only the first 30 cosplayers found suitable will be able to participate. To enter and to see the full list of rules, please see below.

See you all on the Battlefield!

Auditioning Details

See you all on the Battlefield!

SHOW US YOUR MOVES!

We are looking for 30 cosplayers to act as chess pieces for the duration of the Cosplay Combat Chess event. The success of the event will depend on the ability of these people to portray their characters in an energetic and enthusiastic manner. The goal is NOT to win! In fact, winners and losers are predetermined. The goal is to have fun and put on a good show for all those in attendance.

TO APPLY

To audition, please send an email to CosplayCombatChess@animemilwaukee.com with the subject "cosplay chess audition" telling us why you should be chosen. Please include your name, an email address where we can reach you, and a picture or video of yourself in costume. Please keep all e-mails to fewer than 200 words. All candidates will be judged primarily on their ability to role-play as their characters, the amount of enthusiasm they show for their roles, and quality of their costumes.

Please note, any materials sent in will become the property of Anime Milwaukee and will only be made available to member of the Anime Milwaukee staff to be used for the purpose of judging a candidate's qualifications or for maintaining records of participants, unless permission has been obtained from the candidate in question.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS

No previous experience is necessary. However, we will consider any background candidates may have in improvisation, stage combat, live action role-play, or other events similar to Cosplay Combat Chess.

Potential candidates may be invited to an audition, either via Skype, in person, or over the phone, during which they will have the chance to prove themselves before a panel of judges.

Chosen participants will be required to attend a briefing and meet up event to be scheduled prior to the convention. Participants are expected to inform the event coordinator in advance if they will not be able to attend.

Participants must be registered as an Anime Milwaukee Attendee within 30 days of their selection for the event. This is to ensure a level of commitment from potential participants. Also, a full weekend registration is preferred, as it allows for potential schedule changes and participation in CCC meet ups prior to the event.

Some candidates who are not chosen may be asked to act as understudies. Understudies may become participants if a current participant fails to show up to, drops out of, or is otherwise disqualified from the event.

All participants are encouraged to discuss the event with one another via the AMKE forums or other media. Participants will be informed who their opponents will be during the Event. Together, they will be able to plan out how their fight will proceed, ensuring for a more refined performance. Please note that discussing the event with non-participants is strongly discouraged. Nothing good will come of spreading spoilers!

Participants will be required to sign a legal waiver form prior to participating in the event.

Participants will be expected to stand or kneel for long periods of time (i.e. on the chess board) and engage in one or more battles lasting for no longer than one minute a piece.

The number of battles that each piece will engage in will be based on his or her audition. Essentially, those who show more enthusiasm, or have better costumes, will be given more battles.

All participants are required to abide by the decisions made by the event coordinator and other CCC staff.

COSTUME REQUIREMENTS

All costumes must adhere to the Anime Milwaukee rules governing costumes and props.

All costumes and props must be approved by the event coordinator prior to the event or else they will not be allowed.

Only candidates with "finished" costumes will be considered as participants. A costume is considered finished when it closely resembles the intended character and has sufficient components (i.e. shirt, pants, footwear, props, wig and/or headgear, etc.). Whether or not a costume is considered finished is the sole decision of the event coordinator. All decisions are final. This is why we require pictures with each audition entry. It is to ensure that no one shows up to the event with a costume that is only half done.

Only cosplays of "fighting" characters will be considered. A fighting character is defined as a character that fights often in their primary media (manga, anime, video games, etc).

Whether or not a character is considered a fighting character is the sole decision of the event coordinator and is final. For example, a person dressed as Light Yagami from Death Note would not likely be chosen as a participant since Light never fights anyone, other than L, in the anime. While it is true that Light has killed numerous people, he has no real combat skills, thus a battle containing him would be very boring to watch.

THE PRIME DIRECTIVE

Above all else, all participants are expected to HAVE FUN!

Good Luck! We hope to see you on the Battlefield!