Talent Show Rules

General Information and Rules:

These rules are subject to change without notice BUT any changes will be subtle.

1. Must be registered to the convention and have a valid Fur-Eh! badge to register in the Talent Show
2. You do NOT require to be in fursuit to participate in the Talent Show.
3. For those planning to be in costume for their performance, original characters, Fursuits, Partial Suits, and Pop Culture Characters (Cosplay) are all accepted.
4. Parents are required to accompany children younger than 14 during the entirety of the show.
5. No profanity allowed. Your Music / Video Files will be checked for profanity when you register. If any contestant attempts to shout profanity to the audience, they will be removed immediately.
6. Please, no political or religious statements.
7. No nudity. Please review the convention dress code for general guidelines on appropriate attire.
8. For safety reasons, the following are not allowed: live animals except for service animals, substances which might damage or soil other costumes, aerosol sprays, projectiles, glitter, or confetti.
9. No dangerous or potentially dangerous props will be allowed. No pyrotechnics, live flames, or smoke generators of any kind. No real weapons of any kind. This includes air soft guns, paintball guns, and steel weapons. Contestants violating this rule will be immediately disqualified, as well as any other repercussions for violating weapons policy.
10. The Talent Show Director reserves the right to eliminate anyone from competition based on taste, danger to the audience/other contestants, building or yourself, violation of any of the rules, or for any other reason deemed sufficient. We do not wish to eliminate anyone, but this protects you and the convention.

Entry & Registration:

1. Advance registration is required. There is an entry limit so sign up early to ensure you get to participate. Last minute entries will be accepted at the Talent Show Director’s discretion ONLY.
2. There is no fee to register an entry into the Talent Show.
3. All participants will be required to sign a permission/release/waiver form to participate in the Talent Show. Minors under 18 years of age may participate in the costume contest only if a permission/release/waiver form is signed by the minor’s legal guardian. You must sign these forms to participate.
4. Fraudulent information on your entry form results in immediate removal from the Talent Show and a possible ban from entering in the future depending on the severity of the offence, subject to the Talent Show Director’s discretion.
5. MC Introduction: Our MC will introduce you as you appear on stage. Write a short introduction for yourself and your act that you would like the MC to read. This is your chance to impress the judges. This description is limited to 125 words. If you have audio or video, ensure it is submitted a minimum of three days ahead of the convention.

Rehearsal: (date & time TBA)

1. This is mandatory unless special arrangements have been made with the Director.
2. Costumes not required, but always welcomed.
             
3. Bring all props, and extras you will need so we can store them backstage for you.
4. Contestants who do not appear or make special arrangements with the Director are considered disqualified from the show.

Contestant Check-In

Check-in is before the show, backstage with the Talent Show Director, no less than 15 minutes prior to Showtime.

1. Contestants who do not appear at check-in are considered disqualified from the show.
2. ALL contestants MUST be checked in backstage 15 minutes before Showtime and be ready in full costume.

Showtime! (date & time TBA)

1. Picture taking is allowed during the show (and encouraged!). Backstage photos or any photo where a costumed character is headless is not permitted.

Entry Categories:

The Talent Show Director reserves the right to combine classes and awards as needed for any reason and without notice to ensure fairness and meet the needs of the competition.

BEST VIDEO ENTRY

Submit a short (G or PG rated) video for a chance to be named “Best Video Entry”!

BEST LIVE PERFORMANCE

Showcase a talent or skit to display for the audience and aim for the coveted Best Live Performance prize. Here are some examples of Talent Show performances:

• A short comical performance or ‘skit’
• Re-enacting a dramatic scene
• Your own short scene such as an alternate ending
• Mix your characters into a scene or sketch from a different source
• A magic trick or other show of skill
• A theatrical interpretive dance. *Most dance entries will be directed to the Dance Competition*
• Presenting with a video*
• Miming or singing a song*
• A choreographed fight scene*
• A short musical performance*

*The Director may need further reassurances regarding content before approving these.

Please note the following:

1. Performance entries can be entered with either self-made or purchased costumes.
2. The content must be suitable for a family audience.
3. It is permitted to use the same costume for more than one performance.

Judging & Awards:

1. Judging will occur on, but is not limited to:
   1. Originality & Creativity
   2. Performance & Execution
   3. Crowd appeal
2. Be aware that groups will be judged as a whole.
3. Judging results will be announced live on stage at the end of the show, with awards being presented. If the show runs late, winning contestants may pick up their awards the next day at Con-Ops.
4. Prizes will be selected from a variety of items available at the Fur-Eh! Con Store.

Other Important Information

1. Most solo and pair entries should take about ONE-TWO minutes onstage, or up to THREE to FOUR minutes for larger groups or cumbersome costumes. Long routines or performances are not permitted. Video entries should be kept to reasonable length. We are flexible about the time for each act provided that the act is entertaining, and we have enough time to run the show with all the acts that wish to be part of the show.
2. The maximum group size is eight people.
3. If you wish to have a specific song, music or sound played, address the audience, or anything else during your performance that would require the sound system, you must prepare and submit it no less than three days in advance of the convention to the Talent Show Director via email or Cloud drive (OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.) unless explicitly approved otherwise. You are responsible for ensuring the clip is appropriately cut/prepped for the time cues you want. You are entirely responsible for providing this and ensuring that it works prior to contest registration. You will need to indicate when the track is to be played during your performance.
4. Microphones will be available for your performance in a limited quantity. Please bear this in mind especially for larger groups. Any audio critical to the performance should be available on an audio/video file to be submitted to the Talent Show Director.  (Contestants need to be aware that anything spoken onstage, without amplification, cannot be heard in the hall, or even at the judges’ table located directly in front of the stage.)
5. Lighting will remain static for each participant other than the ability to dim the lights if you require as such. The A/V crew may be able to provide some basic lighting effects to enhance your performance.
6. No electrical power connections will be provided.
7. Change Rooms are not provided so please arrive in costume.
8. Your costume must be finished before you get to backstage area. No sewing, gluing, spray painting, welding, or other construction work is allowed backstage. However, final assembly of large costumes and/or props and unexpected repairs will be allowed.

Tips for Talent Show Entrants

1. Have fun! Remember at the end of the day, the Talent Show is for the fun and entertainment of not only the contestants, but the audience as well. Do not enter the contest expecting to win but to have fun; no one likes a sore loser or a bad winner.
2. Do perform a walk-on or ensure you have rehearsed your presentation and that it is within the time limit. Nothing kills a good contestant more than a long, non-entertaining skit. Short and sweet are keys to success, and remember that just because you have a certain amount of time does not mean you need to take the full time you are given.

GENERAL INQUIRIES may be sent to general@fureh.ca

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