SL Costume contest rules

[never Franizzi]

So I always look forward to halloween in Second life because it is fun to play with costumes and dress up. I was excited when I heard about the costume contest and I read over the rules carefully before getting to work on my costume. The rules stated that the costume had to be something original and creative, not something you could just buy and put on. The costume had to be non-sexual, not violet or gory, non-political or a comment on currnet events, and not of someone real living or dead. If there were more than one submission of the same look, those would be excluded. If the photo submitted was published anywhere else it was disqualified. Above all the costume had to encompass the spirit of halloween. 

Now, to me the spirit of halloween is dressing up in fun outfits, putting on expressive makeup, doing my hair, finding fun accessiories that go with the look, etc. 

So for this contest I spent a lot of time picking out my costume. I found the right makeup, the best accessories and right hair...... I pieced my look together from different things in second life. I made a look. I then found a pose, and lighting, and took a beautiful picture... I wouldn't even begin to assume that my photo was the best and deserved to win because I have no idea what the other entries all looked like, however I know that I put a lot of time and effort coming up with an ENTIRE look for THIS contest. 

When the winner was selected yesterday I was at first bummed but still was like ok I didn't win fine... but when a friend pointed out that the winning entry was of a PROFESSIONAL real life designer who sells costumes in second life, and that the photo was already published on the second life marketplace selling the winning costume, I was frustrated. Not only did the winning entry violate the rules. But there was no effort in putting the contest photo together. They literally used the same photo from the sale ad. There was no effort into THIS contest. It was just a dress... a dress anyone could have gone on the marketplace and bought and worn for their entry. They didnt even do makeup, or a look or anything.. its just a regular person in a dress... 

This is dishartening because if this were a costume DESIGN contest I never would have entered. I just feel that if they are not going to go by their own rules, or even distinguish different catagories between professionals and average residents, then its not really a fair unbiased contest. And it ruins the fun for people. There are design contests all over sl.. This was a dress up contest. There is a distinction between the too that should have been followed here.

[Stephanie Misfit]

Did you report the violation of the rules to LL? I don't see any issue with the person being a professional designer using their own dress, good for them and in fact it is an amazing dress, but the fact that the exact same picture was published elsewhere, as it is on their vendor, would apparently disqualify them. 

[Cinos Field]

Yep, assuming that it was on the product before the contest, it seems like a pretty obvious violation that should be reported, to me.

[Marigold Devin]

I agree with Stephanie. 

The only possible violation I can see is if the picture was already used somewhere else and that's against the rules.

Otherwise, why shouldn't a designer join in with a competition? Perhaps the rules should have stated it was a costume for non-designers/amateurs.  But until it was pointed out to me that the winner was a designer, I had not heard of them.  It certainly was a very striking picture.

The thing is, there is no such thing as bad publicity. Even if the winning entry was disqualified, a heck of a lot more of us are now aware of the designer that wouldn't have been had it not been pointed out to us that they are actually a designer, so even if they lose the prize money, I doubt their reputation will suffer much, in fact they will have more customers, so instead of having a public rant, which just comes across as green eyed monster, direct contact with the organisers of the contest would have been more appropriate.

Having said that, I understand your frustrations. Similar situations have happened to me, when I was much younger, where I've put in a lot of effort, only for the fun factor to have been sucked out by the seemingly privileged.  In the longer-term, they don't really win. Karma makes it even.

 

[never Franizzi]

They removed the rules after she won so I have no proof of the rules but I read them before hand and the fact that the costume was pulished before the event is a violation. The other rules stated that you needed to not just buy a costume to wear, you needed to put the elements of the costume together from other sources.. now I personally took ths too mean that you should gather all the parts of a true costume and put it together.. the outfit, accessiories, makeup, etc and make a unique look. All I can see from this photo that says costume, is the dress.. so to me the dress won, not a costume... now if this was a costume DESIGN contest I would feel differently I think there is a difference between designing a costume and putting a costume together. I just feel they should have had maybe specific catagories or been more specific in the rules.. If had thought I was going up agaisnt a professional costume designer IRL who has won awards etc. I would not have bothered because all I did was piece items together to make a costume, like I would in real life, for fun.. this took the fun out of it for me.

Most of us who entered took time to take our photos and all she did was pull a photo from her marketplace ad.

[Ayeleeon]

On 10/31/2021 at 5:31 AM, Cinos Field said:

Yep, assuming that it was on the product before the contest, it seems like a pretty obvious violation that should be reported, to me.

It seems that this is the issue, was the picture posted before the contest ended. If they posted it after winning it does seem to me to be a violation of the rules.

[PixelBerry]

I didn't join the contest, and I found it unfair for the ones who did, seeing what won the contest and who won it, I'm fairly sure there were more accessorized entries, with a more exciting background.

I would honestly love to see the other entries as well, and not just the winner one, I think that's fair. 😅

I checked their facebook store page, they released that dress the 28th October 2021 in their mainstore. ( Contestant entries ended the same day in the morning, corrected by someone else, thanks ).

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by PixelBerry
Correction.

[DevinVaughn]

I really love that LL did this contest, and the prize was very generous.  This was the first time they did it, so missteps are likely.

 

My suggestion moving forward:   Instead of only 1 winner taking a huge cash prize, break it up and give love and encouragement to the many creative people of SL.

One category for: Halloween Original Costume Creator( from scratch with either their own mesh, textures, and/or 100% legal full perm mess/textures.)

One category for: Halloween Stylist Guru (person who uses legit created items from SL designers to create an unique and original costume)

Honorable Mentions of all types of flavors as long as it follows the Rules.

And a prize for everyone who enters. (A 2021 Linden Bear in Costume?)

 

Also, in the rules I would make it clear that photo skills and background setting are not part of the judging. A simple White background, with NO photoshopping, is preferred. The Focus is the costume itself.

 

P.S.  I would like to add moving video, or Animated Gifs, to accepted form of entry. Some entries for Originally Created Costume Designs might be animated and have effects only possible in SL.  

Edited November 2, 2021 by DevinVaughn

[Nick0678]

So... what you folks are saying is that The whole damn contest was rigged by the Lindens? WOW!

[Stephanie Misfit]

3 hours ago, DevinVaughn said:

My suggestion moving forward:   Instead of only 1 winner taking a huge cash prize, break it up and give love and encouragement to the many creative people of SL.

One category for: Halloween Original Costume Creator( from scratch with either their own mesh, textures, and/or 100% legal full perm mess/textures.)

One category for: Halloween Stylist Guru (person who uses legit created items from SL designers to create an unique and original costume)

Honorable Mentions of all types of flavors as long as it follows the Rules.

And a prize for everyone who enters. (A 2021 Linden Bear in Costume?)

 

Yes there were probably a lot of designers who thought they were not able to enter the contest based on the rules, and missed out on the chance for the prize. Having categories would allow them to enter, and have their talent recognised.

[Marianne Little]

So Linden Lab screwed up this one too? I think both the hunt event and this one ended up poorly.

Those who won the hunt event, and those who did not care if they won, see it differently. But all the negative comments could have been avoided, and I really, really hope they change the rules next time.

I went to the Marketplace and searched the winner's name. I could not find the image. Then I searched for part of the name, and found a store, and the costume. The store is owned by another name than the winner.

So the winner entry was by an alt of a well established store (at least since 2013), maybe to hide that fact.

Ugh, all you who talked big about "Community spirit" and "Exposing cheaters" about the Trick and Treat event, do you think this is was cheating too?

[Marianne Little]

If the only way to win was that the winner had to create the outfit in Blender or Maya, rig it and texture it, that leaves out 99,99% of SL residents. "Congratulations to xx for winning the 2021 Halloween Costume Contest with an outfit that she created herself."

The Trick And Treat event was a rats race to the top, not knowing what the top was.

Edited November 2, 2021 by Marianne Little

[PixelBerry]

I agree to what you are saying Devin, that way everyone would have a chance to win, they could also add in a non edited snapshot contest as well for those who are more talented in that area, I read over the rules however I do not remember them clearly, so the white background is probably what they prefer yeah, but as a bystander I think a complete background and a outfit tells more of a story overall, but of course if it is just the outfit they are judging by it makes sense, however the winner did just use their vendor picture for the dress, without any other accessory, so they literally just put on a dress they made and called it a day, someone else also could of bought that outfit and do the same thing, but who do you think they would of chosen anyway? The designer, so the designers had the upper hand in this contest regardless, but if it didn't really matter then  ( <-  Ignore this I made a mistake ). I don't think the rules were clear enough, they did confuse me at least.

Anyway it happen, don't think there is anything we can do about it other than to improve for next year. ( <- I still think it can ).

But I would still love to see the other people's entry for the contest, perhaps a flickr group for this year's and the next etc, if people copy each other you can tell by the dates the pictures have been uploaded, that way it would also be easier to tell if anyone's doing anything wrong before the contest ends, maybe it is a bad idea, I don't know. But it annoys me that we can't appreciate what other people did for the contest when it's over at least.

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by PixelBerry
I made an mistake.

[Marianne Little]

On 10/31/2021 at 10:42 AM, Marigold Devin said:

---snip

But until it was pointed out to me that the winner was a designer, I had not heard of them.  It certainly was a very striking picture.

----snip

 

As already mentioned... split the name in two and search on half the name on the Marketplace. Sort to newest first.

When you find the store, you will see that this is not a new designer, the oldest MP item is from 2013.

It is nothing in the contest rules about designers using an alt to enter the contest. Same as it was nothing in the Trick and Treat event about using alts to win. That was something LL came up with halfway in.

So fairness and all that?

Nope, I did not participate in either, so no sore loser. I saw that it was not for me.

[Theresa Tennyson]

On 10/30/2021 at 2:21 PM, never Franizzi said:

But there was no effort in putting the contest photo together. They literally used the same photo from the sale ad. There was no effort into THIS contest. It was just a dress... a dress anyone could have gone on the marketplace and bought and worn for their entry.

1) Apparently the costume only went on sale on October 28 and the deadline for entries was the morning of the 28th.. So no, anyone COULDN'T buy and wear it.

2) The person entering was the one who made the costume. For those of you who are talking about their "shadiness by using an alt," it's pretty clear from the marketplace that there are a group of related stores and the name of the entrant was the name associated with one of those stores.

3) Why do you say, "...there was no effort in putting the contest photo together. They literally used the same photo from the sale ad" instead of "...there was no effort in putting the sale ad photo together. They literally used the same photo from the contest," which is at least as accurate?

4) Yes, it's "just a dress." WITH THREE-DIMENSIONAL SKELETONS ON IT.

You know what? I'm hoping that the winner is enjoying their sweet, sweet grapes right now.

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by Theresa Tennyson

[PixelBerry]

1 hour ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

1) Apparently the costume only went on sale on October 28 and the deadline for entries was the morning of the 28th.. So no, anyone COULDN'T buy and wear it.

2) The person entering was the one who made the costume. For those of you who are talking about their "shadiness by using an alt," it's pretty clear from the marketplace that there are a group of related stores and the name of the entrant was the name associated with one of those stores.

3) Why do you say, "...there was no effort in putting the contest photo together. They literally used the same photo from the sale ad" instead of "...there was no effort in putting the sale ad photo together. They literally used the same photo from the contest," which is at least as accurate?

4) Yes, it's "just a dress." WITH THREE-DIMENSIONAL SKELETONS ON IT.

You know what? I'm hoping that the winner is enjoying their sweet, sweet grapes right now.

 

I assumed that the entries stopped the 29th or the 30th, which is why I said what I said, but if it stopped morning the 28th then I take back what I said, I should of said IF since I didn't know when the end date was, I was a bit harsh with what I said " she put on a dress that she made and called it a day" that was my mistake.

There is nothing wrong with the dress.

Do I think they could of done more with adding accessories? Yes, because again I assume other people were putting a lot of accessories and other things on, other than their outfits.

I found the contest confusing, I thought they wanted both a costume and a character, so when I saw the winner I was surprised, because by what they wrote in the contest info, they kinda made me expect more. Then I saw OP thinking the contest was unfair because the winner is a store owner/designer, and they thought the outfit was something they were already selling, which is why I got confused even more and checked if they did put out the outfit for sale which was on the 28th.

But now since the date is cleared up, I do not care anymore, I just felt bad for the other contestants if it was being handled unfairly.

 

Edited November 2, 2021 by PixelBerry

[LilithServil]

Honestly I'm pretty disappointed seeing the winner. This is coming from someone who DIDN'T enter (time constraints) but really wanted to.

I was discouraged from the get-go viewing the official Flickr and seeing 99.9% hyper-accessorized human avatars (typically very femme avatars as well) in halloween costumes, figuring I wouldn't really have a chance either way entering with something non-human I couldn't accessorize as well. I still wanted to enter though; I made my own skin and everything, put together what clothes my av could wear. This would have been my entry.

 

I'm glad I didn't actually get a chance to enter now seeing as how the winner was a long-standing clothes designer who made a dress-- a single clothing item, mind you-- with the entire rest of the avatar being "basic" in terms of not having a halloween theme whatsoever. Even the dress theme to me, personally, doesn't really scream halloween? It has skeletons on it, yeah, but I don't get a halloween vibe from gold skeletons on antique chairs surrounded by grey... 

Here were the rules, btw. I screened them to a friend on Discord when I was still considering entering the contest.

 

Idk it's just disappointing tbh. There's nothing saying designers shouldn't be able to enter (I'm a skin maker after all) but something feels super off about someone making a single one-piece item, winning 25kL and then selling said item for even more L too. Kind of a big slap in the face to everyone who actively went out spending L putting their costume together from individual pieces or using certain accessories in creative ways, doesn't it? Why bother putting something big together when the winner is just going to be a single clothing piece from a designer?

[PixelBerry]

6 minutes ago, LilithServil said:

 

 

Next contest, join it! Your avatar is really adorable, 😄  in my eyes every avatar is equal to join a contest.

[LilithServil]

21 minutes ago, PixelBerry said:

Next contest, join it! Your avatar is really adorable, 😄  in my eyes every avatar is equal to join a contest.

Ahh thank you! I might stick to player-run competitions after seeing what happened here, but I definitely want to enter some sort of contest at some point. :'D

[Marigold Devin]

8 hours ago, Marianne Little said:

As already mentioned... split the name in two and search on half the name on the Marketplace. Sort to newest first.

When you find the store, you will see that this is not a new designer, the oldest MP item is from 2013.

It is nothing in the contest rules about designers using an alt to enter the contest. Same as it was nothing in the Trick and Treat event about using alts to win. That was something LL came up with halfway in.

So fairness and all that?

Nope, I did not participate in either, so no sore loser. I saw that it was not for me.

I think I learned - or became jaded - so long ago, that I couldn't win a two mile race with a ten mile start! Sometimes I am glad I am devoid of any talent, keeps me firmly out of the rat race. 

Edited November 2, 2021 by Marigold Devin

[IzzyOzmaRose]

I do find Second Life contests frustrating and I'm sure they're not easy to judge either. Especially when only one prize is being awarded. We pride ourselves in SL on art. Whether it's clothing design, building, photography, music/dance, etc. We are proud of the creation and creators that come of this virtual world. The problem is, not all of us in SL are professionals; we don't all have the best systems for taking photos, we don't all have the best building skills, we don't all have money or know how for special programs that make our creations look better but we still enjoy creating. I'm not going to argue rather the winner should have won or not. Their entry was phenomenal!

I entered, it was fun, I didn't win... I'm fine. I was however disappointed because, just like everyone who entered, I put a lot of thought, creativity and fun into my entry and I was naive in thinking I might have a chance to win, as it wasn't a photo contest, but I didn't take into account that a professional creator would build their own costume and of course, how could that compare to mine? Again, I appreciate that kind of talent. I only feel, as some others have pointed out, that there might be more than one kind winner. It's not about the prize or the loss thereof it's about...What is the point or the fun of entering any contest if a professional is always going to win? 

[DevinVaughn]

15 hours ago, PixelBerry said:

 

I found the contest confusing, I thought they wanted both a costume and a character

 

I made a copy of the Rules. It didn't say to create a story, but when I submitted mine it did ask for a story. It confused me too. I thought 1/3 of the vote being for an original idea character (not seen before) would be important. ... Meanwhile, I've seen the "dress carousel" in SL before Mesh came along, even blogged one back in 2014 from Likka*House. (you can see here )   But the original part of the winning entry was a new design using the "dress carousel" trope. Credit for Artistry.  Boudoir does this style of creation for as long as I have been in SL and it an Artform they seem the best at. Taking things like a skeleton and turning it into an elaborate wearable AFK art, or something wild along those lines. lol

 

There were other parts of the Rules that confused me too. And I was very fortunate for a kind Linden to answer some questions I raised.

...But still, there was confusion never the less for many who did this contest, myself included.

I hope next year things are more clear.

 

[Marianne Little]

SL contests has always been something I will not join when it is for money.

Other contests not run by LL have at least the contestant images shown somewhere, Flickr or another place. Those who participated can not even get likes or show what they made to others, even if they don't expect to win.

I would be really surprised and disappointed if I had joined and found out later that it wasn't a gallery of the contestant images.

[Cinos Field]

16 hours ago, LilithServil said:

Honestly I'm pretty disappointed seeing the winner. This is coming from someone who DIDN'T enter (time constraints) but really wanted to.

I was discouraged from the get-go viewing the official Flickr and seeing 99.9% hyper-accessorized human avatars (typically very femme avatars as well) in halloween costumes, figuring I wouldn't really have a chance either way entering with something non-human I couldn't accessorize as well. I still wanted to enter though; I made my own skin and everything, put together what clothes my av could wear. This would have been my entry.

 

I'm glad I didn't actually get a chance to enter now seeing as how the winner was a long-standing clothes designer who made a dress-- a single clothing item, mind you-- with the entire rest of the avatar being "basic" in terms of not having a halloween theme whatsoever. Even the dress theme to me, personally, doesn't really scream halloween? It has skeletons on it, yeah, but I don't get a halloween vibe from gold skeletons on antique chairs surrounded by grey... 

Here were the rules, btw. I screened them to a friend on Discord when I was still considering entering the contest.

 

Idk it's just disappointing tbh. There's nothing saying designers shouldn't be able to enter (I'm a skin maker after all) but something feels super off about someone making a single one-piece item, winning 25kL and then selling said item for even more L too. Kind of a big slap in the face to everyone who actively went out spending L putting their costume together from individual pieces or using certain accessories in creative ways, doesn't it? Why bother putting something big together when the winner is just going to be a single clothing piece from a designer?

I figure they want relatively plain winners, because most of SL appreciates plainness. Just look at any of the promotional photos, like most of the "pic of the day" blog. Putting too much effort in instead of just going for "simple and decent" might be the wrong approach for official contests.

Edited November 3, 2021 by Cinos Field

[LilithServil]

3 hours ago, Cinos Field said:

I figure they want relatively plain winners, because most of SL appreciates plainness. Just look at any of the promotional photos, like most of the "pic of the day" blog. Putting too much effort in instead of just going for "simple and decent" might be the wrong approach for official contests.

Which is where the issue lies. 99.9% of people think of a costume contest and think of something like you'd see irl, at a convention or something-- something that gets peoples' attention and makes them go wow, that's so cool looking.

Not something plain and minimal.

It doesn't help when contest rules say creativity, originality (SPECIFICALLY mentioning it shouldn't be "all one-piece"), and festivity were the 3 main judging criteria. This is just me personally speaking, but I wouldn't quality a single dress with no other contributing factors a contest winner with that criteria. There were some pretty interesting looking avatars on the official Flickr that made me feel discouraged because I couldn't accessorize on the same level with my own avatar... And then something even less dressed up ends up being the contest winner.

Once again, just a personal viewpoint, but I feel like that either needs to be made clear or maybe not offer a single prize if the winner is going to be a popular designer with a single piece of clothing when most people were assuming the point of the contest was to put effort into dressing up with a lot of items.