Picture Perfect, cont...

[femkes_follies]

Judges Instructions, rough draft:

Welcome to the inaugural "Picture Perfect" Arts and Sciences competition. Each judge will be assigned the entries that he or she is to judge.

Please fill out a judge's form for each entry you evaluate, keeping the following things in mind:

You may split point down to 0.25, but please to go down to tenths. For example, if you'd like to score an entry 3.75 points for workmanship, go right ahead.

The judge's form has some basic guide lines for each category, but there is significant room for interpretation. We do ask that you leave written comments explaining your reasoning for grading the entry as you did. Since this is meant to be fun, keep things as positive and constructive as you can. Use of the "criticism sandwich" method is encouraged: "You did A well, element B could have been improved thusly, while element C was wonderfully conceived." Placing criticism between two positive statements helps the entrant focus on aspects of the entry rather than just someone "tearing up" their baby.

The final category is where most of your wiggle room exists. Remember, this isn't Kingdom Faire. The object of the challenge is to reproduce items from a painting, and higher scores should go to entries that succeed most fully in this aspect. Also, presentation can be rewarded in this category. For example, cinnamon comfits from a still life presented in a silver compote dish that resembles those in the painting would score higher here than those presented in a Tupperware(TM) bowl. Creativity can also be rewarded. A gentle who enters a wooden cabinet from a period painting depicting a foot warmer, and thus installs and electric safety element instead of the period brazier could also achieve extra points in this category. This challenge is open to quite a lot of interpretation, and therefore so is your scoring. Feel free to address THL Femke de Roas or Mistress Sarafina Sinclair if you find something unclear.

This is also an opportunity for artisans to connect with each other. Cards are available for you to leave your contact information for any entrant, whether you judged their entry or not.

Thank you again for your time and participation. We would also welcome feedback on the structure and nature of this activity. You may leave written comments with the Display Coordinator or E-mail THL Femke at your leisure.

Comments

[fiadnata.livejournal.com]

Overall, excellent. My only comment is that you will regret it if you let people go below 0.5. (Really. I speak from experience.) (There are hair-splitters everywhere!)

How many people are going to judge any one entry? (You never say.) And do you want to encourage face-to-face judging? Or judges working together to coordinate their comments?

[femkederoas.livejournal.com]

Overall, excellent. My only comment is that you will regret it if you let people go below 0.5. (Really. I speak from experience.)

So noted! ;-)

How many people are going to judge any one entry?

I'm gunning for three, if at all possible.

And do you want to encourage face-to-face judging? Or judges working together to coordinate their comments?

I'd like to - but I want to keep in mind that RUM is still mostly about the classes. Therefore, I'd like to make an effort not to prevent anybody from going to whatever classes they'd like. I'm not sure, therefore, how we'd reasonably schedule face-to-face interviews, etc. Judges working together will hopefully be a bit easier.

I think it's helpful that this ISN'T Faire - so the breadth of entries will be narrower. It's one very specific challenge, with only one set of criteria. But the first time (or two, or three) we might be fumbling around a bit. :-/ Still, hopefully I'll get enough good advice from folks who have been there to avoid the biggest pitfalls.

[mistressarafina.livejournal.com]

She said what I was gonna say about the scoring.

My question is what do they "win?" What does the score mean? Did you say so earlier and I missed it? I want there to be a winner and not this everyone wins business. A "winner" for each category. Are there categories?

[femkederoas.livejournal.com]

Knee jerk reaction would be no categories, at least this time out. I don't really think we'll get THAT many entries - the timing is just a bit too short.

I would like to have some sort of genuine prize. Gift basket, gift card, something more or less universally attractive or useful. I'm open to thoughts on that one.

[mistressarafina.livejournal.com]

Okie dokie. I think we can manage a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prize. Gift cards are easy, but basket with stuff are nice too. Maybe we can think of some combination of both. We have a little bit of money to spend.

What if there is a tie? Steel cage match?