Crown Jewels Wear - use your imagination & show us your interpretation of crown jewels wear!  This is the category where you can have a LOT of fun - props and unique ideas encouraged!  The judges will be focusing on how the contestant's routine entertains them, the personality of the contestant as expressed in the character chosen, and the creativity and originality of the presentation.  This is not a talent event and at least some portion of the time you are on stage must include modeling.  Modeling is not scored, but we emphasize this is a modeling event rather than a talent event.  You will be judged 25% on choice of theme/originality, 25% on personality and stage presence, 25% on facial beauty and 25% on overall stage presentation.

Swimwear:  Model your choice of age appropriate swimwear.  25% facial beauty, 25% personality and stage presence, 50% overall stage presentation.

Outfit of Choice:  Model your choice of outfit, casual wear, sportswear, themed wear, western wear, etc.  You will be judged 25% on facial beauty, 25% on personality and stage presence, and 50% on overall stage presentation. 

Notes:  Big girls wear high heels with their swimwear - little girls traditionally go barefoot.    Ideas for OOC and Crown Jewels wear should be age appropriate - we do not want to see Toddlers & Tiaras style shock value of a 3 year old dressed up as a prostitute - this is poor taste & not typical of what is normally seen at a pageant.

Judges need to be aware that there should be no prejudice towards the cuteness of a 3 year old's routine vs. the elegant style of an older girl's routine.  Both are equally preferred.  Try to look at the individual child and always keep in mind the elements you are judging.  Any age child may do a sportswear or western wear routine, which includes a very flashy glitzy outfit and pro am type modeling.  Do not penalize any age for this type of outfit or routine, as it is typical of all ages in glitz pageants.  In ooc, it is sometimes difficult to compare a casual wear to a themed ooc to a sportswear or western wear routine - but again, just focus on the elements you are judging about each performance and try not to get sidetracked on other factors.

Definition of "overall stage presentation":  this is not a modeling score, a beauty score or a personality score.  This is the overall appeal of what you just saw on stage.  This is your overall impression of the contestant's event.  Did it entertain you?  Did it hold your interest?  Did the contestant engage you & keep you with her/him throughout the performance?  This could include the outfit - did it fit?  Was it complimentary to the contestant?  This could include the hair & makeup - was it flattering?  The contestant does not have to have an elaborate routine, but it should be polished and 'together.'  The contestant should not be having to stop and think, and with the exception of very young children should not be watching mom for cues but should be engaging the judges. 

Note:  there are no rules against gymnastics in our events. However, please keep in mind that this is not a gymnastics meet, and while it is wonderful that a child could do six backflips across the stage, that does not necessarily make him or her the top winner in the event.  Please keep in mind the judging criteria at all times.  There is no score for ‘gymnastic ability”.

Glitz Color:  This must be a color close up head shot.  You will be judged 50% on facial beauty, 50% on total photo appeal.

Glitz B & W:  This must be a black & white close up head shot.  You will be judged 50% on facial beauty, 50% on total photo appeal.

Natural Color:  This must be a color close up head shot.  Judges will be looking for a natural (not enhanced) photo.  Light retouching allowed for removing stray hairs or blemishes.  You will be judged 50% facial beauty, 50% total photo appeal.

Black & White Natural – black & white, close up natural headshot.  Light retouching allowed for smoothing stray hairs, blemishes, etc.  50% facial beauty, 50% total photo appeal. 

Print Model:  This is a photo that could be used in a magazine, 3/4 body or full body shot.  50% facial beauty, 50% total photo appeal.

Portfolio:  This is a collection of your favorite photos - head shots, full length, inside/outside, color/b& w, your choice.  The judges will be judging 25% facial beauty, 25% on collective photo appeal, 50% on variety.

Comp Card:  This will feature a variety of your photos to include head shots and full body or three quarter shots.  Judges will be judging 50% facial beauty, 25% on originality/creativity, 25% on variety.

New for 2012:  SERIES!:  a 10 x 20 series board that shows creativity and originality.  Judges will be judging 50% on originality/creativity, 25% facial beauty, 25% overall appeal.

Interview:  Judges will casually chat with the contestant - no pressure or tough questions.  See instructions on what to wear under "Natural Beauty" above.  100% personality.  Please do not consider beauty in the scoring of interview.  Please only judge on personality.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO JUDGES:

1.  Please make this as positive an experience for each contestant as you can.  Smile at the contestants and put them at ease!  Smile and wave at babies & young children.  Your positive response to each contestant will help them to perform better on stage and to leave feeling that they did a great job.

2.  Please score each child individually.  Do not hold back on your scores.  If the first contestant on stage deserves perfect scores, give them - please do not hold back thinking that there might be another contestant who is 'better.'  More than one contestant in each group could receive perfect scores, if deserved. 

3.  Please do not talk to any of the contestants or their families until competition is over.  A 'hi' is fine if you run into someone in the hall, but any discussion of the child or the competition should not occur until the completion of judging.  If anyone other than pageant staff approaches you wanting to discuss their child or the competition before judging is over, please contact the director immediately.  If after crowning you would like to talk to the parent, please discuss only their child and not the other contestants.

4.  For photo competition, you will choose your favorite photo submitted by the contestant in each category and you will judge that photo.  Each judge may choose a different photo, or they may judge the same photo as another judge.

5.  Please do not judge any contestant on any other basis other than what is explained above for each event or photo. 

6.  Think before you write - after you write it, the score will not be changed.  Please do not score overall stage presentation until entire performance is over.

7.  We encourage judges' comments on the score sheets but please state comments in a POSITIVE way.  Examples:  "beautiful girl", "great smile", "lovely eyes" etc but you can also state constructive criticism in a positive way "I would love to see her in blue, would really compliment her eyes," "needs eye contact - I want to see those beautiful eyes!" "neckline of dress distracting from her beautiful face" "routine seemed robotic - this child has a great personality, focus less on routine & more on showing that beautiful smile".  Judges will not make any comments about something that can't be changed - not constructive - at one pageant we were told by a judge that Chelsea's chest was too big, and obviously we weren't having a breast reduction at 17 - to me this is not constructive criticism.  A judge should never write anything harmful to a child such as "eyes too close together" or - as I heard was once written on a scoresheet about a beautiful child - "should not be in pageants."  Think of the child's feelings, the parent's feelings, and most of all the fact that this child has the guts to get up there on stage in front of you and that in itself says a wonderful, positive thing about this child.  Something positive can be said about EVERY child and we would love to see feedback for the parents.  Don't hold back constructive criticism; just please, keep it constructive.  Remember, you will be discussing your scoring with parents after the pageant - be prepared to explain your score and to give helpful comments.  When a parent stays and stands in line to talk to you, they have a genuine desire to help their child improve; be respectful and always remember the courage that child had in getting up on that stage in front of you.  Be careful how you phrase things - this is that mom's BABY - every baby out there is beautiful.  Don't tear any child down - have only constructive, helpful things to say.  Use your notes when talking to parents and refer to the poster if needed.

8.  This is a GLITZ pageant.  As a judge, you will be seeing fake hair (should match and compliment the child), spray tans (tans may be light to dark but should never be splotchy, streaky, or weird color like green or oompah loompah orange), flippers (these are the fake teeth), fake eyelashes, and makeup.  All of these are normal for glitz pageants and should not be counted off for in any way.  Dresses may be clean and elegant to elaborate and heavily stoned, and should fit and compliment the child - do not count off for more stones or less stones but look at the overall appearance of the child and does the dress enhance or take away from that?  We tell our contestants we want full glitz and to go ALL OUT.  Don't penalize them for following our directions, even if you personally might prefer a more natural look.

9.  Scoring:  we had originally planned on going with a different scoring system than the usual ten point, but in watching a scoring system like what I had envisioned in play and afterwards trying to decipher what the judges meant, I wrongly assumed my Lexi had received a "4" in facial beauty.  In asking, I found out that it was more of an 8.5 - but due to this mistake on my part, I realized that as pageant moms we are used to that 10 pt system and we are going to try to convert anything over to that to measure how we're doing. 

I NEVER want a parent or contestant to walk out of Crown Jewels traumatized because of an extremely low score.  That is not what this is about.  Making a parent or child feel horrible actually goes against everything I think pageantry is about.

Obviously, there have to be higher scores and lower scores.  If we did not have higher scores and lower scores, there would be no way to determine the winners.  However, we'd like for lower scores to simply be a guide for improvement and not in any way say any child is UGLY or undeserving.  With any lower score, I'd like to see a comment to help.

In a 10 point system 5 is average.  At Crown Jewels, we feel that all pageant contestants are above average.  Simply because they are there, because they have the courage to get up on stage in front of the judges and they have worked hard to entertain you - that in itself makes them above average.  I do not want to see a 6 or under at Crown Jewels.  7 - good, 8 - great, 9 - excellent, 10 - exceptional, wow, the best I could ever imagine.  You may use up to 3 plus marks which will be used to break ties.  If plus marks are unavailable to break a tie, we will go with the facial beauty score from Glitz Beauty competition.

Most of your contestants will receive 8, 9 or 10.  Again, don't hold back on those scores.  If that first child was the best you'd ever seen up to that point, give them that 10.  Don't worry about what comes NEXT, worry about the child that is on stage at that time.

10.  A boy or a baby may score just as high as an 8 year old, 12 year old, or 18 year old girl.  Please do not hold back on scores on boys or babies due to their gender or age.  A young child will obviously not have the modeling technique of an older girl, but please keep in mind that modeling is NOT judged at Crown Jewels.  Keep in mind at all times the 5 most important things you are looking for in each contestant, outlined below.  If a boy or a baby meets all this criteria, they should receive the scores to reflect that.

Ties broken at Crown Jewels by facial beauty scores.  If that is also equal, it will go back to the judges to decide.

What do we want to see in the top winners at Crown Jewels?

Beautiful - facial beauty is 50% of your beauty score and 25% of crown jewels wear and ooc wear.  Facial beauty is also 50% or 25% of ALL photo scores.

Confident - you should radiate confidence.   We want to see personality and sass!

Stage Presence - you should light up the stage.  You should SHINE and pull us in.  We need to say WOW!

Overall Appearance - Every detail beautiful!  Clothing should fit well and compliment the child's coloring and appearance.

Clever & original ideas on themes - An original cute idea, presented well - plus the above criteria!! - is what is going to win Crown Jewels wear.