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~ The All-Around Judge's Handbook ~ |
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Part 1: Understanding Those Unwritten Rules
Things To Look Out For / Never Do
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-- All-In-One Shows
What Are They: |
When a show host decides to judge ALL the entries from EACH of the categories in one GIANT show. Usually there is only one set of awards given out. This means that there could be a BIS catz, a 1st place dali, a 2nd place catz, a 3rd place dane, etc. in the same award lineup. Sometimes, a host may do this because he / she has a lack of entries, or because he / she doesn’t really know how to judge properly.
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Why it’s Wrong: |
1) Let’s strip it down to basics: What is the judge really doing? Well, he/she is taking dogz and catz alike and comparing them against each other. But, of course, this can’t really be done fairly by any person… even if they claim otherwise. Why? Think of it like comparing apples and oranges – it can’t be done because there is a different standard for each one.
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2) Similarly, each pose has its own regulations – none of which is “better” than the other.
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3) The way that shows are supposed to run DOES compare different dogz / catz and ranks them accordingly. However, it is all done individually (by pose). For example, in a dali show, ONLY dali poses are judged. Simple, no ;)
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Rule of Thumb: |
Always judge your shows with “like” entries: dali to dali, dane to dane, and catz to catz. NEVER mix them together!
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-- Traditional vs. Non-Traditional Shows
What's What: |
Traditional Shows: Dane, Dali, and Catz
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Non-Traditional Shows: Anything not mentioned above (i.e. funny, cute, puppy, mother/child, priceless, etc.)
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The Problem: |
Sometimes judges will host non-traditional shows and award points (BIS = 5 points, etc.) to the winners.
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Why it’s Wrong: |
1) None of the shows other than traditional ones really have any standards at all. To judge these shows is only an opinion of taste, and will be different for each person. It turns into almost an art, rather than a science – and cannot be double checked by anyone other than the original host. Therefore, it is easy to say that they are “unfair.”
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2) According to the classic meaning of posing, there is a default that each petz is capable of producing for the purpose of showing. Most other poses are generated by luck or by certain stimuli within the environment, not by the petz’ natural selection of motion.
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3) Consider real shows / primers (which is what the petz game is half modeled after). What do you think they run upon? Are their awards nilly-willy or are they based upon a standard set by repeated trial and error?
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Rule of Thumb: |
It is perfectly alright to host non-traditional shows on your website (awards and all), but you should NEVER attach any points to them!
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-- The Controversy Over Wildz / Fantasy Breedz
What Are They: |
Think of any breedz out there you may know of that doesn’t resemble the shape of a dogz or a catz. Maybe a rabbit, a lion, snake, elephant, tiger, or unicorn? How about a fish, a toucan, a butterfly, or even a fairy / dragon of some sort? All these, and countless others are considered wildz and / or fantasy breeds. Each and every one of them have been hexed using a base from one of the original PF Magic breeds that came with the game. Because of this, each and every one of them is capable of *attempting* to make a show pose (though some are not exactly able to do a good job because of the way their ball structure is aligned).
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The Problem: |
Just because a wildz is attempting to make a show pose like its base counterpart, it is accepted and judged alongside other dogz / catz in a specific category of a traditional show.
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Why it’s Wrong: |
1) Just as it was mentioned in the “All-In-One Shows”, there is a standard for each pose. Perhaps the part that I left out was the last part of the phrase, “… a standard for each pose and general breed form” – meaning that in order to get a perfect catz show pose, the petz in question MUST actually look like a catz. Otherwise, the table becomes open more for opinion than precision.
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2) In essence, entering a wildz into a regular show really isn’t very fair because the judge would then have to compare grapes with bananas… not much fun at all, is it?
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Rule of Thumb: |
NEVER accept wildz or other fantasy breedz into traditional shows.
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-- The Controversy Over Puppies / Kittens
The Problem: |
Time after the next, under-aged petz are being entered and accepted into (adult) pose shows, and are being placed higher than the adult poses. This happens a lot when the show host does not specify in the rules that entries should be at 100% on the age bar.
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Why it’s Wrong: |
1) From experience, it is much easier to get a nicer looking show pose out of a younger petz (but then again, that makes sense… they look prettier :)
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2) Regardless, it almost falls in the same boat as trying to judge a catz against a dali pose… and for the same reason (or if you have been following this tutorial, you know that by now I’m liable to talk about fruit – only this time we are comparing a Red Delicious Apple with a Gala Apple – they are mostly the same, but have key differences that set them apart).
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Rule of Thumb: |
NEVER judge puppies higher than adults unless it is absolutely called for.
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Nice Things to Do as a Judge
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-- Make Awards
Why Do It: |
Most petz websites do this already, but there are a few that don’t. Making awards is a great way to show off some of that blossoming artistic skill you’ve got! There are some people that enter shows just to see what the next award set will look like, and don’t I know it ;) Not only that, but such graphics are actually considered collectables for the serious showers who take and display them on crew sites as specific proof of their petz’ victories / status.
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Tricks of the Trade: |
If you don’t have time to make an award set yourself, there are plenty of blank templates that other petz sites will offer. PixiMyst has its own selection to choose from here!
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If you put your website address on the award graphic, it will serve a duel purpose: (1) A nifty looking show award and (2) a free “ad” for your webbie. (People such as myself can’t resist typing in the links found on show awards to see if the site is still active)
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Produce quality results and you will receive quality entries on your next round. The general public loves pretty looking “trophies” that display their petz, and really are a reflection of you and how much you care.
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Also, a little archive recognition is also appreciated - as it shows off, especially if you become a popular judge - who has entered in the past and where they stand. Bad show posers beware! ;)
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-- Send out a Status Report:
Why Do It: |
Alright, I don’t mean every time you get an entry, but it is a nice little gesture to let people know when your latest shows have been judged so that they can come and see if their petz placed. It also numbers down the potential number of annoying e-mails claiming that they “didn’t get their show award because they didn’t know the results were posted.”
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Tricks of the Trade: |
Be polite, and make them WANT to come back to see if they placed or not. If you are good enough, they might even enter again… :)
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You might want to consider sending the awards in the status e-mail just in case. It will lessen the chance that they’ll visit your site, but it is a sure fire way to MAKE SURE they got their prize!
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-- Have Reasonable Rules and Form:
Why Do It: |
Who wants to enter a show with too many rules? If anything else, it is a detour from what you want your guests to do. Enough said!
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At the same time, make sure that the rules you have aren’t weird or strangely written. Confusing your visitors is a great way to loose potential entries…
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-- Have a Reasonable Entry Number:
Why Do It: |
At the rate at which most shows these days tend to fill up, it just isn’t a reasonable thing to ask that every person send in ONE ENTRY ONLY, and judge at around 20 entries total. It would take too long, and many of your earliest entrants would probably have forgotten that they even entered by the time you got around to judging the show in the first place. At the same time, don’t be so crude as to offer shows that judge at five entries, where a single person could enter all five participant petz. That, in a way, is like cheating the system a little bit, as every petz will end up placing (even if the pose is absurdly horrid), and there is really only one person the original owner is competing against: him/herself. That would be sad…
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My Advice: |
Keep your judging maximum around 12 entries (average) and let your visitors enter somewhere around three petz each. That way, you only need four people to enter (assuming they all send three petz) instead of 20, and you can keep a running total much quicker and efficiently.
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Part 2: How to Actually "Judge"
For this part of the tutorial, I have broken things down nice and simple. Weather or not your are judging catz or dogz (dali, dane) shows, you always start out in a similar fashion, eliminating a base few to start with. After that, it becomes rather selective according to type. If, at any point, you have 5 petz left in the lineup, STOP eliminating from the group and skip to the part where you assign them placements (BIS, 1st place, etc.). I am basing my eliminations off of a group of around 12 to start with.
To Start Out
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1) Open up a PSP program (or anywhere where you can layout your entry pictures side-by-side). I would recommend a graphics program of some sort because then you can make awards for the winners right then and there if you really wanted to!
2) Fill the screen with your entry pictures, side by side, up and down. They can be in any order at this point.
3) Eliminate any photos that obviously don't fit the bill. Sucky show poses are always a "goodbye" right off the bat! Also, don't forget to check for cheaters... Entries with editing also deserve to go by the way-side.
4) If you have puppiez / kittenz combined in the show, rearrange the order so that they come last in the lineup. It's only fair that way ;)
For Catz Shows
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5) Check the eyelids on each catz. It's a dead giveaway in the awards... whoever has the more even eyelids gets a higher placement.
6) Next look at the feet: going from front to back. The catz with the front legs closest together and the back legs furthest apart wins their spot in placement.
7) The last thing to do is to seek out the tail. Make sure that it curves nicely over the back, and isn't staggered.
8) Throughout this whole process, you should be constantly re-arranging the photos based on the highest criteria. In certain cases, you may have to look at the overall picture to judge fairly. At any rate, eliminate all but the top five and WA-LA! Now you're ready for some serious award making! ;)
For Dali Shows
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5) Most important to check first is the quality of the overall pose. Ask youself: "Was this dog really attempting to show pose or was (s)he just over or under-acting? Is (s)he proud looking? Was this shot a just a lucky one off the cuff? What was the dogz doing before the camara was clicked?" Sometimes you may get an entry that, when seen by component (head, tail, etc.) may score higher than the dogz that really has the better pose. Also consider, if you can tell, breedz in this case. It is just another safty measure :)
6) Go strait to the head, next. Dogz naturally align their eyelids -- so you don't have to worry about them much. What you DO need to look for, however, is the adjustment between the ears and how the nose is placed. These three points form sort of a triangle in a dali pose - and everything in the middle should form the sides accordingly. If the dogz is not looking directly at the camara, or doesn't show that "triangle head" - then it should go down in the lineup.
7) Next aim your attentions at the legs - specifically around the ankles. This is where you can really tell if things are lined up or not. Be careful! There have been many cases where I've judged shows that have entries with literally a pixel difference in between them.
8) Take a look at the tail end now. For dogz, there is a great variation in how they all are set up - which is why I consider them last. Traditionally, I look for a nice curve over the back (not over-bend, or outstreched, but something like a tight crecent moon shape). However, with some breeds, there may be drop-tails or add-ballz tails... in which case, you're the judge *wink, wink*
For Dane Shows
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5) The only thing that is really different in a dane pose is the head -- which is also another one of those "dead giveaways" to your quality of judging skill in the show awards (at least as a first impression). Make sure that both ears are lined up nicely, and only one eye is showing. Any discrepancy between these two (even if it is a pixel's worth) should knock the dogz in question down in the lineup; at least innitially.
6) All other sections of the dane pose are almost identical to that of the dali pose, and should be judged in the same fashion (see above).
7) When you are all done, eliminate all but the last five and make your awards! It's as simple as 1-2-3 (or for this instance, I think it would be something more like 5-6-7 XD)
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