How To Improve Your Scores In Ansteorran A&S Competitions

by Master Jin Liu Ch'ang

Overall, one of the best ways to improve your scores in scored A&S competitions is to look at the forms being used and understand how they will be used by the judges. A scored competition can be a wonderful way of getting new ideas on how to improve your arts - look at the score sheet not as a grade but as a tool for you to use.

This article will provide one Laurel's detailed view of the judging forms used in Ansteorra. To see the actual forms, please refer to the Judging Forms Page.

• Performance Judging Form
• Scholarly Judging Form
• Static Judging Form

Title/Type of Performance
A good title grabs an audience and is remembered by the judges.

How many times have you performed this piece in competition?
Nobody likes to see the same piece a thousand times except when requested in a non-contest setting.

Authenticity of Piece/Style (10 pts.)
Is the style period, without being unintelligible? Could you go back in time to the period and present the same work and have it appreciated?

Complexity / Difficulty (5 pts.)
Some types of performances are harder to do than others.

Technical Skill (10 pts)
Preparation, in tune, in rhythm, elocution, diction, projection, volume, harmony, blending.

Presentation and Interpretation (10 pts.)
Movement, bearing, flourishes, manner, creativity, ornamentation, introduction, grooming, appropriate props/costumes.

I have trouble separating the areas for Technical Skill vs. Presentation/Interpretation. I assume that the first is how well you sound performing the piece, while the second is how well you look. Notice that the second category includes props, costumes and grooming. Look the part, be the part. Look like you should be performing the piece. Look like a monk if doing Gregorian chants, like an Elizabethan if performing Shakespeare, like a Viking if doing a Viking saga, and groom appropriately. Bring props when it would help the presentation. A person telling a Viking war story in which he was a participant would probably get a better story in Viking garb and armor holding his trusty Viking sword or spear than in generic SCA garb.

Overall Impression (5 pts.)
Wow appeal, audience reaction, emotional engagement

This is where the judges get to show their bias, also where they get to reward the intangible parts of a performance.

Documentation (10 pts.)
Who wrote it?, Justification of interpretation., In what style?

Preferrably attach a copy of the Sources, choreography, script, music, lyrics, etc, if possible.

If you wrote it, make sure that the judges knew it. If someone else wrote it in period, tell them. This is especially important if it was written in period but the judges may think that it was written later in a non-period style. Make the written part of the documentation (figures are extra) as short as possible. Performances may take place around a campfire. Use large, easy to read fonts.

Title of paper
A good title is remembered by the judges

Type of Paper

• How to/instructional
• Persuasive/argumentative
• Historical/expository

Notice the category titles. Write the paper to fit one of the categories.

Content: (25 overall pts.)
How valuable is the research? What is the purpose of the paper? Is the information presented well? Thesis statement clear and concise. Body is well organized. Arguments adequately supported. Conclusion is clear and concise.

Notice the subtopics in this category on the judging sheet. How valuable is the research - Is this new information or rehashing of information that is already well known?

What is the purpose of the paper - The purpose of the paper should be easy for the judge to figure out. State it somewhere.

Are you taking sides in a historical argument? If so make that clear in a way that does not appear too modern. I would assume that showing a modern bias in a historic argument would not be well received.

Structure/Format: (15 overall pts.)
Is the format consistent and logical? Is the layout presented clearly and supportive of the content? Are illustrations properly documented? Is the bibliography adequate (minimum 3 acceptable sources)?

Complexity - how in depth... Why did you use these books?

This part would have a lot in common with modern composition standards. Organize your paper. Tell where you got the information you used. Period sources would be better than non-period sources, when possible. In the paper, tell where you are using the references - do not just write a list of references at the end without telling where they were used.

Overall Impression (10 pts.)
Appearance, readability, overall impression, extra points.

Appearance counts. Do not write a research paper using an attempt, however good, at period calligraphy even if that was the subject. If you are writing a research paper on period calligraphy, make the calligraphy a figure in the paper, not what is supposed to be read. Put it in some kind of folder where it cannot be accidentally put out of order. Use moderately large, easy to read fonts as judges often have very poor eyesight from reading so many papers in less than perfect circumstances.

Description of Item
A catchy title does not hurt. Make sure that the title draws attention to what you want judged. If you want the embroidery on a piece of garb judged especially and not the garb itself, title it "blackwork embroidery", not "blackwork embroidery on bodice", or "bodice", or no title at all.

Experience with This Medium
beginner/intermediate/expert

Sometimes you may do a work for the first time that looks as if it is done by an expert. If it is your first time, tell the judges here so they know and can reward you for it.

Have you shown this before? How many times?
Do not show the article too many times. I will usually show it three times, then retire it for a few years. If it represents something that you are no longer known for doing, show it again to remind the Laurels of the diversity of your Arts and Sciences interests. Ansteorran Laurels like diversity.

Appropriateness of Materials (5pts.)
Materials appropriate to entry If non-period, is there adequate justification?

When possible, use period materials. Sometimes this is not possible due to cost or availability of the materials. If this is the case, tell the judges in the documentation why you did not use the period materials. Another case, especially for armor and sometimes for other products, is that you made this for someone who requested that it be made out of other materials. If this is the case, tell the judges. In either case, it may not get you up to the full 5 points but it should help you by a point or so, as compared to not telling the judges.

If you are using period materials tell the judges. Never assume that the judges will recognize the use of period materials. I cannot tell the difference between types of steel, especially when well polished, and other than stainless steel, I would not know if they are period. I am sure there are modern fabrics that could be mistaken for period fabrics and vice versa.

Original or Reproduction (5 pts.)
Original - period style, techniques, materials used to create a unique item, OR Reproduction - an accurate reproduction of a period item.

Tell the judges what they are supposed to be seeing - do not assume they will automatically see it. If it is in a period style, show pictures of period examples. If you used period techniques - tell the judges and give references showing that this is how they did it. If you exactly copied an original period piece show a picture of the original. Justify differences from the pieces shown as examples, showing that your product would have been possible in period times.

Complexity/Difficulty (10pts.)
Level of involvement, creativity in project extrapolation, execution, etc.

Again, tell the judges what they are supposed to be seeing - do not assume they will automatically see it. If the project was especially hard to produce, tell the judges, they may not know it. If it required many different techniques to produce the project, tell the judges.

Workmanship (10 pts.)
Technical skill, techniques used.

This section allows the judges to score how well you used the techniques that you told them that you used. Make sure that they know how hard it was to produce and what techniques were used. The judges will assume you did it the easy way with modern tools and with store-bought supplies that made the project easy unless told otherwise. Finish counts for a lot.

Authenticity of Entry (10pts.)
Validity as a period recreation (should be supported in the documentation).

If the project is absolutely period, make sure the judges know it - do not assume that they know. Back it up with pictures of period examples or period references to the product. Many period items look exactly like modern items.

Overall Impression (10 pts.)
Includes quality of finished work/aesthetics. Judges discretion.

This is where the judges get to show their bias, also where they get to reward the intangibles. This is also where they get to reward your display and your documentation.

How well you display your work accounts to a surprising degree on how well it is thought of by the judges. I did not recognize this for several years and it cost me in the eyes of the Laurels. Make your display visually appealing. Organize your display. Use tablecloths to hide distractions. Make pretty supports to make the display three-dimensional. This is especially important in body of work competitions where some entries may get lost in the midst of the mass of work. You can use the boxes that you brought the entry to the event in to make a 3D display by hiding it with a piece of cloth. If the cloth is made of a period material, all the better.

Written documentation - Notice how many places I told you to make sure the judges know something. You do that with your documentation.

The supporting documentation should be specific for that entry even though you may do several similar entries.

Make the documentation as short as possible while still telling the judges everything that they need to judge the entry.

My advice is to use a Summary Page or Card that gives a broad overview of the entry with a title. On this card, describe the article and the important features in workmanship, style, etc. that you want the judges to see. This summary should be very short, less than a page, even an index card.

Go into more detail on all these points in Appendices that are attached to the Summary Page (Card) including pictures of techniques, special tools, especially period methods, etc.