New Contest #2?

[bupaje]

Despite some bangs and bumps we actually did get contest #1 finished and there were some cool entries. I'm pretty busy searching for my first animation job but I have been contacted by people interested in providing some really great prizes if we decide to do another contest. So, the question is did you guys enjoy the contest, and would you be interested in more? I'll need just a little longer to set it up but the prizes are already in place.

What did you like, what did you hate, what might be fun, lets talk about it here and then make a list. I'll mash it all up and try to come up with something fun, -maybe even a dual contest depending on the actual number of prizes.

Here are a few thoughts I have to start it off.

1 - I think it might be good to allow users to award 50% of the points by voting in a poll, and two or more judges the other 50%. What do you think?

2 - How about an art contest, or two contests with one for art (say backgrounds and props for a scene), the goal being to allow more people to participate. The added benefits would be more free resources and we might be able to get some Flash and/or Illustrator people from other busy forums to participate by using the demo as well thus generating more entries (anyone know how long the demo lasts and if you can save?).

I'll give more details about prizes and such after I guage your interest to see if it is worth doing the work. Let me know what you think.

[Genete]

Hurraah!!! A new contest!!

My thoughts:

1) 50% vote is a good idea but a place to vote and timing should be addressed. I think you can make a pool topic with ,imited timing voting and with all the valid entries of the contest. It wil be fun!!. One problem How to avoid double votes? How to avoid someone vote to itself?

2) If two contest are goint to run in this forum (animation and artwork) I think they should be done enterely with Anime Studio tools. I think the contest should be a promotion of AS and not of other programs. Also every art work can be evaluated in the same way. You cannot compare an artwork done with Artrage with other made with belnder or Anime Studio. For the animation contest is allowed to insert backgrounds done with other software but we should focus in the animation when evalueate it.

3) Proposal for store animations. Youtube have problems with sound aligment when tranlate to its format unless you have uploaded it as flv. I suggest that anyone upload its entry do in his best way. Any format and aspect ratio is valid.

Best
Genete

[rylleman]

...2 - How about an art contest...

How about an animation contest? AS is an animation software and yet so few people on this forum seems to focus on animation, instead going for rendition of artwork.
Without good animation (movement and acting) the artwork becomes hollow and boring.

[Gnaws]

How about an art contest, or two contests with one for art (say backgrounds and props for a scene), the goal being to allow more people to participate. The added benefits would be more free resources and we might be able to get some Flash and/or Illustrator people from other busy forums to participate...

I really like this idea for exactly the reasons you mentioned.

If I may add my 2-cents; creating backgrounds and props exclusively in AS seems like an academic exercise. Yeah you could probably eventually create something in AS that's comparable to Illustrator but, as my Dad used to say "Why take the long way around the barn?" We all love AS for its animation capabilities, not so much for its drawing tools.

[Rhoel]

Several ideas here.

• all work to be original.
• all rights remain with the animator/creator.
• Limiting the animation length to 30 seconds make the competition achievable by everyone. Its also a good discipline - telling stories in 30 seconds is hard!.
• 30 seconds films are ideal for mobile content.
• Making the backgrounds AS only is not such a good idea - if people want to use Photoshop or a 3D program, that should be permitted - it will also show off what is capable of AS.
• Having a poll vote is a good idea.
• Maybe getting Atom Films involved with the prize might be good - they give good publicity on their site and have a tie-up with Comedy Central and mobile content suppliers. If its good, then its worth getting the max coverage.

Rhoel

[DarthFurby]

A second contest is a great idea. Especially with the recent influx of talented artists/animators.

[DarthFurby]

How about making 30 second commercials featuring one of the sponsor's products? Who knows, a well made commercial could end up on tv somehwere.

[J. Baker]

Several ideas here.

• all work to be original.
• all rights remain with the animator/creator.
• Limiting the animation length to 30 seconds make the competition achievable by everyone. Its also a good discipline - telling stories in 30 seconds is hard!.
• 30 seconds films are ideal for mobile content.
• Making the backgrounds AS only is not such a good idea - if people want to use Photoshop or a 3D program, that should be permitted - it will also show off what is capable of AS.
• Having a poll vote is a good idea.
• Maybe getting Atom Films involved with the prize might be good - they give good publicity on their site and have a tie-up with Comedy Central and mobile content suppliers. If its good, then its worth getting the max coverage.

Rhoel

ditto

[sour_jax]

How about making 30 second commercials featuring one of the sponsor's products? Who knows, a well made commercial could end up on tv somehwere.

Hey, that's sounds like an awesome idea, kinda like the Doritos Super Bowl Ad contest.

[DarthFurby]

Yeap, a lot like the Super Bowl Ad contest but I was also thinking it would be some incentive to get more sponsors to participate. That way everyone gets a little something out of it.

[bupaje]

Hey guys (and gals?). Still alive on this - just eagerly (desperately?! ) searching for work as my current job has actually run out and the boss looks a bit 'concerned' about paying for two people now that I have trained my replacement. I will be attending an event this week, and meeting some industry people, thanks to a very lucky contact I made with someone who has worked on some well known animated films.

Anyway, just wanted you to know/expect a little delay as I gots to feed da family.

-So I agree with Rhoel on one of the contests being focused on animation. I also agree that if that focus is animation then backgrounds could be done in any program.

-I also like the commercial idea though maybe it would be more fun to create fun make believe products? My concern is that some may want more freedom AND if we ended up with a second sponsor and no one picked their product for a commercial they'd be bent about it. Thoughts?

The art contest may or may not happen ... I like the idea because it might generate more entries but if limited to AS, and no participation from outside the forum occurs, then I'm not sure that a sponsor would be interested in awarding a prize that might be worth $50 to $150 dollars for example if there was 1 entry in that category.

In other words in my experinence the sponsor is interested in contests only because they generate good exposure which can help generate more sales. The other incentive that could offset small number of entries is the production of content which will be available for use by the whole community thereby providing some continuing benefit -ie if we ended up with 5-10 decent new backgrounds with props or rigged characters to put on a community page then this would provide continuing visibility to the sponsor as people downloaded them. We need to provide a worthwhile exchange -the more we can offer as far as exposure the better and more consistent the prizes.

Please continue to post your thoughts and I'll try to firm up a plan this weekend based on feedback, get your final thoughts on it and work on getting it finalized next week if all goes as planned.

While not official based on initial response we may be talking about a prizes valued in the $200 range. I have a definite commitment for prize (or maybe even prizes) but will run the final contest past them when we iron out the details.

[slice11217]

Maybe instead of a comercial, we're given a simple story outline with simple characters and we get to extrapolate from there while keeping the project limited to maybe 30 seconds. You know, something that's good for building a reel with.

If you still choose to go with the mock comercial project, I have one that I need to finish anyway, so I'm cool with that.

[Víctor Paredes]

what about if we made a little commercial about AS?
or something similar
(i don't know, i always read all here love as and all here love this forum and all here love lostmarble)

[bupaje]

Hey. Still looking for work here - in panic mode since my current job is really ended, only hanging on because a last minute audit by the IRS means they needed my brain for a bit longer but that may be done any day/minute. Stress is my constant companion. :/

Anyway I like the commercial idea and am thinking of a fake 30 second commercial, featuring any fake/spoof product (avoid using copyrighted names) for an interplanetary superbowl of sorts. Should allow lots of variations from ships, to jet packs, exotic weapons, food, clothing and services aimed at human or alien consumers.

Give feedback and I'll rough in the details and have something for you as soon as I can. I also am working on an idea to get some additional exposure for the pieces as suggested.

[Genete]

Hi!
Only one remark. As well as my english understanding is limited and the rules of this contest are different I need a very slow and explicit explanation of the terms to participate.

Anyway I like the commercial idea and am thinking of a fake 30 second commercial, featuring any fake/spoof product (avoid using copyrighted names) for an interplanetary superbowl of sorts

What is a "interplanetary superbowl of sorts"? Sorry for the silly question.
Best
Genete

PD: Bupaje: I wish you find a good job. I'm sure you'll get it soon.