TAs the days are cooling off and the leaves are turning colors, it really is a sign that fall is here. I love Halloween so I look forward to Fall! In case you missed it, Toolfarm has joined forces with a musician named SumKid and we're hosting a video contest with Halloween themed music! This ain't Thriller!

Check out The Nobody Hole for information on how to enter. There are thousands of dollars worth of video and music prizes for the best entry. Prizes include goods from Digieffects, Red Giant, Noise Industries, CHV Plugins and limited edition music from Sum... and more. Download one of three short audio tracks and build your vision of the music. Create. Enter. Profit.

Labels: CHV, Contest, DigiEffects, Noise Industries, Red Giant

We have a lot going on in the coming couple of months. Here's a brief rundown.

Sept 29 - Boris Continuum Chroma Key Offer Ends

Oct 1-3 - Final Cut Studio Conference, Mt. Pleasant, MI.
I'll be teaching some Apple Motion Seminars at the conference. As far as conferences go, this one is very inexpensive and there are excellent classes being held. Plus, Mt. Pleasant is home to the world famous Sweet Onion restaurant. :-)

Oct 8-9 - Rocky Mountain VidExpo, Denver, CO.
Toolfarm will be running a booth at the show. Stop by and say hi to Alicia and Michele from Toolfarm (that's me!). Also, if you register by October 2, you can get into the exhibit hall, the keynote address and some of the seminars for free.

Oct 12-15 - Motion08 Conference (special offer expires September 30), Albuquerque, NM.
Use that link to get a fantastic special offer. Save $600! For real! Trish and Chris Meyer, Mark Coleran and others will be presenting so this is a big show not to be missed. Not only that, the NM Hot Air Balloon Festival is at the same time. Toolfarm may have a booth at the show. We're in this little contest and we're very close to getting in.

Oct 13-17 - MG Fest, Orlando, FL
Toolfarm is a sponsor of the MG Fest. It's a traveling show this year and will be hitting loads of US cities. I'll be teaching some classes at the Chicago stop in January. Nothing like Chicago in January...

Oct 24 - The Nobody Hole Contest Ends
The contest just launched last night! This is something like we've never done before and we're very excited about it. There are boatloads of prizes. Check it out!

Oct 29 - Adobe CS4 Expected Ship Date
Can you wait that long!?

Labels: Adobe, Contest, Event, Final Cut Studio, Motion Conference, VidExpo

Hip hop artist Sumkid and I have been feverishly working on a video contest to promote his incredible hip hop opera, The Nobody Hole. The theme is perfect for the Halloween season! Get out your video tools and be prepared for some awesome music and the possibility of winning some fantastic prizes. The grand prize is worth $2,800, including prizes by Noise Industries, Digieffects, Red Giant, CHV Plug-ins, Professional Video Templates, Toolfarm, plus some music and magazines. We've never done a contest like this before but tell all of your friends!

Press Release - For Immediate Release

Dunn Deal Artist Sumkid Launches Video Contest for Pioneering Hip-Hop Opera, THE NOBODY HOLE

The Nobody Hole Video Contest Winner Receives Thousands of Dollars in video software, applications, music, magazine subscriptions and more!

Los Angeles, CA - Over three years ago in Brooklyn, NY, rising MC and songsmith SUMKID architected an album that was so wildly ambitious it spilled over into film, visual art and theater. This album, a Halloween hip-hop opera called The Nobody Hole, is what LA-based and Southern-bred Sum describes as "a crazy adventure of epic proportions and a tribute to the influences on my imagination; from The Wizard of Oz, and John Carpenter's Halloween to R.A. Salvatore's The Dark Elf Trilogy and Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street." For the past three years, Sumkid has been gathering a cult following for the project, due largely to his Rocky Horror Pictureshow-esque Halloween event, The Nobody Ball, which combines live performance and visual art, a screening of The Nobody Hole's "moving storyboard", DJ sets, gift giveaways and food. However, Sum's biggest dream has been to one day breathe life into The Nobody Hole via motion graphics or animation.

Now, in collaboration with The Good Look, Toolfarm and MaxBumps.net, Sum is announcing a video contest that will challenge the world of designers and animators to give life to one vast imagination and help push the bounds of what hip-hop culture can achieve. The mission is easy: pick one of three song choices from the album, and make the best animated video you can (the choices are all under 2 min long). The grand prize winner will win thousands of dollars worth of prizes, including a mega-bundle of top-notch effects and post-production applications for the video nuts out there, music prizes courtesy of Dunn Deal and Sumkid, and magazine subscriptions courtesy of culture impresarios Swindle and Frank151.

"I like to think that The Nobody Hole is a brand that's going to be as huge as Star Wars, The Matrix or The Lord of The Rings one day... and I'm looking forward to finding hungry and talented artists out there that can see that and be part of history with this contest. And hell, even if it doesn't get that big, we'll still have a damn revolutionary project on our hands," says Sumkid, creator and writer of The Nobody Hole.

Sum, The Good Look and Toolfarm want to see what these graphics designers are made of. The Web site TheNobodyHole.com is loaded with details and a full version of the album for fans to listen to. It houses all of The Nobody Hole Video Contest official rules, prize information, and instructions on submitting and viewing videos. The contest begins today and submissions will be received until October 24th, 2008.

No purchase is necessary to participate and the contest is void where prohibited.

Through October 24th, all videos submitted during the 4-week promotion will be reviewed by Sum and The Good Look, who will choose the Grand Prize Winner. Viewers and fans will be allowed to vote and choose the 1st and 2nd runners up.

For more information about The Nobody Hole Video Contest, visit TheNobodyHole.com, TheGoodLook.net or shoot an email to thenobodyboard@gmail.com.

Labels: Contest

Submit your best BCC "Tips and Techniques" and win fantastic prizes!

Boris is rolling out the Boris Continuum Complete "How Did They Do That?" tips and techniques contest. Participation in the contest is simple. Submit your favorite Boris Continuum Complete work with a short brief on how you used the BCC 5 filters to realize your project.

Submissions are judged based on your application of the BCC 5 filters and the style and final result of your piece. Contest winners receive great prizes including an iPod and Boris Gift Certificates. Entrees will be posted on www.borisfx.com where thousands of industry professionals visit daily.

• Download a free demo of Boris Continuum Complete
• Learn more/purchase Boris Continuum Complete

Submission Dates and Deadlines:

• Now accepting submissions!
• Submission Deadline: October 17, 2008
• Winners will be announced in November 2008
• Review the submission format brief

Prizes:

• First Prize: iPod + $1,000 Boris Gift Certificate
• Second Prize: $500 Boris Gift Certficate
• Third Prize: $250 Boris Gift Certificate

Labels: Boris, Contest, Continuum Complete

Just thought I'd give you a little teaser about a contest that Toolfarm will be holding in September and October. It's a bit spooky and very creative and has to do with a super talented up and coming hip hop artist. Sounds intriguing, eh!

Stay tuned! It's going to be very cool.

Labels: Contest

The motionawards celebrate creative excellence in motion graphics, animation, and vfx, honoring the most current, breakthrough work. All worked entered must be the result of paid creative services and media placement, with the exceptions of public service work, projects for the arts, self-promotion, and student. Finalists will be notified by September 12, 2008. Winners of the 2008 motionawards will be announced Monday, October 13, 2008 at the motionawards party - part of motion08. The deadline to enter is September 8, 2008. More Information/Enter here

Labels: Contest, Motion Conference

Enter your work to be show in the Adobe MAX Events which will be stopping in San Francisco, Milan and Tokyo. Enter in one of six categories: Advertising & Branding, Enterprise, Mobility and Devices, Public Sector, Rich Internet Application, and Video.

The top three finalists will get to go to San Francisco where a winner will be selected, as well as the People's Choice. The deadline for all entries is Friday, September 5, 2008.

Labels: Adobe, Adobe MAX, Contest, Event

VFX Industry Influencers to Participate on Panel of Judges; Winner Takes Home $10,000 VFX Tool Kit

GUILDFORD, UK (July 8, 2008) Imagineer Systems (www.imagineersystems.com), creators of next-generation VFX tools, today announced it is extending a challenge to Imagineer Systems customers and the entire VFX, content creation and post production community, to create the next great series of video tutorials for Imagineer Systems VFX tools. Continuing its spirit of listening to, and learning from its customers, the Company is challenging users to create video tutorials that best educate new users of Imagineer VFX solutions on the workflow features of its tools.

The winners will be judged on content, video quality, technical quality of audio and video and instructional clarity and completeness. Additionally, the top winner will receive a comprehensive Imagineer Systems VFX software suite valued at $10,000. Winners will be formally announced by the Company to the industry press, and the winning entry will be highlighted on www.imagineersystems.com.

As part of the contest, Imagineer Systems executives, as well as industry influencers and well-known VFX heavyweights such as Aharon Rabinowitz of Creative Cow and AENY, Chris Meyer of Cybermotion and Mark Christiansen of Pro Video Coalition, will participate on a panel of judges and will help decide on the winning entries.

"We have always been committed to listening to what our customers are saying about Imagineer Systems products, and we take their feedback very seriously," said Allan Jaenicke, chief executive officer of Imagineer Systems. "One of the resounding comments we hear from customers is, 'we want more tutorials.' As we thought about tackling this request, we realized that by challenging the community to share their ideas with us, we could ultimately deliver a series of tutorials with perspectives, tips and advice that are so valuable to users, and at the same time, generate a lot of excitement in the community. We're very excited to see what our users come up with!"

Contest Details

The Imagineer Systems Video Tutorial Contest is open to everyone, and participants must follow these guidelines:

Video Tutorial Topics/Products: Imagineer Systems' mocha, mocha-AE, motor, monet, mokey. Topics may cover motion tracking, rotoscoping, rig removals, stabilzation and can be designed for beginning or advanced users.

Format: Participants should use screen recording software, such as Camtasia or ishowu;

Files: Video files should be compressed for good viewing resolution, e.g., Quicktime H.264;

Deadline: All entries must be submitted to Imagineer Systems by July 31st, 2008

For detailed information on contest rules and technical specs please visit: http://www.imagineersystems.com/company/news/157

Winners will be announced August 15th, 2008.

About Imagineer Systems

Imagineer Systems Ltd innovates and markets next-generation visual effects solutions for film, video and broadcast post production markets. In response to a groundswell desire for a more innovative approach to VFX, Imagineer Systems has developed an entirely new VFX architecture, one that embraces better integration, collaboration, performance and feels like an extension of the creative thought process – mogul. Imagineer Systems has made its mark on such marquis Hollywood blockbuster productions as Casino Royale, Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter. Imagineer's product line consists of monet^TM - placement station, mokey^TM - removal station, motor^TM - roto station, mocha^TM - tracking station and mofex^TM - plug-in for Shake. Imagineer Systems was founded in 2000 and its headquarters is located in Guildford, United Kingdom. For more information visit Imagineersystems.com For more information on mogul, please visit www.mogulvfx.com.

Labels: Contest, Imagineer mogul, Imagineer Systems

You still have ten days to enter the MyToolfarm/Red Giant NAB Video Contest!

You can now enter two ways:

1. upload through MyToolfarm
2. use YouSendIt and send your files to john@redgiantsoftware.com. Please zip your movie file with a text file which includes your name and contact information, a description of your video and the plug-ins used.

Contest rules and information is right here. You must use either Trapcode Form or Magic Bullet Looks. The rest is up to you! All entries are due March 24. Don't miss out! You could win a trip to NAB in Las Vegas this April and show your work at the Red Giant booth on the show floor.

Labels: Contest, Magic Bullet Looks, MyToolfarm, NAB, Red Giant, Trapcode Form

The 2008 Adobe School Innovation Awards information is available. The theme this year is "My Community - My Planet - My 21st Century." The competition is open to high school students in grades 9-12.

Students can submit entries in three categories:

• Web Design & Development
• Film & Video
• Graphic and Print Design

Prizes include software, cash, a laptop computer, and a trip to NECC being held in San Antonio, Texas.

I know we do get high school students and educators at Toolfarm and AE Freemart, as witnessed by the demo downloads. More Information

Labels: Adobe, Contest

User-submitted videos to be shown at NAB 2008

San Francisco, CA - Red Giant Software is sponsoring a contest to let users submit their best work using Red Giant Software's Magic Bullet Looks or Trapcode Form tools and win a chance to show their work at NAB 2008.

Users will upload their videos to the My Toolfarm web site where other users can vote on the submission from now until March 24th. The winner will get to fly to NAB and present their work at the Red Giant Software booth at NAB 2008. Winners will be determined by user scores on the My Toolfarm web site and by a panel of Red Giant Software judges.

To enter and get detailed eligibility information go to: MyToolfarm

Prizes and Eligibility

Winner:

• One round trip airline ticket to NAB 2008 held in Las Vegas, NV, April 14-17, 2008. The prize includes airfare and two days and one night in a hotel on The Strip.
• 2 hour showroom floor presentation at Red Giant's booth to promote your work;
• Feature spot on Red Giant's Community site
• One free Red Giant product OR free upgrade.

1st Runner Up:

• Feature spot on Red Giant's 'Our Community' site
• One free Red Giant product OR free upgrade.

2nd Runner Up:

• Feature spot on Red Giant's 'Our Community' site
• One free Red Giant product OR free upgrade.

Winners will be announced March 29, 2008

The grand prize will include expenses not to exceed a total of $1,300 US. The breakdown is as follows: Airfare capped at $700, hotel capped at $500, food/transportation capped at $100. The contest is open to Red Giant Software users of Magic Bullet Looks and Trapcode Form in North America. Void where prohibited.

About Red Giant Software
Red Giant Software LLC (www.redgiantsoftware.com) is a San Francisco-based company that develops professional tools for digital video production. Products are available as plug-ins for popular video editing and effects applications including After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Premiere Pro, and Avid. All tools are based on production-proven technology developed by visual effects veterans.

Labels: Contest, Magic Bullet Looks, MyToolfarm, Red Giant, Trapcode Form

Compose an engaging 15-second or less animation or motion graphic video of the Photoshop brand logo that illustrates the theme of 'See What's Possible.' The winning work must incorporate and close with the Adobe Photoshop logo and will be used by Adobe as part of an upcoming Photoshop marketing campaigns.

Accepting submissions February 15 through March 15, 2008

Learn more at Cut&Paste.com

Labels: Adobe, Contest, Photoshop

The 2008 Adobe Design Achievement Awards gives higher education students from around the world the creative license to propel their careers in the future. Enter in 12 categories in 3 media areas endorsed by the industry, over 60$K US in cash prizes will be awarded in New York City.

They will be taking submissions through May 2, 2008.

Submit your work here

Labels: Adobe, Contest

From Jeremy Hanke, Editor at MicroFilmmaker Magazine:

Thousands of filmmakers are discovering an extremely clever way to encourage potential film investors to finance their films: the speculative trailer. Created by shooting a few key scenes from a script the filmmaker wants to get funding for and editing them into trailer format, a speculative trailer shows the style and look of the final film to potential investors and allows them to see how it might be marketed.

To encourage you to create a speculative trailer for that film you've always wanted to get funded, Microfilmmaker Magazine has teamed up with Adobe to bring you the Microfilmmaker Magazine/Adobe Spec Trailer Contest. A panel of highly regarded filmmakers and editors, which currently includes acclaimed Indie directors Mike Flanagan (Oculus, The Ghosts of Hamilton Street) and Alex Ferrari (Cyn, Broken), will judge these speculative trailers and the top ten will be listed on our website for our readers to watch and vote on.

The winner of this contest will receive the brand new Adobe Creative Suite 3: Production Premium package (featuring Premiere Pro CS3, After Effects CS3, Flash CS3, Encore CS3, Soundbooth CS3, Photoshop CS3 Extended, Illustrator CS3, OnLocation CS3, and Ultra CS3) and Red Giant Magic Bullet Suite 3, for a grand prize total of $2498!

The submission deadline is August 15th, 2007. The top ten will be posted on September 7th, with voting for Microfilmmaker Members available from then until Midnight September 14th. The winner will be declared on September 15th, 2007.(I recommend that anyone wishing to enter this contest read Mike Flanagan's amazingly insightful article on editing trailers first.)Read the complete submission instructions below:

1. Trailers must be no shorter than 60 seconds in length and no longer than 120 seconds in length.
2. Trailers must be in English or have English subtitles.
3. Trailers must have utilized at least one Adobe product in their creation. (This does not have to be a video program such as Premiere Pro or After Effects, but may include Adobe graphic products like Photoshop or Illustrator or audio programs like Audition.)
4. Trailers must be shot for no more than a $500 budget if you own your own camera or an $800 budget if you must rent your camera.
5. 80% of the footage in your trailer must have been shot after June 1, 2007.
6. Trailers must be in either uncompressed Windows video (.AVI) or uncompressed Quicktime (.MOV) NTSC or 24P files burned to DVD.
7. Each DVD submitted must be in a full size DVD case. (CD cases and clamshell cases will not be excepted.)
8. A filmmaker may submit more than one trailer, but each trailer must be on its own separate DVD in its own separate DVD case.
9. Clearly label your DVD case with the following information:
   a) Trailer Name
   b) Director’s Name
   c) Genre
   d) Running Time
         e) Shipping Address
         f) Phone Number
         g) Email
         h) Trailer Budget
         i) Which Adobe Product Was Used in Creation?
10. Clearly label your DVD with the following information:
          a) Trailer Name
          b) Director
          c) Email
11. All submissions must be postmarked no later than August 15th, 2007.
    

Failure to follow any of these ground rules will cause your entry to be disqualified. 

Submit all trailers to:

Microfilmmaker Magazine
c/o Kari Ann Morgan
100 John Sutherland Dr. Ste. 7
Nicholasville, KY 40356

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email either myself or our PR director, Kari Ann Morgan.

Additional and Legal Information:
Discs that have been mis-burned or do not play properly will be discarded, so please double check your discs before you mail them in.
Trailers will not be returned, so do not send master copies of your trailer.
By submitting your trailer, you give Microfilmmaker Magazine permission to use it in part or in its entirety in advertising related to this or future contests.

Labels: Adobe, Contest, Magic Bullet, MicroFilmmaker Magazine

These came via Mason Dixon of Chicago Motion Graphics.

Traverse City Film Festival (July 31- August 5, 2007)

We are currently seeking submissions from film makers for the Traverse City Film Festival, in Traverse city michigan. We would like to especially encourage quality michigan films as well as those done by michigan natives. Thanks to all and good luck, peace, Drago mdrago569~at~hotmail.com


Comedynet Call For Submissions - Funny Short Films Wanted!

ComedyNet is looking for YOUR original comedy content! Expose your funny videos to a wider audience and to be featured alongside some of comedy's biggest names and most unique original voices! Send us your

• Short films
• Filmed sketches
• Filmed scripted sitcoms
• Animation
• Mockumentaries
• Green screen stuff
• Original music videos
• Other

Sundance Channel Online Video Contest: One-Minute Greenest Eco-Shorts

Sundance Channel and Lexus want to know YOUR big ideas to help make the world a cleaner, greener place with the 'What's The Big Idea?' short film contest. Submit a one-minute short film featuring your biggest, boldest, greenest eco-solutions. Grand prize is $10,000 to make your idea into reality, and a one-year lease of a new Lexus hybrid! Contest

Labels: Contest, Event

GET OUTTA MY FACE is our way of telling advertisers we're sick of their lies. Ever seen a commercial for junkfood, snacks or soda and thought, "What a scam - they're selling junk. Someone needs to tell the TRUTH". You can - we can! We've got cash prizes for your projects and we'll get you broadcast. We're totally sick of being the fattest, most unfit generation ever. We - kids of America - can change things. Got ideas? We've got $ prizes. Enter our collection now.

Get your video submissions in by April 1, 2007 September 15, 2007. GOMF has a goal of 10,000 entires. Help 'em out! This is a great cause. Yes, it's for students and teens, but wouldn't this be a fun project for your kiddies this weekend? A bonding experience for you all.

Also, check out GOMF Creative - Ready to use your creativity in a real food fight? Big marketing and advertising uses psychologists, large teams of graphic and media artists, celebrities, cool characters and our love of all things fatty, sugary and colorful to sell us stuff. We're collecting the creativity of thousands of kids to help you make a difference and WIN PRIZES! Check our brainstorms, imagination and ideas for all the use. We can grow the most powerful smart-healthy ad agency FOR KIDS (5-10) and BY KIDS (11-18)!

Labels: Contest

Submit your best Boris "Tips and Techniques" and win fantastic prizes!

Boris FX is pleased to roll out the "How Did They Do That?" tips and techniques contest. Participation in the contest is simple. Submit your favorite Boris FX work with a short brief on how you used Boris FX tools to realize your project. You may download fully-functioning 14-day Trial Versions of all Boris FX products here

Submissions are judged based on your application of the Boris product and the style and final result of your piece. Contest winners receive great prizes including an NAB conference package, Boris products, and Boris memorabilia. Entrees will be posted on borisfx.com where thousands of industry professionals visit daily.

Submission Dates and Deadlines

• We are now accepting submissions!
• Submission Deadline: March 23, 2007
• Winners are announced on March 30, 2007
• Go here to review the submission format brief

Boris "How Did They Do That?" Winners Receive

First Prize (1)

• iPod
• Boris NAB Package: includes an NAB Conference and Exhibition Pass
• Boris product of your choice
• Work featured at the Boris FX Worldwide User Group held at NAB2007
• Profiled in the Boris FX Newsletter

Second Prize (1)

• Boris NAB Package: includes an NAB Conference and Exhibition Pass
• Boris product of your choice
• Profiled in the Boris FX Newsletter

Third Prize (10)

• Boris Memorabilia (Boris FX Cap)
• Profiled in the Boris FX Newsletter

For questions regarding the contest, please contact Janice Dolan at janice@zazilmediagroup.com

Labels: Boris, Contest, NAB