Microsoft PressPass – Softimage and Digital Equipment Announce Student Animation and Image Contest
NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 5, 1996 — Softimage Inc. and Digital Equipment Corp. announced today at SIGGRAPH ’96 an international animation and image contest for members of the Softimage Education Program. Created to showcase exceptional student talent and provide students with a proving ground for their skills and creativity, the contest offers prizes up to $65,000 (U.S.; may vary by jurisdiction) and the opportunity for students to show their work to major post-production houses. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 6, 1996, and winners will be announced in January 1997.*
All animation entries will also be viewed by Odyssey Productions and may be selected for inclusion in an upcoming
“MIND’S EYE”
video produced by Odyssey.
“We see this contest as a great opportunity to help post-production houses find new talent while providing students with the very important ‘real-world’ experience of putting their creativity and talent on the table,”
said Daniel Langlois, founder of Softimage and senior director at Microsoft Corp.
“Digital is committed to helping support the high-end graphics market,”
said Philippe Ribeyre, vice president of Digital’s workstation business unit.
“We hope that our co-sponsoring this contest will help thousands of students learning Softimage® 3D to realize their full creative potential.”
Winners will be selected based on creativity, artistic content and innovative use of Softimage 3D. Students from nearly 200 educational institutions are eligible for the contest.
Eligibility and Entry Guidelines
To qualify for entry, students must be enrolled at an eligible educational institution that is a member of the Softimage Education Program. To comply with local laws, the contest is restricted to certain jurisdictions. (For a list of member schools, visit the Softimage Web site at (http://www.softimage.com/) , or call [800] 576-3846 in Canada and the United States, or [818] 365-1359 overseas.) All applicants must be full- or part-time students who do not use Softimage in a professional capacity. All applicants must be sponsored by a faculty member and must be at least 18 years of age or of legal age according to the jurisdiction. Other restrictions may apply.
Submissions for all work must arrive at Softimage Contest headquarters in California by Dec. 6, 1996. Submissions will not be returned. All entrants must sign a consent form that will authorize Microsoft, Softimage and Digital to use any and all submissions in the manner described in the consent form.
All entries must be created exclusively with Softimage 3D on either the Silicon Graphics® IRIX or a Microsoft® Windows NT® -based platform and must be the original work of the entrant. Participants are allowed to submit multiple entries within one category, the entrant’s choice of animation or still image.
Judging and Prizes
All complete entries will go through a first-round screening by a panel of judges from Softimage to select finalists. Winners will be selected from the finalists by a panel of industry talent and executives from Softimage and Digital.
Winners of the contest will be awarded the following prizes:
Winning entries will be posted on the Web sites of Softimage and Digital and may be included in demo reels and other publications.
All animation entries will have the opportunity to be viewed by Odyssey Productions and may be selected for inclusion in an upcoming Odyssey video. Odyssey Productions is the
co-creator of
“MIND’S EYE”
videos and is currently working on the next video in the series. Entrants will be paid for any work that appears in the video. More information about Odyssey Productions can be found on the Web at (http://www.odyssey3d.com/) , or by calling (619) 793-1900.
Announcement of Winners
Winners of the contest will be notified in the last week of January 1997, and prizes will be shipped after receipt of a signed affidavit of eligibility from the winner. For a list of winners, visit the Softimage Web site at (http://www.softimage.com/) or the Digital Equipment Corp. Web site at (http://www.digital.com/) .
Founded in 1986, Softimage develops software for media-rich applications including video, film, interactive games and CD-ROM applications. Products include Softimage 3D
(high-end animation), Softimage Eddie (compositing) and Softimage Toonz (2-D cel animation). The company was acquired in 1994 by Microsoft Corp. Additional information about Softimage and Microsoft can be found via the Internet at (http://www.softimage.com/) and (http://microsoft.com/) , respectively.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Softimage is a registered trademark of Softimage Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp.
Microsoft and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Silicon Graphics is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics Inc.
Reader Contact:
Softimage general information: (800) 576-3846; Internet: (http://www.softimage.com/)
* For a full list of rules, please call Softimage or visit the Softimage Web site. Contest is open to educational institution members of the Softimage Education Program in the United States, the Provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec in Canada; Germany; France; Japan; and the United Kingdom (Pending territory clearances). Employees and their immediate families of Microsoft, Softimage, Digital Equipment Corp. (
“Digital”
) and Odyssey Productions (
“Odyssey”
) and their parent, affiliate and subsidiary companies may not participate in this contest. Prize awarding may vary by jurisdiction.
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