Graphic Expo ’06 kicks off animation, digital art tilts

The annual animation and digital art competition for the prestigious Graphic Expo 2006 has begun, with entries from amateurs and professionals now being accepted.

The winning works will be exhibited at the Philippine Trade Training Center from June 14 to 17 during the staging of Graphic Expo 2006, the country’s premier trade show on desktop and Web publishing, digital photography and imaging, pre-press, print production, large-format printing, multimedia, and animation.

Qualified to join the 5th Animation Competition are design and animation studios, production houses, schools, training institutes, animators, multimedia specialists, and Web masters.

Competition categories are amateur/student, and professional. Participants can use any animation software, preferably 3D. The theme is "Filipino Life and Magic."

The concept should be original, entertaining, and wholesome. Use of logos, brand names, foul language or action, and violence is banned. Maximum running time for animation entry is two minutes for the amateur/student level, and three minutes for the professional level.

Entries, which must include concept and storyboard, should be submitted in CD-Rom format using Quick Time with 800 x 600 resolution (no compression). Audio format should be in 44khz 16 bits stereo.

For the Digital Art Competition 2006, qualified to join are professional and amateur graphic and digital designers, Web masters, photographers, and digital artists.

The categories are digital graphic design, digital fine art, and Web design.

For preliminary judging, entries must be printed on A4-size photo or inkjet paper, except for Web design where the works must be submitted in the form of URL.

The participants can use scanned imagery and digital painting techniques through various available graphics software.

Each entry must be accompanied by a one-paragraph concept brief. Contestants can submit an unlimited number of entries.

For the Web design, entries should reflect the designers’ creativity, originality and understanding of the unique challenges in this field. Websites will be judged based on appearance, flexibility, navigation, interactivity and suitability for their target audience.

All entries to any of the two competitions – Digital Art and Animation – must not have photos, images, symbols and artworks whose copyrights belong to other individuals. Deadline for submission of entries is May 19.

Each entry should include the name of the artist, address, company/school/training institute, contact person, telephone, fax and mobile numbers, and e-mail address, and must be submitted to Fiera de Manila (Zen bldg., 8352 Mayapis st., San Antonio Village, Makati City; call center 896-0639, 896-0637, or 899-6216; e-mail [email protected]; websites www.fmi.com.ph, www.graphicexpo.com.ph).

Prizes in cash and kind await the winners. The announcement and awarding of the winners will be held on June 14 during the opening ceremonies of Graphic Expo, now on its 11th year.

Graphic Expo 2006 is supported by Epson, Hewlett Packard, Canon, eArt Phils., IdN Club Phils., Zone V Camera Club, Philippine Center for Creative Imaging, Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines, and Animation Council of the Philippines.

Its sponsors are The Philippine STAR, Manila Bulletin, Business World, Philippine Daily Inquirer, IT Update, Computerworld, Softrigger Interactive, Digital Fox, GA Printing Inc., and Web Philippines.