And…action!
These are the words you’ll hear from a movie director to alert the production crew and actors to start a scene for filming.

If you have a video or film you think is of exceptional quality, send in your creation to the Filmway Film Festival for a chance to have your work publicly shown at this annual event held in Wisconsin, USA.

Contest categories
According to the contest sponsors there are nine different categories video submissions:

* Narrative Feature (over 60 minutes)
* Narrative Short (under 60 minutes)
* Documentary Feature (over 60 minutes)
* Documentary Short (under 60 minutes)
* Children’s Feature (over 60 minutes)
* Children’s Short (under 60 minutes)
* Animation (any length)
* Student Film (any length)
* Wisconsin/Minnesota Showcase (any length)

Winning entries will be shown during the film festival from October 20-23, 2011.

Submission guidelines
* All videos must have been produced and completed after ….December 31, 2008
* The postmark deadline for submissions is July 31, 2011
* Videos must be in NTSC format (region 0 or 1)
* If you wish to have your video returned, include a ….self-addressed prepaid mailer
* Contact the jury or festival director if your entry is a work in ….progress or rough cut for possible consideration

What to submit
Send in two screeners (copies) of your work on DVD. A completed entry form must accompany your contest submission.

Include one information disc with hi-res and lo-res images, graphics, and publicity stills of your video for use by the film festival for advertising. This information will be used if your entry is selected for the Flyaway event.

Although not required, a press kit may also be part of your submission package.

Send all entries to this postal address:

Flyway Film Festival
PO Box 3 Pepin, WI 54759
USA

Other information and contest links
The deadline for this contest is July 31, 2011. If you have any questions about this event send your queries to: info [at] flywayfilmfestival.org (please replace [at] with @).

This event is free to enter. For important contest information follow these links:

* Official website
* Complete Rules and entry form (PDF document)

Graphic design school: The basics
In the advertising industry a background in graphic design may be useful in understanding how successful layouts and design components work together.

Some of this knowledge may also be useful in preparing animations and videos for marketing and ad use. Graphic design schools provide you with the solid principles of design principles and theory.

If you are interested in increasing your knowledge base in graphic arts, speak with a graphic design college representative for further information.

Game on!
One of the most popular game machines in the world is Microsoft’s Xbox 360. Gamers enjoy untold hours of entertainment exploring new worlds, fighting bad guys, and playing casual arcade games.

If you’ve ever dreamed about producing your own video game, you have a chance at fame and fortune by entering Microsoft’s Dream.Build.Play video game design contest.

According to Microsoft:

“To earn your spot in the Dream.Build.Play universe, bring your dream-world to life by creating an outstanding, playable game for Xbox 360 using XNA Game Studio 4.0…

“Whatever your style - whatever your dream - it’s time to unleash your creativity and show what you’ve got!”

Contest Parameters
Your game must be developed using Microsoft’s XNA Game Studio 4.0 software. Your game should be fun and exciting. Microsoft is especially looking for games in the action and adventure genres.

According to Microsoft game entries will be judged according to the following criteria:

* Fun factor (40%) - A key indicator will be the desire to keep playing
* Innovation (30%) - Based on how creative and technically unique your game is
* Production quality (30%) - Make your game world as polished as possible

Entries must be developed for English speaking individuals. Certain restrictions apply to whom or who may not enter this contest. You must register on the official contest site before you can enter this competition.

Please see complete guidelines and rules for more information.

Prizes

There are four cash awards:

* Grand prize: $40,000
* 1st prize: $20,000
* 2nd prize: $10,000
* 3rd prize: $5,000

Winners will also be given the chance to sign up for a publishing contract with Xbox LIVE. Winning games will also be featured on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Contest links and additional information
The deadline for registration is May 17, 2011. You cannot enter unless you are officially registered. The deadline for submitting your game candidate is June 11, 2011.

These links provide more contest information:

Official contest site
Full contest rules and guidelines
Registration form
Free download XNA Game Studio 4.0

Graphic Design school and video games
Video game graphics and artwork have never been more realistic and cutting-edge than today. 3D programs such as Maya and LightWave 3D allow artists and illustrators to bring their drawings to life in video games.

Attending graphic design school is one of the first steps you can take in order to learn about layout, computer assisted art programs, design theory and application, and many other related courses.

Speak with a graphic design college representative and find out how graphic design can help you in your career development.

Do your homework
If you want to receive a good education at a graphic design school it makes perfect sense to ’shop around’ before you decide on the one that is right for you. In other words, you have to do your homework.

But you may ask, ‘How can I tell a good graphic design college from a bad one?’

In this installment of ‘5 top things you should know about graphic design schools’ we’ll offer some advice and tips on this.

#3 What is the quality of the teaching staff?
It’s probably not stretching the truth much when we say you’ve probably had a few bad teachers during your educational life. On the flip-side you probably can remember one or two teachers that were very talented.

The teachers you fondly remember are the ones who brought something more than just facts when you walked into the classroom. These people were able to inspire you and may have even changed the direction of your life.

When seeking out a good graphic design college the teaching staff is one of the first things you should look into. Your teachers may have been in the graphic design industry, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they can teach.

Are they qualified? How long were they in the industry? What sort of portfolio or awards do they have? Can they communicate effectively? These are the questions you should be asking about the staff.

The staff, as a whole, should reflect high values in education. Of course there will be a few ‘bad apples’ but what you seek is a staff that is committed to helping its students learn the craft of design.

#2 The Equipment
A well-equipped graphic design college needs to have modern computers, design hardware, and the latest software applications.

The graphic design school you want to attend should offer courses in Photoshop, Maya, Illustrator and other industry standard programs.

You should also expect to see graphics tablets, scanners, and flat panel display monitors.

Back-in-the-day a good cache of art supplies and drawing materials was all that was needed to tackle the jobs a graphic designer was working on.

But in today’s job market, computer skills and the ability to use design software is important, if not mandatory, in being a successful graphic designer.

#1 Do you fit in?
Have you ever gone shopping for a car and the salesperson asks, ‘Are you ready to buy today?’ Your answer was probably, ‘I’m just looking around, thank you.’ You can approach the selection of a graphic design school in the same way.

Don’t feel pressured to ‘buy today.’ Look at all the options, including online education, and make your choice carefully.

Your education is your first priority at graphic design college but make sure you feel at home there.

Graphic design school and your career
If you have a natural sense for proper color schemes, have a good eye for aesthetic values, and find yourself thinking, ‘I wish I could do graphic design for a living,’ you may be the right person for a career in graphic design.

The world of graphic design is broad; you can branch off into the areas of animation, web design, multimedia, illustration, and other fields. It all depends on what your skills and interests are.

Your graphic design college representative can guide you in selecting the right courses and answer any questions you have about earning your associate or bachelor’s degree in graphic design.

Do you need a LIFT?
In this case we’re not referring to an elevator or a ride in a car. LIFT stands for Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto, the sponsors of the International Visiting Artist Residency.

If you are a film maker, an aspiring film maker or a fan of the film arts, this residency program may be your key in opening doors for film editing equipment and cameras for your production.

How it works
According to the sponsors of this residency, the program is targeted at artists who need professional facilities to complete their works:

“LIFT’s residency program focuses on the production of film-based works with equipment and facilities to which the artist would not have access in their local region.

‘Artists are expected to be at an established point in their practice (although not necessarily working predominantly with film).

“Applicants must also consider what they would bring to the Toronto community in terms of community collaboration, teaching, artist talks and/or presentation activities - these engagements are a critical part of each residency offered by LIFT.”

The production studio supports a wide range of formats including, ‘…regular 8mm, Super 8mm, 16mm, Super 16mm, 35mm and HD; film and digital editing; optical printers; contact printers; animation stands; a darkroom and more.’

Residency value and length of program
This program is open to all non-Canadian residents. The maximum cash for individual projects is $3,000 CAD for travel, lodging and daily cash expenses.

Maximum paid equipment rental and facilities costs will be provided up to a maximum of $3,000 CAD. However the filmmaker is responsible for costs related to film stock, lab fees, chemicals and other associated production amenities.

How to apply
There are several crucial things you must provide when applying for this residency:

* A proposal on how your work will engage the local ….community and how LIFT is able to provide you with ….facilities and equipment not available in your area.
* A Curriculum vitae (CV)
* Estimated budget for your project
* Examples of past work (materials cannot be returned)
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Send all your application materials to:

International Artist Residencies 2011/12 Application
c/o Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT)
1137 Dupont Street
Toronto, Ontario
M6H 2A3 CANADA

Additional information and contest links
All applications must be received by April 11, 2011. Only non-Canadian residents are eligible for this residency.

Any questions can be directed to submissions [at] lift.on.ca. (replace the [at] with @)

For important residency information follow these links:

Official website
Official rules (PDF doc)

Graphic design school and the film industry
The reality is that graphic design work is needed during the production of films. Animation, illustration, digital art, computer graphics and multimedia all play an important role in making movies.

If you are interested in these career fields, an education from a graphic design college is a good way to build your knowledge and skill base in order to qualify for jobs.

Speak with a graphic design school representative today and find out what available education opportunities are open to you.

The inside info
If you are contemplating or curious about graphic design colleges, you want more information and answers to the questions you have about these educational institutions.

In this series we’ll explore the 5 top things that people want to know about graphic design school life and whether pursuing a graphic design education is right for you.
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5. Prepare to judge and be judged
No matter how much talent you have, the rude awakening in graphic design school is there are actually people with more talent than you! On the flip-side you have more talent than others.

In any liberal arts college, talent is the coin of the realm and if you have a well-balanced, realistic image about your abilities and skills, you won’t be fixating about comparing yourself to others.

On the other hand, if you believe you have superior skills, Michelangelo said, “I am still learning.” If the great Renaissance master understood this principle about talent, you can also remain open in your education experiences.

4. Lean on me
Bill Withers, composer of the song “Lean on me,” has a lyric that speaks about the need for relying on others:

Lean on me when you’re not strong,
I’ll be your friend,
I’ll help you to carry on…

In graphic design school your classmates can be a tremendous help in providing you with honest feedback, moral support, and in some cases the beginnings of lifelong friendships.

Whether you are outgoing or not, due to the natural camaraderie that exists in liberal arts colleges, you’ll find opportunities to develop good social networks.

Be sure to enrich your college education with student support in addition to your academic life.

Graphic design school and your future
It doesn’t matter if you are a graphic designer or someone who is contemplating an education in graphic design-the need for solid career training is essential for today’s job market.

The fast pace in this industry means keeping up-to-date with the latest trends, software applications, and design hardware in order to remain competitive and qualified for new job opportunities.

Speak to a graphic design school representative to find out what your education options are.

Next time…
How do you select a good graphic design college? Is a graphic design career right for you? We’ll answer these questions in our next installment of ‘5 top things you should know about graphic design schools.’

Mistakes on Purpose?
The principles you learn in graphic design school are meant to teach you the basics of design, composition and artistic technique.

Once you know the rules you can sometimes break them for effect.

In this article, we’ll go over a few errors. Can you tell if they were done on purpose or are they real mistakes? (Click on the images to see the larger versions.)

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What’s wrong with this picture?
Nicki Minaj is a successful hip hop singer who likes to reveal her personal experiences in the song lyrics she writes. Her most recent album, Pink Friday, has her posing as a Barbie doll.

Upon the release of the album many fans and non-fans remarked that the doll’s legs were highly disproportional to the rest of its body and that the arms seemed to be missing as well.

Question: Is this design by mistake or on purpose? (Make your decision before looking at the answer.)

Answer: On purpose

According to GL Wood, the photographer who shot the image, the effect of distortion was used to make a statement about the “perfect” Barbie image and lifestyle.

“[Nicki] wanted to rip [the doll's] arms off to really do the whole Barbie theme; [it's] like when little girls trash their dolls. She wanted to look like one of those broken Barbies.

“There [are] people who are going to get it and not get it, but that’s the point. There [are] few if any female artists now who are pushing the envelope. And that’s far from a bad thing.”
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The image is shocking and attention grabbing and many fans say that they expected no less from Nicki Minaj.

Prada goes negative
Prada is a well-known brand among fashionistas. But just how do you publicize the latest fashion line produced by this company? Do you use bright colors or do you use close-ups of the models?

In this ad, Prada decides to go starkly minimalist.

Question: Is this a design mistake or done on purpose?

Answer: On purpose

As a photographer, art director or graphic designer the very idea of not filling in blank space is hard to overcome. However, the concept of negative space can be very effective in emphasizing an idea or product.

In this Prada advertisement the design draws you to the two biggest ideas of the image: Prada and the clothes. Nothing distracts you from these two points.

But one thing does seem to surface as a mistake; the model could have been angled slightly more to the right in order to show her arm instead of an empty shoulder sleeve.

We know — picky, picky, picky.

Graphic design school and the principles of graphic design
Beethoven produced some of the most beautiful classical music ever composed. But music students frequently point out “mistakes” in his harmony such as recurring parallel fifths.

But as one music teacher said, “You need to know the rules before you break them. He knew he was breaking the rules.”

Graphic design college helps you to be proficient in proper layout, design and technique. You’ll also understand that sometimes breaking the rules can be of benefit in designing your graphics.

Speak to a graphic design school representative to see what courses can help you in your design skills.

Next Time…
We’ll take a close look at fashion advertisements and see how too much or too little Photoshopping can hurt a design.