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.

Think outside the box…
In this contest you will literally have to do this. Zepter International is announcing an open call to all designers for its Zepter International Design Award contest.

“Zepter International is pleased to announce this year’s open competition for designers and artists from around the world who wish to take part in the Box for Everything & Nothing 2011 exhibition.

“The main task is to design a box of any shape that’s functional and preferably progressive and environmentally aware.”

The contest details
Your submission may be a box of any shape. The minimum dimension for your box should be no less than 10×10 cm (3.9×3.9 inches). The maximum dimension for your box should be no larger than 30×30 cm (11.8×11.8 inches).

* Your box/design should be signed by you
* Your box must be functional with added artistic and aesthetic ….values
* You must fill out a completed application form
* Include a typed biography of yourself plus the relevant details ….about your entry
* Include color photographs or digital media that is 13×18 cm or ….larger in hires of your piece
* No conceptual work will be considered
* Works in glass, metal, plastic, ceramics, and composite materials are acceptable

Send your entries to:

ZEPTER INTERNATIONAL BRID MARKETING
ARTZEPT 2011 “BOX FOR EVERYTHING & NOTHING”
via Sibilla Aleramo 13
20092 Cinisello Balsamo (MI) - Italy

Your piece must arrive at the contest offices by October 20, 2011.

Contest Rules
The sponsors have given several preliminary rules for this contest:

* ArtZept 2011 is open competition for designers and artists from ….around the world.
* Each designer or artist can submit one entry only.
* No purely conceptual work will be considered for the exhibition.
* Works in all techniques, glass, metal, plastic, ceramics, and ….composite materials will be considered.
* Given the insurance costs, no exhibit whose worth exceeds 400 € ….will be considered for the exhibition.
* None of the selected and exhibited works may be withdrawn from ….the exhibition before the closing date.

Read the contest guidelines for complete details

Prizes
Winning entries will be part of a traveling exhibition that will be displayed in major cities around the world. Winning pieces will also be featured in an exhibition catalog.

In addition, cash prizes and merchandise will be given to the winners:

* 1st prize: €10,000 ($13,853 USD)
* 2nd prize: €4,000 ($5,541 USD) worth of Zepter products
* 3rd prize: €3,000 ($4,156 USD) worth of Zepter products

Contest links and other information
The contest deadline is October 20, 2011. There are no entry fees for this contest. The following links provide more contest information:

Official website
Complete contest guidelines
Application form (PDF document)
Gallery Pieces
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Graphic design school and package design
When you walk down the aisles of a department store or supermarket, most of the products you see are in some sort of packaging. The illustrators who created the graphics and images on the boxes and containers have a good eye for design.

If you are interested in how to make products more appealing through visual presentation, an education at a graphic design college can help you understand design principles and techniques.

Speak to your graphic design school representative to find out what sort of opportunities are available to you in this interesting field of advertising design.

You look mahhhvelous dahling!
Prada, Christian Dior, Donatella Versace, and Ralph Lauren are some of the names and brands that are synonymous with fashion.

Fashion has a trickle-down effect in the industry. What you see on 5^th Avenue and Paris runways eventually influence what you may see on the clothes racks of your local department store or clothing outlets.
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Let the ads begin!
Fashion design ads are the mainstay for designers in getting the word out about new lines of clothing and coming trends. Fashion advertisements can sometimes run into bumps along the road if attention to detail is lacking in the design phase.

In this installment of Graphic design mistakes and blunders we’ll look closely at some fashion advertisements and see, literally, where things went off course.

Look and laugh but above all, learn from the missteps that can sometimes occur even to the best of us.

InStyle out of style?
InStyle magazine says that it provides ‘…the best of what’s in fashion’ plus glimpses of  ‘celebrity lifestyles.’

In this advertisement from InStyle, Amy Adams strikes a pose for the photographer and shows off her colorful gown. But there is something about this photo that seems odd.

Can you spot the error?

While the lighting for this photograph is good, the pose is not. Amy tries to give her best model pout pose but it turns into something comical because she looks as if she has the beginnings of a headache.

What also looks odd is her posing like a stork–if you look closely she only seems to be standing on just one leg.

We are guessing that Amy’s other leg is exiting out on the other side of the dress but the pose doesn’t indicate this at all.
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Elegant but wait…
In this ad for Calleija Jewelers we see the model in full wedding attire amidst muted pastel pinks. It works well on many levels.

The color palette for the set is nicely done, the pose is good, and the advertisement has an upscale feel to it.

However, there seems to be something a bit askew with the otherwise serene setting of the photograph.

Can you spot the error?

The movie ET, directed by Stephen Spielberg, was a blockbuster hit. The main character, ET (extraterrestrial) is stranded on Earth and longs to find a way back to his home planet.

The model in this ad seems to have taken a cue from ET–she also sports a rather long neck. Was this a Photoshop error or just a bad camera angle? We don’t know but this mistake could have been prevented before the ad was published.
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GQ or DQ?
GQ stands for Gentleman’s Quarterly and is a mainstay magazine for men who are into fashion and the good life. DQ stands for disqualification in sporting events. In this particular GQ ad, we believe it has been dq’ed for bad art direction.

We like the concept in the Ralph Lauren ad but unfortunately the execution of the idea has crashed due to the way the shadow on the wall is depicted.

Yes, it could have been on purpose, but to what purpose we are at a loss to explain. In any event, the otherwise classy advertisement comes off as funny and a bit disturbing.

Graphic design school and advertising
If you are interested in advertising, enrolling in a graphic design college is a good first step in the right direction. You’ll learn about design principles, proper layout, computer graphics, and many other topics that can help you in your design career.

Make an appointment with a graphic design school representative to see how an education in design can help you to qualify for jobs in the advertising industry.

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.’

You light up my life…
In this particular case we are not referring to a song but how public lighting can be improved upon and used in more innovative ways.

The 2010-2011 Concept Lumière Urbaine (CLU) contest sponsor seeks to:

“…give new meaning to public lighting and provoke the emergence of sensitivity to the need of mankind to benefit from the available light, to share and take ownership.

“The boundary between street lighting and the user can disappear to become the service point of luminous energy to the whole community. Public lighting is a response to the needs of human beings, and your solutions will be the answer.”

What’s your idea?
If you have a concept that can transform the idea of what public lighting can mean and do then this contest is for you.

The contest theme is “Light for Humanity.” There are several key points that you should consider when designing your lighting creations.

According to the contest guidelines your entry should address how public lighting can serve as the following:

* A central gathering point
* A source and connection accessible to the entire community
* A realization that supports the vitality of social exchange
* A viable alternative to the use of other fuels (gasoline, wood, etc.).
* An economical design with regard to materials and components ….(3R), that is also aesthetically and culturally meaningful

General contest guidelines

* Anyone who is connected to or is interested in the industry of exterior ….lighting is eligible to enter
* If you are entering as part of a design firm you must have less than 5 ….years experience
* If you are entering as part of a team your firm must not have more ….than 5 employees

The rules state that your product/lighting submission may incorporate the following subject matter:

* Layout of public exterior spaces
* Objects or luminous systems for these spaces
* Advancement of the general knowledge concerning exterior lighting
* Development of the collective consciousness pertaining to a quality exterior lighting

Judging and Prizes
Entries will be judged according to the merits of each entry’s excellence in aesthetics, technology, environmental solutions, and theoretical application.

The following awards will be given to the winners:

* First Prize: $2,500 or a 12 weeks training course with the ….industrial design and engineering teams of Philips Lumec.
* Second Prize: $1,500
* Third Prize: $1,000

Contest links and other information
The following links provide additional contest details:

Official website
Full contest guidelines and rules
Online registration form

The deadline for entries is May 2, 2011. This contest is free to enter.

Illuminate yourself with graphic design school classes
Graphic design college can be the starting point of a career in interior and exterior design. You will learn the principles of using colors effectively, how to illustrate and make your ideas come to life, and the importance of artistic interpretation and technique.

If you are a graphic designer or involved in city planning, continued education classes are available at your graphic design school to help in the areas of design work.

If you are planning to attend a graphic design college, speak to your school counselor about the various career training options available to you.

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.