LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - July 29, 2008) - Stereoscopic 3D (S-3D) is easily one of the
most talked about technologies in the gaming market, and Meant to be Seen,
CGArena, and iZ3D have teamed up to launch a special S-3D CG art contest at
SIGGRAPH with the help of some exciting prizes put forward by leading
industry members.
Stereoscopic 3D (S-3D) refers to the ability to display true volumetric 3D
content through 2D media. Examples include explosions that pop out of the
screen, and a sense of depth that makes players think they can reach inside
the game. S-3D technology is quickly becoming the equipment of choice for
avid gamers and has already shown as much as 3:1 revenue benefits over 2D
theaters in the Hollywood cinema space with films like Beowulf 3D, Journey
to the Center of the Earth 3D, and U23D.
"We wanted a fun way to show how easy it is to turn ordinary CG art into
something visually exciting through stereoscopic 3D technology. Working
with Meant to be Seen and CGArena to make this happen at SIGGRAPH made
perfect sense for us," said David Chechelashvili, VP of Marketing for iZ3D
LLC and makers of the leading stereoscopic 3D display and software driver
solution.
Contestants are asked to submit stereoscopic 3D images of their CG artwork
to a special page on
www.CGArena.com. The left and right images must be in
a minimum 1680X1050 resolution (16:10 aspect ratio) and in full color. To
make this easier for artists, Meant to be Seen (mtbs3D.com) has written
quick guides to help CG artists convert and/or capture their images in
stereoscopic 3D.
Meant to be Seen is the foremost authority group on consumer stereoscopic
3D technology. It has quickly become the largest S-3D community in
existence by working jointly with its members and partners to grow the
stereoscopic 3D gaming industry through advocacy and business
relationships. Their site features industry interviews, S-3D game reviews,
active forums, game certification and a member driven massively multiplayer
online game (MMOG) called MTBS Nations at War.
"It's a misnomer to think that stereoscopic 3D photography is difficult.
We have two guides: one very basic, and the second more advanced depending
on the artists' preference and goals. Even if submitted images don't come
out quite right, we have the means to adjust and correct them in most
cases," explained Neil Schneider, President & CEO of Meant to be Seen.
Similarly,
www.CGArena.com is a leading graphics and animation portal where
CG professionals and enthusiasts can read news and tutorials, download
magazines, submit artistic work, find jobs and participate in contests like
this. Members also enjoy exchanging ideas about animation, film, editing
and more.
"We like a challenge and are really impressed by what stereoscopic 3D does
for gaming and for the CG artistic form. We are excited to see what our
members and contest participants come up with," said Ashish Rastogi, CEO of
www.CGArena.com.
Prizes up for grabs include:
First Place: One iZ3D 22" monitor
Second Place: One ATI 4800 series GPU
Third Place: A 50% discount on an iZ3D monitor + Flatout 2 Game
Four Runners Up: Unreal Tournament 3 by Epic Games
"We are confident that any CG artist who has a streak of gaming interest
will love these prizes. The iZ3D monitor is one of the most respected 3D
displays in gaming, the ATI 4800 series GPUs are currently the leaders in
the graphics market, and Unreal Tournament 3 offers an unforgettable
stereoscopic 3D experience. Special thanks go to iZ3D, AMD and Epic Games
for contributing these prizes," said Neil Schneider, President & CEO of
Meant to be Seen.
Before artists submit their work, they are encouraged to participate with
the mtbs3D.com and
www.CGArena.com forums to discuss their images with
fellow members to get the best results.
The theme of the contest is "wacky video game characters," and artwork can
feature lone characters or characters on landscapes. While equally
accepted, more scrutiny will be placed on creative S-3D effectiveness and
object placement when artists use ready-made models in their submitted
work. Ready-made models will require the original artist's permission or a
similar license to submit. "Work in progress" art is encouraged. Please
declare your graphics sources when submitting artwork (e.g. self created,
ready-made, etc.).
Judged by iZ3D and Meant to be Seen, images are being accepted from today
until the evening of August 10th. Winners will be announced on August 13th
at the iZ3D booth at SIGGRAPH.
CGArena http://www.cgarena.com/
Meant to be Seen http://www.mtbs3D.com/
iZ3D http://www.iz3d.com/
Contact Information: Contact:
Carol Warren
Principal
Antarra Communications
Tel. 714-891-3660
Cel. 714-865-6735
Toll Free 866-268-2772
Email cwarren@antarra.com