Scholarship Competition
Open for Entries
Deadline Friday, June 20th

9% of game artists are women and they make on average over $10,000 less per year than their male counterparts (Source: Game Career Guide, 2007). Notes on Game Dev invites all women aspiring game artists to submit an essay to the 2008 NoGD Aspiring Women Game Artists Competition for a chance at a full time scholarship to Sessions Online School of Game Art.

Sessions Online School of Game Art, an accredited online program that can be accessed anywhere, wants to provide education to women and diversify the industry. Students leave the program with a strong portfolio and reel reviewed by faculty and industry professionals before graduation.

Entries will be judged by female leaders in game art and education including Heather Kelley, Sheri Graner Ray, and Cristin McKee. Prizes to be provided by Sessions Online School of Game Art, IGDA, and Game Developer Magazine.

PRIZES:

Prizes are being provided by our three sponsors:

Two Grand Prize Winners will receive:

• A fully paid grant for the Accredited Game Art Certificate Program at Sessions Online School of Game Art. ($5355 value)
• The right to use the NoGD Grand Place Award Winner digital seal in their future portfolio / reel.
• A one year membership to the International Game Developers Association.
• A one year subscription to Game Developer Magazine.

Two Runners Up will receive:

• The right to use the NoGD Grand Place Award Winner digital seal in their future portfolio / reel.
• One year subscription to Game Developer magazine.

HOW TO ENTER:

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES:

Friday, June 20th.

GUIDELINES FOR ENTRIES:

Write a 500 word essay that answers the following questions:

- Why do you want to be in the game industry?
- What is your past experience with art?
- What is your dream art job in the game industry?

Submit entries as an email or PDF to competitions@sessions.edu with your name, email, and phone. Deadline is Friday, June 20th.

The winner will be announced on July 1st.

ABOUT THE JUDGES:

Heather Kelley is a computer and video game designer, and as moboid, she creates game-based artwork. For the Spring of 2008, she is the Kraus Visiting Assistant Professor of Art, and Adjunct Faculty at the Entertainment Technology Center, both at Carnegie Mellon University.Heather’s twelve-year career in the games industry has included AAA next-gen console games, interactive smart toys, handheld games and web communities for girls. She is co-founder of the Kokoromi experimental game collective, with whom she produces and curates the annual Gamma game event promoting experimental games as creative expression in a social context. Her game concept Lapis won the 2006 MIGS Game Design Challenge on sex in games. As moboid, she has created interactive projections using game engines such as Quake and Unreal. Her most recent work, with the Hexagram Institute for Research and Creation in Media Arts and Technologies, integrates gameplay into full-body interactive gallery installations. For seven years, Heather served as co-chair of the IGDA’s Women in Game Development Special Interest Group. She holds an MA from the University of Texas at Austin, where she is an alumna of the Advanced Communications Technologies Laboratory.
Sheri Graner Ray has been in the game industry since 1989. She has worked for such companies as Electronic Arts, Origin Systems, Sony Online Entertainment and Cartoon Network, and has worked on such licenses as Star Wars Galaxies, Ultima, and Nancy Drew. She is author of the book, “Gender Inclusive Game Design-Expanding the Market” and is the game industry’s leading expert on gender and computer games. In 2005 she was awarded the IGDA’s Game Developer’s Choice award for her work in gender and games and is founder and Executive Chair of Women In Games International; an organization she co-founded. Recently Sheri has been working in serious games, adapting game techniques for new audiences.
Cristin McKee is a character animator at Anzovin Studio, where she has worked on a number of high-profile projects including the features GI Joe: Valor vs Venom and Action Man: X Missions, game cut scenes for Halo 2, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the Da Vinci Code, and Sid Meier’s Railroads, as well as a number of television projects and short films. Cristin has spoken about animation on panels at Siggraph and Northampton Film Festival and taught animation at Hampshire College, MA. Cristin earned her Bachelor of Arts from Hampshire College, MA, and is currently co-directing an animated short.

ABOUT THE SPONSORS:

Sessions Online School of Game Art
http://gameart.sessions.edu/

The Sessions Online School of Game Art is dedicated to giving you the skills and portfolio you need to break into a game industry career. Classes in Maya, 3D modeling, texturing, lighting, color, game development, and animation as well as elective in fine arts, digital imaging, digital photography, and design, help you develop your artistic talent and build a killer reel. Get your skills working with a Faculty of top industry talent and complete your program in 12-18 months. The full Certificate Program being awarded for winning the 2008 NoGD 2D/3D competition is viewable here: http://gameart.sessions.edu/programs/the_program.asp

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WIGI
http://www.womeningamesinternational.org/

Women in Games International works to promote the inclusion and advancement of women in the global games industry. We believe diversifying the game development, media, academic and publishing workplace results in not only a more equitable space, but better products. Women in Games International advocates for issues important to both women and men in the game development industry, including a better work/life balance and healthy working conditions.

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Women in Game Development
http://www.igda.org/women/about.html

The Women in Game Development Special Interest Group (SIG) was formed to create a positive impact on the game development industry with respect to gender balance and equity. We feel it is important to have specific, measurable goals so that the work of the SIG remains focused. Our goals
are to assess the numbers of women working in the games industry in a variety of roles, track changes over time using a combination of available data and primary research, and work to increase the number of women employed in the industry with a variety of recruiting programs.

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Womengamers.com
http://womengamers.com/

Incorporated in 1999, the mission of WomenGamers.com is fourfold: first, to provide a fun, dynamic online gaming site that caters to the interests and needs of different types of women gamers. To achieve the widest possible appeal, all game genres are reviewed and discussed. Second, the site serves as a platform or the dissemination of information about games from an informed, socially-conscious, female-centered perspective. Third, WomenGamers.com gathers information from visitors about their gaming preferences, opinions, concerns, and ideas for the future of gaming, and the industry. Fourth, WomenGamers.Com offers a suite of services that includes customized consulting services, market research, and support services to game companies and universities. Its revenues stem mainly from advertising.

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 8th, 2008 at 2:06 pm and is filed under Competitions, RESOURCES, Women. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.