SGInc Manip Workshop 3.1 - Poll and comments

Now I’m kind of sorry I pushed to have this contest posted. I had no idea only “four” of us contributed. However, I hope everyone enjoys my contributions.

After all the hub-bub about this I’m stunned. Where are all the contributors from X-treme strength? Where are the manipulation artists from Hero-morph? Whitpaw quit before he even started. Where was the contribution from Kelly, Dfan, or Lfan?! The last three are the most distressing to me because they were the ones I was most looking forward to and had counted on providing some fun competition.

I was already distressed when there was not the typical “Oh I’d like to see an image done this way” conversation but this turnout is most disappointing.

What can we do different to get people more enthusiastic?

Regarding Anterion’s effort: First off the effect looks great! I would love to work with you on a similar image turned sideways. I have been playing around with ways to show SG blowing a car/person/object down a street. I’ve also been tinkering with a way to ‘freeze a person’ with super breath either in a frosting effect or building an ice cube around them.

Wow. This turnout was just plain disappointing. Big thanks to both of you who participated, and to Sierra for the source material.

I didn't make a picture, just because I don't have a decent photo-editing program or time to learn how to use one. But for those who have done this type of thing before, I find it really surprising that they didn't participate here. You'd better all have been too busy writing stories for the next workshop!

YAGS

Low turnout may have been a result of the level of skill and the complexity of software required. To enter a story workshop, all you need is a crappy computer that runs notepad and e-mail and an imagination. To do a photo-manip you need imagination, skill at using photo software, the software itself (which isn't cheap) and a decent computer to run it. :?

btw Why wasn't Anterion's piece elligable for voting? Is it because its a video?

OK. So I can't deny I've been responsible for some (particularly crap) photomanips in the past. I should have at least had a go at this one and taken it on the chin when everyone laughed at my work. If Lfan changes his mind and there's a 3.2 in the future, I promise I'll pitch in.

Meantime, I say thank [whatever] for Random and Anterion - thanks to them low turnout hasn't translated into low quality of entries. Great work, sirs!

Incidentally, I wonder what odds are being offered on an entry by Random winning the vote?

Why wasn't Anterion's piece elligable for voting?

Sharp-eyed viewers may notice that the original still image which Anterion has used for his video-manip is different from the official image created by Sierra for the workshop...

Ahhh!!!. Yes, its pretty obvious once its been pointed out. Naughtly Anterion!

Okay, I know I'm a writer and not an artist, but I can't view Anterion's video clip with any of the software on my WinXP box. Windows Media Player, RealPlayer, QuickTime...

What codec do I need, and where do I get it from?

Often you can have the right codec but certain (or sometimes most) players won't play the video for some reson or another.

VLC player is a free media player that plays pretty much anything. I don't use it a lot because the interface is a bit rubbish but I have it on my system because its pretty much the case that if VLC doesn't play it, nothing will (or you're missing a codec).

You can get VLC from this website:
www.videolan.org/vlc/

That one of Anterion's is, for lack of a better term, cool. I could use the cliche that it blows me away.

Hope that bodes well for more superbreath pics from the Steeles.

I can only hope.

Thanx. Installing K-Lite seems to have done it (at least for WMP and RealPlayer, not QuickTime). Again, thanx.