There is a place, like no place on earth. A land full of wonder, mystery and danger. Some say to survive it you need to be as mad as a hatter ?‚àö√묨‚àÇ.. Others say all you need is to gain ownership of Underlands ruling crown ………. And so begins the second challenge in the fourth series of the VFXChallenges from leading VFX and CG community website, VFXTalk.com. The popular competition, sponsored by Sputnik7.com, is based around the Lewis Carroll novel ?‚àö√ë‚àö‚â§Alice Through The Looking Glass’s, and pays homage to Tim Burton recent 3D blockbuster ?‚àö√ë‚àö‚â§Alice in Wonderland’s.

Read on to find out more about this new challenge, and for more details on the fantastic VFXChallenge sponsors, or click here to access the challenge live: VFXTalk Challenge Forums.

Through The Looking Glass to Underland
Your best friend Alice Kingsley has disappeared during a garden party being held in the honour of her engagement to Hamish Ascot. A message has reached you via the White Rabbit that Alice has been spirited away to the magical underground world of Wonderland, or Underland as it is also known.

The White Rabbit has informed you that to assist Alice return to the real world you will need to follow her to Wonderland and help her to steal back the White Queens ruling crown from the Red Queen . Luckily a portal exists to the mysterious Underland through a large ornate looking glass, which leans against a wall in the dusty attic of Alice childhood home.

VFXTalk challenge you to create the character of Alice childhood friend, using the supplied footage, and take her through the looking glass in search of the White Queens ruling crown.

You can introduce 2D or 3D elements, modify the video footage we supply and use your matte painting skills if you so wish. The only necessities are that you must show a world in reverse beyond the mirror; and you must ensure that your character enters the mirror and returns through it with the ruling crown.

About the Challenges
Each challenge has a specific focus and is geared towards particular skills and special effects. VFXTalk will supply video footage for use as the basis of each challenge, and participants will have 30 days to create entries in the form of 30 second HD video clips.

Throughout the course of 2010, VFXTalk will host a series of ten challenges to be focused on the theme of popular VFX films. The challenges allow independent film and digital artists to showcase their talents and put their skills to the test.

The VFXChallenges provide an initiative to stretch artistic skills and encourage an environment for learning and collaboration. The top ten submissions every month are to be chosen by the VFXTalk community, and the winners will be selected by a panel of industry professionals.

For more information see: http://www.vfxtalk.com/forum/vfxchallenge-series-4-f137.html

Prizes and Awards!
Each month winners will be rewarded with some awesome prizes, including a Mac Mini, thousands of dollars worth of pre-keyed video footage, and a subscription to the Eyeon SWAT program.
The coveted grand prize, awarded to the winner of the series, includes an Apple Mac Pro workstation loaded with the latest versions of both Eyeon Fusion and The Foundry Nuke software packages!

Sponsors
The VFXChallenge Series 4 is sponsored by:

Ribbit Films
Ribbit Films is the industry leader in pre-keyed green screen stock footage. The Ribbit Films library features sports , business and lifestyle footage for use in broadcast, 3D or web design projects. www.ribbitfilms.com

eyeon
eyeon is a global leader in compositing and digital creation technology and offers a worldwide distribution channel that services film, broadcast and multimedia professionals. www.eyeonline.com

The Foundry
The Foundry is a world leading innovator of visual effects and image processing technologies that boost productivity in motion picture and video post production. www.thefoundry.co.uk

cmiVFX
cmiVFX is the leading provider of technological training for visual effects artists. The cmiVFX training library includes over 60 individual courses providing thousands of real world demonstrations and projects. www.cmivfx.com

Silversoft
Silversoft is an industry leading provider of corporate productivity solutions. Silversoft products are easy-to-use, cost effective, powerful and are built to adapt to the modern ever changing workplace. www.silversoft.com

About Sputnik7
Sputnik7 is an online, independent film site that is dedicated to showcasing broadband content for today digital media marketplace. Sputnik7 is home to some of the industry leading independent film producers, digital artists and post production facilities and is leveraging the power of its community to redefine the film and television industries as they embrace the digital world. www.sputnik7.com

About VFXTalk
VFXTalk is a popular open online community dedicated to digital compositing, 3D Animation and visual effects. The site hosts industry leading forums, monitored by professionals, which are a source of vital information for anyone working within the world of computer graphics.

For more information visit: www.vfxtalk.com or contact Anna Browell on: [email protected].