Side Effect Software Recognizes Excellence In Animation With Prize- And Prestige-Winning Contest For Artists

Side Effects Software, developer of the award-winning Houdini familyof 3D software, announced the Houdini Apprentice Challenge 2003, an artand animation contest based around the company's Houdini ApprenticeEdition. Co-sponsored by Hewlett Packard and ATI Technologies andkicked off last week during a gala event at Hollywood's The SunsetRoom, the contest aims to support existing users and uncover newanimation talent for leading studios that use Houdini solutions withintheir visual effects pipelines. Through June 15, 2003, 3D artists fromanywhere in the world are invited to create prize- and prestige-winningwork in any of three categories Models, Character Animation and Effectswhile mastering marketable new Houdini skills.

Learn the Software
The Houdini Apprentice Challenge is designed to motivate artists tolearn the tools that may help shape their future success. All entriesmust be created using the Houdini Apprentice Edition, Side EffectsSoftware's popular, free learning software that makes availablefull-featured versions of Houdini's Hollywood-level tools fornon-commercial use. Houdini Apprentice has been recently enhanced toinclude the latest Houdini functionality, and can now be convenientlydownloaded online along with new video tutorials. (See details at www.sidefx.com.)

In preparation for the contest, participants can also sharpen theirHoudini knowledge by accessing new free Houdini courses at www.3DBuzz.com and other sites listedon www.sidefx.com.

Face the Challenge
The contest welcomes entries in the following three categories, eachfocusing on a different area of 3D production: models building andtexturing a model of a complex object, or scene; character animationbuilding, rigging and animating a 3D digital character; and effectscreating a natural phenomenon (melting ice cube, erupting volcano) orsupernatural one (car disintegrating, spoon dissolving into morningcoffee). Artists should receive and review contest rules andregulations as they register.

A best entry in each category, as well as a best entry overall, willbe chosen to win a range of prizes including an HP XW4000 workstation,ATI Fire GL X1 cards and Houdini commercial licenses. Top entries willalso be promoted around the industry via a gallery showcase on thesidefx.com website, and shared with top employers. More details willfollow in early 2003. A Side Effects Software panel will initially paredown the pool of entries, with final winners chosen by judges from thevisual effects field. All awards will be announced at SIGGRAPH2003.

Become a Master
For prizewinners and all participants alike, the Houdini ApprenticeChallenge provides a unique way to advance one's knowledge and possiblyone's career through hands-on experience with industry-leadingsoftware. For many, having mastered Houdini may lead to a superior VFXindustry job.

"The Houdini Apprentice Challenge will benefit artists and those whoemploy them -- by providing both the motivation and the means for themto hone 3D modeling, animation and effects skills using real-world,Hollywood-caliber tools," comments Paul Salvini, CTO, Side EffectsSoftware. "We expect the competition to be intense, and we wanteveryone to learn and apply Houdini at their personal best."

For more information on registering for the Houdini ApprenticeChallenge, or for Houdini Apprentice availability and download details,visit www.sidefx.com.

About Houdini
The Houdini family of animation software offers digital artists anunprecedented level of power, flexibility and control based onaward-winning technology. Houdini and Houdini Select include acomprehensive feature set including modeling, animation, compositing,integrated rendering with Houdini Mantra, and much more. All Houdiniapplications work together seamlessly and are available for the NT,Linux, IRIX, and Solaris operating systems. Houdini has been used tocreate stunning digital animation in blockbuster films including,SpiderMan, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Lordof the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Cats and Dogs,The Mummy Returns, Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch StoleChristmas, ,X-Men, Hollow Man, and The Matrix,among many others.

About Side Effects Software
Established in 1987, Side Effects Software is a world leader in thedevelopment of advanced 3D graphics and special effects software foruse in film, broadcast and game development. Today, Side EffectsSoftware leads the field of non-linear animation with its unique,award-winning Houdini technology. Houdini is used by numerous digitalcontent creation leaders including Digital Domain, DreamWorks SKG,Electronic Arts, Namco, Nickelodeon, Rhythm & Hues, Sega, SonyPictures Imageworks, Walt Disney Feature Animation and Weta DigitalLtd.

For more information about Side Effects Software and its products,please visit www.sidefx.com.