Frenzoo. Games with Style.

Alien Themed Illustration Contest-Winners Announced

It's official. Frenzoo has some really talented people around.

Frenzoo created an illustration contest that asked members to put their artistic abilities to the test. The challenge was to draw an alien-themed image.

There were some impressive entries, like a personal favorite by Dalriada, who really thought outside the box:




All of the excellent artwork must have made it hard for Wingyii, Frenzoo's resident artist, to choose the winners. Alas, the difficult task had to be completed.

The results?

1st place by BansheeKate

 

xoxskittlesxox came in second place with a purplelicious extraterrestrial lady. AtariAstronaut's entry stood out so much that she won third place. You can see their winning entries, with Wingyii's feedback, here

Congratluations on the well deserved winnings!

A special thanks to Wingyii for judging the contest, and a big thanks to all who entered.

Frenzoo is hiring!

Want to be part of a growing startup and help change the virtual world?

Role: Web developer
Skills: PHP, AJAX, Javascript,
Advantages: Facebook app dev, C++/C#, 3d/game experience, maths skills
Job: help develop new features and iterate existing ones, build new systems
Location: Hong Kong

If you possess excellent skills and a passion for online worlds, do get in touch at jobs@frenzoo.com

Frenzy Interview with Patricia Hannaway

The April issue of Frenzy had a really special interview with Patricia Hannaway, aka fizzokame. She is not just a long time member of Frenzoo. She is also a professional animator who has worked on movies like Shrek and Lord of the Rings. If you haven't seen it in Frenzy, you can read it right here.

Here's a snip it of her interview. Read more here.

Thanks Patricia. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

As a youngster, I always loved to draw and paint.  Would draw for hours at a time, and loved to color.  Never realized this would become my career at the time, just thought it was a phase.  It wasn't.  I attended Smith College and majored in Art History and Economics (to be practical).  Upon graduating with my B.A., I worked on Wall Street as a financial analyst in Mortgage Banking at Dean Witter, then was admitted a University to get my M.B.A.  In NYC, I loved to spend time at the Frick Museum, at the Met and the Moma, and would frequently spend weekends there, and taking some classes at the National Academy of Design with Harvey Dinnerstein and Ronald Sherr.  A professor of mine from college was in town, when I was packing up to head to business school, and she told me that I shouldn't give up on my artwork, that I was talented and give it a chance.  Being a conservative New England gal, I was taught to be practical with economics.  My professor told me about a new school that Andy Warhol, who was still alive at the time, was founding called the NY Academy of Art.  He would take 20 students on full scholarship to study traditional art, drawing, light and color theory and anatomy for a year.  My professor sent me over to the Academy, and I was admitted immediately.  At that point, I decided to hold of on Business School for a year and see what happened.  I never went back to get my MBA after that, but received an MFA from the NY Academy as a member of the first class, and another MFA in Computer Animation from the School of Visual Arts in NY.  From there, I admitted into the Disney Feature Internship Program to learn animation, and hired into train as a Disney Feature Animator. 

I went from zero to hero, to coin a phrase.

One of the new Frenzoo contests is "Create an Alien" by Weta. How was it working with Weta before on Lord of the Rings?

At the time, early in 2000, Weta was an unknown little studio in NZ, consisting of the Weta Workshop, where actual models were made and directed under the brilliant Richard Taylor and his wife, Tonya, and another building called Weta Digital, where the CG effects work was done.  Wingnut Productions, Peter Jackson's production company, was close by as well.  Weta is located just outside of Wellington, on the gorgeous, natural reserve of the Miramar Penninsula, in a neighborhood with houses, and a school across the street.  It was entirely unremarkable looking, easily accessible, and quite spacious.  Many of the scenes were shot in warehouses across the street, with the Mist Marshes being shot in a Weta parking lot.  I have not been back there in many years since, so not entirely sure if it is the same or not.  Weta Digital has obviously grown quite a bit, under Jim Cameron and for Avatar.  Richard Taylor's workshop is amazing to see!  His craftspeople are among the best artists in the world.... taking great pride in the work they do, willing to put in extra hours to do a great job. 

Making LOTR, was rather like making a movie in your garage.... it felt small, intimate, and like we were doing our best work without anyone even knowing we existed.  We were the underdog.... and I loved that!  The big hollywood honchos were not at Weta, so we always had a sense of pride and ownership in what we were doing, and Peter Jackson and his partner (wife Fran), worked very had and always made us feel proud to work for him and we gave him our best, because he did the same.

Any messages for aspiring 3d creators out there on Frenzoo?

Learn to draw and express your ideas visually on paper.  The computer is just another tool.... an expensive tool.  It does not give you anything that you do not already bring to it in terms of your ideas and expression.  To many people think the computer will make them artists..... in truth, you need to be an artist before using the computer. 

Keep at it! 

Thanks Patricia!  

Her art can be seen at www.pathannaway.com

Asphyxia - inspired by Tim Burton cosplay winner

Over 100 people battled it out in this quirky user contest on Frenzoo.  The object was to be inspired by a Tim Burton character and come up with your own unique creation.

After fierce voting, a winner was decided by all...

 

Congratulations to 19 year old Emz aka Asphyxia from the U.K. for her winning entry.

You indeed ARE the prettiest girl in the morgue!

Weta, SFX provider for Avatar, Lord of the Rings, launches "Create An Alien" contest on Frenzoo.com

Weta, the special effects provider for hits including Avatar, Lord of the Rings and District 9, is launching a special "Create An Alien" contest on web 3d world Frenzoo.com. 

This contest is one of two being held as part of a initiative together with Cyberport and Intergrid.

“Weta loves creativity. We are excited to give young, aspiring artists the opportunity to enter these two competitions and show off their skills. We can’t wait to see what they come up with” said Tim Launder, General Manager of Weta Limited.

The entries are already starting -Create your alien and join now!

Contest entry from Nikola Tesla, Frenzoo user from U.K.

Members need to think outside the box if they want to impress the judges, Greg Broadmore, designer of Weta's Dr. Grordbort's retro-sci-fi universe, and Frenzoo design director Kogi Ko. The first place prizes, note the plural form of prize, include two real-life items: Wacom Bamboo pen tablet and a Dr Grordbort's "Righteous Bison" Raygun.

Entry is free and available to everyone on Frenzoo. No special software is required.

Complete press release follows.

(HONG KONG, April 8, 2010) – Two global 3D Design Competitions are here now for all creative talents to compete.  The cutting edge technology will bring a brand new experience for digital artists and 3D avatar lovers around the world.  The Competitions are co-organised by InterGrid, a world-renowned cloud computing giant, Weta Workshop, a filmmaking special effects and post-production expert, Cyberport, Hong Kong’s unique Creative Digital Community, and Frenzoo.com, the first 3d-online-world with user generated content on the web and also a Cyberport’s incubatee graduate. 

“Dr. Grordbort’s Raygun Shootout” – Win a trip to New Zealand

Weta and InterGrid are introducing a competition for digital artists to design and animate models based on the Dr. Grordbort’s range of Rayguns and characters created by Greg Broadmore, who is the Conceptual Designer of District 9 and has participated in many other Hollywood blockbusters such as King Kong, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, I, Robot etc.  Mr. Broadmore created and designed the Dr. Grordbort’s Infallible Aether Oscillators, which have been developed as an original line of art collectibles.  The Rayguns: Dr. Grordbort’s Infallible Aether Oscillators are a line of 1:1 scale antique styled, sci-fi hand weapon props.  With charming, 1900s contraption styling and finish, the rayguns evoke the nostalgia of a lost age of exploration and discovery.

This competition is aimed at new as well as experienced digital artists who will use InterGrid's innovative Cloud rendering system, the “Green Button”, to render their creations.  Cyberport’s Digital Media Centre (DMC) will support the competition by providing the render farm, which renders the 360-degree view for each entry.  Entrants can interact, comment and vote on each other’s work.  Monthly prizes for the best and most popular entries will be selected by Weta and InterGrid staff.  An overall winner will be announced in October and the prize is a trip to New Zealand to meet Richard Taylor and Greg Broadmore at Weta Workshop.

For more competition details, please visit www.raygunshootout.com.

“ Create an Alien” – Weta contest on Frenzoo.com – in-browser 3d world of creativity

Weta and Frenzoo are also launching a competition to create new virtual worlds.  Entrants in this competition can create new alien life forms and environments. This competition is open to all ages and skills, and contestants will win monthly prizes from the Weta range of collectibles.

For more information, visit www.frenzoo.com. 

“This is an exciting partnership for us at InterGrid and we are thrilled to be working with the teams at Weta, Cyberport and Frenzoo” said Mr. Scott Houston, CEO, InterGrid, a market leader in cloud computing. “The creative media sector is expanding globally and this competition can be an eye-opening experience for digital artists and social networking lovers to get involved in 3D technology and features the power of cloud computing by Green Button.”

As a supporting and empowering centre within Cyberport, DMC is leveraging on “Green Button” technology in its rendering facility and fully supports and promotes this user-friendly front-end cloud computing solution for creative industry practitioners to achieve cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

“Facilitated by our unique creative digital community and IT infrastructure, this will be a valuable chance for digital media enthusiasts to showcase their creativity internationally and experience more 3D technology as well as cloud computing that is steadily gaining popularity in the era of new media.” said Mr. Herman Lam, Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited.  “The Dr. Grordbort’s Exceptional Exhibition at Cyberport is open to the public and free of charge.  All who wish to participate in the competitions should definitely visit the exhibition to familiarize themselves with the Dr. Grordbort’s universe as well as rayguns.”

“Weta loves creativity. We are excited to give young, aspiring artists the opportunity to enter these two competitions and show off their skills. We can’t wait to see what they come up with” said Tim Launder, General Manager of Weta Limited.

Frenzoo, the web based 3D avatar world, one of the outstanding graduate companies of Cyberport’s IncuTrain Centre (Digital Entertainment Incubation-cum-Training Centre), has used its expertise in 3D user generated content to facilitate the competition.

For more information on the competitions visit www.raygunshootout.com and www.frenzoo.com.

About Cyberport

Cyberport is a US$2 billion (HK$15.8 billion) landmark project managed by Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited, and wholly owned by the Hong Kong SAR Government.  Focusing on enterprise and professional development, Cyberport helps commercialise creative ideas and incubate start-ups.  We have an energetic cluster of creative ICT and digital content tenants who enjoy synergies from co-locating with each other, and we are Hong Kong’s unique Creative Digital Community.  Interconnected by a state-of-the-art broadband network, the Cyberport community is home to four grade-A intelligent office buildings, a five-star design hotel, a retail entertainment complex and about 2,800 deluxe residences. 

About InterGrid

InterGrid is a New Zealand registered software company expanding into Asia. It is a market leader in Cloud Computing services and the company’s “Green Button” software is one of the world’s first true Cloud Computing solutions. The Green Button is the user-friendly front end for industrial strength Cloud Computing. The system enables applications to run on computer processing, storage and network infrastructure that would be outside the budget of all but the wealthiest institutions. Go to http://www.greenbutton.co.nz for details.

About Weta Workshop

Weta Workshop is a five-time Oscar winning conceptual design and physical manufacturing facility servicing the world's entertainment and creative industries. While providing special effects for the movie industry, such as The Lord Of The Rings, Avatar, District 9, King Kong and The Chronicles Of Narnia, is the backbone of the company, the talented artists and craftspeople at Weta also create limited edition collectibles drawn from the movies, television, comics and games they work on. Weta has also created its own intellectual property in the world of Dr Grordbort's, around the art of Conceptual Designer Greg Broadmore. The collectibles are distributed world wide via the website, www.wetaNZ.com, and are now available at the new Weta Collectibles store at Cyberport.

About Frenzoo

Based in Hong Kong, Frenzoo Ltd., is the first 3d online world with user generated content on the web. The destination allows users to create their avatar, meet people & 3d chat in animated virtual scenes, express their style and create fashion & content, all within their Internet browser. Mod sims and 3d asset import from packages such as 3D Max and Blender are also supported. Frenzoo leverages the power of the Unity 3d engine, used by leading entertainment companies such as Electronic Arts and Cartoon Networks. Go to http://www.frenzoo.com for details.

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Media inquiries: press@frenzoo.com

Why people leave a virtual world & "fail fast"

As an growing 3d web startup, one of our most useful principles we've adopted has been "Fail Fast"

Fail Fast for us means actively seeking feedback on what is failing in the user experience immediately - so we can iterate the product as rapidly as possible.

We gain feedback in many ways: daily usage statistics, newcomer usability tests, talking to newcomers etc but one of the clearest ways to capture the big picture is the exit survey: "why cancel your account?"

We make it simple to delete an account on Frenzoo - every time someone does it's valuable feedback on what we need to improve. We can then track progress in a systematic way.

For example, here were the top 10 reasons cited over the last few days.

It's been fascinating to see these shift as we've grown since launching 3d environments start of January. 

"Not fun" used to be higher up the list at the start, and conversely "No adult content" lower down.  "Too complicated" used to be one of the top few reasons but numerous UI iterations has improved ease of use - although room to improve.  "Using other account" and "Not enough coins" have remained consistently high, which is not unexpected in our type of freemium offering.

Whilst many of the listed reasons are no doubt specific problems on our site, some I speculate are also applicable to most virtual worlds as a whole.  3d and textures leads to crashes and lag for many folks.  The whole issue of complexity is also important - many people give up out of frustrating simply because they can't figure out how to get going or learn how to play.

It's not always easy to embrace negative feedback, but just like medicine, it's healthy for you.

After all the whole point of failing fast is to help you succeed fast too.

Frenzooは愛の日本 - Major changes at Frenzoo

We at Frenzoo have always been inspired by Japanese culture and art.

Much of our team are fans of manga.  We play PSP and NDS in the train, and go home to enjoy Wii or PS3 games at night (when we're not out singing Karaoke)

The very second language we ever translated was Japanese, and our avatars were inspired by Anime aesthetics.

So it feels right to announce the next major step in our company evolution: to shift direction and focus exclusively on the lucrative Japanese market going forward.

This will mean that Japanese will replace English as the default language, effective April 2nd.

Don't worry, you can still change your language back to English via the following steps:

1. Login to the site (if you can't figure out why, click the "ログインとパスワード" button)
2. Go to the profile setting プロフィール
3. Click preferences 優先
4. Click settings 設定
5. Click the third tab for "abandon identity" アイデンティティを放棄する
6. Scroll down til you see the "foreigners" section 外国人
7. Select English 英語

We will be making the transition from English to Japanese easier though, through a set of language training flash games - we'll have more details on this when they are ready to launch.

We appreciate that this is a big change, but it's one for the best - we look forward to your ongoing support. Arigato.

ps - Happy April Fools >.<