Frenzoo. Online World. 3D Chat with Style.

Congratulations Winners - 1st CCT Creator Awards on Frenzoo!

Creativity on Frenzoo just keeps growing, and now it's time to appreciate the Best of the Best so far!

On behalf of the CCT Content Creators Team and Frenzoo, I'm proud to announce the winners of the 1st Bi-Annual Creator Awards!

Entry was open to all, and spanned a number of different categories, ranging from scenes and furniture, clothing, accessories, cosmetics, hair and more.

And now for the winning entries...  Here they are:

The full list -

Congratulations to all the winners! 

Simon Newstead
CEO & Co-Founder, Frenzoo.com

ps - Special thanks to Liquidlight, Pikabo ICU, LdyDth and all the members of the CCT for holding this community driven awards and making it a success!

"Creators Corner" event - tonight Wed 10pm ET

Come join fellow creators and Frenzoo staff at the first "Creators Corner"

Who: All creators + Frenzoo staff (Ceci, Simon, Karlt)
When: Tonight, Wed 10pm ET
Where: “Frenzoo Office Hours” chatroom - link here

Topics to discuss
- Coming changes to pricing designed to give VIPs a greater share of profit
- Silver to gold coins ratio and proposed economy changes
- Who is the audience on Frenzoo, now and going forward
- Anything you want to bring up

See you there.

Frenzy magazine World Cup edition!

Everyone is in the World Cup fever, the user-made magazine team included.

The new issue of Frenzy, just launched has a fresh and sporty feel in celebration of the once-every-4-years event.

Apart from the lead article with world cup primer and style guide, there are also inside looks at the new furniture creation feature, anime review, creator spotlights and more.

You can read it embedded here:

Apart from the articles there are also a number of stunning advertisements made by creators, highlighting their shops.  One of my personal favorites is a time line themed ad by long time creator lo_specchio:

Big congrats to all the magazine team and contributors for an excellent issue!

ps - you can also check out all issues on the magazine blog

And the best illustrators on Frenzoo are...

...AnimeMeg27 and xoxskittlesxox, according to the results of the May 2010 "Illustrator of the Month" contest - Draw Your Own Avatar on the Frenzoo.com 3d world

For the very first time we had joint 1st place winners, as the officiating judge karlt both thought they were outstanding in very different ways:

"This really captures the character and style of your own avatar. The strokes and shading are fantastic, and portray of the face is realistic and excellent. The glamorous pose and the detailed stockings add sexiness to the overall feeling. This is one of the sexiest killer I've even seen!"

"It looks very eye pleasing. The colors are sharp and fresh, and the excellent shading makes the character stand out. I like the detailed face and clothes, especially the stripes on the doublet which help create the cylindrical feeling of the arms. Nice posing. Besides, the cuteness makes her look like one of the famous Manga characters. The little cute version of the avatar also adds fun to the picture!"

Both win a bunch of virtual prizes as well as a Wacom tablet to help them move their digital art into overdrive!

In second place was an amazing sketch by creator Dalriada:

Finally in 3rd place a very soft and detailed illustration by Ninja Destiny:

There are a bunch of special mentions that can be seen in the contest thread.  My personal favorite amongst the special mentions is a simple but edgy piece with personality by Naomix Sexy:

Congratulations to everyone who joined this huge contest. Great to see the art scene in Frenzoo alive and well!

Frenzoo.com Launches Multi-Avatar 3D Chat Within the Browser

Hong Kong, May 19, 2010 - Frenzoo.com, the in-browser 3D world with a user-generated economy, launches multi-avatar chat today.  For the first time, people can now join or host events, create unique venues and more, all within a web browser.  The new release will allow groups of up to 10 or more to interact either in public or more intimate private scenes.  

"Since January our users have been clamoring for multi-avatar chat on our site. Now it's in beta they can enjoy immersive group chats, without needing to learn.  Our goal is to listen to users and make the most entertaining and accessible 3d world on the web," said CEO and Co-Founder Simon Newstead.

Using the Unity 3d plugin, Frenzoo is a browser-based 3d world brought to life by user generated content. With the new multi-avatar chatrooms, members can join or sponsor events, such as fashion shows, discussions, quizzes and games, roleplays, speed dates and more. Shop owners will also be able to highlight their items through showcase rooms.

While anyone can join a chatroom, only VIP users can create them. They can set the rooms to be either public or private, and set optional age restrictions of "under 18", or "18 or over".

Frenzoo user Glamorous is hosting an upcoming "Nature Extravaganza" event. "The new chatrooms are great way to meet new friends," she said. "I'm excited about holding one of the first chatroom parties."

Multi-avatar chatrooms are currently in beta and available to try at Frenzoo.com.

About Frenzoo

In development since 2008, Frenzoo Ltd. (www.frenzoo.com), is the first browser-based 3d world with user generated content.  The destination allows users to create an avatar, meet people and virtual chat in animated 3d scenes, express their style and create fashion and content all in their Internet browser. Mod sims and 3d asset import from packages such as 3D Max and Blender are also supported.  The Frenzoo team is based in Hong Kong, and has been developed with seed investment from Ambient Sound Investments, established in 2003 as an equal partnership by four founding engineers at Skype Technologies.  Frenzoo has a partnership with leading virtual content producer Anshe Chung Studios (ACS).  Frenzoo leverages the power of the Unity 3d engine, used by leading entertainment companies such as Electronic Arts.  The lightweight plugin installs in seconds without any browser reloads, and enables rich 3D graphics rendered in hardware.

Press Contacts

Simon Newstead, Co-Founder & CEO
Email: simon@frenzoo.com
Skype: simon-hk

WETA "Create an Alien" Contest Winners Announced At Last

You have been waiting for it...

The WETA "Create an Alien" contest winners were finally decided after a long deliberation. For those who don't know, a few weeks ago we opened a very special contest in collaboration with WETA, you know, the special effect provider for movies like Lord of the Rings and the recent hit Avatar. 

The objective of the contest was to show new alien lifeforms using your 3D avatar.

The guest judges were Greg Broadmore, designer of the Dr. Grordbort's world of Rayguns and contraptions, and Kogi Ko, Frenzoo's own design director.

The winning entry was the very creative Octopus woman, by NAME:

Congratulations to NAME for the first prize win. The runner up was xoxskittlesxox, and second runner up went to Caleb Emo Zombie.

To see their winning entries, along with other special mentions, check the announcement thread, or see  the video. 

Which entries were your favorite?

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.

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

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

Scarlett Niven Picks the Best of the Best

Scarlett Niven had the difficult task of picking the best of the best in this month's VIP Challenge. A Second Life blogger, she knows the ins and outs of cross world fashions. Who better to guest judge a VIP contest?

This month's contest challenged VIPs to create an ad for mature make-up, skins, and fashion items. Each entry received helpful feedback from Scarlett.

The stakes were high: a chance to be featured in a machinima short on Scarlett's blog, as well as an extra 200 coins to play with. 

With fame and fortune in their sights, VIPs entered many mature looks. 

The best of the best?

First place winner Misselle's entry emphasized realism and detail. 

In second place, xoxskittlesxox's was edgy and bold. 

Lo_specchio nabbed third place with a focus on detail.

 

 

Congratulations on the well-deserved winnings!

Thanks to all who entered!

A big thank you to Scarlett for judging and providing feedback. Keep an eye on her blog for the short machinima feature and interview with Misselle.