Go Green with Corel

Protect the Earth! Use Corel software! Win money! That’s the message for Corel’s Go Green contest, which is awarding a video story about the environment with a Corel software package and digital video camera.

To enter, download some Corel free trial software and construct a video that is either about the environment or about Earth Day. Upload your video to Youtube before August 31, 2008, register it online and get as many of your friends to watch it. Winning video is the one with the highest views. Get cracking!

Speed dating for artists

Theatreworks is giving Melbourne artists a chance to meet other like minded folk for some project making at Speed Dating For Artists. It’s a great chance to network with other artists and theatre makers, and best of all – it’s free. But no actors!

You will need to book ahead, and you will recieve a free glass of wine and 2-for-1 Theatreworks season ticket. The next event is on Monday, 21 July at 6pm. The remaining dates for 2008 are also available, and bookings can be made via their website.

Enter the land of Experimentopia!

Experimenta is a contemporary arts organisation who run the International Biennial of Media Art, entitled Experimentopia. They’re calling for international and Australian proposals for next year’s works, and are commissioning up to $6,000 each for new pieces, with preference towards interactive media. The aim is to create works that allow audiences to engage with, act out, inhabit and experience utopic/dystopic scenarios and environments.

Applying is free, and entries must be in by 25th July, 2008. Application forms and guidelines can be downloaded from the website.

See the world through the eyes of women

If you’re a lady who likes to get behind a video camera, you should consider entering the World of Women (WOW) Film Festival. Female directors, producers, writers, editors and cinematographers are invited to submit short films up to 55 minutes in length, with key creative input by women.

The theme? To show the world through the eyes of women.  Selected films will be screened on the 1 & 2 October, 2008 in Sydney, and will travel to over 20 locations throughout Australia and overseas.

Regular deadline is 16 July, 2008, but they also have early bird and extended deadlines for the speedy and slow. Entry fees range from $15 – $60. To find out more, visit the website.

Trasharama a-go-go!

Trasharama a-go-go is Australia’s self-proclaimed NASTIEST short film “festerval”. They’re looking for your horror, sci-fi, bad taste comedies, dodgymentaties and any other low-brow films under 15 minutes to be part of their travelling screen festival, touring the country in October later this year.

There’s a bunch of sponsor prizes up for grabs, and the chance to be involved in what looks to be a roaring event. Entries are due 14 August, 2008 and it costs $10 to enter. If you can’t make the deadline, there’s also a late entry deadline of 9 September, 2008 ($15 entry fee).

iArts digital interactive arts

iArts is a new digital programming initiative hosted by ABC TV, producing content created in collaboration with Western Australian art people and digital content producers. All work will be published by ABC TV on their website with podcasts, vodcasts and TV shorts.

Western Australian artists, musicians, designers, art organisations and digital media producers and invited to join the program. Applications close 21 July, 2008. Guidelines are available on the ScreenWest website.

Flake Film Festival call for entries

The Flake Film Festival is the highest short film festival in Australia, showing in the snowy mountains of Jindabyne, NSW. It showcases a huge range of hobby to professional films from across Australia and the world.

The call is out for entries, with this year’s theme being “light”. There’s $15,000 in cash and prizes to be won across several categories, and films will be screened throughout the NSW Snowy Mountains in early September, 2008.

Films must be less than 8 minutes, and can be in any genre or style, as long as they incorporate light. Entries close August 12, 2008. Find out more at the filmmaker site.

Keith + Lottie gallery call out

Keith + Lottie is a little gallery/shop space found on the West Coast of Australia. In the past they’ve exhibited a bunch of cool artists including YOK, Beci Orpin, Pat Doherty and Deathbot.

They’re currently accepting applications for art shows, product launches, fundraisers and other fun events for the remainder of the year. Deadline for applications is 30 June, 2008. To find out more, download the gallery application pack. 

How to run a professional blog

Let’s face it – if you’re a designer, crafter or an artist with a blog you’re inevitably going to be wanting to pimp your skills. However, when you start going from personal blog to a professional folio blog, you need to carefully look at the way you present yourself and the way you interact with your readers and the rest of the world wide web.

Luckily, there’s a number of talented bloggers out there who have some tips to help you. As I come along more articles, I’ll add them to this post so it becomes EXTRA-helpful.

Nubby Twiglet has a number of posts on Business & Marketing, coming from her experience as a freelance designer.

• The benefits of folio blogs vs websites
• 13 steps to a successful blog-based business
• Choosing a business name
• The art of networking

Pip from Meet Me at Mikes has recently done a run of entries on how to maintain a craft blog, but they can be applied to pretty much any blog possible.

• How to start a craft blog
• How to market a craft blog
• How to make your blog look cuter
• How to have nice blog manners

Every Tuesday, Leni & Rose does a post on blogging tips & tricks. They also include step-by-step guides on how to customise your Blogger account, if that’s your processor of choice.

Other articles:

• Passive marketing for freelancers
• Build a killer online portfolio in 9 easy steps

 

Ambiguous Horse Bicycle Film Festival

It may sound like a bunch of random words, but the Ambiguous Horse Annual Bicycle Film Festival will be screening in Melbourne  from 20 – 23 November this year. The Bicycle Film Festival is also held in cities around the world, and the best films from the Melbourne division will go into consideration for the 2009 international tour.

Submission deadline in September 12, 2008. What to submit? A DVD in any film style about bikes, cyclists and bike scenes. To enter, download and sumbit an entry form.