[ASM scene] Assembly graphics compo question

[Maija Haavisto]

> And it sure as heck would stop 'I put a font on top of a stock 
> photo' things. (Maybe that isn't what that pic is after all, but in 
> my mind it is now.  Probably would NOT have been had I seen stages 
> before being told it used stock photos AFTER the voting.)
> 
> But I do agree that one should _always_ show the final image first; 
> THEN the stages.  And the stages should not be zoomed; just shown.  
> Think 'Arte' again.

I think this is not the only time when a picture has won a prize largely owing to confusion about the techniques used in the creation process. Several years ago a fairly unimpressive photo won the freestyle graphics compo (to the author's credit it was their own photo, not someone else's). I was puzzled, but when I asked several people it turned out they had voted for it because they thought it was either a) a digital painting or b) a rendered picture. That year the techniques were not listed on the screen, but even now you can apparently enter just about anything (secret ninja techniques) and qualify.

I have nothing against the use of stock photos and have used stock photos in my own compo entries before (and I also offer stock photos online myself). Technically most stock photo licenses allow you to do just about anything you want with the material, but I still think it is unethical to use a stock photo as it was used in the entry we're discussing, because you are giving people the impression you are presenting your own artwork, when you aren't (IMO). Aside from the curves adjustments, I think the original photo was actually made _worse_ by the edits.

People should be able to find out what they're voting for. Even if the stages weren't shown on the bigscreen (that would leave less showtime for the CS compos :((( ), they should be available for viewing in the PMS. That way, those who feel that the stages ruin their experience of amazement and awe could also choose not to look at them.

I also think the rules of the graphics compo should be clarified. In general they're quite unclear about what you can and cannot do. Something like "You are allowed to use stock photos, clip art and other PD material, but if the jury does not think that you have made substantial changes to the source material, the jury has the right to disqualify the work".

-- 
%.  _    /)    That's why I didn't kill myself sooner, the pressure
`%-('`._/ ) _  of spelling mistakes. -"5 Suicide Notes" by Saracen Tate
 `\ \     `'/  Maija Haavisto * DiamonDie at IRCnet * http://www.fiikus.net
     `.___.'mh My CFS/ME/FM book: http://www.brokenmarionettebook.com


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