Curse

Brandon1107 · Jun 14, 2008, 03:36 PM // 15:36

With no further ado. Here it is.

We've witnessed many contests. We've seen many contestants rise and fall. And in each of those contests there was a single theme. You were by yourself; but truly in Tyria, models never pose by themselves. It's time to team up and show that two minds are better than one. The question is, are you up to the challenge?

Bigger prizes!

More honor!

And the chance to become Tyria's Most Famous, with your best friend.

Are you ready?
________________________________

This thread was made to make you aware that this going to be part of the forums very soon.
This is a SCREENSHOT!! competition, just so you know! Sometime in middle August, probably August 18th, the Application thread will be revealed. We are giving you a taste of this contest now, so you can prepare, because this is not going to be like any contest to date! There will be many surprises and things you've seen in other contests, but remember to always be on your toes! You will be working with a partner of your choice, so it will be twice as hard, and twice as fun! If you do not have a partner yet, here are some steps to take:

post in this thread if you need a partner
find someone with your timezone
talk and see if you have a similar schedule
talk, play ingame, see how you work out together
take some pics and practice!

Finding a partner that you can work well with is very important. You will be working with them for 10+ weeks. If you are really having trouble finding a partner tell one of us! We are very happy to help, but remember to post in here first. If you are wondering why this contest is so different, here are some things to be aware of:

enter with anyone; partners can be male+female, male+male, or female+female. this contest does not have to do with relationships
there will be 12 contestants that are 6 groups of 2
this contest will last up to 4 months. DO NOT ENTER IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE TIME!!! You will have an assignment each week, and you have to communicate with your partner!
Every week you will have critiques. Know they can be harsh, but they are all made to help you !
Past contestants to any contest may enter, but under a different character.
My timezone is EST so all deadlines will be on MY time not yours.
This contest is just for fun! So have fun! The prize is a by product of this contest.
Read everything very very VERY carefully! Not every contest is alike. Rules might be different. (they are)

So now you know some fun facts (yay!!). But now let's see who made this all happen. First i'll introduce myself!

Your one and only Big Balls Of Fire! I was a recent contestant on Tyria's Most Wanted. Though I did not win, it has inspired me to host this contest. I will be your host along with my partner in crime...(drum roll)

Crys Tol Dia! She has left Pre-Searing just to be my co-host. She is the winner of the 3rd cycle of Pre-Searing's Next Top Model. Please give her a round of applause for putting up with all my suggestions and comments.

And of course, all the behind the scenes people's. My judges. Though this is not the time to reveal them. They are quirky, weird, but know their stuff. Crys Tol Dia and my judges have helped me very much with planning this contest and provided me with some great ideas! Now that you have met the hosts, it is time to reveal the biggest change to the contest setup:

There will be 10 or more assignments. For the first couple assignments we will have a progressive point system. Each assignment, instead of getting eliminated, you will get a score and each assignment after that, your score will get added up. Just because no one is getting elimination doesn't mean you don't try. Those rounds are the foundation of this contest. If you don't do good then, it will show and you will be eliminated first. The start of the eliminations will be random. There will be no warning. Your scores will transfer from the first couple rounds but do not mean your inevitably eliminated if you have the lowest score. So be careful and always try your hardest!

Now for the contest rules:

no outside editing programs are allowed!
you have to have a partner in this contest. This is not a solo contest!
When the applications start you will send a cropped and uncropped picture!
No cutscene screenshots and nothing modded
Every character other than your partner in your pictures must be name.
No head gear, unless there is an exception.
read the deadlines...please! anything past the deadlines will be disqualified
read the Contest Forum rules. if you are banned from Guru or GW you are disqualified from this contest.
Most Importantly: If you ever have any questions, ask me or my co-host. You can PM me or her. Our email is at the bottom of the page!

So now. This announcement is almost at a close! Remember this is not an application thread, just the announcement. Stay tuned until August 18th. Any questions, please PM me or my co-host or email us at [email protected]. To keep everyone's attention until that time we have made a dramatic video of what you sha'll expect! There is a long version and a short. Click the billboard for the short:

Small Promo
Full Length

Also! If you ever have any comments, concerns or suggestions, post them in here! Or you can PM or Email us. We are happy see everyone voice their opinions. Remember this is a Screenshot Competition. Now to wait for two months...guess we're all going to have to watch the movie over and over again. Find your partners. It might take the entire month and a half. Start practicing. Get ready! There is going to be some stiff competition!

Email us if you have any questions at all: [email protected]

Countdown Timer

Nemesis Xero · Jun 14, 2008, 04:47 PM // 16:47

Sounds like a lot of fun, very interesting and refreshing idea for a screenshot competition. I'll definitely be watching

jiggles · Jun 14, 2008, 05:11 PM // 17:11

sooooooooo, does is have to be m/f toons or can it be m/m - f/f

ta

Brandon1107 · Jun 14, 2008, 05:23 PM // 17:23

No you are not limited to Male-Female partners. You can have Male-Male or Female-Female. This has nothing to do with relationships.

Rosa Vixen · Jun 14, 2008, 05:34 PM // 17:34

Too bad I don't have time to enter.
Sounds great though, I wil definately be watching and cheering...loudly

Tatile · Jun 14, 2008, 07:16 PM // 19:16

I'm impressed, very original

Ah that my man would join me, but alas, he has since left Tyria for pastures new.

Bring on the hot couples! *grabs a sammich*

**cosyfiep** · Jun 14, 2008, 08:56 PM // 20:56

sounds like fun...would love to join (yep got the time)...however, I also have DA soooo it makes it very hard to get good screenie...oh well.

Lord Xarax · Jun 15, 2008, 12:24 AM // 00:24

Oh, this will be fun! I'll definitely be around for this one! - I *think* I might have a partner available as well (well, she better! *smirk*)

Very intriguing! I hope people will sign up and help make this the awesome contest it deserves to be!

/Xarax

CasterOfShame27 · Jun 15, 2008, 01:17 AM // 01:17

Hmm this looks like fun! I'm getting back into Guild Wars after my break and I'm pretty screenshot hungry

I just have to think of which character to enter...And I have to find a partner, oh my. This shall be splendid

~nymph~ · Jun 15, 2008, 03:24 AM // 03:24

This contest looks awesome. I don't think I will try for this one... I doubt I'll have the time with college applications around the corner ><. But, I look forward to watching

RedStar · Jun 15, 2008, 07:12 AM // 07:12

May try it ^^

*pokes Fenryl*.

Oogami · Jun 15, 2008, 11:45 AM // 11:45

Ahhh this looks like it could be fun . Maybe I'll give it a go depending on how much free time I will have on my hands

Brandon1107 · Jun 15, 2008, 03:26 PM // 15:26

Heya! I am Grandpa Balls Of Fire and I was asked by my grandson to teach you guys about Screenshotting and putting together this application.
Now before we get started, I sha'll tell you a tittle about myself. I group on a small farm in Istan. Before I was 9 we moved to the Petrified Forest where my parents made a living as clothes designers. I've always grown up around fashion and that is how I decided to become a male model. I have walked the runway by millions of designers, from Versace to Chanel and I've been on the cover of many model magazines. Well enough about me. It's time to learn!

First let's go over the writing portion ! Blah blah blah, I know this might not be the most fun part, but this is where we get to see you personality. If you write one-liners we might just think you didn't care enough about this contest to put effort into it. From questions 8-18 and all the Couples Questions, you must not have any one-liners! I say put your entire personality into it. Make it original and unique. Make it your own! And remember to have fun with it.

Now for the Screenshot Portion. Do you want to know how to model? How to pose? Well then stick with me and you'll know everything.

First you must remember that your screen must be clear from all distractions. To do that you must press Shift + Print Screen That will make your screen spotless.

It will get your picture from this:

To this, in a push of a button:

Now look at this picture above. Notice how the cropping is not to wide or too close. If you make it too wide the focus will be more on the background. If it is too close, you will not get any background in and the background can make or break a picture. So test your cropping until you get that perfect crop.

Next is lighting. You want to make sure you are the brightest thing in the picture. The way to do that is to face the sun. If your character has a nice tan like me, it will be hard to see yourself if your back is turned to the sun. See here:

It's hard to see my face because my back is toward the sun! But if I just turn around...

Ahh now that is hawt. See you can see me clearly now.

Ok now let's talk about distance. We don't need to see your whole body unless there is an exception. Look at your mouse. Now! See how there is a rolly thing in the middle? Now you never lay a finger on that. Now see the button on the right. Good. Press it and scroll forward. That is the correct way to zoom in. That will bring your photo from here:

To about here:

Now I bet you are wondering who that lovely lady is. She is my newly wed wife. Say hi to Livia. That brings me to my next point. If you are posing with a couple, you will not always want to pose with equal focus. See like in the picture above we have equal focus. Your eyes see both of us at equal distance. You can still have equal distance if you are turned too, like so:

Ahh! How did that picture get in there! Anyway, it still proves my point. We still get equal focus though we are not staring straight at the camera. Sometimes though you want one person to have more focus than the other. This can help to exaggerate and emotion, or show that the one person is more important than the other, like so:

Also you have to watch out for distractions in your screenshot. Skill effects can work positively or negatively against you, depending how you use them. In this screenshot, this skill works against me. It is covering my body and distracting the viewer from the model:

In this picture the skill is working for me. It is adding an effect I like, while not distorting the model or distracting the viewer:

My last point, is to watch out for what is in the background and too also watch out what is going on around you.

There are two big no no's in this picture. One is that there was a condition on me at the time. This is covering my face. You cannot have a face covered in a picture unless said so. The second big no no is that there is an unwanted model in the background. Make sure nothing is in the background you do not want.

Good luck in the contest models! I hope this helped.

eeks · Jun 15, 2008, 08:30 PM // 20:30

Awh, that's quite a while, Brandon.

That promo picture is pure win. XD Video's great too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tatile

Ah that my man would join me, but alas, he has since left Tyria for pastures new.

As has mine. Time to slap around our partners for ruining our competitive chances.

Queen Kitiara · Jun 16, 2008, 12:19 AM // 00:19

So exciting!!!

Great kick off BB and Lokii! Tidus and I are sooo slammed atm that I'm grateful to have time. Tidus is working to death and I'm in the middle of selling a house (packing/repairing/selling stuff etc) so needless to say I'm grateful this comp is a ways off.

*runs off to work on an almost due competion vid* x_X

Fenryl · Jun 16, 2008, 01:26 AM // 01:26

Yay ^^

I think I'm going to try it with my fellow partner, RedStar

Great idea BB and Lokii ... I can't wait for August ... this is going to be fun!

Julius K Foxglove · Jun 16, 2008, 02:02 AM // 02:02

Looks pretty hawt guys, not sure if I'll have time to compete or find even find a partner with a compatible time zone, but I'll definately keep an eye on it from the sidelines.

Good idea to announce it early though, I'd highly recommend that people who are considering entering to start practising because it's a lot of fun but a lot of work, especially working with another person.

Can't wait to see the details of the comp and how it will work.

Awesomesauce.

obsidian ectoplasm · Jun 16, 2008, 08:09 AM // 08:09

Is couple of the same sex allowed???

Tatile · Jun 16, 2008, 09:14 AM // 09:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by obsidian ectoplasm

Is couple of the same sex allowed???

Yup, as has been mentioned above. This isn't just a romantic contest you know.

Also, in the Promo Video I think there was a hot Mesmer/Elementalist couple, but I could be mistaken.

Sorceress · Jun 16, 2008, 10:18 AM // 10:18

Hey Cool

Well i should be around to enter this sounds like alot of fun peeps.Nice to see everyone back..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lord Xarax

I *think* I might have a partner available as well (well, she better! *smirk*)

/Xarax

And honey only if u behave....

Sorceress.............x