Alistair Thompson
...And the winner is:
Togather
Congratulations Dilruba Tayfun, Marie-Claire Springham, and Ruben de Haas!
Description
What if you could take any object, scan it and turn it into a digital brush to use on any device?
Togather is a platform where anyone can make and share their custom digital brushes inspired by real-life objects. Share the objects and their stories in the library. Download the files for use in Photoshop and Procreate. Or just browse the gallery of artworks created using the brushes. Our mission is to encourage users to appreciate and see our living planet with fresh eyes and we're doing this through 3D brushes. Participating in Togather means that you can provide someone on the other side of the world with a tool that is free, unique and speaks of the location it was found at without it having to leave its home on the ground. It also means that you can create and learn through their findings. Inspiration is abundant. The more we can take away boundaries to how we create, we can incorporate the world around us. Literally bring the OUTSIDE in. Check out the Togather website, download the free brushes, create your own and share your art. Get ready to expand the possibilities of what you can create. Gather. Make your mark.
Find Out More About This Project
Team Name
Dilruba Tayfun
Countries
Netherlands, United Kingdom
Team Background
Togather is led by founder & Creative Director Dilruba Tayfun. She is an Amsterdam-based Jr. Graphic designer at TomTom by day and by any other moment hoping to show the magic and stories in our environments through mark-making. During STL Dilruba recruited her neighbour conceptual and visual artist & designer Ruben de Haas as Assistant Creative Director. The two never worked together until the league, but a twig-in-a-vase in Ruben's home and their shared interests in mark-making and the environment sealed the deal. Our third and final member of Togather is product and digital designer Marie-Claire Springham on UX Design & Research. Marie-Claire has a passion for sustainability and Human Centered Design. She shared two graduations with Dilruba, a decade of tea, toast and tunes and multiple collaborative projects. A fruitful, creative friendship and history to say the least. This is a pretty unlikely team, working together for the first time, but it's proved to be an unforgettable one. Like that ingredient in Pixar films. Unexpected, challenging and eccentric!
As Team Togather we gathered in Amsterdam; but extended our arms to far and beyond it. Our collaborators & contributors tuned in from Singapore, United States, United Kingdom, Canada.. the list goes on. Finally, we have one particular collaborator who we have to thank for documenting and helping us tell our story as the project unfolds from day 1 - our friend, photographer, videographer and editor Ari Snow, Creative Director at xStudio Snow.
A BIG SHOUT-OUT TO OUR RUNNERS-UP
Kawia's Adventure
Find Out More About This Project
Kawia's adventure is a time traveling African safari set in the mysterious past of the East African Savannah where you play as Kawia, a girl trying to cross the mysterious plains, defeating evil spirits and through the power of dance, race through the lands using the dances of old to battle; Eskista for flight, Baganda for defense and The Tero Buru to deal damage on all who dare stand in your way. Control how the story unfolds as you choose your fate in the interactive film aspect of the game and survive the choices you make as you craft your adventure!
Fight the undead by matching the keys to the beat, become a true warrior and dance your way to victory or make one misstep and face your doom, in your quest to meet your best friend.
Team Name
Eurydice
Countries
Kenya
Team Background
We are Tabi Karaba and Lydia Mugure, two kids from Kenya who love writing and developing fun stories! We met at Kenyatta University studying Film and Theatre arts where we grew as friends. Tabi ventured towards filmmaking focusing more on creative direction editing and cinematography causing her to be the story and direction lead in Kawia's adventure going as far as editing, choreographing, scripting, production and blocking all of the scenes in the project. Lydia, found herself drawn to animation and programming shifting her plans towards that, studying character modeling and rigging, animation, scene and environment design and coding, in Kawia's adventure she handled the development of the animation, models, concept, scenes and even the music! WE BUILT IT ALL OURSELVES DARLING!
Icebreakers
Find Out More About This Project
Step inside the panels of our Virtual Reality comic, Icebreakers, and join our dysfunctional pirate crew in their adventures on the frozen landscape, 7000 years after a deadly Ice Age swept through the globe. Explore along with them as they try to evade the grasp of an oppressive government, and the danger lurking in the ice.
Mind your step! Danger could be just around the corner…
Along with the first chapter of our pirates adventures, we have released the toolkit used to build the comic in Unity, all in Open Source! Show us what you can do.
Team Name
Small Fry
Countries
Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany
Team Background
Small Fry, reporting for duty!
Our team first met at last year’s THU event in Malta, where we bonded over a crazy game of Dungeons and Dragons. Since then we’ve kept up the tradition!
Our team is fairly international, spanning the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland.
The Project Manager (tech whiz) on Icebreakers was Chris Graf. Stephan Rumping (hype man) was the Creative Director, helping out on everything from Script writing to building the panels in Unity. Alexandra van Caloen (chill pill) handled Story and Concept Art.
WRAPPING UP THIS FIRST EDITION
Thank you for being a part of the Sony Talent League. We couldn’t have done it without the mentors, the jury, and the Tribe!
A Journey of Growth For Creators
Over the last few months, you followed this incredible journey of collaboration and accompanied the process of bringing three unique ideas to life. You watched our finalists grow and get stronger after every mentorship, tribe session, and accomplishment, conquering their fears and doubts as they tackled each challenge.
Now, the first edition comes to an end, and we couldn’t be more proud of the resilience and creativity of the three finalist teams.
We hope this inspires you to make your own ideas happen and keep following your creative path!
The Winners’ Reaction
"Joy. Feeling immense joy and gratitude to everyone who had touched this project directly or indirectly. All the mentors that went above and beyond to connect with us and share with us their gatherings, their time, and knowledge. This was truly an unforgettable experience. This project thrived on everyone's input. We are an ecosystem. I have so much energy to keep this going. To continue connecting humans towards this project's growth" - Dilruba Tayfun
1,638
Total submissions
105
Countries
+90
Hours of exclusive mentoring
+15
Hours of Tribe Sessions
About The Sony Talent League by THU
Break creative barriers, alone or in a group, within the digital entertainment industry and submit a cross-border idea that the world has never seen before.
We’re looking for ideas that combine different forms of digital art and mix different creative areas: illustration, storytelling, film, games, photography, animation, mixed media, VR, music...You name it
What's In It For You?
A Unique Opportunity for Young Creators
Break the Creative Distance
This year, the word “distance” assumed a whole new meaning for people all over the globe.
Suddenly, staying apart was our best chance of being together again.
However, there is a distance we are daring you to break: the creative one.
Ideas have the strength to bring us together and fuel our creative spirit.
It’s time to shatter the borders of digital entertainment and go beyond boundaries, creating new value for the future.
What You Get
Finalists
The jury will select the best three ideas.
Each finalist or group of finalists will get:
Ten Weeks of Mentorships
Per Submission
Per Submission
Remote mentorships with renowned creators and industry experts.
Funding of Up to 12.500€
Per Submission
Per Submission
This funding aims to help you support living expenses.
Winner
The public will vote on the best idea among the three finalists.
In addition to the prize above, the winner will get:
10.000€ in Prize Money
Per Submission
Per Submission
The winning project will receive a monetary prize of 10.000€.
Ticket for THU Main Event
Per Person
Per Person
Each member of the winning project will get a ticket for our Main Event
Timeline
Meet the Juries and Mentors
André Luís
Craig Berry
David OReilly
Justin Thompson
Kevin Young
Kim Jung Gi
Kris Pearn
Nuno Loureiro
Phil Lord & Chris Miller
Sally Slade
Saraswathi Balgam
Scot Stafford
Shuzo Shiota
Tetsuya Mizuguchi
Tyree Dillihay
Am I eligible to participate?
Yes, if you're between 18 and 30. Everyone who’s 30 until 31 December 2020 is in. And you need to be available for the period of Mentorships (remote due to COVID-19 restrictions), from January 4 to March 15, 2021
Can I submit my work as a team? And what about solo?
Yes. You can submit your work alone or as part of a group with a maximum of three members.
We allow joining forces with other people to promote collaboration between creators from different areas within digital entertainment. However, we discourage groups with more than three members.
Yep, you can also participate alone!
Please note that submissions from organizations or companies are not permitted.
What do you mean by a cross-border idea?
A cross-border idea that breaks the creative distance is any idea that combines or integrates different digital art forms, exploring boundaries between creative disciplines.
Our jury will value submissions that are not afraid of new technology, and present a disruptive concept
Aspects related to innovation, novelty, entertainment value, artistry, social value will be considered for the evaluation process.
Can you be more specific?
We know it’s hard to come up with an idea when there are no limits on what you can do, but that’s literally it: you can submit anything you want, as long as it’s cross-border and combines different forms of creation. Here are some examples of areas that you can mix: illustration, storytelling, film, games, VR, photography, animation, mixed media...Go crazy and surprise us!
If you have an idea but are still not sure if it fits this challenge, reach out to [email protected] and we will help!
Why is this challenge different?
Sony Talent League by THU is not a competition. It’s a collaboration opportunity that will make your ideas reach their full potential.
We want to find a new type of creator and empower the next generation of creative minds.
It’s an all new type of challenge where creative problem-solving, innovation and freedom is key! Break conventions and barriers!
What do I have to submit?
To complete your submission, you need to fill out the entry form with the following information:
— Project info: team name, project title, project statement, categories, project description/synopsis, tools used, and estimated accomplishments by the deadline.
— Team info: team members' names, birthdates, and roles.
— Supporting Materials (choose at least one of these methods): presentation board, video, sound & music, and representative images.
What do you mean by prototype?
You can submit what you think is best to explain your idea and get the message across. Focus on presenting your idea: the prototype will be a work in progress that will get polished along the way. And if something is just not deliverable in a timely manner, we consider the prototype to be an early release! It must not be finished but ready enough to represent the project essence and uniqueness.
Why is funding a part of the prize?
The idea behind each prize is to allow you to take the project further and enrich your idea.
The funding we provide is to help you support living expenses and make sure you can be fully committed and focused.
If you’re submitting as a group, please note that the funding is not per person, but per submission.
What’s the official language of the Sony Talent League by THU?
The official language is english.
This means your submission (materials and form) must be in english, and mentorships will also be in this language.
FAQ
Take Your Creativity Out of Isolation
Sony Corporation is a creative entertainment company with a solid foundation of technology. From game and network services to music, pictures, electronics, semiconductors and financial services - Sony’s purpose is to fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology. “Sony Talent League by THU” is the latest programs of “Sony Creators Gate” , Sony’s branding initiative to empower next generation of creators by offering exciting growth opportunities.