Organizing a Forum Sig Contest

I’ve got to hand it to everyone who’ve successfully organized parties (or more like parteehs?) and awards ceremonies. Just like what Hilary Clinton once quipped, “It takes a village.” In my case though, I’m organizing a contest for my site SigShare.com, which isn’t quite as big as the Blog Parteeh and the recent Philippine Blog Awards because there is no formal awards night nor a celebration of sorts. My contest is for the Internet only, if there is such a thing. All participants come from different parts of the world. That alone makes a formal gathering simply impossible. But that hasn’t dampened our enthusiasm. In fact, all my members are excited about it!

To give you a backgrounder, it is a forum sig contest I titled “SigShare Sig Showdown Volume I” (SSSVI). Not many know what a forum sig is, or why the heck I would make a site just for sigs. Sigs aren’t limited to text signatures you know! Forum sigs are banner-like images (though slightly larger) that forum users insert into their signature space to assert identity and self-expression. Most sigs are created from several other images called renders and C4D’s. Popular renders come from images of characters from anime shows and computer games. Renders are usually high-resolution images with plain white or black backgrounds. Their backgrounds are eliminated so that sig makers won’t have a hard time exporting them to a new canvass. C4D’s, on the other hand, are typically used as backgrounds for the sig. These are then continuously distorted through smudging or applying filters until the desired effect has been achieved. SigShare is living proof that forum sigs can actually be a work of art! Some of the digital artists at SigShare (or SS as we fondly call it) come up with the most sensational sigs I’ve ever seen. Here are some samples:

Ironing out the details was the most difficult part, from choosing and inviting judges, deciding the criteria to setting the rules. Fortunately, my colleagues Gail and Aileen gladly agreed to become judges. Gail is the owner of web design company Sheero Media while Aileen is the Google country consultant to the Philippines. Thanks to both of you!

There will be two winners — one for the Judges’ Choice Award and one for the People’s Choice Award. The Judges’ Choice winner shall receive $50 and an official SSSVI winner icon while the People’s choice winner receives recognition and an official SSSVI winner icon.

The contest is still ongoing although registration is already closed. Entries to the contest will be uploaded into the gallery until Friday, April 27, 2007, after which the judging process will begin. Please visit SigShare.com and help rate the contest entries!

I hope to make this a bimonthly event and to get more digital artists and sig makers to participate. Thanks to all participants and I wish all of you the best of luck!

*Thanks to huMAC, The.Raven, SAF and wildquaker for the sigs.