dMw Design Competition

[Benny]

Competition time, we want a new look, something fresh and exciting to bring in the new year and take dMw into 2012 with a bang. What we want is a more cohesive view of our lil' ole' community. We want to standardise the look and feel across all of our media, so we need a Marketing Pack. What does that entail I hear you ask. Well sit tight and I'll let you know;

We would like;

• A new banner, something to reflect the games and community we have, include dMw and the url, other than that, the floor is yours. Multiple is good but a single stunner (like me in my youth) is just as likely to win.
• Any writing on the ad needs to be in a format and font we can use elsewhere, think video credits, signatures, avatars
• We want to see the wings, all about wings. If they got Always to the top of the female freshness supply chart they can help us reach dizzy new heights.

The plan is to use the same font from the ad's (that you design) for what we do with our site and marketing going forward, so don't just throw it together. Photos, graphics, cartoons, fonts, scrolling messages, posters, avatars...this is an open competition. We'll break it into categories;

Comp 1 - corporate logo - think big fellas, think big
Comp 2 - the website banner(s) <-multiple may win
Comp 3 - the font - something we can use in videos, may come from the above
Comp 4 - Paypal button needs the corporate styling that will come out of the above
Comp 5 - Some tag lines in the above style, think Apple, think Asda, think dMw

Post up your ideas, we'll comment as we go and maybe we'll end up with a hybrid. Winner gets a prize obviously, to be dished out at the next LAN.

Comps 1, 2 and 5 will close toward the end of the month, so get your ideas in. It's all down to the volumes we get. The remainder will be made up of the first 3. Here's your change to brand our site and be a key part of our public persona, dig deep people, you could be Bennys next apprentice a winner!


*Note, your work must be your own, no copyright issues, no stealing, no hanging around car parks looking for business.

[Luminance]

Comp 5 entry:

-=[dMw]=- You know you want it too.


( either with . or !, but personally, the ! is too "loud")

[ryhms nicely no? Plus, you need to deserve your wings, so, as a serious (new) player, you want that wing!]

[Luminance]

As for a question:

How does the copyright rules work?
Like, the current banner is a composition of pictures form several games.
Ar those special selected pictures of the producers of the game, that people can use copy right free?
Or does the copyright get annulled when several parts of pictures get merged together (or with own drawings etc) to form something new?

Example: (well, more then that, actually a product of a rough idea)



Would this be legal?

[smilodon]

Nope copyright is copyright. If you use something without permission you're breaking the rules, even if it's to combine it with other works. However I don't think using images from games to show that we support and play these games would be a problem. We're not taking revenue from the game developer and are in fact publicising their products. There are a few fair use defences such as satire or for news items. However they wouldn't apply in our case. Also as we take paid subscriptions we'f be on even more dodgy ground as we could be seen as a profit making entity.

[Luminance]

Hmm, so the person who made our current banner (and the previous for that matter), asked all the companies for permission?
(Or did he/she use a stock site? if so which one, and aren't they charging fees?)
Or is that the reason "we" need new ones?

Something like above, is quite substantially altered, and (arguably) creative.

[Benny]

For some encouragement, here's some blatant copyright infringement that I think we'd get away with....but if you lot can't do better than this we really are in trouble!

[video=youtube_share;xIT8FXFySF4]http://youtu.be/xIT8FXFySF4[/video]

[smilodon]

I think we're technically taking someone else's designs and making something to publicise our community. However it's a bit like driving at 32mph in a 30mph limit. It's illegal but no is going to fine you for it. I'd not worry too much about where the images come from. However we shouldn't blatantly just take some logo or image and pass it off as our own.  IMHO

[Zootoxin]

I get the feeling we are looking for a very professional looking theme for everything dMw.

If so, I think the shouldn't be such a great rush for the final product and there should also be a discussion to help guide designers.

Things like colours and sizes can make a hell of a difference when it comes to the thought process of creation.
Also which games are we aiming at for inspiration, if any? Are we just using the name as a guide or the fact that we are an online gaming community??

These things are important: there's no point basing all the design on zombies (deadmen) for it to be rebuffed.

Thoughts?

[BrotherTobious]

For some encouragement, here's some blatant copyright infringement that I think we'd get away with....but if you lot can't do better than this we really are in trouble!

[video=youtube_share;xIT8FXFySF4]http://youtu.be/xIT8FXFySF4[/video]

Damn you Benny was thinking of doing that same sort of thing but using vids from us playing them

[Whitey]

Most game companies provide artwork that can be used free of charge and without infringing copyright.  These contain logos, screen shots, templates... and are made freely available for Fan Sites/Reviews etc.

Examples:
http://www.swtor.com/news/news-article/20100219_001
[URL=http://www.fileplanet.com/220494/220000/fileinfo/Battlefield-3-Fansite-Kit]http://www.fileplanet.com/220494/220000/fileinfo/Battlefield-3-Fansite-Kit
[/URL]


Even better would be to fire up the games and get the screen shots yourself!

[Luminance]

Idea for banner:

Tip, flip screen 180 degrees

(Have it bigger, can smoothen curves etc. walking part can be done too, but I'll drop it if not interested, costs quite some time)

[Benny]

I kinda quite like the idea as a spinning then pausing logo. Perhaps with the 'whoomp' sound on each spin. Something THX'y.

[Luminance]

   

I'm not that good at drawing skulls, but I challenge you to improve the idea
Or get me a proper skull and I'll do it myself




(used AutoCad, paint and Corel Pointshop Pro)

[Luminance]

Not much of a competition with no one responding, entering....

[Benny]

Maybe we have some sleepers? Maybe you'll have no competition for the prize!