D&AD - Diesel design competition.

Competition Brief -

Create an illustrated interpretation of a musical track that is experienced by the viewer in an unconventional and pioneering way.

Choose a band or artist and create an illustrated response to two of their tracks - the target audience will be the fan base of the band / artist.

Considerations -

1. Work should show how illustration can be used as a powerful tool to reinvent and express music.
2. Work should show how illustration can be intergrated within music.
3. Consider how musicians are changing and developing the way they interact with their fans and how this may effect illustrations associated with their music.

I can't say that I find this brief hugely appealing. I must admit to not being very interested in the music industry, so I think i would find it hard to approach this brief with a great deal of enthusiasm. This is not a genre of illustration that I am considering entering so it does not seem as though entering the competition would be beneficial.


Submission details

Entries can be include either the static image, video, audio and interactive formats (full details given on the 'diesel' PDF file including the brief) 

If I were to enter this competition, my entry would be a static image - an illustration ( I don't have enough knowledege of the software needed to produce an entry in the other formats) so I have included the submission details for this.

(Static image) submission details

Digital files - 350dpi JPEG files, 24cm along longest axis, landscape format

OR - 4 x A2 / A3 boards including artwork, with surrounds.

Mandatory Requirements-

1. A short clear concie presentation of how the entry would be intergrated within the context of an unconventional music experience.
2. An (300 words max) explaination of how you decided to interpret the music chosen for illustration.
3. MP3s of the two illustrated music tracks.

ENTRY FEE - £12 for dandad members,  £17 for non - members

Competition Deadline

Entries will be accepted from Monday 7th february, the closing deadline is 5pm Friday 4th March

(upload all work to www.dand.org/studentawards )

Illustrative practises module deadline - 11th March 2011

The Illustrative practises module deadline is after the deadline for the competition, so if I decided to enter this competition, I would be able to submit a copy of the final design visuals for the competition on the illustrative practises deadline.

As the competition dedline is the 4th of March, then if I were to enter this competition, I would need to begin prelinminary work (research, experimentation etc.) soon. The workload for the competition is sizeable, and given the shorter time frame available for this competition in comparison to the others, being organised would be important. As with the RSA postage stamp competition, there are elements other than the final visuals which must also be submitted and considered meaning time would have to be planned effectively.

Competition judges

No details of the judges are present on the webpage or pdf document containg the competition brief - but as with the RSA competition, judging criteria is given -

1. Excellent creative idea
2. On brief
3. Excellent craft or solution

This is quite vague, which would mean that the brief is really quite open - there aren't any restrictions on choice of imagery or style (something which does appeal to me). The fact that there isn't any information on the judges means that it would be difficult to have any knowledge of what the best style/type of illustration would be most successful to use within an entry. However, research could be done into dandad - e.g. looking at previous issues and the website, this may help to give some insight as to the communication style being looked for.

Competition prizes

1. All prize levels - A certificate and work featured on the dandad website.
2. In book - (as above, plus) a name credit in the book of nominations, the right to use the dandad student award book badge.
3. Commendation - (as above, plus) work featured in the book of nominations and exhibited at key dandad events (including new blood), a ticket to the award ceremony and the option to register and showcase a portfolio on the talent section of the dandad website. A year's membership of dandad and the right to use the dandad student award commendation prize badge.
4. Second Place - (as above, plus) a student awards yellow pencil and the the right to use the dandad student award second prize badge.
5. First place - (as above, plus) the right to use the dandad student award first prize badge.

Unlike some of the other competitions which I have looked at, there is no cash prize for winning this competition, however, I think that the prestiege and exposure that work would receive from winning or being shortlisted more than makes up for this. By winning or obtaining a commendation, work would be directly exhibited to the very people that are looking for young designers and illustrators - this could open up loads of different opportunities. Going to the awards ceremony (and new blood if work was exhibited) would be a great way to start networking within the design industry and could provide some really useful contacts. As obtaining any prize levels means that work would be showcased in the talent section of the dandad website, then really reaching any prize level could potentially have implications on my career as an illustrator.

If I were to enter this competition, then I think the best place to start would be research dandad a bit more - by looking at previous issues of the magazine and the dandad website. I would also begin to listern to my favourite music in order to try and select the two tracks (by a certain band or artist) which I feel most inspired to illustrate.

Having said this, presently I feel that of all the competitions I have researched, this is the one that I am least likely to enter. The fact that this is not an genre of illustration I wish to enter and the shorter deadline than the other competitions make this less appealing, even though I do think that this has some of the best prizes.