Video Contests, Film Festivals, and Awards

G-Technology Continues to Support the Creative Brilliance of Today's Artists in Film, Music, Photography and Animation, Giving a Chance to Win $5,000 Toward Their Next Project

(SAN JOSE, CA) Known for delivering premium external storage solutions engineered to meet the needs of the content creation and Apple® Mac® community, G-Technology today announced that its Driven Creativity 2012 awards competition is now open for submissions at drivencreativity.g-technology.com. Initially launched in 2010 in Europe, G-Technology is bringing its Driven Creativity competition to the United States this year.

The Driven Creativity awards competition reinforces G-Technology's commitment to supporting the unique efforts of the creative community. Amateurs and professionals who work in, or have a passion for film, photography, music or animation have the opportunity to have their unique work and talent celebrated and recognized not just for its aesthetic qualities, but for the dedication, innovation and drive that went into creating it.

Gallery Exhibition
G-Technology will celebrate, promote and showcase the successful work of the overall winner and the finalists at a gallery exhibition in New York in November 2012. This will include a private opening at an exclusive venue, bringing together the successful entrants, competition judges, G-Technology representatives and members of the press.

"G-Technology is proud to support the creative process of today's and tomorrow's filmmakers and content creators. Through this contest, you'll have one website to see creativity through the eyes of multiple, talented and unique artists. We look forward to showcasing their work," said Mike Williams, vice president and general manager, HGST Branded Business. "As we build new relationships with these entrants and encourage new paths of creativity, G-Technology wants to be the storage go-to resource for all content creators as we strive to provide the best in both external storage and ongoing support for the creative process."

Entering Creative Masterpieces
Submissions must be made through the official G-Technology website. Contest categories include both amateur and professional short film, photography, music, animation, and a short video category with content captured using a GoPro™ wearable or gear-mountable camera. Entrants must also explain what ‘drove' them to create the piece being submitted and how they would use the prize money to develop their next creative project. Full competition rules, terms and conditions can be found at drivencreativity.g-technology.com. Void where prohibited by law.

Entry is free and open to U.S. residents 18 years or older and only original work is eligible for submission. The entry period closes at midnight on September 24, 2012, with the category winners and runners-up announced on October 12, 2012 and the overall winner announced at the gallery exhibition in New York in November 2012 and on the website the following day.

Winners and runners-up will receive premium, cutting-edge G-Technology external drives and the overall winner out of all categories will walk away with a grand prize of $5,000 to help to fund their next project.

Judging Criteria
Work will be judged for its uniqueness, quality, creativity and the resourcefulness that went into achieving the end result. The competition will recognize both established and up-and-coming talent, with all entrants having a chance of winning, regardless of size and budget within each category. See the referenced terms and conditions for more information.

The general public will judge the competition submissions online throughout the entry period, with finalists from each category then being judged by the G-Technology jury panel. The jury panel will include some G-Technology G-Team ambassadors, who will be contributing hints and tips to the entrants and wider creative community about what they will and won't be looking for in each submission, reflecting on what creative techniques and projects inspire them.

Stay connected with G-Technology:
G-Technology drives are engineered specifically to meet the needs of the content creation and Apple Mac communities, including heavy users of multimedia content, Final Cut Pro® digital audio/video specialists and other pre/post production professionals. From portable drives to ultra-fast, multi-drive RAID storage, G-Technology's USB, FireWire, eSATA, SAS, and wireless storage solutions support virtually all levels of A/V production and can be found in post-production facilities worldwide.

Keep updated with many more top tips and advice from G-Technology film, photography and music ambassadors throughout the competition by connecting to G-Technology's social network channels:

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About HGST
HGST (formerly known as Hitachi Global Storage Technologies or Hitachi GST), a Western Digital company, develops advanced hard disk drives, enterprise-class solid state drives, innovative external storage solutions and services used to store, preserve and manage the world's most valued data. Founded by the pioneers of hard drives, HGST provides high-value storage for a broad range of market segments, including Enterprise, Desktop, Mobile Computing, Consumer Electronics and Personal Storage. HGST was established in 2003 and maintains its U.S. headquarters in San Jose, California. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.hgst.com.

G-Technology external hard drives serve as an element of an overall backup strategy. It is recommended that users keep two or more copies of their most important files backed up or stored on separate devices or online services.

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