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Video Contests, Film Festivals, and Awards
Sony Online Entertainment Announces G.I.R.L. Scholarship Winner
By StudentFilmmakers.com
posted Jun 20, 2013, 15:45 |
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Sixth Annual Game Art Design Competition Awards Scholarship and Provides
Opportunity For Student Designer to Work on Successful SOE Titles
Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE) today announced that Esther Wu of Brooklyn,
New York has been named the winner of the 2013 Gamers in Real Life (G.I.R.L.)
Scholarship. Now in its sixth year, the scholarship program was established
to encourage women to pursue careers in the video game industry in the areas
of development and design.
Wu, a student at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, was
awarded a $10,000 scholarship to use for her college tuition and other educational
expenses. In addition, she will spend 10 weeks on a paid internship at SOE's
headquarters in San Diego. Following graduation, Wu aspires to work as a concept
artist on AAA video games.
"It's exhilarating to be selected for this amazing opportunity to work
alongside some of the industry's best game artists at SOE in California,"
said Wu. "I think this competition is important because it represents a
stepping stone for artists and helps build awareness about gender in the work
environment."
As part of the competition, finalists were asked to submit two pieces of original
concept art inspired by either PlanetSide®2 or EverQuest®II, and an
essay discussing their views on women in the gaming industry. The submission
was reviewed by a panel of judges from Sony Online Entertainment. Wu's winning
art entry was inspired by the vehicles and characters in PlanetSide 2. Her goal
with the piece was to transform the general design and add new perspective.
"As public conversation on gender issues evolves, SOE is committed to leading
by example and providing talented women with relevant experience in the games
industry," said Laura Naviaux, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and
Marketing, Sony Online Entertainment. "We urge more organizations to consider
similar scholarship programs focused on encouraging these talented artists and
designers -- we need more women in this industry."
"Esther's entry exhibited both creativity and an impressive level of concept
skills," said Joe Shoopack, Director of Artist Development, Sony Online
Entertainment. "Every year the entries continue to impress us more, showcasing
the incredible talent of student artists and designers across the country."
For the 2013 internship and scholarship, Sony Online Entertainment received
applications from students at universities across the country. The G.I.R.L.
submission phase closed on March 29, 2013. Scholarship America®, SOE's scholarship
administrator, narrowed down the submissions to a pool of semi-finalists based
on certain eligibility criteria.
Resources:
www.girl.soe.com
www.soe.com
www.scholarshipamerica.org
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