WIN A
LIFE-CHANGING OPPORTUNITY
Pressure Cooker Studios in partnership with Steinberg Nuendo are offering you a chance to WIN BIG and elevate your audio arts career.
One lucky winner could win a full-time 15-month paid internship at Pressure Cooker Studios in Cape Town, South Africa – consistently voted one of the best cities in the world!
The grand prize is valued at 10,000 euros and the four runners-up will each win software valued at 2,500 euros.
Unleash your audio artistry and create the sonic landscape for ‘NERO’ – an Afrofuturistic proof of concept – to stand a chance to have your work heard by industry leaders and win one of the many career-elevating prizes.
Entries will be judged by the team at Pressure Cooker Studios, with the top 10 being judged by industry leading guest judges.
how to enter:
- Click here to submit your details
- Read the fine print to make sure you qualify to enter
- Receive a download link to the creative brief and 35″ video of ‘NERO’
- Download a Free 60-Day Nuendo 13 trial here
- Work your audio arts magic
- Complete your entry before 26th April 2024
- When you’re ready to submit your entry according to the deliverables, click here
THE BRIEF:
This is an exciting opportunity for you to create a sonic landscape for a dystopian, Afrofuturistic proof of concept called ‘NERO’, created by Motif Studios. We will supply you with a video that has music only, and you need to showcase your talent by Sound Designing this 35 second animation in Steinberg Nuendo 13 .You must use the free and fully functional 60-day trial found on their website, unless you already own Nuendo 13.
Use your skill to create an immersive world and to tell the story sonically, by way of Sound Design. It is action-packed so we’d like to hear strong concepts for the environment and the characters. You need to be creative and conceptualise a unique sonic landscape that fits the Sci-Fi world with an authentic African flavour.
You have the creative freedom to record and manipulate your own sounds, and/or use free or purchased libraries. Please make sure that none of your sounds infringe on any copyrights.
We’d like you to really explore, experiment, and most importantly, we want you to have fun with the project and create something you’re proud of.
You’ll be judged on originality, emotional storytelling, attention to detail, and technical ability. (Refer to the full judging criteria here).
Be sure to consider all basic Sound Design layers, and present your project in a way that a collaborator can easily open and navigate your session.
Use this as an opportunity to have fun, learn and showcase your talent to industry professionals.
Submit your details here and agree to the competition fine print to receive the download link to NERO to get started.
Make sure to follow the requirements and deliverables below carefully.
requirements and deliverables:
- Only use Nuendo 13 and its stock plugins
- Name your project/file name: [Name_Surname_NERO_YYYY-MM-DD]
- Deliver one stereo 48 kHz/24 bit .wav file at -23 LUFS, +/- 1 LU, True Peak -2dBTP. (Audio should be measured over the full program according to the EBU R-128 guideline)
- Deliver one H264 or Apple ProRes .mp4 or .mov video file striped with your final mix
- Deliver one tidy Nuendo Project session with ALL media included. (Picture can be excluded from the delivery session)
- Deliver a 60 second video motivating your creative approach. Talk us through the rationale behind your Sound Design choices and how you addressed the project based on the brief
- Deliver a 60 second video describing what you would like to get out of the Audio Internship at Pressure Cooker Studios
- Include a copy of your resume or CV. (While not needing to be exhaustive, it offers valuable insights into your background beyond your audio artistry)
FAQ:
What is the start date of the Internship? We plan for the full-time Internship to commence in September 2024 but can allow for some leeway on the start date should the winner need time to relocate to Cape Town.
May I use 3rd party plugins? No, to keep things consistent, and make sure they open on our side, we’d like you to use stock plugins only.
How do I make sure I have all the files in my session when delivering? In the Media Menu, go to “Prepare Archive” to copy any external sounds into the project folder. This ensures that the entire project folder can be delivered as a single package.
Can I deliver a surround sound or Atmos project? No, this is a stereo delivery.
How will my work be judged? All entrants will be judged by the team at Pressure Cooker Studios, with the top 10 being judged by industry leading Guest Judges. The Guest Judges are Timo Wildenhain, Craig Parker, Greig Cameron, Keith Kavayi, Tafadzwa Hove, Adrian Rhodes and Michael Matthews. You’ll be judged on originality, emotional storytelling, attention to detail, and technical ability. See the full judging criteria here.
Can I collaborate with others? Feel free to seek inspiration and feedback from others, but we only want your entry to reflect your individual creative talent and skills, and interpretation of the brief.
Can I edit my submission? Only one entry is allowed per individual so make sure you are submitting final work that you are confident in.
Can I submit more than one project? No, only one entry is allowed per individual.
Can I include music with my submission? We will supply you with the 35″ NERO video with music, we want you to apply your Sound Design skills only.
Where can I find help with using Steinberg Nuendo? Visit the Steinberg Nuendo help page here.
Do I have the rights to the sounds I created? Yes, but Pressure Cooker Studios and Steinberg Nuendo have the right to use and promote the work you entered as part of this competition.
Can I upload my submission online and / or include it in my personal portfolio? No, not without specific written approval. Motif grants you a limited license to use the 35″ NERO clip solely to create your entry and for no other purpose.
Does it matter where I live? No, but you do need to ensure that you are eligible to enter this competition and that you can fulfill the VISA requirements should you win the placement of Audio Internship at Pressure Cooker Studios in Cape Town South Africa.
Do I need to arrange my own flights and accommodation Yes, but we are here to assist you.
What does the paid 15-month Internship entail? The winner will land the placement of a full-time Audio Internship at Pressure Cooker Studios which entails a 3 month trial and then a 12 month programme. Read more about the Internship Programme here.
Will the R12 000 a month cover my living expenses in Cape Town? This is a contribution towards living expenses. The winner will need to subsidise their own living expenses should this be required.
Will downloading the free 60-day Nuendo 13 Trial interfere with existing versions of Nuendo or Cubase that I have installed? This won’t cause any issues. You can install Nuendo 13 alongside an older version without interfering with your existing installation.
Email us here if you have any more questions.
