A Visit to HPToyrama.com

Before the Alpha 245 blog was born, Arc/Singapore and HP launched a site where amateur and professional animators are given the chance to create animated stop-motion movies. In the three weeks it's been live, it's been getting a great deal of attention - and countless hours have been spent on video submissions.

Want to try your hand? Check it out here. All the scenarios, backgrounds and five toy characters (Sancho, Farm Girl, Ranger, Jogger and Green from Monsterism Island) were designed by the famous freelance illustrator and cult toy designer, Pete Fowler. If you live in one of the selected Asia-Pacific countries (details on the site), you can upload them for submission to the HP Toyrama Contest (either as an amateur or a professional). Fowler is the judge, and four of the most talented digital animators will win Autodesk Maya software and an opportunity to tour the DreamWorks facility in LA (sweet!!!). Contest runs until October 9, 2007, so get clickin'.

Oh - and a little advice: you'll want to watch the clock if you try to swing this at work - you can spend a great deal of time tinkering about!!!