DIGIPENDENCE - declare yours!

20th Century Fox – the network that gave you The Simpsons, Family Guy, and King of the Hill – is looking for the next great holiday TV special. And they’ve asked Aniboom to help find it.

Submit your entry and you could be the animator that the world is talking about.

• Create a 2 to 4 minute animated holiday short
• Make it funny. Make it edgy. Make it uniquely FOX.
• Earn the opportunity of a lifetime.
• Five Finalists receive $5K each.
• Grand Prize Winner receives an additional $10K + a FOX development deal.
• Submissions: May 27 through August 31, 2009.

“Fox has long been the sole primetime animation powerhouse, and we’re searching for a fresh new animated holiday special that could potentially become an instant classic and maybe even a weekly series,” said Fox president Kevin Reilly. “By tapping into Aniboom’s community of undiscovered talent, we hope to find the next original hit holiday concept, like ‘Simpsons Treehouse of Horror’ or ‘A Very Special Family Guy Freakin’ Christmas.’”

“Our success in creating blockbuster primetime animated hits is one of the cornerstones of this studio, and we’re always on the lookout for the next great talent in this genre,” said 20th Century Fox chairmen Gary Newman and Dana Walden. “We’re excited to partner with Aniboom and FBC on this contest. We can’t wait to see what comes in.”

“There are tens of thousands of people who have the same tools and software that professional animators have and they can create content from around the world,” said Uri Shinar, founder and president of Aniboom. “Animation has a tradition where it can start anywhere, but can go everywhere.”

Aniboom is “A virtual animation studio partnering with animators from around the world to create high quality 3d, 2d and flash cartoon animations. Aniboom cultivates animated content by leveraging the web, providing online animation opportunities such as animated competitions and free online animation software.”

Some contest details:

Fan voting will take place from September 1, 2009 through September 30, 2009. At the commencement of this stage, views will be reset to zero (although previous comments will be carried over) and a one to five rating system will be added for viewers to rate the videos which will be one element to help decide which entry has what it takes to stand against the other 4 finalists chosen by FOX and an opportunity at being the Grand Prize Winner. Tell your friends and family to vote! The five finalists will be announced on or about November 3, 2009. Each finalist will receive $5,000, the judging panel will select four and one will be selected by the fans. On or about November 17, 2009 Aniboom and FOX will announce the Grand Prize Winner, who will receive an additional $10,000 and an opportunity for a development deal at FOX.

To find out everything you need to know, visit the contest page. Be sure to read the rules VERY carefully. You can also discuss specifics in the forum. Good luck!