Christchurch Blenderthon

Just had an interesting idea for a venue, and I’m surprised I didn’t think of it earlier. I don’t know how possible this will be to arrange but Burnside High School’s Green Room would be excellent for hosting such an event

The main problem I see is that Burnside High is rather toward the north end of the city (rather close to the airport, at that - though noise isn’t a problem)

Any thoughts?

well whats the greenroom? ad do you have a connection with burnside?

After I mentioned this on smc, I realised that the location isn’t specific enough, so I’ll clarify

The Green Room is part of the ‘Aurora Centre for the Performing Arts’ auditorium situated on Burnside’s grounds, and can be hired by any clientele.

Yes, I do have connections with Burnside High, and may be able to get a hold of the green room. Of course, this is far from being a definite, but is one of the suggestions for venue (I want to know whether people would still go to it if the venue WAS so far to the north end of the city)

well if this helps or not… Kendal Primary School might be able to hire their hall?
i cant remember though tis been years since i was there last, OH would cobham hire our their hall rpgsimmaster?

Right, ddwagnz: I’ll communicate on #smc if you’re there

New Update: Date for Blenderthon - It WILL be in the middle weekend of the Secondary/Primary school holidays, but I’m not sure if it’d be better on Saturday 7th of July or Sunday the 8th. If it’s on the Saturday, it will have to run from 1pm onwards, to give leeway for morning sport, but for Sunday, it could run from 10.00am onwards (however, this could be inconvenient for church-goers).

At this point I look to book the Sunday (and run from 10.00 to about 3/4.00 pm), but if enough people PM me/post replies here/talk to me on IRC, I will consider changing it

doesn’t bother me which way. but i’d like to know a bit more about the plans.

What age is being targeted? what is the minimum expected number of people (20 max).

What is the level of experience being targeted? it would potentially change the content of what will be done, as well as the structure.

Is it targetting existing experienced 3d artists from other softwares who want a free package in the future?

is it targetting school students on their holidays? if so what age?

Alltaken

Some good questions, AllTaken, so I’ll answer them

The age range is any, but at the moment it seems we would get a more teenage audience. Anyone IS welcome.

Currently I can expect at least 5 people (including myself), 6 including you :smiley:

Level of experience: Had some experience with Blender (know what basic functions such as rotation, movement, subdivision, etc) but doesn’t have to be overly experienced (at least some knowledge of modeling tools, animation tools, and procedural textures, but GE, Python, etc. are definitely not expected)

As to targeting 3D Artists from other packages: not this year, though I had this idea early on - I was thinking to perhaps expand the advertising and range of people next year to introduce new people to Blender from other software packages - Sort of like a convention, rather than a one day thing, though

Targeting school students: I purposely positioned the date within the school holidays to make it more viable for school students, preferably Secondary School. I’m not quite sure when the tertiary term commences/finishes, unfortunately

Slight Revision to venue: It seems that the Aurora Centre at Burnside High School has been booked for the dates I want, so that venue is currently out of the question. I will try Cobham and Kendal Primary schools though, as per ddwagnz’s suggestion.

Ok, sounds good

Well in that case i would suggest this as an action for securing a venue. contacting Secondary schools (the primary market, of interested people) specifically looking at the graphics and design related classes.

get a college/school on-board to offer A) a teacher who can be responsible for the students. there is a legal issue surrounding “who is responsible” for students of this age. For this reason the Adult education offices cannot run classes for any school age students.

Run the class/event in conjunction with this “passionate” teacher, and help them with support to. also try to approach it in a way that their time, and the school facilities
can be donated for free. Projectors, computers…

Advertising would be most effective by targetting these schools graphics classes. and giving out limited information that appeals to the target market exactly… I can offer some experience in “job prospects” and determining what final year students are interested in doing with their lives in relation to 3d, its a time where people are questioning what they are doing what they are expecting the challenges ahead to be…

The content of the event would therefore also become more targeted (i do agree that students is where to pitch the idea. i also think that its the easiest market for first roll-out)

Career options discussion to start… archivis, small animation projects - advertising,
big animation prospects - movies, related fields - Industrial design - graphics design, dynamics and physical simulation, coding for 3d.

Then from there the content can be targeted towards individuals for their different requirements, or for the whole day for the overall feel of the thing.

SMC’s and workshops would probably be limited to being very simple at first, and targetted to “excite” I.e. get them in not at “building a cube” but rather get them involved in “sculpting” with a tablet, or “posing” mancandy. after exciting people so that they go home feeling great and wanting to get into it themselves. you can field specific questions about things like modelling and can continue to talk to the people who are “sticking around”.

But yes it sounds great. and I’m not trying to be controlling :stuck_out_tongue:

Its a kind of even that RSVP’s would be needed, and a minimum number to go ahead set. I.e. 12-15 people. If that level of signup could be achieved, then I would be more than glad to be there and help out a lot with anything. I would .still come if less people turned up, but my involvement would probably be less useful to anyone, since you all already know your stuff…

Keep up the good work.

Alltaken

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Oh dear, AllTaken - you make it sound more and more like I should be running a multiple day convention - but not this year. Also, the first part of your post, about getting access to equipment, etc. sounds very similar to the process I’ve been through to establish a 3D Design Group at my school (which I teach)

In terms of the entire event - because it’s the first year, I intend it to be casual (though certainly not disorganized) to an extent, and I’m hiring a venue on the basis of a private community function, rather than a mid-large scale convention. At the moment it has only been broadcast to Blender users, but with more time for planning, within the next year, I do intend to make it a bigger event covering a broader range of people (and I hope to eventually create a Mixed Digital Media Expo - which NZ’s growing media industry desperately needs)

On the topics of advising on Job Prospects, and so forth, again it wouldn’t be this year, but I was hoping that next year, with a larger event, I could also merit getting speakers from the likes of Natcoll Design School and Weta Workshops SFX Department to speak about such things.

Regards the whole legal thing with adult supervision, etc, I don’t believe it is a problem if this is considered a private function. As it were, (and I will let you in on a little… secret), I am still a teenager, but my specialties include teaching Design related topics, and coordinating/organizing events (small and large-scale). Because I am a teenager, we don’t have the problem of the unknown-adult-supervision, but because of my abilities, we can still have a reasonably good event.

So, to emphasize, it is neither a large event (and not with the expected 5/6 people), nor a particularly formal one this year. Consider it a Blenderhead meet if you will. But next year WILL be bigger and better! All your suggestions have been noted (most of which I had thought about myself, anyway) and I thank you for them.

Will you still come? :smiley:

yeah I’ll probably make an appreance. Its good to hear you have been thinking about these things.

I see things from a perspective of where i can fit in and how my time can best be used by others for help. Having gone through university, and started a job, i have some ability to help people ground the skills they learn in 3d to the real world. something which i think can be encouraging if people can know that what they are doing in their spare time is valuable in the long run.

I was thinking more along the lines of a “blender conference” rather than a get together, but that is a large step and commitment to make, so i can understand why its a user group meeting instead. but at the same time i think a radio/newspaper advertising campaign wouldn’t work, whereas a targeted “note” to schools would do wonders.

Alltaken

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Alltaken: Yes, I’ve decided the radio ads aren’t necessary this time around.

Yes, the event isn’t quite a ‘blender conference’ this time round, mostly due to ddwagnz’s push to try and have something set up sooner rather than later (though I agreed, mostly because I’m itching for some sort of blender-related thing here in Christchurch)

But with more time for organisation, something bigger can be planned, such as a a Blender Conference or something on that scale. I have already started planning ahead for that, as well (not just for this upcoming Blender get-together) and maybe, just maybe, we’ll see something by this time next year. I certainly hope so.

ddwagnz: No Cobham intermediate - they used to hire out their venue, but no more… sadly. Kendal hasn’t given me a reply.

i know where the Green room is now. i drove past it this morning on the way to the airport. yeah it is a fair bit out of town.

Alltaken

Burnside is not a problem for me position-wise. I understand Kendal school is very close to Burnside. Sounds like you’re doing well with organising it.

Cuby

yeah its not to far. its just funny knowing where it is, and having the room name visible from the road

rpgsimmaster, hmm I hope Kendal does still hire out their hall i cant remember, you tried calling them? i suppose i could see about contacting Kendal myself if you want… but ya i really aint sure if they still do
Cuby,
Kendal School is like a couple houses down from me, AllTaken, yeah haha
(i havent been keeping track of this topic :frowning: )

Woah,
I’ve been really busy, and haven’t been able to comment much recently… but-
No reply from Kendal School - ddwagnz, if you are able, could you contact them?

It seems there probably wouldn’t be a lot of people - probably the four of us from the SMC Meet, Aligorith (possibly), maybe DarthSirrah, maybe AllTaken, so probably no more than 10, max.

Therefore, I wonder if it is worth holding the event at someone’s house… All organisation would be as before (e.g. supply a computer, etc), except that the venue would be at a home. That would also save any problems with paying for a venue.

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I would love to go, but the aeroplane trip there is about 2 hours. Plus, i can’t travel all that way just for this.

Just out of curiosity, anybody here live in malaysia?

Comon! 2 hours is nothing! and you don’t have to fly straight back, you can go and see the sights!

:slight_smile:

sorry, but my parents’ wouldn’t allow it. the sights? last time i went to new Zealand, i saw grass and sheep (oh, and a farm as well)…not that i have anything against nz, it’s a beautiful place!