Crash 1997 Invite #1 by Xi
Crash 1997 new.media.gathering
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÀÄÍ Opening words
You are reading the invitation information for Crash 1997, released
on the 22th of July. One month to go!
This file is formatted for 80x50 text mode.
All times listed are in Mountain Standard Time (Canada).
All currency listed is in Canadian Dollars.
The Crash 1997 organizers reserve the right to change any information
relating to this event, at any time, without notice.
This information is available in the following forms at the following
locations:
HTML (Currently a Netscape 3.0/4.0 800x600x16bpp or 24bpp version is
available):
Web page -
http://www.xi-media.com/crash
Textfile -
http://www.xi-media.com/crash/crash.zip
If you are looking to participate in the success of this event please
contact us.
Crash 1997, in a minimal sense, is a "demo-party". A demo-party is an
event for computer enthusiasts from around the world to get together,
interact, discuss ideas, compete, and have fun. Crash 1997 is more
than this. The focus will be on hosting additional competitions and
activities in the hopes to introduce new ideas and art forms into the
demo scene. The competitions will be focused around real-time
audio/visual presentations for the PC, although not limited to any one
platform or criteria.
We are looking for feedback! Please contact us to express your opinion.
If you agree with what we are doing; let us know. It is positive or
constructive feedback that will help to motivate us, or integrate your
ideas and suggestions into the current structure of the event.
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÀÄÍ Contents
Opening words
Where and when
How to get there
Timeline
Activities
Competitions
Rules and information
Services/Event features
Sponsors
Ticket/Ordering information
Contact information/Organizing
Closing words
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÀÄÍ Where and When
The location of the event is in Western Canada, in the city of
Calgary, Alberta. It will be held in North America's largest indoor
soccer arena.
The event place consists of two domes, each dome containing four
regulation length indoor soccer fields. There will be only one
entrance from the outdoors. This entrance is to the slave arena.
From here there are two indoor passage ways that lead to the master
arena. The master arena is where the main activities will be held.
This arena is a self-supporting "bubble-like" structure, with it's
entrances resembling "revolving air-locks". Fortunately there are two
of these revolving air-locks, as this will most likely be the
epicenter of traffic. For obvious reasons one door will be used to
enter the structure while the other is to leave. Hopefully this
procedure will minimize any inconveniences people have attempting to
traverse from one area to another.
The event will take place over a three day period. A quarter (one
soccer field) of the slave arena will be sectioned off as best as
possible to make room for sleeping arrangements (sleeping is not
required and may be difficult). Although 24 hour activities will be
provided in the master arena, for those of you who require your sleep
you will need to provide yourself with sleeping attire such as a sleeping
bag, blanket, or pillow. 24 hour washroom and shower facilities will
be provided and are located in the slave arena.
Both arenas contain no windows and are almost entirely shut off from
outside light sources. This means that both arenas can become
extremely dark, and dynamic light sources can be used. This will allow
for ideal viewing conditions of all feature presentations.
The doors will open at 10:00am on the 22nd of August (Friday), and
close at 8:00pm on the 24th of August (Sunday). Although the doors
open at 10:00am there will not be any activities available. We
recommend that you show up around 3:00pm unless you want to help
setup. Intercontinental travelers who are arriving a day or two
early should contact the main organizers.
Due to structural limitations we are limiting the person capacity to
four thousand people. Because of the local interest an event of this
caliber will produce, it will be in your best interest to purchase
event tickets in advance as this will guarantee your entrance and
access to resources.
Calgary is in the part of Canada where the majority of people speak
English. It will not be necessary to know French.
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÀÄÍ How to get there
The choice of transportation is up to you; how you prefer to travel,
how much you are willing to spend?
Perhaps the simplest method is by plane. You will arrive at the
Calgary International Airport. One of the organizers is going to
post a Cellular phone number for the Crash 1997 Bus, all you need
to do, is call the number and we will come pick you up. The Shuttle
bus will stop at the Airport and one of the major C-train stations
of Calgary. There will be a nominal fee for the shuttle.
If you choose to drive, there is ample parking, free of charge.
It is reasonable to expect that there will be bus trips from the
colleges and universities of neighboring cities. If your school or
group is interested in organizing a trip to Crash, please contact us
as we will assist in every way we can. Group rates may be made
available to large organizations planning to attend.
If you would like to take a chartered bus to the event, please contact
us as we will attempt to connect you to others in your area who are
also interested in chartering a bus.
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÀÄÍ Timeline
This section is being refined. Stay tuned.
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÀÄÍ Activities
There will be many activities at Crash 1997. The organizers will
attempt to add as many activities as possible up until the day of the
event. If you have any comments regarding the current activities,
or would like to see additional activities made available, please
contact us.
The focus of Crash 1997 is to explore new forms of technology in art.
To spread knowledge, awareness, and professionalism in this area, we
have selected competitions to be the main incentive. We will be
offering some standard demo-party competitions, as well as additional
competitions which we feel help to promote the ideas present with
Crash.
In addition to the competitions, you will find events that serve to
demonstrate technology in art.
As a result of being located in a soccer arena, one soccer field may
be used to host a round-robin between demo-groups willing to
participate. Although this does not relate to the Crash theme, we are
offering this as an activity if sufficient interest is displayed.
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÀÄÍ Competitions
Most competitions will make use of the main presentation area (big
screen, audio system). There are prizes awarded for the majority of
competitions. (Please refer to the Rules.)
Demo:
The biggest attraction of Crash 1997. In the demo-competition you
will find a blend of all main competitions. This competition
incorporates music, 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional art, and
programming. Demos are a 5 to 15 minute presentation of the
talent that makes up the team.
Intro:
This competition is similar to the Demo-competition, with a focus
on size. Everything must fit within 65536 bytes of data.
4Kb:
The 4Kb competition is focused on the programmer. The programmer
is given 4096 BYTES to develop a presentation. Everything about
this is an exercise in size. The common calculator has more
memory then 32,768 bytes, so if you think this competition is not
impressive, keep in mind that what you are viewing will fit in the
memory of your calculator nearly 8 times over.
Computer Animation - Animation(1):
This competition is for computer generated animations, or computer
altered film footage.
Free Hand Animation - Animation(2):
This competition is usually based entirely upon public vote. The
more effectively an animation entertains, the more likely it is to
place. This is likely to be one of the more humorous portions of
Crash. The animations must be hand drawn.
4 Channel Audio Tracking:
In the early days of computers 4 channels was all the processor
could handle. This competition is in one way nostalgic, and in
another sense, challenging for the artist. The musician must
produce a musical master piece with only the use of four
simultaneous instruments. It would be unfair to have a 4 channel tune
competing against a 32 channel tune.
Multi-Channel Audio Tracking:
In this competition the musicians can have as many channels as
they want.
Foreign:
If you have produced a presentation for a computer that is not PC
based, this competition is for you. Be sure to bring the
required hardware for the presentation.
Wild:
Here's the scenario. You get up on stage, and you have 2 minutes
to entertain the crowd. The winners will be selected by how
long/loud the crowd screams.
Scene Jeopardy:
If you have ever seen Jeopardy you have seen this event. We are
going to take up a collection of "Demo-Scene" trivia, and prepare
a test. Whoever wants to compete can take a white paper test. The
top 3 scorers of this test will be eligible to compete in "Scene
Jeopardy". Basically 3 people and a host get up on stage and try
to answer the given questions. On the big screen we are going to
have a similar layout to Jeopardy. Do you know enough?
There will also be many other competitions and events during Crash
1997. Additional competitions considered:
Ansi Competition
256 byte game competition
Lasertag
Diskthrowing
Cola Absorbing
Coolest Computer
Eating Contest
Fastest Typist
Best New Effect
Wet Noodle Master
Network Games
There will be many surprise competitions through-out the event. For
example you might here us yelling on the intercom:
"First one to the front desk with a 3D starfield in QBASIC
wins 50 bucks!"
The prizes will be determined by how many people attend.
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÀÄÍ Rules and information
Each three day event pass entitles the holder to enter once in every
competition (the entry must be of the pass holders own creation).
The computer the entries will be run on will be a (subject to change
as new hardware standards are introduced):
- Intel Pentium 166 Mhz
- Asus P55T2P4 T2 HX Chipset (Bus speed 83.3 Mhz)
- Gravis PNP Ultrasound with 1024Kb onboard RAM.
- SoundBlaster AWE 32
- Fujitsu 2.57 gb HD (Pico Bird 9)
- ATI 3D Turbo Pro with PC2TV (12 ns ram) or the Matrox equivalent
- UniVBE (or equivalent VESA 2.0 drivers) will be an
available configuration option.
- 32 MB EDO Ram
The competition machine will have Windows 95 Revision B installed.
All realtime entries will be run from a Windows' version of DOS; NOT
a DOS window. The AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS will be released in a
later version of this textfile. The latest version of UniVBE will be
installed in the path, as will several common DOS extenders (DOS4GW,
CWSDPMI, RTM32, DOS32). You may execute any of the files contained
on the path from inside the entry or from a .BAT file (this allows
common elements to be excluded from the entry size). All entries
will be run from this prompt. If an entry reboots the system at any
time, it will be disqualified. All file names must be ISO-9660
compliant (Standard MS-DOS file names).
When you submit an entry your picture will be taken with a digital
camera. When it comes time to receive the prizes, the person who
picks up the prize will have to match the picture.
Demo:
- Maximum size is 4096 Kilobytes.
- Maximum time duration is 10 minutes.
- Pure animation files are not acceptable. This includes
executables that just run an animation.
- Must support a no sound option.
- The file name must be ISO-9660 compliant (Standard MS-DOS file
names).
- May not decompress itself to the hard drive.
- May not save any configuration files nor write to the hard drive.
- May not reboot the system.
Intro:
- Maximum size is 64Kb (65536 bytes).
- Maximum time duration is 7 minutes.
- Pure animation files are not acceptable. This includes
executables that just run a animation.
- Must support a no sound option.
- The file name must be ISO-9660 compliant (Standard MS-DOS file
names).
- May not decompress itself to the hard drive.
- May not save any configuration files nor write to the hard drive.
- May not reboot the system.
4Kb Intro:
- Maximum size is 4Kb (4096 bytes).
- Maximum time duration is 3 minutes.
- Animations will be allowed.
- The file name must be ISO-9660 compliant (Standard MS-DOS file
names).
- No music (this is to simplify the judging process).
- May not decompress itself to the hard drive.
- May not save any configuration files nor write to the hard drive.
- May not reboot the system.
256 BYTE Intro:
- Maximum size is 256 bytes.
- Maximum time duration is 1 minutes.
- Animations will be allowed.
- The file name must be ISO-9660 compliant (Standard MS-DOS file
names).
- No music (this is to simplify the judging process).
- May not decompress itself to the hard drive.
- May not save any configuration files nor write to the hard drive.
- May not reboot the system.
Computer animation:
- Maximum showing time is 5 minutes.
- Maximum Resolution is 640x480.
- The file name must be ISO-9660 compliant (Standard MS-DOS file
names).
- Must be a standard AVI or MPEG.
- No music.
- Annimations will be played using ATi's player.
Free Hand animation:
- Maximum showing time is 5 minutes.
- Maximum Resolution is 640x480.
- The file name must be ISO-9660 compliant (Standard MS-DOS file
names).
- Must be a standard AVI or MPEG.
- No music.
- Annimations will be played using ATi's player.
FreeHand Still:
- Maximum resolution 640x480x256 (NO 16, 24, or 32 bit)
- Any format that CSHOW can display, can be used.
- Competitors must bring at least 3 "step" pictures to prove that
what they compete with, is their own.
- The competition version of the drawing must not have any signatures
on it (for judgeing reasons)
- Pictures must not have previously been released, or used in any
previous competitions.
- If there are alot of entries, the judging panel will review all and
make a selection of a reasonable number to show on the big screen.
3d Still:
- Maximum resolution 640x480x16M
- Any format that CSHOW can display, can be used.
- Competitors must bring at least 3 "step" pictures to prove that
what they compete with, is their own.
- The competition version of the drawing must not have any signatures
on it (for judgeing reasons)
- Pictures must not have previously been released, or used in any
previous competitions.
- If there are alot of entries, the judging panel will review all and
make a selection of a reasonable number to show on the big screen.
4-Channel Audio Tracking:
- 4 Channels ONLY
- Maximum size is 1024Kb.
- Maximum time duration to be heard is 5 minutes.
- Thirty-two channel maximum.
- The tracker name will not be shown on the big screen, only the size
and number of channels.
- The file name must be ISO-9660 compliant (Standard MS-DOS file
names).
Multi-Channel Audio Tracking:
- Maximum size is 1024Kb.
- Maximum time duration to be heard is 5 minutes.
- Thirty-two channel maximum.
- The tracker name will not be shown on the big screen, only the size
and number of channels.
- The file name must be ISO-9660 compliant (Standard MS-DOS file
names).
Foreign competition
- Maximum time duration is 5 minutes.
- If the machine is nit a PC, bring it. The projector can handle
S-Video and RCA. We will have a VCR at the party place.
- No illegal audio/videos.
Wild Competition
- Maximum time duration is 2 minutes.
- Nothing illegal.
Ansi Competition
- Pictures will be show with the latest version of ACiDViEW, in
VGA and either 80x50 or 80x25 mode.
- Maximum size 80x200.
256 byte Game competition
- Game must be no larger then 256 bytes.
- Game must not lock up the system.
- Game must not save anything to the hard drive.
We will have a traditional judges panel and voting system. In
addition to this we are adding a few new elements. Here is an
example: The winner of the 4K competition will have the option to
judge code for the 64Kb and 4096Kb competitions. The coder of the
winning 64K will have the option to judge the 4096K demo. Same for
music. The winner of the 4 and 32 channel music competitions will have
the option to judge the music portion of the Intro and Demo
competitions. No judge may evaluate their own production. A coder
may only judge the coding portion of the presentation, a musician may
only judge the audio portion of the presentation, and so forth.
Judging criteria and example sheets will be provided at a later date.
A portion of the judging will also rely on public vote. To vote you
must have the valid voting program. This program will be made
available at a later date.
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÀÄÍ Services/Event features
Crash 1997 will be a full-featured event. Almost everything you could
require for a three day excursion will be provided for you. All
services are available 24 hours each day unless stated otherwise.
The master arena will contain most of the main attractions as well as
several other smaller displays and activities. The main entertainment
system will consist of a large screen projector and a powerful P.A.
system, as well as several other interesting devices that will
promote the eclectic atmosphere of this event.
We are currently field testing 3 different projectors.
The Audio system is going to be 12,000 watts of power. All sound will
be processed through a Dolby Pro-Logic decoder for true surround sound.
This is approximately the same configuration they use for giant concerts
(raves), so believe us when we assure you that it is LOUD.
The projection screen will sit against the far wall of the master
arena. Immediately in front of this screen will be the
presentation/dance floor. On the four corners of the floor will be
located the audio systems output. Surrounding the floor will be
several different forms of light sources.
Regarding personal hygiene; washrooms and shower stalls will be located
in the slave arena. You will need to provide yourself with a towel,
soap, tooth brush/paste, hair comb, etc.
Meals and snacks will be available for a cost set by the providers.
A bevy of food variations will be provided, from fast food to fine
dinning. The event place hosts an on site restaurant and licensed
lounge as well as snack and pop concession machines. We are also
communicating with several fast food chains to provide a stand with
your favorite fast food items. Current fast food providers in mind
are SubWay, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hut.
Addressing the issue of smoking; smoking will be allowed in the
master arena and outdoors. The turf in the slave arena is
non-removable and will burn. Anyone smoking in the slave arena will
be tagged. If there are any burns on the turf in the slave arena
those who are tagged will be responsible for the cost of damages. If
they are not willing to pay for damages, the cost will come out of the
prize money, and the names of the individuals not willing to pay the
fine will be released on the internet. If you smoke, smoke in the
master arena, outdoors, or in the lounge, and you have nothing to
worry about. There will also be designated smoking areas all over the
place.
We are planning to provide several IPX Hubs as well as the necessary
cables and network cards. Anyone with access to a computer may
sign-out a network card and cable so that they may connect with the
network Hub. There will be several network game competitions
organized. You will need to provide yourself with a computer that
meets the competitions requirements (requirements are set based on the
lag a computer not up to specification would cause on the whole of the
network). We will provide all the necessary networking hardware and
software. Internet will mostly be accessed the same way. Several game
machines will be setup in the party place for anyone to come and play
network games.
Electricity will be free, so feel free to bring your computer. There
will be sufficient power bars and tables. On site security will be
very good. All equipment will be tagged, and the owner given a
matching tag. No equipment will be permitted to leave the event
location without matching tags.
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÀÄÍ Sponsors
Current Sponsors are (in order of signing up):
- Xi Entertainment
- H2O Entertainment
- Intelligent Solution Computers
- Shaw WAVE
We are currently communicating with several company's in regards
to the role they may assume in sponsoring the event. They are not
listed here because the details of their sponsorship have not been
completed at this time.
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÀÄÍ Ticket/Ordering information
We have booked the location and dates of the event. We can now assure
you they are final, and are not subject to change.
Pre-event tickets available are as follows:
Individual 3 Day admission:
Cost : $55
This ticket will guarantee your access to all the activities that
take place at Crash. You will also be eligible to compete in all
competitions. You are allowed entrance to both arenas from 10:00am
Friday till 8:00pm Sunday.
Group (10 people) 3 Day admission:
Cost : Purchase 9 of #1 and receive 1 of #1 for free
This ticket will guarantee 10 people access to all the activities
that take place at Crash. It will also allow each individual to
compete in all competitions. Each individual will be allowed
entrance to both arenas from 10:00am Friday till 8:00pm Sunday.
Single Day admission:
Cost : $20
This ticket grants you access to the main arena from 8:00am Sunday
till 8:00pm Sunday. This ticket does not allow you to enter in any
competitions.
Tickets will be available at the door.
T-Shirts and Posters will be available at the event but they will run
out quickly.
Cheques will not be accepted at the door.
The money made from this event will be used to pay for all equipment
and activities, as well as the cash prizes. The organizers will not
be benefiting financially from this event.
As a condition of your use of the Crash 1997 facilities, you assume
all risk of personal injury, property loss, or property damage, from
any cause whatsoever including, but not limited, to the risks of
attending Crash 1997. The ticket holder may not hold the Sponsors,
Crash 1997 organizers, or staff liable for any such personal injury,
property loss, or property damage, and waives all claims with respect
thereto.
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÀÄÍ Contact information/Organizers
For any questions or comments feel free to e-mail crash@shaw.wave.ca.
We would like to here from you. We are interested in what you feel
will help to make this a more enjoyable, more successful, event.
The organizing is being done by the current Xi members:
Maxwell Sayles (Fysx)
e-mail: fysx@shaw.wave.ca
Shawn Sterling (Seks)
e-mail: seks@shaw.wave.ca
Crash 1997 is NOT being organized by a Large Corporation out to make
money. Crash 1997 is being organized by 2 guys in a basement. Want
proof? Go on IRC and talk with us. We are usually there around
9:00pm-Midnight Mountain Standard Time.
Efnet irc.stealth.net - #coders (fysx, seks403)
or
Anothernet neato.org - #trax (fysx, seks403)
As Crash 1997 draws near, the demand placed on us increases. During
the event, we will need as many helpers as possible to help ensure
that everything goes smoothly. If you do volunteer, you are
eligible for a free Crash 1997 t-shirt. The following job positions
are available if you are willing to volunteer your time:
Setup and Strike:
This would require you to move large amounts of heavy equipment
around. This position would require your presence before and
after crash opens and closes to the public. We will begin setup
at approximately 6:00am on Friday, and begin the strike after the
event closes, approximately 10:00pm on Sunday.
Security:
This job will run the duration of the event. It will most likely
require many individuals. We will require individuals to accept
entrance fees and give out the appropriate arm bands, tag and
check incoming and outgoing computer equipment, enforce arm band
laws (such as liquor and visitation length), and enforce smoking
laws.
Technition:
Someone who is knowledgeable in regards to computer hardware.
Basically this person would setup computer hardware, lights,
cables, power, or whatever else would be needed. He/She would need
experience with networking, as this is where we anticipate most of
the problems will arise.
ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ÀÄÍ Closing words
It is the support of the many individuals in the "demo-scene" that has
allowed this event to gain as much momentum as it has. We are
counting on you to continue this support by attending. Perhaps, this
is the simplest way of showing you believe in the North American
Demo-Scene. We appreciate it.
We are open minded to all suggestions you are willing to offer.
Please contact us and let us know how we can make this a more
enjoyable event for you and everyone who participates.
We hope to see you there.
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