How to win a Rookies CG student award

How many entries did The Rookies receive this year?

Alwyn Hunt: This year, The Rookies Awards received 3,458 entries from digital media and entertainment artists in 89 countries, with over 500 academic facilities encouraging their students to enter. Most of our entries come from North America, Europe and Asia, but we get entries from all around the world — and even from countries that I've never even heard of!

You’ve recently re-launched the site with a new look. What are the different ways students can participate?

AH: We’re no longer simply an annual contest for students, we are now a full-stack platform dedicated to helping students and self-taught artists launch their careers. We run regular contests designed to challenge our members to get their work seen by recruiters and key industry players. The kicker is that these contests have all the usual software and hardware prizes, but we also offer fully paid educational scholarships and studio internships — which money just can't buy.

Behind all this is "The Journey," a self-paced learning path that we recommend all members undertake to help them gain employment. At each step, we offer target training, advice and success stories to help motivate and keep members on track.

Are there any top tips for winning The Rookies?

AH: The presentation of your portfolio is key! We always tell entrants to create a portfolio as if they're applying for a job. Always have your best work at the start and don't add weak pieces; these will just leave the judges asking why you thought it was good enough to include. Show a breakdown, add descriptions of your work — and be creative with your presentation!

Here's a great example of someone that has used the portfolio builder to really show off their work.

Do you have a favorite V-Ray-rendered entry this year?

AH: I have a few favorites. I really like the entry by Dan Lipson because of the different character designs that he's shown and the quality of his final renders: 

I also really liked Tomaz Adamski’s arch-viz entry; he reached a really high level of realism and showed attention to detail for his renders.