Tutorial contest?

[Doug Nelson]

Do you think if we held a tutorial contest similar to the retouching contest we have here every month, anyone would enter?

Would you?

[irshgrlkc]

Don't know if I would enter, I guess it would depend on what we are creating a tutorial for and whether or not I felt I had something to offer everyone. So, yes, maybe.

[Gary Richardson]

Sounds interesting. Couple of questions.

Would they be for a specific topic (as chosen by the contest setter)?
Would there be any specific form the tutorials had to conform to?

It would certainly be a good way of building up an excellent set of tutorials which would be of use to members long term.

[Flora]

Originally Posted by Doug Nelson

Do you think if we held a tutorial contest similar to the retouching contest we have here every month, anyone would enter?

Would you?

.... Depends on the prize!!!

Kidding aside .... I think it's a brilliant idea!!

Beside what Gary has already said, another advantage would be to disprove the belief that it is a difficult thing to do ... it isn't!!

Just think... where would we all be if nobody had ever bothered to write Tutorials???

[Swampy]

Doug, I've always had a problem trying to post a tutorial using the Tutorial creator. Seems to have something to do with Macintosh and the creator's java script. I've tried using Explorer, Safari and Firefox and all have failed for me.

Does the creator use MS's version of java?

[Alcar]

I like the idea. It might be good for all of us who have never made a tute to give it a try.
Alan

[Doug Nelson]

Gary:

Yes, the not-hidden-at-all agenda is to build up the tutorials. Secondly would be (as Alcar pointed out) to inspire the publishing-shy.

So I'm thinking no specific topic at all, just relevance to RP (ie: no "how to bathe a cat" tuts). And no given form or format.

Swampy:

Firefox should work fine, we've already had several tuts submitted by Mac users. Safari will not work, it has to be either IE or a Mozilla-based browser. PM me and we'll get this ironed out.

Flora:

I know you were kidding, but would the prize need to be grander than what we use over in Studio? I personally think writing a tut is trivial compared to a typical Studio contest, but that's me.

[Gary Richardson]

Might be easier for people to judge and vote if we were given a specific task to write a tutorial for.

The winners tutorial being the one that gets archived (plus others of outstanding merit perhaps).

By focusing the theme, we can build up a library of tutorials in topics that we may be currently short of, which will be of benefit to all members.

[Flora]

Originally Posted by Doug Nelson

but would the prize need to be grander than what we use over in Studio?

... No... absolutely not .... I think the quality of prizes used in Studio is just great and would be just as great for the Tutorial Contest!!

Still uncertain about:

1)

Originally Posted by Doug Nelson

So I'm thinking no specific topic at all, just relevance to RP...

Advantage: Tutorials on different Topics in the same Contest.
Advantage: Archiving several Tutorials per Contest beside the winner.
Disadvantage: makes voting more difficult...

2)

Originally Posted by Gary Richardson

Would they be for a specific topic (as chosen by the contest setter)?

Advantage: equal chances.
Advantage: easier voting.
Disadvantage: a bunch of Tutorials on the same topic ... What happens to the non-winning Tuts??

What do you think?

[Doug Nelson]

Considering we'd probably get 10 or so entries, tops, and remembering my blatant agenda, I think we'd be better off with 10 random tuts rather than 10 ways of looking at Mt. Fuji, if you know what I mean.

I'd not even considered not keeping all the tuts up. I wouldn't even mind open kibbitzing (again, back to my agenda).

Then, at the end we'd have 10 (or however many) new tutorials, and whoever submitted a tutorial during the alloted period could vote on the winner, just as over in the Contest forum.

Voting could possibly be based on things such as novelty (not already commonly available), execution, accessability (how clear is it), etc.

Just thinking out loud. Remember, though, that I'm more interested in getting several good tutorials up than in traditional contesting.

[Littlecoo]

Hey, good call Doug!
As far as judging entries goes, topic aside, clarity, thoroughness and user friendliness are important across the board.
Kerry, I have noticed that tutes covering the more basic things (for the newbies) are rather sparse on the ground and there is a need there and, if anything, doing a tutorial for beginners would be more of a challenge than the more advanced stuff

[Flora]

Originally Posted by Doug Nelson

.... I think we'd be better off with 10 random tuts rather than 10 ways of looking at Mt. Fuji, if you know what I mean.

This is very clear... and thinking 'RP' ... I couldn't agree more...

Originally Posted by Doug Nelson

...I wouldn't even mind open kibbitzing...

.. here I'm hopelessly lost .. I'm sure it is something edible ...right??

Originally Posted by Doug Nelson

Remember, though, that I'm more interested in getting several good tutorials up than in traditional contesting.

... You don't say...

Originally Posted by Littlecoo

I have noticed that tutes covering the more basic things (for the newbies) are rather sparse on the ground and there is a need there and, if anything, doing a tutorial for beginners would be more of a challenge than the more advanced stuff

Great suggestion Littlecoo .... Keep the ideas coming...

[Doug Nelson]

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/kibitz

[Gary Richardson]

When I said all of one topic, I wasn't quite thinking anything as "tight" as "improving this pic of Mt Fuji", more a case of (for example) "different techniques to de-noise", or "different sharpening techniques", or "techniques for creating a sketch from", or something like that.

All on similar topic therefore directing towards areas where we are short of tutorials, but with sufficient leeway for there to be variation in the entries so that (if that is desired) all can be kept.

[Flora]

Thanks Doug!!

Found it on my dictionary as well ...

kibitz:
(fam. USA) dare consigli non richiesti (detto specialm. dello spettatore di un gioco di carte). .... apparently in Italy this happens more often while people are playing cards...

Gary,

of course! ..... Now I see what you meant ... and I'm back to square 1:

Still uncertain about:

...

[Doug Nelson]

Ok, Gary, I see your point. Anyone have suggestions on topics that get asked about a lot but we're short on tutorials? Or should our first one be even simpler ("illustrate a common Photoshop task")?

And this might be needlessly complicating things, but I try to encourage writing the tutorials offline and then publishing them (I've gotten too many sad emails "your tutorial system ate my tutorial and now I have to remember what I typed") so how would it be to have a start date (a beginning of a month) so they could have 3 weeks to compose it, and a day or two to actually publish? Then the next few days would be the voting?

Or would that just make everyone procrastinate and eventually forget about it?

And has everyone subscribed to our "What's New" forum? That's the ony way I can imagine announcing to everyone short of having them subscribe to the entire RP Tutorials forum.

[Flora]

For breaking the ice I would start with a simple Tutorial... "Illustrate a common Photoshop task" is an excellent idea.

Originally Posted by Doug Nelson

...how would it be to have a start date (a beginning of a month) so they could have 3 weeks to compose it, and a day or two to actually publish? Then the next few days would be the voting?

Perfect! ... Similar to the Studio Contests:

from 1 October (very, very tight but we could try...) ...to 25 October for entries ... and from 26 October to 31 October for voting.

Otherwise 1 November to 24 November for entries ... 25 November to 30 for voting.

Originally Posted by Doug Nelson

And this might be needlessly complicating things, but I try to encourage writing the tutorials offline and then publishing them .... Or would that just make everyone procrastinate and eventually forget about it?

I don't think so, specially if the risk is to have to start from scratch because "the tutorial system ate my tutorial and now I have to remember what I typed" .... Once written offline it's only a matter of copy and paste...

[irshgrlkc]

As I follow this thread I am getting more and more interested in participating in a tutorial contest (especially after Littlecoo's suggestion to work on more beginner level tutorials). So if you decide to have one, I'm in. I rather like Flora's suggestion for the contest theme and time constraints.

[Gary Richardson]

I've seen a lot of requests for details on getting skin tones right, or how to "smooth" out skin blemishes (whilst keeping texture detail), seems that's a topic where there are a number of approaches to getting a good final result. (Haven't looked to see how many tutorials we already have on that subject, so can't at this moment say if we're already oversubscribed or not).

[CathyH]

I have never writen a tutorial, but the suggestion of a contest, has made me wonder if I could do it, and if so what on.

Cathy

[palms]

Dear all i have been reading through this thread and found it interesting, not though with thought to writing a tutorial. ( not got relevant knowledge of ps etc ) but as i suppose a avid tutorial reader and hunter of ! !

My point being there are ample tuts on "how to make a Sketch" and "how to work with layers " but not many in basic procedures ( in plain english )

For instance using selective colour ? ok i can see something is too red but which slider do i use and why ?

Replace colour i have to go to help everytime i use it

another one i hear used a lot is gradient maps again why ?

One other problem is there are some great tutorials around, this forum included but because i use ps7 they dont apply to me or i cant work out how to adjust them

hope this has given you some thoughts and i wish you well and hope that the contest takes of because i will be there looking, reading and hopefully learning

thanks

Palms

[soleah]

Not sure if I'm up to it but I am very much interested in reading those tuts. Like everyone else here, I hope the contest takes off. This is a great idea. GOOD LUCK!

[Doug Nelson]

Ok, I put it up.

I hope everyone gives it a try.

[Flora]

Originally Posted by Doug Nelson

Ok, I put it up.

I hope everyone gives it a try.

... Great!! ... Here or do we create its own Threads??

[Cameraken]

Hi Flora.

The contest rules are here.

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/rp-...er-2006-a.html


Ken

[Flora]

Thanks Ken!!!