Windows 7 Rocks Screencast Contest – creative types apply here

windows7_bloglogo Time to have some fun!  Once again Matt Hester and Keith Combs would like to invite you to demonstrate your mad skillz in the form of a screencast.  This little contest at first brush sounds like it’s going to be pretty easy, but I have a feeling there is going to be some serious competition this time around.  So before you rush into submitting an entry, think carefully.

Take a close look at the announcement Matt made on his blog.  The Official Rules for the Windows 7 Rocks Screencast Contest are posted and are your source for answering any questions.  Follow the directions carefully, especially with regard to the deadlines.  Don’t wait until the last minute.

What are the prizes? Feast your eyes on the following:

  • One (1) Grand Prize. A Lenovo Thinkpad T61p Laptop. Approximate Retail Value (ARV) US $1700.00
  • One (1) First Place Prize. An Xbox 360 Video Game Entertainment System. ARV US $300.00
  • One (1) Second Place Prize. An 120 GB Zune Digital Media Player. ARV US $ 250.00
  • One (1) Third Place Prize. An 8GB Zune Digital Media Player. ARV US $ 150.00

If you have never created a screencast, let me tell you they are part art and part science.  The one tip I will give everyone is to do a quick test demo capture.  Nothing fancy.  Check the playback in the capturing software you used.  Output the result in Windows Media Video format and play it on your PC.  Since we expect the video file to play in a Silverlight player, you should probably verify that, too.  See?  That was easy.  Grin.

Looking for a free Silverlight account?  See https://silverlight.live.com/.  Keep in mind that service is BETA but it’s a great way for you to get your feet wet.

Good luck rookies !!!