Luisin took first place with his two toned cactus. The inspiration for this build is lined up on his windowsill. He achieved the spiral effect by alternating magnet colors in a long single strand. All that work paid off, because first place awards Luisin with $90.

2nd Place: “Black and White movie.” by Ra Tascon

In second place is Ra Tascon’s black and white video camera. A nice little homage to black and white film in black and white Neoballs. Ra Tascon says the video camera is one of his favorite builds with 216 magnets. Second place awards him with $80.

3rd Place: “Yin Yang” by DBOI

In third Place is DBOI’s Yin Yang. Impressively round in shape, and well staged. This is a very nice photograph, lots of visual interest. DBOI is awarded $60 for third place.

4th Place: “Welcome to OZ!” by YoyoBandalore

In fourth place is YoyoBandalore with a double layered ring made of Zens and orange magnets. Nice sharp focus and shiny magnets. Fourth place awards YoyoBandalore $35.

5th Place: “1H Battle Axe” by tend2it

In fifth place is tend2it’s scaled down battle axe made of Cyan Neoballs and Zen Magnets. A very nice original design, the details are impressive for only 216 magnets. Fifth place awards tend2it $20.

6th Place: “Magnetmoto” by Smither

Finally, we have Smither’s motorcycle. The Gunmetal and Black Neoballs give it an authentic coloration, and it has a nice low profile. The fact the handlebars are outright is impressive. Smither is awarded $15 for 6th place.

Thanks to all our participants for their photo submissions and voting duty. If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

All entries are in for Contest #80 and submissions are closed. We had a total of 13 entries, 12 valid (sorry, rainbow does not count as a single color). Now it is time for the jury to pick their favorite entries. Click the thumbnails below for full size.

Deadline for voting is end of day July 6, 2020. When you’re ready to cast your vote follow the button below:

[button link=”https://forms.gle/iR1Fg5Q3YhkhzHwm7″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Vote Here[/button]

Find beauty not only in the thing itself but in the pattern of the shadows, the light and dark which that thing provides.

The June 2020 contest is to create a build with exactly 216 magnets, split evenly into 2 colors. You will need 108 magnets of one color, 108 of another. Utilize the colors to your advantage to make your construction more detailed or intriguing.

Summary of requirements:

• One construction of exactly 216 magnets
• 2 different colors of magnets, 108 of each
• Any colors or brand of magnets
• 5mm magnet spheres only
• 1 submission per person
• Deadline June 30, 2020

There will be $300 in prizes to be divided among the winners. The number of winners will be determined by participation. Everything you submit goes into the public domain. Of course, the first and foremost requirement, is that you have fun!

Submit your photo here:

[button link=”https://forms.gle/yK84r86dPZY1VAfb9″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Submit Here[/button]

1st Place: YoyoBandalore

YoyoBandalore revved into first place with the Zen Magnets motorcycle wheel. An Excellent job getting both the magnets and motorcycle in focus, not to mention covering the rubber of the front tire perfectly. First place awards Yoyo with $85.

2nd Place: Daniel Notary

Daniel may have bit off more than he could chew with this massive wonton. The distance between the two subjects is so great, getting both in focus is basically not an option, especially when shot on a smartphone. That said, the overall effect works well. Hopefully Daniel doesn’t have a hernia now. 2nd Place awards him $70.

3rd Place: Ratas

Ratas beat his way into 3rd place with a magnet man showdown. What magnet man lacks in arm length, he makes up with being thicc. The distance between the magnet man and contender makes getting both subjects in focus nearly impossible, but going a little softer on the magnet man was the way to go. Ratas luckily was victorious in this death match. 3rd place awards him $65.

4th Place: tend2it

Next we have the punny “MagnetMan House Sitting” from tend2it. Captured during Golden Hour in all natural light, I cannot believe tend2it was able to snap this WITHOUT any tripod or stabilizers. The house is also pretty sharp for being shot at F6.3. Check his Flickr for more test shots and process. Well done, tend2it, 4th place awards $50.

5th Place: Pent

Ostentatious antennae accessory or New Years ball drop? You be the judge. Simple and straightforward, Pent’s submission achieves the desired effect nicely. Shot on a cloudy day, the color tone is even and subdued, blending all subjects nicely. 5th place awards Pent $20.

6th Place: Purplixoras

Finally, we have the adorable watering can from Purplixoras. Focus is decent on both the plant and magnets. I think the effect would have been stronger with the magnets a bit closer to the camera, making the watering can larger and more size appropriate. Overall, a good photo. 6th place awards Purplixoras $10.

Thanks to all our participants, this was a fun contest. Got those creative juices flowing. If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

Entries are in for Contest #75. The objective was to create an image using forced perspective to make 1 set of Zen Magnets appear larger than they really are. Check out all the entries below, and follow the button at the bottom to vote for your top 3!

$300 in prizes is up for grabs to be distributed among the winners. Follow the button below to vote for your top 3 out of our 6 submissions. Voting deadline is February 16, 2020.

Things are not always as they seem; the first appearance deceives many.

The January 2020 contest is to create a photograph with forced perspective, using foreshortening to give the illusion that your magnetic creation is much larger than it really is. This is not a Photoshop contest, you must capture everything in one shot. Here is a good resource if you’re confused or need ideas.

The build in your photo is limited to 216 magnets or less. Genuine Zen Magnets only. Tip: a higher f-stop will help ensure all your subject matter is in focus. We’re looking for play between the foreground (Zen Magnets) and the background of the image. Context is important for achieving the illusion. Include something in your image most people would know the size of, like a toaster, a car, a human…

Summary of Requirements:

• Zen Magnets only, limited to 216 magnets or less
• Submission deadline is January 31st, 2020
• 1 submission per person
• No collages or photo-manipulation beyond basic color levels and contrast

As usual, the judges will be your peers. Pay attention to resolution, focus, lighting, and framing. Avoid your bright reflective flash, and opt for a self timer and a tripod (or stand.) Sharp, high resolution pictures are preferred. $300 in prizes is up for grabs and distribution will depend on participation. There will be at least five winners. Prizes will be announced with judging. Everything you submit goes into the public domain. Submission deadline is the last day of January 2020.

Don’t forget the first and foremost requirement: Have fun!

Once you’re ready, follow the button below to the submission form.

[button link=”https://forms.gle/umZUKJZYFbk74MeT7″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Submit Here[/button]

DBOI took 1st place using the three 72pc builds to illustrate the life of a butterfly, complete with spring props. Well done, DBOI, 1st place awards you with $100.

2nd Place: Daniel Notary

Daniel snagged 2nd place with his 3 takes on a triangle and super reflective surfaces. He had this to say about his process, “I wanted to make self-contained shapes based on different numbers of subunit strings, and found that my different shapes and subunits all became very nice triangles.” The magnets are offset and divided by the colorful glass background. Very visually interesting. 2nd place awards Daniel with $75.

3rd Place: Dave

Dave chose fishing as a uniting theme for his 3 builds with a fish, pole, and fisherman. He had this to say about his photograph, “It takes a big rod to catch a big fish.” 3rd place awards Dave with $55. You’re gonna need a bigger boat.

4th Place: Dan Condon-Jones

“I wanted to make a single thing out of three separate parts.” Dan’s photograph unites his 3 builds to form a motorcycle in the white space. Very crafty. 4th place awards Dan with $40.

5th Place: tend2it

tend2it chose Shurikens (throwing stars) for his subject matter. He had this to say on his process, “building new Stars with the 72 magnet limit pushed minimalist creativity to the edge, while maintaining deadly distinctive shape elegance.” 5th place awards tend2it $30.

Great job to all participants. If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size, as well as all entries below. Keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well. Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners. Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

Entries are all in for Contest 71. All submissions can be viewed in the hexmap below. To recap, the challenge was to create 3 separate builds, each of exactly 72 genuine Zen Magnets. Judging is open, so follow the button at the bottom of the page to cast your vote for your top 3 favorites.

Follow the button below to vote. One vote person, pick a winner for Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Voting booths close end of the day October 23, 2019.

As much as constructions that are grand and heavy are enjoyable, so too are the numerous possibilities posed by a mere 72 magnets. What makes this contest difficult is not just deciding which three mini builds to focus on, but also how to create visual harmony between the three, and where!

No post processing allowed aside from color balance and levels. That means no artificial blurring, no compilation photos, and no photo-shopped backgrounds.

• Zen Magnets only
• Three Sculptures 72 Zen Magnet to be shown
• 1 submission per person
• No collages or photo-manipulation beyond basic color levels and contrast.
• Deadline 9/30/2019

As usual, the judges will be your peers. Pay attention to resolution, focus, lighting, and framing. Unless you’re outside under the sun, avoid your bright reflective flash, and opt for a self timer and a tripod (or stand.) Sharp, high resolution pictures are preferred. $300 in prizes is up for grabs and distribution will depend on participation. There will be at least five winners. Prizes will be announced with judging. Everything you submit goes into the public domain. Submission deadline is the last day of September 2019.

Don’t forget the first and foremost requirement: Have fun!

To enter, follow the button to the submission form:

[button link=”https://forms.gle/BA1Z1sWEwq1dmjV3A” type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Submit Here[/button]

Contest & Gallery Hibernation Begins

This is the last contest we’ll be holding in the near future, and at the end of the month we’ll be discontinuing gallery prizes.

As many of you have already noticed, we’ve been a zero income company for the past few weeks. We can’t sell Zen Magnets because we don’t have any, and can’t import more. We can’t sell neoballs because we can’t import more, and our remaining supply was “tainted” by magnicube’s recall.

Starting the end of this month, photos accepted to the Zen Gallery are not guaranteed to be rewarded prizes, although may still be if we get back on our feet and are able to sell Zen Magnets again. Photos will also be accepted to the Zen Gallery at a much less consistent basis.

In case we don’t wake up from this nap, it’s been an incredible experience working with and supporting the magnet sphere community. In our now six year run, we’ve given away over two thousand sets of magnets to reward amazing feats of passion and intellect. Thank you for this amazing part we’ve had to privilege to play.

For more details regarding our current situation, stay up to date at newslettter.zenmagnets.com

1st Place: TehHippeh

“The goal was to present a spectral image, lit brightly from within, floating in front of the viewer. Folded 8 radius hexagon sheet. Lit by red from below and bluish-purple from above. Suspended in the air (no green screen) from the head of a small hammer. ” Very cool colors, with great effort spent on the setup. TehHippeh wins $164.90 of genuine Zen Magnets, equal to 5 Zen Sets.

2nd Place: GalaxyTraveler

“This was just the result of random playing with a hexagon-sheet while watching TV Illuminated with red LEDs to underline the look of a skull.” A must see at full resolution. A beautifully well shot photo with a sharp focus, minimal noise, and superbly flavored reflections. $131.92, equal to 4 Zen Sets awarded.

3rd Place: Tend2it

This alien face (or alien helmet) is one of the meanest things we’ve seen made from origami, mostly due to the gigantic aggressively tilted eyes. Well chosen plane of focus. $98.94, equal to 3 Zen Sets

4th Place: Fool

“After playing with various shapes, I kept coming back to this simple lotus design.” A refreshing natural scene is the only time direct lighting is reasonable. Crisp shot of some clean magnets. See full size by clicking it. $65.96 is two Zen Sets.

5th Place: Joe Magnet

“I experimented by folding, pinching sides together, and folding open sides. I did not have a particular design in mind, but was pleased with what my creation evolved into.” The result is a unique and interesting sculpture. One Zen Set worth $32.98 won.

* * *

These were only five of the 22 entries! See the rest below. If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com, though rewards after the end of this month are not guaranteed.

Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

[button link=”http://zenmagnets.com/lime/index.php?sid=13867″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Vote Here[/button]

A great showing of 22 Entries for Contest #44! All are sculptures have been created from folding a single hex sheet of 216 Zen Magnets.

Click thumbnail to see full image.

1st Place: $164.90 Zen Credit, usable on ZenMagnets.com or Neoballs.com. Winning Zen Contests will be the only way to acquire Genuine Zen Magnets during our stop-sale period.

The rest of the prize scale will be announced with the winners.

Judges, remember that this contest is a photography contest just as much as it is a magnet sculpture contest, overall aesthetic does matter. Voting deadline is 4/30/2015.

Decide your favorite SIX entries, and

[button link=”http://zenmagnets.com/lime/index.php?sid=13867″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Vote Here[/button]

Magnet origami is often experimentation first, and object pareidolia second. Instead of trying to create with the intent of similarity, it’s more like cloud watching while your fingers stir the clouds. Magnet origami is one of the basic techniques that are uncommonly explored, yet alone presents possibilities one could never finish exploring.

Start with a sheet of Zen – 216 Zen Magnets in a hexagonal sheet, 8 radius, with a hole in the middle – and fold the sheet of spheres into a 3d sculpture. No tearing or ripping, meaning each sphere must continue next to the neighbors it started out touching.

Folding and pinching are simple. But the scenery and photography will be the lion-share of your consideration. Zen Magnets only for the primary 216 sphere origami piece. No limitations on background props.

As usual, the judges will be your peers. This is about the best photo, and less about the magnets that are the subject. There will be at least six winners, and possibly more depending on participation. The prize for first place will be $100 Zen Credit. Zen Magnets only in this contest. Again, this is a photography contest as much as a magnet sphere contest. Everything you submit goes into the public domain. Having fun is the most important requirement. Submission deadline is March 10th 2015.

To enter, load your full resolution photo on to imgur.com, and fill out this submission form:

[button link=”http://goo.gl/forms/NCdpfZXRuj” type=”big” color=”red” newwindow=”yes”] Submit Here![/button]

We received 61 entries, 44 of them qualified for at least a free set of magnets, about thirty are arguably better than the original video, but only 12 could be selected for the judging panel. The amount of video generated by the magnet sphere community was incredible. The 44 qualified videos amount to 4 hours of video, and incredible amounts of effort and innovation.

[button link=”https://www.youtube.com/playlist?action_edit=1&list=PLsh-Pj64-i__XyzssSt9mo9yGMJTWh9P_” type=”big” color=”blue” newwindow=”yes”] View All Qualified Entries[/button]

If one of these videos were yours, hold tight, we’ll be contacting your shortly about your magnets.

Prizes

Winner gets $2500 cash or bitcoin. Runner up gets $1000 cash or bitcoin. Free set of Zen Magnets for all who followed the rules.

Rules

The proposed challenge was to “make one trick demo to rule them all, using one single set of Zen Magnets.”  The video must start with the magnets in a 6 Stack hex cylinder, and end with the magnets put inside the red embroidered velvet bag. Maximum 6 minute, minimum 720p, no manipulation tools besides Zen PVC card.

Scoring

Final scoring is weighted according to the following criteria:

• 40% for Presentation
• 40% for Technical Merit
• 20% for Visual Fidelity

Presentation:
If there was a score for “overall feel” it would be presentation. It refers to the performance, pacing, execution, choreography, scene aesthetics, framing, hand placement, and video transition flow. How well the magnets are presented, and how effectively this video might grab attention from something else? This will inherently be the most subjective score. Judges are instructed not to include any of the factors that are included under Visual Fidelity when choosing a score out of 10.

Technical Merit:
Will be a score out of 10, that refers to magnet sphere mastery. What level of skill is shown? How difficult are the objects made, and what are transitions in between? How many objects are made? Also points for making something difficult look simple and easy.

Visual Fidelity:
A score out of 10 that refers only to: Video resolution, upload quality, camera focus, steadiness, proper aspect ratio, tone and contrast.

 Judges

In addition to the Presentation, Technical and Visual scores from Zen Magnets staff, four esteemed judges were invited to participate in judging. Two magnet sphere experts, and two product photography experts. The 12 entries were shown in a different order to all four judges to minimize first impression bias. Meet the judges:

[author] [author_image timthumb=’off’]https://contest.zenmagnets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/koozdra-icon.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]

Magnet Expert: Koozdra

I’m a computer programmer with an interest in math and algorithm design. I love hiking, motorcycling and being out doors. I’ve been doing magnetic sphere origami for several years. I was always looking for a medium to construct geometric shapes. I’ve owned many constructor sets but none were as dynamic or as manipulable as the magnetic spheres.[/author_info] [/author]
[author] [author_image timthumb=’off’]https://contest.zenmagnets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/yoyobandalore-icon.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]

Magnet Expert: YoYoBandalore

I became addicted to Zen Magnets several years ago and went crazy making stuff which piqued my interest in photography. I’m not as prolific as I once was, but I still follow those in the magnet world and enjoy the beautiful and truly awesome figures they create and share with the group.[/author_info] [/author]

Magnet Experts score the Presentation and Technical Merit, and are given the following instructions: “When judging, please ignore the music, or mute the video. Also, do not give additional points for introduction or exit graphics or animations. As a Technical Judge, please view videos at 720p resolution, at the distance of 5 times the width of the video screen. So if the video is 8 inches wide, have your eyes be 40 inches away.”

[author] [author_image timthumb=’off’]https://contest.zenmagnets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ilyafilms-icon.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]

Photography Judge: Ilyafilms

Digital Cinema Specialist, Photobooth Builder, Freelance Artist, DJ, Information Technology Consultant, Overall Badass.[/author_info] [/author]
[author] [author_image timthumb=’off’]https://contest.zenmagnets.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/popplusphoto-icon.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]

Photography Judge: Pop Plus Photo

I am a professional photographer and video editor with 15 years experience creating content for print media and broadcast television.[/author_info] [/author]

Photography Judges score the Presentation and Visual Fidelity, and are given the following instructions: “When judging, please ignore the music, or mute the video. Also, do not give additional points for introduction or exit graphics or animations. As a Photography Judge, please view videos at maximum resolution, at distance that is no more than 2 times the width of the screen. So if your screen is 28 inches wide, view at a distance that is at 56 in (4.6ft) away.”

 Final Scores and Commentary

The top twelve were incredibly hard to select. If the goal is to surpass the original Zen Magnets demo video, there were certainly more than twelve that did so. Every video that qualified is listed in this youtube playlist, and there are many videos of quality comparable to those below. Although all scores are out of 10, do remember that the twelve entries that are scored represent the the top 20% of quality. They are shown in the order uploaded.

GalaxyTraveler

Comments

Koozdra: Some nice demonstrations with base shapes.

YoYoBandalore: I liked the spinning hexagon stack. Cool face figure trick. I liked the closeups.

Zen Magnets: The rotating clip at 4:30 is the best showcase of the coating among all videos. So clean it almost looked computer generated; visibly polished for the shot. Fairly difficult to recreate actions. Like how far sheet of 4×4 clip off at 2:53, and flawlessly pulling off the faces of the dodecahedron at 5:22. Seems to be a few stuck pixels on the camera CCD, and some ghosting of motion on the green background which may be a compression artifact. Not quite the sharpness that would normally be expected from 1080p video.

Ilyafilms: Those macro cut scenes with the finished structures are epic obviously. I really liked the creativity of your shapes, they kept the video interesting. The lighting however left a bit to be desired, otherwise great video.

Pop Plus Photo: I would like to see all of the magnets in the frame, even when not in use. I kept wondering where the “extras” are going, and thus it is hard to tell how many magnets are in use. Noticing some minor auto focusing which can be distracting. Overall good presentation, but inconsistent flow makes it a little hard to follow.

Creator Comments: Equipment setup and quality-testing did take most of the time, weeks in my case…Placing of tripod ON my table is not good cause the table jiggles a bit. When placing in front of the table it prevents me from working on the table…So the camera incl. tripod had to hang in the air somehow, also allowing me to choose the best angle for hand placing. First I used thin plastic coat-hangers extended by wires in order to hang up the tripod on the ceiling-lamp. This way the weight only was on one side and shifted the glass of the lamp, making the whole lamp unstable and swinging as well. In my improved version I came up with belts going around the whole lamp, making it more stable. A wire attached from the heater to the tripod for keeping position and reduce swinging – however I always had to wait until the swinging stopped after pressing the record-button – bad for timing because the cam I finally used also has a limitation of 10 min. per file. Cheap cameras need a LOT of artificial light, you can see my final setup in the following album: http://imgur.com/a/84ebf#0 … I also tried 4 different fabrics as background before I found a turquois bed sheet that finally was ok for the full-automatic camera, with darker ones it increased ISO and tried to make them brighter than it actually was (resulting in awful image-quality even with all lamps I could find). The Full-HD cam I got from Ebay just was used for the short detail-sequences (spinning / “monument” shape). It records nice quality in nature, but had huge problems with artificial light and changing auto-focus all the time when moving hands. So for the rest I used a cheap 720p point&shoot cam from my parents that at least didn’t change the focus – but had no manual settings at all as well… The final actual recordings (after weeks of testing and changing setup) were done in 2 days. Video speeded up between 200 and 300% most of the time. Cutting and color-correction, searching for music and little audio-editing. The music is free and ALLOWED for commercial use.

Zach Gable

Comments

Koozdra: Some really nice transitions. The one handed manipulations were also very interesting. The base shape constructions transition efficiently.

YoYoBandalore: Cool one-handed manipulation. Interesting and smooth transitions from one figure to the next. I liked the occasional closeups.

Zen Magnets: The overall color toning is a bit dull and the background is sorta dirty. But whoa, is this whole thing seriously real time? Convincingly one nonstop continuous run. Incredibly well choreographed. If this isn’t real time, it’s pretty hard to tell. Very creative non-stop morphing. Magnets are never even pulled into a chain. Although none of the shapes are mindblowing, the entire path from beginning to end is stunning. This video makes it look incredibly easy to work with magnet spheres, yet in all reality, most would not be able to imitate the first 15 seconds of the video anywhere near the pace shown. The basic vignetting added around the corners helps with the glare on the upper left of the video.

Ilyafilms: The closeup macro shots were off the hook. The main shot however is not that great, the glare in the top left corner is very distracting, and washes out the entire image overall. I really liked the use of real-time pacing for the video here, and enjoyed your presentation.

Pop Plus Photo: Nice editing and flow, although the lighting is a little distracting – backlighting makes the video appear flat. Side camera angle adds interest, and close-ups are a nice touch.

Creator Comments: I was thinking of doing something unique and different from others, first thing that came to mind was stop motion, since I did many other videos ( not all on youtube), it was one of my strengths. I wasn’t sure it if it was acceptable or not, so I emailed you guys: it was acceptable. And so I started.

Ridvan Song

Comments

Koozdra: The stop motion animation was really nice. Very good basic shapes.

YoYoBandalore: Cool stop-n-go transitions. Liked the top which showed the magnets in motion. I liked the Fast-Forward replay of the figures at the end.

Zen Magnets: This was a captivating stop-motion magnet adventure. Creative and full of different construction methods. Wonderful job filling the frame. White balance and auto exposure change frequently, video looks slightly washed out like lens may be dirty. Satisfyingly sharp video.

Ilyafilms: Love.

Pop Plus Photo: Excellent presentation – really like the animation feel. Hands are less prominent and this improves the presentation of the magnets. Focus is a bit off at times and could be improved with manual focus setting in the camera. Video is well lit, and editing has a good flow.

Creator Comments: I was thinking of doing something unique and different from others, first thing that came to mind was stop motion, since I did many other videos ( not all on youtube), it was one of my strengths. I wasn’t sure it if it was acceptable or not, so I emailed you guys: it was acceptable. And so I started.

Daniel Notary

Comments

Koozdra: Some nice basic shapes.

YoYoBandalore: Not easy to see what’s being done. A bit too fast.

Zen Magnets: Great framing. Coil being finished at 2:06 was momentarily mesmerizing. Many interesting, yet non-intimidating shapes made. Skipping past repetitive motions was good for holding interest. 4:3 upload of a widescreen video leaves crop. Solid entry. Feels fluid.

Ilyafilms: You obviously know what you’re doing with tiny balls, years of practice? Nice lighting.

Pop Plus Photo: Video is cropped and does not fill the frame. Good lighting. Out of focus at times. Could do without the fancy transitions as they are distracting. Does not flow well and seems to jump around. A wider angle would improve presentation as some of the action is outside the frame.

Creator Comments: This is my second submission, because the focus issues on my first video were bugging me. It’s not perfect this time, but it’s much better. I also changed the order of the shapes for more fluid transitions (instead of just smashing and stringing them out each time). I have one shape on here that I thought was fairly unique – the pyramids that join together to make a cube-like shape (@ ~2:50). I’ve since seen 2 people make the same shape in their videos, even though I’ve never seen it anywhere else online. I could very well be wrong about thinking I was the first to put it in a video, but I didn’t want the originality of my shapes to be in question. Things like the cube are obviously very common, but it was used as more of a wrap-up for the video than complete originality. Not sure that this even affects scoring, I just thought I’d mention it. Thanks guys!

MusicalTeslaCoils

Comments

Koozdra: Starting from the same point is an interesting idea. It establishes a baseline for all the shapes. Some great shapes here. The mistake in the middle detracted from the flow.

YoYoBandalore: Jerky, hard to watch. Figures not very exciting.

Zen Magnets: Overall simple shapes and well documented methodology. The first subunits made are a simple but unique configuration that looks like fun to experiment with. Even as a timelapse, pace felt slow compared to others due to screen time of subunit production. But Ohhhhh so sharp at 1440p. So crisp. So clear. Even if your screen is 1080p, let this video load in 1440p. You Will notice a difference. Rare focus and auto-exposure issues.

Ilyafilms: Natural light and setting very pleasant. However the editing could have been a bit tighter.

Pop Plus Photo: I realize this is intended to have a stop-motion feel , but the jumpy edits cause the video to not flow as well as I would like. Specifically, I would like to see how you get from one point to the next without a hard cut. I do like the rock as a background, but the hard shadows and inconsistent lighting are a bit distracting.

Creator Comments: I believed that the best way to record this video would be to make a time lapse. This way, there would be time to make several complex designs within the allotted 6 minutes. I did the entire the entire video in one take, rather than editing together several scenes. This helped give the video a continuous feel. The time lapse suits the video by shifting the focus of the video from the manipulation of the magnets to the overall structure and process of creating the sculptures.

Boyd Edwards

Comments

Koozdra: Great level of complexity and a great presentation. Very nice round up of the platonics and construction techniques.

YoYoBandalore: Like the Platonic solid theme. Nice transition and flow from one figure to the next. Well planned and executed.

Zen Magnets: Love the two intro scenes which sets a persistent theme for the entire build path. Pace is flawless. Shapes are reproducible with moderate experience and skill, but significant dexterity and magnet sphere understanding needed to perform five transitions continuously with almost no errors. Close attention paid to where the frame boundaries lie. Clean black background, consistent tone and lighting, picture quality, and framing all impeccable.

Ilyafilms: Visually this film is spot on. The lighting is even, and with the black background the product contrasts very well. The theme and titles throughout were well thought out. Overall a strong showing, however a 9 for presentation because I was not particularly blown away by any of the structures, they were all familiar.

Pop Plus Photo: Excellent editing and flow. Magnets are presented well and methods are easy to follow. Most informative and professional looking video of them all. Excellent lighting and choice of background. Focus, brightness, sharpness, and color are always consistent.

Creator Comments: Dear Zen Magnets, The Platonic solids present an exciting challenge to build using Zen Magnets because of their geometrical beauty and variety. The goal of the video is to use single-strand rings to build all five Platonic solids in a single take, with interesting transitions between shapes, and without ever having to pull the magnets into a chain. For me, it’s fun to build shapes that actually have names, and the five Platonic solids turn out to be plenty challenging to build in 6 minutes. Be sure to select a resolution of 1080p when you play the video… I had a lot of fun putting this video together and I invented some new ways of building these solids in the process, the subjects of future videos and photos. It was fun to be encouraged to find amazing things you can do with just one set…The “Never Let Go of Childhood Wonder” video sets an amazing standard for quality, originality, dexterity, imagination, and just plain fun. The shadow of that amazing video hangs over everyone who presumes to enter this contest, including me…Thanks for encouraging the magnet community by hosting and incentivizing such amazing contests. -Boyd

Yosi Nacach

Comments

Koozdra: Great round up of base shapes and constructed shapes.

YoYoBandalore: Pace was a little too fast. No cool transitions. Overall a bit boring.

Zen Magnets: One of the most surgically paced videos. Four shapes are built nearly from scratch before the halfway point, and the building speed doesn’t feel too fast or slow, but a bit more time could be spent showing off finished shapes. Love the subunit at 0:50, which was unfamiliar to us and surprisingly strong upon recreation.  Cool way of making 2×2 squares at 2:30. Ending feels abrupt. Good framing. Video compression artifacts were somewhat woeful, behind auto-focus issues.

Ilyafilms: The light blue background is really nice, however since it is so bright your exposure overall was a lot darker because the camera was likely set to evaluative metering. I really like the shapes that you were making, which kept the video interesting. The focus was the major issue here, which since also set to auto was very distracting from the content and the magnets.

Pop Plus Photo: Jerky edits and constant auto-focusing make this video difficult to watch. Video looks flat and low quality, even at 720P. Dull and flat looking. Presentation is ok, but I want to see from my perspective, not looking across the table.

Creator Comments: Well, first I thought it would be nice to do something similar to the example video provided. In turn, I started trying to come up with as many different shapes that used EXACTLY 216 magnets while later attempting to choreograph it artistically in a single continuous shot… My first attempt at a “trick video” proved disappointing, yet it helped me greatly on my next try. I discovered the challenge of using precisely 216 magnets was very entertaining for me and a great arithmetical exercise but it didn’t seem to capture the dynamic I was searching for. I chose to discard it and move on to another idea… What I did next was to record myself doing as many distinct shapes as I could think off, while trying to make them as different from each other as possible in order to show a contrast of possibilities using this artform. This time it didn’t matter if the shape would add up to exactly 216 magnets and thus it was much more fruitful in its results… I thought that my second attempt, in contrast, seemed to more adequately reflect the message I intended to convey in my video ( that magnets aren’t simply a desk toy or novelty item, but instead hey are an incredible creative and artistic medium with infinite possibilities)… With the short time allowed for this contest entry I tried to make as many shapes as possible while keeping the viewer interested and equally captivated by the intuitive nature of the way shapes are created. Unfortunately some shots were not ideal, but I didn’t have time to do retakes after already spending abnormal leisure time creating this. 

Stephane Gervais

Comments

Koozdra: Nice creative shapes.

YoYoBandalore: I liked the naming of the figures and closeup 360’s. Nothing too difficult or exciting.

Zen Magnets: Loved the wood box featured at the beginning. Interesting and unique shapes. Pacing a bit drawn out at times, but perfect for beginners. Points for continuously planned choreography. Transitions are fun, especially the skull of course. Colors are over-saturated, perhaps stylistically so. The contrast seems a bit strong.

Ilyafilms: I liked how you had a good mix of realtime speed and fast speed. The transitional cut scenes with the finished pieces was a nice touch. However the lighting was very biased towards the top half of the frame, creating a harsh shadow. Stylistically in certain cases this dramatic effect can be a powerful tool, however in [this video] it becomes very difficult to see the product itself.

Pop Plus Photo: Well edited video with good timing. Interesting and easy to watch. I like the red background. Good hand and magnet placement. Lighting does not cover subject evenly at all times – especially when subject moves close to camera. Camera’s auto iris and focus adjustments are distracting.

Creator Comments: I did my video thinking about getting the attention of your potential customers. I was not trying to impress current magnets users by complexity. I wanted to appeal to magnets-virgins… So I entered your contest choosing to do shapes that are easy to make and dynamic. Thus emphasizing on the simplicity of playing with these magnets. I was very careful to edit out or accelerate any boring moment. I wanted a video that is playful and make people want to get their own magnets to start playing with them. Also I was happy to incorporate a shape that was not geometric but figurative since we dont see enough of these. Less mathematical et more artistic… Myself, I decided to buy your set magnets in part because of your beautiful bamboo box. That is why I made sure to incorporate it at the beginning of your video. I think it sets you apart from the competition… I entered your contest because my son entered your contest. Watching him and helping him got me interested in your contest. Our videos have a few common features of course, but they have very different flavours. I don’t think mine is better than his; they’re different. Since we didn’t want to “compete” against each other, he had the idea that if either of us win, we would use the money for a family vacation.

Geometric Magnetics

Comments

Koozdra: Great variety of shapes. Some are fairly complex. I like the how the video explores the different facets of the shapes.

YoYoBandalore: Nice closeups. A bit blurry. Some good transitions. A little too fast at times.

Zen Magnets: Excitingly paced. The first twenty seconds feels like a roller coaster drop. Slowly raising anticipation to 0:15, then whooosh. The unwrappings at 2:00 and 2:29 were almost magical, had to watch that a few times to see what you did there. One continuous morphing in front of the camera for the entire first 3:20 of the video was quite impressive. Some of the best framing and pacing. Ending seemed hurried and spazzy. Really liked how close the magnets were held to the camera for close-ups, leaving any background scenery out of focus. The autofocus was rough at spots, but most of the time it was in your favor. Table surface was unsightly. Medium video upload quality. Overall one of our faves.

Ilyafilms: Excellent white balance, lighting is perfect. However the focusing issues distract from the subjects. I enjoyed the variety and difficulty of shapes that you created, and the editing had a good pace.

Pop Plus Photo: Constantly shifting auto-focus is distracting. Presentation is good and showcases the magnets as well as the methods. Hard to watch because of video fidelity.

Creator Comments: Zen Magnets are captivating, and have brought a wealth of creative experience and geometric knowledge to my life. I wanted to use this wonderful opportunity to enlighten more people to the endless possibilities of building and experimenting with spherical units. By using this video to show how to do a variety of cool tricks that make interesting new shapes, I aim to help the common or beginner magnet artists realize the vast potential of 216 magnets spheres and beyond… The title for my video had to reflect this notion of endless, creative possibility, because it is such a main part of the art for myself, and others that I know. Zen magnets do a good job of doing what the name implies, by easily causing one to be mindful and Zen while creating forms that can light up a room as well as the left and right hemispheres of the brain. This led me to the somewhat cheesy but bold, and memorable word “Zenlightenment” that sums up a lot of the understanding and awareness I now associate with a successful build… I found it quite natural to utilize the hexagons in various forms and efficient transitions (especially folding 2Rhexagons into a Tri-force triangle and making Pac Man out of them) before making a single magnet chain to build something else. I had decided early on that I would shoot the whole video in one take, which proved more challenging than ever anticipated. Filming countless good takes with just one or two small mistakes hurting the fluidity of the video… I started by filming a rough video copy of my first game plan, that I had written for choreographing the transitions of all the different shapes. Then moved onto filming multiple takes of a good copy, which thankfully led to discoveries for a even better copy with better builds. I wanted this to be my best zen magnet video yet, and it is… After much experimentation, some contemplation and a small survey of my peers, I eventually developed a best version that I rigorously reviewed and re watched while taking notes on how and where to save time. This greatly helped me add in more magnet art to help make my final entry everything that I hoped it would be. I also have my video available with no music, and the original magnet clicking sounds… On the contest page you mentioned that your video had become a bit stale after 4 years. To show more of what else these magnet spheres can do, I decided that I wouldn’t feature any of the old but still awesome tricks from the first video. Hopefully some of it has never been seen before and sparks even more interest in this growing art form and multifaceted learning tool… Thank you kindly for this wicked awesome contest, and even more so, the Zen magnets. ~Geometric Magnetics

Sam Chaney

Comments

Koozdra: Even though my heart sank when the ferrofluid was pored over the magnets, it was a fascinating demonstration. The shapes increased in complexity nicely.

YoYoBandalore: I liked the variety and complexity of the shapes, but I think they were a little too complex.  The construction pace was fast and not easy to see how to build these shapes.  Some of the figures were just shown. I would have preferred smoother transitions from figure to figure.  The ferro-fluid was a bit too much. IMO the video needs to attract new enthusiasts.  While this video had some cool stuff, I think it might overwhelm the intended audience.

Zen Magnets: Direct light makes magnet surface appear harsh, and sometimes hand motion is jittery. Despite this, the transitions with moving lights, sharp focus, clean background, wonderful framing, quick pace, overall creativity, and brilliant title calligraphy net this entry a 10 in Presentation from us. Dodecahedron with embedded ornament was awesome. Shape at 5:40 must have been a pain to make, and exactly the kind of stuff We’d like to see more of at gallery.zenmagnets.com.

Ilyafilms: Excellent editing and transitions. Display of built objects very pleasant. Ferrofluid moved ya from 9 to 10.

Pop Plus Photo: Slightly wider angle would improve presentation and perceived fidelity. I like the close-ups and shifting light effects. Painting letters and use of ferro-fluid is way cool! Overall this is a fun video to watch. Lighting is good, background color is nice, and only noticed slight soft-focus at times.

Creator Comments: I use the magnets for a few minutes every day at work as a kind of meditation, which allows for my subconscious to make connections normally impeded by fleeting thoughts. This helps in problem solving and grounds me with the tactile and visual immersion. I made a new shape every day for a few weeks, and filmed the creation with my SLR camera which I previously used only for photos. I used one of my own music pieces as the soundtrack to add personal connection and guide the creative framework of the video, then I ended up going back and adding to the song due to inspiration from the video. I am very fond of creative feedback loops like this. I actually edited the entire video with a free, demo version of Adobe Premiere. Now I have a deep appreciation for Platonic and Archimedean solids, and magnet art will forever be an enriching part of my life.

KylarF

Comments

Koozdra: Some really interesting shapes. A great demonstration of framing with one set.

YoYoBandalore: I liked the initial product comparison visual. Nice pace.

Zen Magnets: A fun well paced video. You made at 2:07 what the original Zen Magnets video failed to do. Of 4 shapes, all were built from scratch. Scene is a bit dark. Good framing and sharp video. Relatively good autofocus for the variety of depths. Using a backdrop with some texture probably helped with that. Fun to watch with audio on, even though it doesn’t affect score.

Ilyafilms: The intro is really cool here, definitely showing off the diversity of the magnets vs. old skool type hand manipulative games. The lighting overall is quite dark though, making it difficult to see the magnets.

Pop Plus Photo: Video quality appears to have some compression artifacts. Focus has a little trouble trying to keep up. I like the first-person camera angle and it makes me feel like I am playing with the magnets. Lighting appears consistent and magnets/hand placement are in frame.

Creator Comments: Up to mid April I didn’t plan to create a video but as I saw the first entries on youtube I got motivated to give it a try  I never did a video before this contest so the hardest part was to find/ understand a cutting-software. The main question I asked myself was how I could present ZenMagnets and I ended up with ‘Next Generation [Desk] Toy’. Sry for the letters at the beginning… just recognized it after completing everything and I couldn’t take another software :(. All in all it was a wonderful contest, it was absolutely fun and I gain a lot of new experiences…

Mathnetism

Comments

Koozdra: Absolutely amazing. Solid manipulations, edge squares, Mathnetism really covers some cutting edge techniques. The transitions are well thought out and are quick. The first transition especially was very impressive.

YoYoBandalore: Interesting figures. Definite technical skill

Zen Magnets: Although only four shapes are made, all are very unique, and the transformations in between configurations are well varied. Lattice shifting at the start was incredible. The loop conversion shifting at 1:30 was a trick not seen before. Never any chaos, all magnets recycled from one shape to another. No blub mushing involved. Framerate slowdown at 2:22 for spinning unnecessary. Stable hands of strong intention and magnetic mastery. Framing and lighting could have been better.

Ilyafilms: There is really nice building technique here in this video that sticks out the most. Your no-waste approach to building, tearing down, and starting again is a nice touch. The exposure of the video however is the one downfall, likely due to evaluative metering the white background made everything darker overall. The pacing of the video is really nice, especially all of the realtime footage.

Pop Plus Photo: Video looks underexposed – a white background should be bright. White balance and brightness are inconsistent. Magnets are well presented and methods are easy to follow. Presentation, editing and flow appear to be consistent.

Creator Comments: In the video I make some of my favourite one set designs. I have been building with Zen Magnets for two years now and I’m still amazed by all the possibilities, even with just one set. I tried to show the versatility of Zen Magnets in my video.

Conclusion

Winner: Boyd Edwards

$2500 in Cash or Bitcoin

Runner Up: Mathnetism

$1000 in Cash or Bitcoin

An amazing turnout of 61 entries. 44 won magnets.  A fun contest that’s a great reminder of the endless possibilities that come with even a single set of magnets. Winners, we’ll contact you soon about your prizes.

Love,

Zen Magnets

$3500 Front Page Video Contest

$2500 First Place
$1000 Second Place

Free magnets for all who attempt.*

The biggest prizes we’ve ever offered. All winnings via Cash or Bitcoin.

Four years and four million views later, the original Zen Magnets video has gotten a bit stale.

Zen Magnets, Dexterity, and Videography experience. If you have at least 2 of the 3, then this contest is for you. Now’s the time to cut your fingernails and start drawing out an action plan. The video above was planned, shot and edited in about a week, but you’ll have till April 30th. Remember, we’re not a megacorp with millions of customers. If you’ve reached this page, your odds are very good. Consider that if 10 people enter, the average prize per video is $350, plus a free set of magnets. You were looking for an excuse to fall back in love with the magnets anyways, weren’t you?

Mission:

   Make one trick demo to rule them all, using a single set of 216 Zen Magnets.

Bounds:

Similar to the video above, start in Zen Hex form, and end by putting the magnets back inside the red embroidered velvet bag in whatever form.** Unlike our original video, yours is not required to appear as one continuous scene. Aside from the start of your first scene, and the end of your last, you have a lot of freedom. Maximum 6 minutes. You are allowed to edit as needed, but don’t spend time adding flashy visual effects that might distract from the magnets themselves. You may add music if you want, but don’t expect it to affect scoring. Make a video that will hold attention and impress all audiences. No other tools besides Zen PVC cards may be used for manipulation.

   The submission deadline is 4/30

Judging:

Zen Magnets staff will be the judges in this contest. We’ll consider based on the following:

• (40%) Presentation – Choreography and aesthetics. Hand placement, framing, scene cleanliness, etc…
• (40%) Technical Merit – How many objects are made, how difficult are the objects, and what are the transitions in between?
• (20%) Video Fidelity – How focused and sharp is the entry video? 1080p preferred, but 720p is minimum.

To Enter:

1. Post your video on Youtube
2. Title: Include (Zen Magnets Flagship Entry) at the end of your title.
3. Tag: Zen Magnets, Neoballs, Buckyballs, Nanodots, Neocube
4. Fill out this form:

[button link=”https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1L6KAAuhaQOSXH7LwAs-hWZrvSnjhYGj8ZzMAYVcgcM4/viewform” type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Submit Here[/button]

If you win 1st or 2nd place, you’ll be paid as a contractor having done commission work. Payment will be made upon delivery of original and working files. We will re-release your video under the Zen Magnets youtube channel, with artist credit such as linking to your profile or channel. Zen Magnets will have the right to use and remix the video as needed, and there is no guarantee that a winning video will be posted to the front page of http://Zenmagnets.com. If payment in Bitcoin is preferred, the USD/BTC price used will be the Bitstamp average on the day winners announced. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out via email, facebook, or twitter.

* We’re literally giving free magnets to everybody who wants to give this contest a shot. We’ll issue a refund of (or give you store credit at your option) one booster set for any genuine attempt. Along with staying inside the tangible bounds and terms described above, your video must be a minimum of 4 minutes long, and show at least 4 formations that are unique from each other. International orders will need to pay shipping.

** If you only own a Mandala and don’t have an embroidered velvet bag, you may end your video with by placing a sheet of 216 Zen back into the box for the end scene.

“Seahorse Pride”. A wonderful representation of a seahorse proudly riding his tail across the waters surface, almost like a dolphin. “This was a little tricky getting it to balance properly, but a magnetic mirror under the scenes helped a lot. This was one of my first creations when tackling this contest.” Nice post processing effects. $65 in Zen Credits awarded, usable on ZenMagnets.com or Neoballs.com

2nd Place: Dan Condon-Jones

A very clean model of an Eiffel Tower on a bright green ground. Fact: This was actually Dan’s second attempt. The first prototype only had three legs.  $57 worth of magnets won.

3rd Place: Joe Bergeron

The “Fire Ant” was built using only hexagons folded in half. “I started  building having no idea what I wanted to create, and this just somehow came about.” Great photography, a must see at full resolution. $49 Zen Credits awarded.

4th Place: Poolshark

A collage of multiple views of a ship. “Folded three hexagons for the back base, and three hexagons for the front base. Two hexagons were used for each wing just curled a bit.” $41 of magnets earned.

5th Place: Smorris

The Three-Legged Ness. “The biggest challenge was to find sturdy bonds for the limbs so that they wouldn’t buckle under the weight.” Very sharp at full resolution $33 Zen awarded.

6th Place: MAGPLANT

Titled: “The Fierce Warrior”. A symmetrical figure standing among colorful LED fire candles. Submission resolution is on the low side. $25 Zen Credits.

7th Place: Teradonis

A spaceship that nearly has an enterprise-esque feel. Good framing for thumbnail generation. $17 Zen.

8th Place: Cheesus93 

The Angel Ornament was “made mostly by accident… Keeping the string on was the most difficult part.” Room reflections visible at full resolution. Great shot. $9 Zen Credit awarded.

* * *

If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. Magnet sculptors can always submit photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well.

Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners.

Contest Winners, we’ll email you your prizes soon. Remember, you can also redeem your Zen Credit for half of it’s value in Bitcoin.

[button link=”http://zenmagnets.com/lime/index.php?sid=23332″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Vote Here[/button]

 21 Entries for the December 2013 contest.

Click for original size.

1st Place: $65 Zen Credit, usable on ZenMagnets.com or Neoballs.com

2nd Place: $57 Zen Credit

3rd Place: $49 Zen Credit

4th Place: $41 Zen Credit

5th Place: $33 Zen Credit

6th Place: $25 Zen Credit

7th Place: $17 Zen Credit

8th Place: $9 Zen Credit

Zen Credits are also exchangeable for half their value in Bitcoin.

Judges, remember that this contest is a photography contest just as much as it is a magnet sculpture contest, overall aesthetic does matter. Voting deadline has passed.

Decide your favorite FIVE entries, and

[button link=”http://zenmagnets.com/lime/index.php?sid=23332″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Vote Here[/button]

Break free from what you normally do with magnets, and life. Take only one set of Zen Magnets, and make them into twelve hexagon sheets like this:

For the December 2013 contest, we come back to basics for a conceptual defragmentation.  Build anything that satisfies you, in the bounds of those twelve hexagon sheets. These hexagon sheets can be folded and and bent, but no single Zen Magnet may be removed from it’s original neighbors.

The limit of subunit and count may feel like a cage to some of the veteran magnet imagineers, but in a few moves you’ll find that the cage in your mind was merely an illusion. Let you mind free.

Zen Magnets only.

As always, this is a photography contest as much as it is a magnet sphere contest. If you want to win, consider the overall aesthetic, not just the sculpture itself. Be aware of composition, lighting, exposure, resolution, focus and framing. Know that your image will be cropped to fit a hexagon thumbnail when shown among others, so dress it appropriately. Clean up your magnets and lens, and use not your bright reflective flash, but instead a self-timer and a tripod (or stand.)

For this contest,  the prize scale won’t be announced until after winners are announced. Don’t do it for the sake of the prize, do it for the sake of doing.

Submission deadline is the end of 2013.

To enter, load your full resolution photo to imgur.com, create a title for your piece, and fill this out:

 [button link=”https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1BmLo90J8REjqljdFB88NzAaZnQipHQQsklXPADUjhPQ/viewform” type=”big” color=”red” newwindow=”yes”] Submit Here[/button]

Since there were so many entries of quality, it was difficult to distinguish 4th and 5th place within the margin of error. So we decided to be select quite a few winners. Also, the 6th place spot was removed, but for the first time ever, everybody who participated will be receiving a consolation prize of $7, which basically means the bottom half all won 6th place.  This is the first time we’re awarding a participation prize, because there were simply so many good entries, but don’t get used to it. If you participated, we’ll email you with your prize coupon in the next few days.

1st Place: Benjamingoosen

$100 Prize. TRON LIGHT CYCLE. Immediately identifiable. The simplicity of both construction and photography belie the intrinsic beauty of the photo. This cycle is going at max speed. Great post processing effects and reflections. Truly elegant. A must see at full resolution. Wallpaper quality.

2nd Place: Brobertsatwork

$50 Prize. Unique in many manners. The only tricycle submitted, and a well represented one at that. Simple, novel and fun. A true throwback to childhood. Slightly blurry at full res, but looks great as a thumb.

3rd Place (Tie): Nerzful

$25 Prize. A clever backdrop completes this photo. The most proportionally accurate, at first glance, though simple and 2D.

3rd Place (Tie): Zeg22

$25 Prize. Nice black and white effect. Effective vote lobbying.

4th Place (5 Way Tie): Zahra Tayob

$15 Prize. A clean shot of a solid build brings thoughts of open roads and empty fields.

4th Place (5 Way Tie): GalaxyTraveler

$15 Prize. Utmost abstraction that stands far out. Clean and beautiful.

4th Place (5 Way Tie): Tend2it

$15 Prize. A relatively complex build with attractive proportions. Details best appreciated at full size.

4th Place (5 Way Tie): Adam Husting

$15 Prize.  Beautifully proportioned for a 3D magnet sphere model. A distinct frame, and clear features.

4th Place (5 Way Tie): Mathnetism

$15 Prize. Classic and classy. The clear mudguard is a nice touch.

5th Place (4 Way Tie): Dan Kemp

$10 Prize. An oldschool bike. Very cool internal reflections.

5th Place (4 Way Tie): MasterVolume11

$10 Prize. A sporty cycle that would be at home in dirt, if not made of magnets. Note reflections.

5th Place (4 Way Tie): Dragani

$10 Prize. Looks like a camel?

5th Place (4 Way Tie): Jrcpalmetto

$10 Prize. Small frame gives the wheels a fierce presence. Great contrast and photographic quality.

* * *

If you haven’t already, click on the images to check out the original size. And keep in mind that contests held here are independent of the Zen Gallery. You can always submit your photos to gallery.zenmagnets.com to win magnets as well.

Spectators, keep your eyes peeled for the next contest, because you choose the winners.

Contest Winners and participants, we’ll email you your prizes soon.

Epic awesome turnout, with many brilliant and creative entries.

Click on images to see full size.

1st Place: $100 Zen Credit, usable on ZenMagnets.com or Neoballs.com

2nd Place: $50 Zen Credit

3rd Place: $25 Zen Credit

4th Place: $15 Zen Credit

5th Place: $10 Zen Credit

6th Place: $7 Zen Credit

Judges, remember that this contest is a photography contest just as much as it is a magnet sculpture contest, overall aesthetic does matter. Voting deadline is 4/30

Decide your favorite 6 entries, and

[button link=”http://zenmagnets.com/lime/index.php?sid=46778″ type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Vote Here[/button]

The March 2012 contest is to construct a minimalistic motorcycle (or bicycle) out a single set of Zen Magnets. Keep your magnets nice and polished for this one, because the close up view of reflections will be a substantial detail with such few magnets. Zen Magnets only for this contest, maximum of 216 magnet spheres.

Again, Zen Magnets only, and a 216 Sphere limit. Your sculpture must be made only of magnet spheres. Don’t aim simply to make the most amazing sculpture, try to take the most beautiful photo. Be aware of the background, props, and reflections. Use not your bright reflective flash, but instead the self-timer and a tripod (or stand).

As usual, the judges will be your peers. Pay attention to resolution, focus, lighting and framing. There will be at least six winners, and possibly more depending on participation. The prize for first place will be $100 Zen Credits, usable on Zenmagnets.com or Neoballs.com. Again, this is a photography contest as much as a magnet sphere contest. Everything you submit goes into the public domain. Having fun is the most important requirement. Submission deadline is the end of March.

To enter, load your two full resolution photos on to imgur.com, and fill out this submission form:

[button link=”https://docs.google.com/a/zenmagnets.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDVTSC1lWUZZdkxoOTNCTkNlVEYxaVE6MQ” type=”big” color=”red” newwindow=”yes”] Submit Here![/button]

The 25th Zen Magnets contest is to turn a Zen Hex Cylinder, into a 9-Triangle Icosahedron, which can be made with twenty triangles.  The submission deadline is the last day of January 2013, so this competition will only be live for 2 weeks! Also, anybody who beats 1:30, will win at least $10, so expect many winners.

Make sure to turn on the 720p for that clip.

Prizes:

1st – $150
2nd – $75
3rd – $35
4th – $25
5th – $15
Beat 1:30 – $10

The rules:

• A stop watch must be visible and legible in video for the duration of the build.
• Magnets must never be fully out of view.
• The official time will be counted from when the magnets are first touched, to when the hands are no longer touching.
• No tools may be used, except for one PVC splitting card. The magnets cannot be marked.
• Minimum recording resolution of 640 x 480 at 30 frames per sec.
• No video post processing except for cutting off extra footage at the start or end.
• Any brand of magnet spheres are acceptable.
• All prizes will be in the form of Zen Credits, usable on http://ZenMagnets.com or http://Neoballs.com

[button link=”http://www.youtube.com/video_response_upload?v=MsY3w6TTrHw” type=”big” newwindow=”yes”] Submit Video Here![/button]

One more rule: You must have fun.

This contest probably involves the most randomness. Since all the magnets are to remain connected, you can only pinch, nudge, pry and shift. Giving up so much control means the rest of your creative energy can be spent trying to figure out what exactly you did make. And photographing your sculpture in a manner that aids your perspective, of course. This is the first time we’ll also ask for a Title to your piece, so we can try to look for what you see.

Troll Skull

As usual, the judges will be your peers. First place gets two free zen sets, second place one free set. Zen Magnets Only for this contest, no neoballs or others allowed. Again, this is a photography contest as much as a magnet sphere contest. Everything you submit goes into the public domain. Having fun is the most important requirement. Submission deadline is the end of February.

To enter, load your photo to imgur.com, and fill out the submission form:

Submissions Closed. Entries posted soon.

As noted by gallery members, irrespective of the original stated rules, all of the top 3 will receive a prize. First place will get a free set + $50, Third place will get a free set, and second place will get something in between. Exactly what second place will get has yet to be decided. It should be noted that the second place video was actually not shot at the minimum stated resolution of 30 frames per second, but actually 11 frames per second. Probably the result of the dim lighting environment in combination with the video capture equipment. Though not a very big deal, since we could still measure timing using the sound.

Winners, contact us for magnets!

Many of the rules are common sense:

• Start from a flat hexagon sheet.
• A clock or stop watch must be visible and legible in video for the duration of the build.
• Magnets must never be fully off camera.
• The time is counted from when the hexagon sheet is picked up, to when the 6x6x6 cube is set down.
• One PVC card may be used. No other tools. No markings on magnets.
• Minimum recording resolution of 640 x 480 @ 30 frames per second.
• No video post processing except for cutting off extra footage at the start or end.
• Any brand of magnet spheres is acceptable.
• Video must be submitted as a video response to this video.

LET THE RACES BEGIN!