G-Technology,a leader in delivering premium storage solutions for audio/video production, photography and the creative professional market, announced today that it is kicking off its annual search for the most inspiring and creative projects in the U.S. through its 2013 Driven Creativity Competition. The annual competition, open to both professionals and amateurs, recognizes and supports artists’ hard work and creative passion in five categories: animation, music, photography, short film and GoPro Active. The competition is free to participants and entries will be accepted June 27 through October 29, 2013 at http://www.drivencreativity.g-technology.com.

The 2013 Driven Creativity overall winner will be selected from all categories, both professional and amateur, and will be awarded $5,000 to use toward their next creative project as well as the new      G-Technology G-DOCK™ ev with Thunderbolt® storage system.  A professional winner, an amateur winner and a runner-up will be selected from each of the categories: animation, music, photography and short film. There will also be one winner and a runner-up for the GoPro Active category of short videos from content captured using a GoPro wearable or gear-mountable camera, as well as a People’s Choice Award winner for the entry with the highest online votes. The category winners and runners-up will all receive high-performance, premium external storage solutions from G-Technology’s range of products designed for creative professionals.

Supporting the Creative Community

The 2013 Driven Creativity Competition aims to recognize, promote and reward brilliant work from both established professionals and up-and-coming talent. All entries to the competition, regardless of size or budget, have equal chances to win due to a unique judging process; entries will be judged not only on aesthetic quality, but also on the innovation and drive that went into creating them. With their submissions, entrants also have the opportunity to pull back the curtain on their inspiration for the piece and share how they would use the competition prizes to further their next creative projects.

The overall winner of last year’s competition was “The Ballad of Poisonberry Pete,” created by Uri Lotan, Elizabeth McMahill and Adam Campbell. Entered in the amateur animation category, the piece is a witty cowboy pie Western that focuses on Poisonberry Pete, the baddest pie in the yeast who comes to town looking for trouble. Using clever pie puns, jokes and characters, this animation – from voicing, story, animation, lighting and rendering – is expertly executed.

To view additional 2012 Driven Creativity entries and category winner submissions, please visit: http://www.drivencreativity.g-technology.com.

“Our annual Driven Creativity Competition is designed to discover and celebrate the most brilliant, inspired work from enthusiasts to professionals and help support their future projects. It’s one way we can show our commitment and respect for the creative process,” said Mike Williams, vice president and general manager, G-Technology/HGST Integrated Systems Group. “Our loyal customers include many of the world’s best independent filmmakers, photographers, videographers, movie and TV studios, and post-production houses of all sizes. G-Technology’s roots are deeply ingrained in the professional digital content creation community and we are passionate about supporting their creative work.” 

Competition Judging Criteria and Process

The 2013 Driven Creativity Competition will be judged by a panel of creative industry experts, and the overall winner will be announced on November 15, 2013. The panel of judges will include G-Technology G-TEAM ambassadors who will contribute hints and tips to the entrants about what they will and won't be looking for in each submission, reflecting on what creative techniques and projects inspire them.

Entry is free and open to U.S. residents 18 years or older and only original work is eligible for submission. Each entrant can submit one entry only. The entry period closes at midnight on October 29, 2013, with shortlisted entrants being announced on November 8, 2013 via http://www.drivencreativity.g-technology.com, where full competition rules, terms and conditions can be found. Void where prohibited by law.

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G-Technology’s roots are deeply ingrained in delivering premium storage solutions for audio/video production, photography and the professional content creation market. From storing, transferring, editing and distributing content, G-Technology makes the workflow simpler, better and faster.            G-Technology’s high-performance portable and desktop drives, flexible transfer/edit solutions and fast RAID systems are all built for professional content creation environments where performance and reliability are paramount. Because G-Technology holds itself to the highest standards, its products can be found in premiere post-production facilities worldwide.

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About HGST

HGST (formerly known as Hitachi Global Storage Technologies or Hitachi GST), a Western Digital company (NASDAQ: WDC), develops advanced hard disk drives, enterprise‐class solid state drives, innovative external storage solutions and services used to store, preserve and manage the world’s most valued data. Founded by the pioneers of hard drives, HGST provides high‐value storage for a broad range of market segments, including Enterprise, Desktop, Mobile Computing, Consumer Electronics and Personal Storage. HGST was established in 2003 and maintains its U.S. headquarters in San Jose, California. For more information, please visit the company’s website at http://www.hgst.com. 

G‐Technology external hard drives serve as an element of an overall backup strategy. It is recommended that users keep two or more copies of their most important files backed up or stored on separate devices or online services.

G‐Technology is a registered trademark of HGST, Inc. and its affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries.  G-DOCK™ is a filed trademark of HGST, Inc. and its affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.