The digital contents exhibition and awards 2024 Vision Get Wild (2024 VGW), organized by the Administration for Digital Development (ADI) of Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA), opens today (May 30) at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center. The annual event will last for three days, May 30 –June 1. The theme “SPARKLE”, this year emphasizes the “sparkle of works per se” and encourages students to showcase creativity through design and unleash the shining power of emerging talents. A total of 51 school departments from across Taiwan are exhibiting. They are joined by ten digital content companies including Brogent Technologies Inc., Moonshine Studio, Winking Studios Limited, iPASS, Grass Jelly Studio, Taiwan Institute of Sports Science (TISS), IxDA Taiwan, 23Design, Tronk Interactive, and Fugu Fish Creations.

This year’s VGW challenges the exploration of emerging AI technologies by integrating the technologies into visual and experiential interactions and has successfully transformed the exhibition venue into a gigantic playhouse for showcasing digital interactive technologies. It perfectly combines AI technology, visual design, dynamic imaging, music generation, and interactive experiences. The opening ceremony is a tour de force by the World DJ champion of QuestionMark, Visual Director Ting-An Ho (何庭安) and Ultra Combos, and Technical Director KeJyun Wu (吳克軍). It features a new and innovative form of performance, a feast that presents the perfect mixture of classic music, motion sensing, and instant visual interaction generation.

MODA Deputy Minister Dr. Yi-Jing Lin (林宜敬) congratulated in his opening remarks that the 14^th VGW this year has, since its inception, been a beacon of the vanguard design for digital contents, an arena for its competition, and a platform for the industry to demonstrate innovative products. Dr. Lin emphasized that MODA would continue to use digital technology as a guide to drive the continuous digital transformation of industry, government, and academia under the global AI tsunami. Additionally, MODA has established and will continue to inject budget into CG ARK at Asia Bay in Kaohsiung to make it a base for cultivating talents by adopting an industry-led training model to nurture soft skills for talents and promote young students to shine on the global stage.

This year’s competition has attracted a total of 1,885 submissions from 169 school departments across Taiwan to chase the awards. In addition to the five regular categories of awards for cross-domain, film and television, design, games, and CG/animation, 2024 VGW has worked with enterprises such as iPASS, Gamania, Soft-World International Corporation, and Guocheng Development and Construction to set up company-specific topics for competition. The prize pool of the competition has reached 2.21 million NT dollars. Such corporate awards have offered opportunities for close industry-academic cooperation.

In addition to the competition and exhibition activities, MODA spares no effort in talent matching and technology exchange. Blizzard Entertainment and Marigold Film Industry, along with many other leading companies in the industry, have been invited to hold international forums. Furthermore, MODA has also created The PITCH Creative Marketing Arena, which focuses on design, CG/animation, and gaming, allowing emerging creators to pitch their ideas to major companies, from which the emerging design talents are able to “seek funding, opportunities, jobs, and resources.” These companies include Tai Urban Resort, Locus Publishing, So-net Entertainment Taiwan, Justdan, Springfish Studio, and YEN Design. International practical workshops have also been organized by inviting Blizzard Entertainment, Sony Animation, and Pixar, etc., to instill creative energy into digital content talents.

During the three-day exhibition period (May 30 to June 1), a series of on-site activities and a plethora of works will be showcased. Interactive puzzle games are prepared at the exhibition for the public to visit and experience.