'2016 KOREA 360VR Creator Challenge' Concludes Successfully

The '2016 KOREA 360VR Creator Challenge,' organized by LG Uplus to foster content talent and build an ecosystem in the 360-degree VR (virtual reality) field, has successfully concluded.

LG Uplus announced on the 14th that it held the 2016 KOREA 360VR Creator Challenge awards ceremony at Channel A Studio in Sangam-dong, Seoul on the 12th.

Previously, this competition, hosted by LG Uplus and organized by Channel A, was held for the first time this year. It selected 100 teams from among young people interested in 360-degree VR and the media industry, and was conducted as a large-scale program that fused content, platforms, and technology, including actual video production under the training of a professional VR production company.

Outstanding participants in this competition were awarded prizes including the Minister of Employment and Labor Award, the LG Uplus Award, and the Channel A Award, along with cash prizes. In addition, prizes such as the LG 360VR and LG G5 were given, and bonus points will be awarded during the document screening process when applying for employment at LG Uplus.

In this competition, diverse and fresh content videos captivated the audience, as aspiring content creators personally carried out filming and editing for about a month with the training and assistance of a specialized VR production company.

The team of university students Kim Gwang-jun (25) and Kim Gun-ho (24) won the Minister of Employment and Labor Award. A VR video that fully captured the preparation process and hardships of the South Korean national rowing team competing in the 2016 Rio Paralympics received the highest score from the judges.

Next, the LG Uplus Award was given to university student Hwang Chae-young (22, female), who movedly told a story of memories while touring the places in her childhood photos with her younger sibling, using the photos as a motif.

The Channel A Award went to graduate student Kim Kwang-soo (25), who captured the lives of people in their 20s from various countries including China and Thailand with a warm perspective, and the Korea Content Agency President's Award went to university student Kim Young-jun (25), who depicted a sad breakup story between a man and a woman in the form of a musical.

The winning entries are scheduled to be released to the public sequentially within the year through the comprehensive media platform Video Portal and online communities. This 360VR Creator Challenge was sponsored by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Korea Content Agency, and LG Electronics, Media Log, Volle Creative, Ava Entertainment, Verest, CL Pixel, Mover, Design Jungle, and Outdoor Crew.

Han Young-jin, Head of Video Services at LG Uplus, stated, “Despite the high growth prospects of the VR market, VR popularization still has a long way to go. I was surprised to see so many high-quality works that exceeded initial expectations, as the general public and university students learned everything from innovative planning to filming and editing techniques through this contest.” He emphasized, “Going forward, LG Uplus will continue to lead the VR content production and distribution market by consistently supporting young VR content creators and contributing to the creation of a healthy ecosystem.”