Pixel Challenge 2016

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EVENT REPORT
PIXEL CHALLENGE 2016
April 7-9, 2016 at Terminal, Port of Québec
$70 000 in prizes
The best digital creation
competition in Canada!
70% rise in
participation

2 Pixel Challenge and Catapulte | EVENT REPORT
Judges, partners and winners of CATAPULTE (from left to right): Louis Leclerc, PIXEL Québec – Carl Viel, Québec International – Anne Gibeault, Epsilon Games – Nicolas Rioux, Ubisoft Québec – David Dion-Paquet, Benoit Archer
and Mathieu Robillard, Bishop Games – Johanne Berthelot, Desjardins – Mathieu Tremblay, Cortex – Edgard De Smet, Larian Québec – Dali Berthiaume, Ex Machina – Mariona Ferrer, Québec International and Isabelle Genest, LE CAMP
Judges of the Pixel Challenge (from left to right). Upper row: Mathieu Campagna, CNDF – Simon Lacroix, SilverJack Studio – François Taddei, Beenox – Mario Almaguer, Beenox – Simon Gagnon, Frima – Dave Mianowski, Microsoft –
Aymeric Lesné, 3 Hit Combo – Claude Bordeleau, Volta – Louis Leclerc, PIXEL Québec. Bottom row: Michel Labrecque, Peak Média – Anne-Andrée Boisvert, Ubisoft – Samuel-Alexandre Bourret, Sarbakan – Nicolas Lacroix, FM93 –
Patrick Beaulieu, Squeeze Studio Animation and Marc-André Bouvier-Pelletier, Toon Boom

EVENT REPORT | Pixel Challenge and Catapulte 3
CATAPULTE – A
HUGE ADDITION!
As the video game industry has
matured and accessible marketing
platforms have emerged, the
number of indie development
studios in the Greater Québec City
region has exploded in recent years.
These firms often come up with
innovative projects but don’t have
the means to carry them out.
The Catapulte program was
founded to support these young
independent studios in creating
and marketing their product by
giving them an opportunity to win
$50,000, mentorship from their
elders in the industry and free
office space for a year at the CAMP.
Catapulte was created in 2014,
by the niche of excellence
for the Digital Arts and Interactive
Entertainment and Québec
International. PIXEL Québec agreed
to organize this second edition
of Catapulte and we are proud
to say that the number of entrants
doubled in 2016. The five teams
of finalists presented their projects
before a packed room on
Thursday, April 7, before
the theme was announced
and the Pixel Challenge began!
THE PIXEL CHALLENGE –
BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER!
Louis Leclerc and his team wanted to make everyone happy. Impossible? Probably, but that
didn’t mean they couldn’t try. With a 70% increase in participation, you could say that they’re
on the right track! The Pixel Challenge is an increasingly essential stop for participants
and partners alike. With a presenter partner as prestigious as Ubisoft, in cooperation
with Desjardins Caisse de Québec, how could you not want to go big or go home?
Again this year, Pixel Challenge took place during Digital Week in Québec City. In union
there is strength, so PIXEL Québec and Québec Numérique collaborated to make the
Port of Québec Terminal a major gathering place from April 6 to 9. A whole series of events
filled and enlivened the space, which overlooks the river, including the Pixel Challenge,
Catapulte, Pixel Média, Web à Québec (WAQ), Warp Zone and Digital Opportunities.
Louis Leclerc, Executive Director, being interviewed by a journalist of the daily newspaper LeSoleil.
Jean-Simon Otis, Jade Bélanger and David Paré from Chainsawesome Games, winners of the first edition in 2014, attending the finale of Catapulte 2016.
présente

THE WINNING TEAM IS:
The winning team and the judges: Anne Gibeault, Epsilon Games – Nicolas Rioux, Ubisoft Québec – David Dion-Paquet, Benoit Archer and Mathieu Robillard, Bishop Games – Johanne Berthelot, Desjardins – Mathieu Tremblay, Cortex –
Edgard De Smet, Larian Québec
The winners were the team from Bishop Studio with their game Light Fall. Interestingly, the three members of the team, Benoît Archer,
David Dion-Paquet and Mathieu Robillard, were also signed up for the Pixel Challenge in the professional video game category,
and they were wearing huge grins when they dove into the new challenge right after the obligatory photos, of course.
CATAPULTE – THE FINALISTS
Five finalists were chosen from the 16 submissions by a selection committee composed
of Valérie Hénaire from Frima, Maxime Carrier from Beenox and Samuel-Alexandre
Bourret from Sarbakan.
At the cocktail hour on April 7, before the launch of the Pixel Challenge, the five teams
of finalists presented their game and their marketing plan before a full house and four
very demanding judges: Nicolas Rioux from Ubisoft, Mathieu Tremblay from Cortex,
Anne Gibeault from Epsilon Games and Edgard De Smet from Larian Québec.
PRESENTED BY

François Taddei, Beenox, MC of the Award ceremony
PIXEL CHALLENGE – SHOCKWAVE
A few minutes after the winners of Catapulte were announced, the 48-hour Pixel Challenge
was launched. Challenge participants had to create a video game, a animated micro-short
or a sound design on the theme “Shockwave”, which was revealed by Nicolas Rioux,
general manager of Ubisoft Québec. Participants could win prizes ranging from $500
to $5,000, as well as become better known in the industry. Here are the winners in each
category, who shared a total of $18,500.
Louis Leclerc during the Award ceremony
WEB REPORT

PRIZES
COMPETITION CASH PRIZE SPONSERED BY JUDGES
INDIE VIDEO GAME
$50 000
Nicolas Rioux, Ubisoft Québec
Anne Gibeault, Epsilon Games
Mathieu Tremblay, Cortex
Edgard De Smet, Larian Québec
VIDEO GAME
Video game
PRO category $5 000
Aymeric Lesné, 3 Hit Combo
Nicolas Lacroix, FM93
Dave Mianowski, Microsoft
Video game
Student catetogy
$2 500
Mario Almaguer, Beenox
Samuel-Alexandre Bourret, Sarbakan
Andrée-Anne Boisvert, Ubisoft
Simon Gagnon, Frima
ANIMATION TOON BOOM
Animation short film
Toon Boom grand prize
$5 000
Marc-André Bouvier, Toon Boom
Patrick Beaulieu, Squeeze Studio
Animation
Claude Bordeleau, Volta
Animation short film
Volta prize
$2 500
SOUND DESIGN PEAK MEDIA
Sound design of a video game
$1 250 Michel Labrecque, Peak Média
Simon Lacroix, SilverJack
Mathieu Campagna, CNDFSound design of an animation
short film $1 250
Sound design
SilverJack prize
$500
CHALLENGE CDRIN
Challenge CDRIN
$500
cash draw
PIXEL CHALLENGE 2016
présente

CHALLENGE CDRIN – $500
Les gosses de licornes toxiques: Louis
Bernard, Jean Boheme, Guillaume Vincent,
Yannick Jouneau and Mickael Vermosen
SOUND DESIGN OF A VIDEO GAME -
PEAK MEDIA PRIZE - $1 250
Simon Chartier
SOUND DESIGN OF AN ANIMATION
SHORT FILM - PEAK MEDIA PRIZE -
$1 250
Louis-Étienne Payer
SOUND DESIGN -
SILVERJACK PRIZE - $500$
Jean-François Racine was so productive
that he worked with several animation
and video game teams, including
TurboPusso, Les Licornes farouches
and Les Bruins de Québec!
VIDEO GAME PRO CATEGORY -
DESJARDINS, CAISSE DE QUÉBEC,
GRAND PRIZE - $5 000
Super Sarbakan Bros: Étienne Bédard
and Richard Villeneuve
VIDEO GAME STUDENT CATEGORY -
UBISOFT PRIZE - $2 500
Winning team of this category for the
second consecutive year: French Frogs:
Dominic Brodeur-Gendron, Tristan Charron,
Samuel Charron, Gabriel Jacques
and Guillaume Raymond
ANIMATION SHORT FILM -
TOON BOOM GRAND PRIZE - $5 000
Pixel’n Chill: Patrick Blanchette, Xavier
Couet, Mathieu Greco, Joany Lemelin-
Boucher and Étienne Mailhot-Bruneau
ANIMATION SHORT FILM -
VOLTA PRIZE - $2 500
TurboPusso: Lou Dumont,
Frédéric Godbout and Grégorie Vincent

PHOTO BOOTH
Participants, judges and partners had a great time posing at Photobox Studio‘s
photo booth.
MOTION CAPTURE
STUDIO
For the second year in a row, CDRIN set up its motion capture studio at the Terminal
for the Pixel Challenge so that Challenge competitors could add “mocap” to their
video game or animated micro-short and thus become eligible for a draw for $500.
LOUNGE
What better than a massage to cure
creative block? Thanks to Beenox,
participants were able to get healing,
and much-appreciated, chair massages.
Thanks, Beenox!
The four judges in the student video game category, Anne-Andrée Boisvert from Ubisoft, Samuel-Alexandre Bourret from Sarbakan, Mario Almaguer
from Beenox and Simon Gagnon from Frima, photographed while posing at the photo booth and the result.
The three judges in the animated micro-short competition, Marc-André Bouvier-Pelletier from Toon Boom, Patrick Beaulieu from Squeeze
and Claude Bordeleau from Volta, having their own moment of madness at the photo booth.

SOCIAL MEDIA
Mariona Ferrer, Québec International, Valérie Hénaire, Frima, Dali Berthiaume, Ex Machina and Johanne Berthelot, Desjardins Caisse de Québec
PIXEL QUÉBEC
SOCIAL MEDIA FALLOUT
FROM FEBRUARY 15TH TO APRIL 17TH 2016
Publications
Impressions Interactions
619 241 49 345
Tweets
Impressions Engagements
26 700 400
Main interests 77% tech news
Video publications
Views Completed views
10 612 3 569

70% INCREASE IN ATTENDANCE
TOTAL NUMBER
OF PARTICIPANTS
QUÉBEC
CITY
QUÉBEC
PROVINCE
FRANCE BELGIUM
UNITED
STATES
CHALLENGE 192 122 39 15 14 2
CATAPULTE 40 32 8 0 0 0
JUDGES, GUESTS
AND VIPS 22 18 2 1 0 1
MEDIA 16 5 10 1 0 0
ORGANISATION
AND VOLUNTEERS 19 19 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 289 184 59 17 14 3
Québec City
65 %
Province of Québec
22 %
France
7 %
Belgium
5 %
United States
1 %
ATTENDANCE
35%
attendance
from
touristic
origin

SURVEY - COMMENTS
“I’m from France (where we have Game Jams fairly frequently) and right now we don’t have anything
equal to the Pixel Challenge! Everything was cool – meals, lodgings, organization (and massages,
something we’ve never seen in France). Keep it up now that you’re on top. And Game Jams for
animation, it was the same thing, a first for us again, and putting such emphasis on sound design…
Super organization this year, you can see that you’ve hit your stride. ;)
“Excellent event! My team was in the animated micro-short category and we definitely want to come
back next year! We especially appreciated having access to Toon Boom licenses. We adored the
experience from first to last. A huge thank you to the organizers, volunteers, partners and judges!”
“It was a fascinating experience…”
“I’ve been one of the organizers of the MTLGJ for the past two years, and I just have positive comments
to make on the whole event…”
“I loved that the Pixel Challenge Facebook page was also used as a clearinghouse for information. The
video about where to take a shower, etc.,was a good idea.”
“My Belgian buddies and I adored being part of this. What a marvelous adventure it was, visiting
Québec City and coming to the Pixel Challenge!”
“Bravo for the event. Thanks to the organizers and volunteers. The food and drink were perfect. You spoiled
us and we ate well every time. I expect nothing less next year. P…”
“It was sick! The best experience of my life. I’ll be back next year, even if there isn’t any poutine.”
“Very well organized.”
“…the macaroni and cheese served at the Pixel Challenge blew me away. When I was on the point of
sinking deep into the abysses of sleep, the mac’n cheese gave me back my energy. I was like a phoenix
rising from the ashes. Special thanks to the organizers, to all the volunteers, to Micheline and to
whoever had the idea of adding this gourmet treat to the 2016 menu. See you next year!”
“…I loved the experience (good job!) and I was delighted to take advantage of the Warp Zone after the
competition. ;) Thank you very much to everyone!”
“Hello! First, this edition of the Pixel Challenge was my favorite since the move from the Bivouac Urbain
to the Pixel Challenge, Thank you very much for everything. The food was especially excellent, even if
every year I tell myself that we’re really spoiled with the quality of the food as compared with what we
expect (and need) during the competition, I really loved all the meals, as much for the size of the
portions as the quality of preparation and variety of the meals. It isn’t something that I that is essential
to the competition, but I was really appreciative and I thought it was important to mention it. As for the
location, I think you’ve found the ideal spot. If I compare it to previous years when I participated (Musée
de la civilisation and Impérial), the layout was really optimal for the teams… A huge thank you to all
the organizers and all the volunteers who pampered us throughout the competition. It looks so easy, but
with 0 hours of sleep you really appreciate how nice people are, the way they smile, and their
patience!!! So thank you!!!” Caroline Fournier
“…I loved the competition, I did it last year as well, and it’s always a real pleasure! Just a small point,
but the speeches were really super lively. They were a major improvement over last years, where things
were a bit awkward or rushed by times. François Taddei really did an awesome job! Thank you for all
your organizational work, and for being so patient with registration for Conjure ;) It was my fault!”
Simon
« Good job ! »
HIGH PRAISE
“Once again, thanks for the invitation to
Catapulte. It was a great experience. You know
how to show a girl a good time in Québec
City!!!” – Anne Gibeault, Epsilon Games
(Catapulte judge)
Once again, congratulations on your event!” -
François Taddei, Beenox (host of the Challenge
award ceremony)
« Hey, I just wanted to thank you for the Pixel
Challenge ! It was great ! I had soo much fun !
Now, you have a whole year to figure out how to
make 2017 Challenge even more over the top
than this year ! Oh, the Photo booth idea was
really good. »
Jason DiCiccio (Pixel Challenge participant)

CATAPULTE
»» 100% more submissions
»» $50 000 in cash + free office space
for a year at the CAMP + mentoring
by industry professionals
PIXEL CHALLENGE
»» 65% more competitors than in 2015
»» 193 competitors – 48 hours
of challenge - $18 500 in prizes
»» 23 teams in the student
video game category
»» 17 teams in the pro video game category
»» 10 teams in the animated
micro-short category
»» 10 participants in sound design
»» 6 teams from Europe
(France and Belgium)
»» 260 litres of coffee served in 48 hours!
SURVEY - RESULTS
»» 99% of respondents gave
Pixel Challenge an overall mark
of good to excellent.
»» 98% of respondents are sure or almost
sure that they’ll be back next year.
»» 96% of teams that were matched
with a sound designer replied that they
appreciated the experience and that
it was an asset to their animation
or video game.
»» Record response rate
to the survey 50%!

GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY
FOOD SERVICES
»» 1,485 meals served by Équilibre
Traiteur, Ashton, Subway,
Croquembouche and Métro Plus
Saint-Roch
»» 2 cocktail parties for over 250 people
served by Yuzu sushi, Mille et une Pizzas
and Métro Plus Saint-Roch
»» Snacks and beverages for over
200 people for three days, purchased
at Métro Plus Saint-Roch
LODGING
»» 25 nights at the Saint-Pierre,
a signature inn
TRANSPORT
»» 29 international flights
»» Charter bus Montréal-Québec-Montréal
provided by Excel-Tours
»» Local transportation provided
by Taxi Coop and Services Touristiques
Feuille d’Érable
SUPPLIERS OF GOODS AND SERVICES

»» Over 155 chair massages for participants
by CHI Massage, sponsored by Beenox
et commandités par Beenox
»» 350 t-shirts purchased from Promo
Dynamique and printed by Idée-Pro
»» 14 banners, 135 table numbers,
400 accreditation cards, 15 giant
coroplasts, 8 oversized cheques
and 250 assorted documents designed
by MentorMédia and printed by Copies
de la Capitale
»» 160 tables, 250 chairs, 6 armchairs,
2 percolators and 133 table signs,
6 free-standing curtains rented
from Location Gervais
»» 6 banks of pallets for the lounge
rented from Relèvénement
»» 35 gift baskets purchased from
Compliments de Belle-Maman
»» Technical hardware and installation
provided by Solotech
»» 8 trophies and 60 medals purchased
from Sumacom
»» Parking provided by Vinci Park
»» Network hardware and technical
support provided by S.M. Solutions
Technologiques
»» Sound equipment provided
by La Forge
»» 80 tablecloths purchased
from TableclothsFactory
»» Public and media relations provided
by POINTCOMM
»» Writing and translation services
by Prose communication
»» Website hosting and modifications
by Cortex
THE PIXEL CHALLENGE PROVIDED
WORK DIRECTLY TO THESE
AND OTHER PERSONS:
»» 3 filming and postproduction
technicians
»» 2 photographers
»» 1 graphic designer
»» 2 computer graphics specialists
»» 1 logistics coordinator
»» 2 bar employees
»» 2 night supervisors
»» 1 group escort
»» 4 material handler
»» 1 DJ-host
»» 12 volunteers

WE THANK OUR PARTNERS

PROGRAMME
PIXEL CHALLENGE 2016 - PROGRAMME
TERMINAL - 84 DALHOUSIE STREET, QUÉBEC (ROOMS 101 102)
THURSDAY APRIL 7TH FRIDAY APRIL 8TH SATURDAY APRIL 9TH
AM 8:00 - 9:00
Participants’ breakfast
8:00 - 9:00
Participants’ breakfast
9:00 - 12:00
Chair massages in the Beenox lounge
9:00 - 12:00
NOON 12:00
Organization team’s lunch
12:00 - 13:00
Participants’ lunch
12:00 - 13:00
Participants’ lunch
PM 13:00 - 16:30
Pixel Challenge participants check-in
15:30 - 16:30
Catapulte participants check-in
13:00 - 17:00
13:00 - 17:00
EVENING
16:30 - 19:00
CATAPULTE - the finale
17:00 - 18:00
Participants and judges’ dinner
18:00
End of Pixel Challenge
17:00 - 19:00
Sushi cocktail party
18:00 - 20:00
1st tour of the teams by the judges
18:00 - 20:00
Final tour of the teams by the judges
19:00
Cocktail party deliberations
18:30
Pre-Challenge meeting
21:00
Award ceremony
19:00
Pixel Challenge 2016’s launch
22:00
Take down of the work stations
and participants departure
NIGHT Midnight
Participants’ night meal
Midnight
Participants’ night meal
CREATE - CHALLENGE - WIN
Louis Leclerc is proud to have GURU, energy drinks, as one of Pixel Challenge’s partners. He really loves his GURU!

Jessika Munger, Louis Leclerc and Micheline Beaulieu couldn’t resist the temptation to pose in front of the photo booth with the freshly unwrapped medals and trophy. You could say that they had awarded themselves the prizes for the
“Off Challenge” Event Organization category.
PIXEL QUÉBEC TEAM
Louis Leclerc,
managing director
Micheline Beaulieu,
logistics director
François Boudreault,
technical director
Jessika Munger,
volunteers and logistics coordinator
Élodie Gros,
bar service coordinator
Annie Frenette,
guide
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Renaud Philippe
Stéphane Bourgeois
Micheline Beaulieu at the pre-Challenge information sessions. Oh yes, it looks like procedures and processes can be funny after all.
THE EXTRAORDINARY TEAM
OF VOLUNTEERS FROM LAVAL
UNIVERSITY AND OTHERS
Anne-Marie Ouellet
Audrey Turcotte
Baptiste Gilistro
Camille Dion
Élodie Grimard
Francis Bernier
Jonathan Sévigny
Julie Marie Dorval
Laurie Baudin
Line Vernier
Philippe Toutant
Sophie Bertrand

PHOTO BOOTH

PIXEL Québec
P: 418 266-0818
pixel@pixelquebec.org

Pixel Challenge 2016

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