Prepare for an intergalactic adventure! Pixar’s RenderMan ‘First Contact’ Art Challenge invites you to create stunning alien-themed 3D art using incredible assets and powerful tools. Win amazing prizes and elevate your skills!
PixarsRenderMan has officially launched its 12th art challenge, aptly named “First Contact”. Inspired by the enchanting interstellar magic of Pixar’s latest film, Elio, and honoring the 30th anniversary of Toy Story, this year’s theme is all about aliens, UFOs, cosmic landscapes, and every intergalactic encounter imaginable. This is your chance to channel your inner extraterrestrial artist and create something truly out of this world. This challenge isn’t just about making art; it’s about expanding your creative skillset and potentially winning some truly brilliant hardware and software!
New RenderMan Art Challenge – First Contact by PixarsRenderMan
Incredible Assets to Kickstart Your Imagination
To help you initialize your first contact, the RenderMan team has assembled an amazing collection of production-quality models and shaders. These assets, crafted by artists at Pixar Animation Studios, KitBash3D, Adobe, Ozone, and Greyscalegorilla, provide a fantastic foundation for your scene. You’ll get a fully equipped UFO hunting truck, a deserted gas station, and a collection of miniature model town props designed by the video’s creator and Raymond Wong at Pixar. He also mentions an exclusive rocket asset from Pixar’s Dylan Sison, handmade in virtual reality, and stunning cityscape assets from KitBash3D, complete with intergalactic spaceships. Need a character? Ozone provides an original character model and rig, while Greyscalegorilla contributes a cool retro UFO. And for those crucial details, Adobe supplies realistic alien and sci-fi texture maps, with Greyscalegorilla adding materials, grunge maps, and HDRIs. With so much at your disposal, the only limit is your imagination!
Power Your Creations with RenderMan XPU and Cloud Computing
Participants will have three Earth months to craft a single image that showcases their storytelling, shading, lighting, and compositing prowess. The RenderMan team encourages using the creative power of RenderMan XPU to design your extraterrestrial backstory. A significant advantage for this challenge is the access to professional computing power. Thanks to the AMD Creator Cloud and Ranch Computing, you can render your masterpiece on the cloud, freeing you from local hardware limitations. This is a fantastic opportunity to explore complex scenes and high-fidelity renders that might otherwise be out of reach.
Learn and Grow with Expert Mentorship and Extended Trials
Worried about making your “first contact” alone? Fear not! The challenge provides inspiring weekly mentoring sessions from the experts at Thoughtful 3D and Ozone. Furthermore, the RenderMan community’s Discord channel is a vibrant hub where you can get feedback on your progress directly from Pixar artists. To further expand your creative arsenal, they’ve arranged exclusive extended trials for leading 3D applications:
- Houdini: 6-month trial (SideFX)
- Katana: 90-day trial (Foundry)
- SpeedTree: 90-day trial (SpeedTree)
- Substance 3D: 30-day trial (Adobe)
These resources provide an unparalleled opportunity to learn new tools and refine your workflow under expert guidance.
A Galaxy of Prizes Awaits
Beyond the invaluable learning experience, participants stand a chance to win tens of thousands of dollars in prizes from an impressive list of sponsors, including AMD, DELL, NVIDIA, Ranch Computing, Adobe, Foundry, fxphd, Greyscalegorilla, KitBash3D, Ozone, SideFX, SpeedTree, Thoughtful3D, and Xencelabs. The prizes are truly stellar:
- Dell Mobile Workstations: High-performance machines powered by NVIDIA RTX, including the Dell Pro Max Plus and Pro Max models.
- Foundry Software: Annual subscriptions to industry-leading tools like NukeStudio, Mari, and Katana.
- Mentorship: Long-term and short-term mentorship opportunities from Thoughtful 3D.
- Houdini Licenses: Annual licenses for Houdini FX, CORE, and Indie.
- Xencelabs Hardware: Pen Displays and Pen Tablets for digital drawing.
- Fxphd Memberships: 1-year Premium Memberships for extensive VFX and post-production training.
- Ranch Computing Credits: Cloud rendering credits to power future projects.
- SpeedTree Modeler: Licenses and library access for creating realistic vegetation.
- KitBash3D Subscriptions: Unlimited subscriptions for high-quality 3D assets.
- Pixar Goodies: Commercial RenderMan licenses, Walking Teapots, signed art prints, plush toys, and more!
These incredible rewards underscore the prestige and value of participating in this challenge.
Important Dates and Eligibility
To be eligible, all participants must be members of the RenderMan community, whether commercial or non-commercial customers. Mark your calendars for these key dates:
- Submission Deadline: Monday, November 10th, 2025 – Midnight PST
- Winners Announced: Monday, November 17th, 2025
Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your talent, learn from the best, and potentially win some of the most sought-after tools and hardware in the 3D industry. Join the “First Contact” Art Challenge today and let your imagination phone home! Click here to join the challenge!
Source:
PixarsRenderMan – New RenderMan Art Challenge – First Contact
