(17 September 2008 1:00 pm)

MUMBAI: MTV, mtvU and HP have announced that they have brought together 16 creative young minds to unleash their artistic talent in the Engine Room where HP personal computer products inspire their vision as they master complex creative challenges.

Engine Room was filmed in a loft in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighbourhood, in a workspace designed for the cutting-edge digital artists competing for global bragging rights. The team that demonstrates the most creative digital skills will get programming control of MTV’s HD screen in Times Square for the night, and additional technology prizing.

The series – which will appear in the US on MTV’s college network, mtvU; globally on MTV channels around the world; and online in nine languages at www.mtvengineroom.com – chronicles four teams of contestants as they pursue their passion for digital art and showcase their incredible talent on a worldwide stage.

HP VP marketing communications, personal systems group David Roman says, " Engine Room was born to foster creativity and enable some of the most inventive young minds to amplify how technology brings digital art to life. MTV is the ideal partner to share this ‘battle for glory’ with viewers around the world.”

An original, short-form series, Engine Room follows four teams representing Europe, Latin America, North America and Asia-Pacific, chronicling their teamwork and creative processes using HP notebook PCs, HP workstations, HP DreamColor displays and other HP monitors, as well as HP iPAQ smartphones, HP all-in-one printer/scanner/fax machines, and software from HP and its partners, such as Adobe®. In each episode, teams compete in creative challenges that test their digital art skills – including animation, filmmaking, sound mixing, and web and graphic design.

Launching on 15 September Engine Room will harness the global reach of MTV’s on-air, online and mobile screens. Around the world, MTV audiences and the show’s already robust online community of artists will have a chance to become part of the creative process by interacting with the teams, responding to creative challenges and uploading their own work.

Each week, new portfolios and artists will be showcased on-air and online, and will compete to win HP Special Edition notebooks. Online tutorials will also encourage viewers to try out some of the innovative techniques they see on the show using their personal computers.

Each challenge will be judged by an eclectic panel of iconic artists, musicians, filmmakers, celebrities and innovators. The judging panels include:

* Aesop Rock, hip-hop artist signed to Definitive Jux Records
* Katherine Brinson, assistant curator, Guggenheim Museum
* Pete Conolly, art director, Goodby Silverstein & Partners

In addition, throughout the series, special guest artists will surprise the Engine Room contestants and online community. The first of those guests to be announced are singer-songwriter and musician Moby, American film director Kevin Smith and British indie-pop band The Ting Tings.

mtvU senior VP programming Ross Martin says, “MTV has always been a home for creative innovation. Engine Room taps the power of HP technology to enable the next generation of digital artists to bring their vision to life on MTV platforms around the world.”

Nearly 2,000 artists representing more than 111 countries vied for the 16 coveted spots in the “Engine Room” loft, submitting nearly 20,000 original works of art.

To be considered for one of the spots, contestants participated in a rigorous online casting call in which they uploaded digital portfolios of their work. As word of the competition spread, aspiring digital auteurs sparked a robust global dialogue – with more than 6,000 comments posted to-date through the “Engine Room” blog, moderated by MTV’s own SuChin Pak, who will host the series.

Contestants include India's Santosh Gunaseelan.