MTV Networks has announced it's teaming up its virtual worlds with independent video entertainment site Metacafe to create "MTV's Virtual Worlds Virtual Music Video Contest," a competition that lest fans direct and film their own music videos in one of MTV's seven virtual worlds (which include The Hills, Laguna Beach and Pimp My Ride, to name a few) for the chance to win a Sony Vegas Pro 8 professional video/audio editing and DVD creation software package. In addition to submitting music videos, fans can go to the MTV's Virtual Worlds channel on Metacafe to check out and vote for their favorites.

Tapping into the participatory content boom, an MTV Virtual World channel will be designated on Metacafe where fans can view the entries and submit votes for their favorites.

MTV and Metacafe will provide the audio tracks for contestants to use; Saves the Day's "Can't Stay the Same," A Cursive Memory's "Everything," Dannel Vonn Dillon's "Worn and of Plastic," Dr. Manhattan's "Big Chomper" and Grayskul's "Us" are the options. Contest submissions can be uploaded to Metacafe until December 4, 2007, and the top 10 finalists selected by viewers will be evaluated by a panel of MTV judges on creativity and originality, technical execution and overall impression. In addition to the grand-prize winner, two first-place winners will receive $2,000 virtual MTV bucks.

Matt Bostwick, SVP of franchise development for MTV Networks Music & Logo Group said, "Virtual Worlds serve as an untapped incubator for young talent who love music and technology, and their desire to combine those two passions into a professionally developed final product. Music plays an integral part in our virtual worlds, and we can't think of a better platform than Metacafe to give fans the chance to launch a career based on their virtual life that could one day cross-over to their real life."

Added Metacafe CEO Erick Hachenburg, "Providing music fans with a fun and easy way to make and distribute their own virtual music video is a great example of the power of online video entertainment. Metacafe is an exceptionally interactive environment, and we're pleased to team with MTV to enable aspiring video creators to bring their vision to life and reach a large and global audience."