Just when you think you've seen, heard and rave enough about run-of-mill talent competitions, enter iTalentStar, Southeast Asia's first ever online talentime competition, brought to us by the fine gurus of internet marketing in collaboration with big names the likes of Nokia, Honda and Jetstar.

Looking for the next big thing through the internet, iTalentStar picks up contestants from Phillippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore through leading social networking site - Friendster. The aspiring iTalents are pitted against each other in a knockout season showcasing their talents online, with the winners selected entirely from online votes by the community. Funkygrad hangs out with Val Tan (SMU) and Mike Mirucki (SIM), the student iTalents from our country, as they give us the low-down of the almost entirely digital talent search competition.

Tan Xin Hui (VaL) Age: 24 Singapore Management University LKC School of Business, Double Majors in Marketing and Corporate Communications JC: Hwa Chung Junior College - Triple Science Affiliation: Hwa Chong 28th Students' Council	Mike Mirucki Age:19 SIM Business & Finance Managment Year 1 Affiliation: Band 5th Conspiracy

We also got clever and decided to put together a little challenge of our own for the happy trio, just to see how much farther their creative ball could roll. Their task: to make expressive art out of a Swensen's ice-cream buffet. Go ahead you guys, play with your food, and wow us!

We wish Val & Mike all the best in the regional finals! Check out more photos of iTalentStar contestants at the Funkygrad Album!

iTALENTSTAR is an online talent competition involving participants from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Targeting internet-savvy socially-active networkers, the contestants (known as iTALENTS) display their dynamic personalities and creative wit as they undergo a series of ‘challenges’ that stimulate self-expression and the uniqueness of the individual.

Running from February - May 2008, 10 male and 10 female contestants selected from each country’s pool of star-wannabes compete to knock out their opponents through 4 rounds of provoking challenges before fighting it out to become the Champions representing their country, and eventually defeating their overseas counterparts in the final challenge to ascend the throne as the Asia iTALENSTARS (1 male and 1 female).