Education Supplement
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2010 EDUCATION SPECIAL Image from Ringling College of Art and Design student Jennifer Bors’ animated CG short ÿ lm “Departure of Love,” winner of the 2010 Student Oscar. Embarking on a New Journey Possessing the proper skills and knowledge will lead to a successful journey Education Supplement • July 2010 • 1 July 2010 • A supplement to Education Supplement Innovators in Education Schools increasingly deliver novel courses, speakers, events, and techniques to expand learning By Courtney E. Howard The CG and postproduction entertainment industries thrive upon imagination. It is through the unbridled imaginations of today’s artists that we experience the breathtaking graphics and awe-inspiring e ects in the latest digital creations, be they on screens large or small. The individuals and in- stitutions educating these skilled artisans are no less imaginative; in fact, educators are enhancing students’ education with unique learning experiences. Dorien Caleb Gunnels, a Savannah School of Art and Design student, created this image, from his short lm “M221,” which he created while working on a BFA in visual e ects. 2 • Education Supplement • July 2010 Best in show. Create winning CG with these expert guides from Sybex! Your project guide to creating realistic earth, wind, fi re, and water effects in Maya Your project guide to creating breathtaking backgrounds and gaming graphics in Maya Eric Keller MAYA® STUDIO PROJECTS MAYA® STUDIO PROJECTS Game Environments Dynamics and Props Mastering Maya® 2011 INTRODUCING ® MAYA 2011 Dariush Derakhshani SERIOUS SKILLS. MICHAEL McKINLEY TODD PALAMAR SERIOUS SKILLS. SERIOUS SKILLS. SERIOUS SKILLS. Cover Image by Paul Presley 3D for iPhone® Apps with Blender and SIO2 Your Guide to Creating 3D Games and More with Open-Source Software Tony Mullen Foreword by Romain Marucchi-Foino, author of SIO2 SERIOUS SKILLS. Jeff Foster L E E L A N I E R Jennifer O’Connor PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL COMPOSITING Essential Tools and Techniques THE Mastering mental ray ® GREEN SCREEN Rendering Techniques for 3D & CAD Professionals REAL-WORLD HANDBOOK PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES SERIOUS SKILLS. SERIOUS SKILLS. SERIOUS SKILLS. Available at wiley.com/SIGGRAPH2010 and wherever books are sold. Visit us in Booth #1000 at SIGGRAPH 2010! Wiley, the Wiley logo, and Sybex are registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Education Supplement Atypical Education school curriculums with tools and techniques common of Today’s educational institutions are pushing the boundaries today’s production studios. of tradition, going above and beyond typical, lecture-based “At VFS, we provide a simulated production environment,” classes. A number of schools are compressing a comprehen- says Alastair Macleod, head of Animation & Visual E ects sive education into an abbreviated timeline spanning one or at Vancouver Film School. “With students working closely two years. “Vancouver Film School’s one-year Game Design alongside instructors and mentors from the industry, they program goes well beyond traditional educational models,” are able to learn and become well-versed in the language says Dave War eld, head of Game Design at Vancouver Film of the industry.” School (VFS) in Vancouver, British Columbia. “Over six terms, VFS Animation & Visual E ects students take part in regu- students are immersed in a learning environment that mirrors lar screenings, called “weeklies” and “rounds,” in an immersive a professional studio, learning everything they need to hit the curriculum of one year or less. Experiences such as these ease ground running after graduation.” a student’s transition to a professional production environ- In one year, War eld maintains, VFS Game Design delivers ment, Macleod explains. a results-focused curriculum that outpaces most three- or Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, has embarked four-year programs and ensures students’ skills are industry- on a unique program of study for students in Game Devel- relevant. An advisory board and faculty of highly respected opment, Game Art, and Game Production, according to Rob professionals help match the demands of the curriculum with Catto, director of Game Studies. “In an e ort to provide the those of the real world, he adds. students with an environment that enables them to apply Gnomon School of Visual E ects in Hollywood, Califor- nia, also o ers programs engi- neered to meet the needs of aspiring CG artists in little time. “Our signature program is the two-year Digital Production for Entertainment Program, which is designed to create well- rounded, production-ready artists who are versed in digital and traditional skills,” explains Brian Bradford, Gnomon’s di- rector of admissions. “Unlike conventional curriculums, this is not a diluted program with courses that simply ll a pro- gram’s roster; these are speci c courses that develop students Full Sail aims to provide students with an experience that closely resembles what into professionals and ready each student to work in the eld they will encounter in the real world. To this end, students learn to use state-of- of their choice.” the-art tools and techniques, including working with motion-capture setups. For experienced artists wishing to hone their skills further, schools such as VFS and Gnomon o er specialized courses. their education in a realistic atmosphere, we have combined Whereas VFS boasts summer programs, Gnomon delivers an the nal project courses in these three programs, allowing advanced nine-week crash course in Autodesk’s Maya. them to take on the roles of producer, artist, and programmer in the development of a computer video game,” he says. The Studio Similarities nal project is a ve-month game cycle designed to provide Graduates, as well as the studios that hire them, understand each student with the experience of working in a team-cen- the bene ts of learning in an environment that closely mim- tered studio. ics that of a real-world studio. Students gain real-world expe- This summer, Full Sail is opening a new building that will rience, become better equipped and prepared, and increase include a game studio designed to replicate the environment their chances for rapid placement at a reputable studio— an employee would encounter in an actual game studio. As a fresh out of college. Studios also bene t, as new graduates’ result, Catto reveals, students in the last three months of their familiarity with production tools and processes often reduces program will be able to work on their nal projects in a profes- the learning curve upon entering the workforce and trans- sional work environment. lates to a smooth work ow, fast time to market with quality Students in the Computer Animation and Game Art de- results, and a mutually bene cial experience. For these and gree program at Full Sail also follow an industry pipeline that other reasons, modern educators increasingly are infusing is common of industry studios and which takes students 4 • Education Supplement • July 2010 Dive into Animation! Want to bring characters to life? Learn the lingo and animation trade in our online production-style environment! At Animation Mentor, you receive instruction from our mentors, working animators at top studios who are the inspiration and creativity behind the movies and games you heart. Why Animation Mentor? You get... Exclusive web conferencing and animation critiques. Woo Hoo! A solid demo reel that’s your passport to getting a job. A global community with people just like you. Get ready to animate! Learn more at AnimationMentor.com See us at SIGGRAPH 2010! Full event schedule available at www.AnimationMentor.com/Siggraph Education Supplement We believe there are more career options for people trained to work for a studio than there are for people trained to direct their own lms.” Full Sail also delivers the production studio experience in Project LaunchBox, a Full Sail initia- tive that provides all students with Apple tech- nology to help them create music, lm, game, animation, and design projects. “Project LaunchBox complements Full Sail’s programs by providing students with access to a complete mobile studio for use throughout their school career and after graduation,” Band- stra describes. “With Project LaunchBox, students of all levels will be able to utilize their own per- sonal MacBook Pro notebook computer loaded with Apple’s complete line of creative software Educational facilities, such as Vancouver Film School, realize that the key to tools, as well as degree-speci c sets of pro-level learning animation requires far more than a class focused on using the latest applications.” The initiative enables students to have not only software. Here, students learn acting fundaments to help them with character modeling and animation. uninterrupted access to the tools they need, but also their portfolio conveniently at their ngertips at all times, he adds. through each step, from preproduction to postproduction and completed assets. During the degree program, students New Tools and Media get access to Full Sail’s on-campus motion-capture studio, The e ective use of and ready access to industry hardware Motion Analysis system, and Autodesk MotionBuilder, similar and software tools are part and parcel to a comprehensive to what they will be required to use in the industry, notes Pete education in digital content creation. Bandstra, director of Computer Animation and Game Art at “An education at an Art Institutes school in a graphics- Full Sail. related eld—such as Media Arts & Animation, Game Art In addition to the simulated production environment, the & Design, and Visual E ects & Motion Graphics—in part, Animation & Visual E ects programs at VFS place a strong fo- relies on technology as a tool to support educational out- cus on individual results. While students may gain help from comes,” imparts Josh Blazer, assistant vice president and their peers—such as a modeler assisting an animator in the regional director of technology at The Art Institutes.