Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1399888
46 cgw j u ly • a u g u s t • s e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 1 date, and SCAD GamingFest followed this past spring. This event featured presenta- tions and speakers from Epic Games, ILM, Ubiso, and Riot Games. "Maintaining events like this despite the devastating global impact of COVID-19 was of paramount importance to us," Bartlett says. "More than ever, students needed op- portunities to engage with these industries." According to Bartlett, SCADnow will remain as part of the university's teaching and learning strategy for the fall 2021 quar- ter and beyond. "Students have responded really positively to the online platforms and collaborative tools that we provided, and as with many studios that stayed in production throughout the pandemic, we've seen an explosion in creativity and innovation, which we must continue to nurture," he says. SCAD will return to full on-ground teach- ing this fall, but students will still be able to use V-Lab for remote soware access and rendering, and platforms like Blackboard, Discord, and GitHub for collaboration and engagement with class resources. Restrictions on travel and location shoot- ing also gave the university an opportunity to rethink its approach to filmmaking and visu- al effects. It harnessed the existing expertise in immersive tech and game development among the faculty to explore virtual pro- duction. In fact, this fall will see the opening of Phase 1 of SCAD Film Studios, featuring a virtual production facility that includes a 40-foot-wide LED volume. Says Bartlett, "Much like our immersive reality program, graduates from our film and visual effects programs with expertise in vir- tual production will be uniquely positioned for creative careers in a post-COVID world." Relying on Experience Despite how difficult 2020 was for the world, overall, Animation Mentor fared exceptionally well. "Our campus has always been digital, so we were logistically prepared when the rest of the world transitioned online in early 2020," says Bobby Beck, CEO and co-founder. Because so many traditional brick-and- mortar schools struggled to bring their curriculum online, students looked for savvy, reliable online courses like ours to continue their education, Beck adds. Animation Mentor is more than just an online platform, though; it's a global com- munity of artists. The school's digital cam- pus allows current students, alumni, and mentors to interact with one another, which was especially important in a year when so many people were stuck at home. Because the school relies so heavy on its website, Beck says that Animation Mentor worked to make it faster and implemented a calendar feature that allowed students to set up group meetings, dailies, and check- ins. "Adding this new feature really stream- lined get-togethers and connections that the students were making with each other," he adds. In addition to the school's robust student support team, Animation Mentor also added additional mentor check-ins and Q&As to support the students' mental health and well-being. "Empathetic, tailored student support is one of the things that makes our students so successful," Beck maintains. While some schools are discussing a "return to normalcy," Animation Mentor's "normal" has always been digital, so in that sense, the school structure and curriculum will remain the same. The difference is that more people now understand how fun and effective online communities can be. "Since we've been doing online for over 16 years, we believe those who experienced Animation Mentor during the pandemic have become true believers in what the most personal and fulfilling learning experience can look like online," Beck says. In addition to exclusive movie Q&As during which the school's mentors talk about the latest films they've worked on, Animation Mentor also added career Q&As with recruiters from major studios to help prepare its students for the animation in- dustry. Job hunting is stressful at the best of times, and even more so during a pandemic, Beck notes "We wanted to make sure our students have the skills and advice they need to be successful." Work by Animation Mentor's Ricky Robinson from the 2020 showcase. Work by Animation Mentor's Kevin Shiau from the 2020 showcase.