Computer Graphics World

Working Beyond the Basics Class Faculty and industry combine efforts and resources to deliver novel, nontraditional tools for an advanced educational experience By Courtney E. Howard STUDENTS APPLY THEIR CLASSROOM virtually all levels, from high school to graduate school, are KNOWLEDGE IN CHALLENGING PROJECTS proactively partnering with those in the industry to provide A basic, or general, education is no longer enough. As the computer graphics industry and its various market segments—from visual effects, animation and its many nuances, and game development, to computer-aided design, digital art, motion graphics, and more—continue to By Karen Moltenbrey evolve, educational facilities are keeping pace through the adoption been heard by students and even It's of novel, nontraditional tools and techniques. those in the professional ranks that Talent and the mastery of may have the necrecent graduates a few key software and hardware systems are not enough to solidify essary book knowledge but lack the a lucrative job or guarantee a career in the increasrelevant real-world practical skills reingly competitive CG employers. Not so at a number of at quired by landscape. As a result, educators ani- unique opportunities and invest in future generations of digital artists. "We provide computer graphics training aimed at giving aspiring CG artists the skills and tools they need to get straight to work in the VFX and CG industries," explains Dominic Davenport, CEO and founder of mation schools and colleges, which strive to give their students a taste of the deadline and production demands of actual studios. This is typically achieved by assigning inal or senior projects, which incorporate work that simulates the demands students will face in the job market. Students in Savannah College of Art and Design's (SCAD's) Visual Effects program take full advantage of the school's 3 • Education Supplement • July 2011 "Spacebunnies!" is an animated short film that was a senior thesis from SVA student John Youlen Sung. Education Supplement • July 2012 • 3

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