Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/147926
Education Supplement Media Design School's Thang Nguyen shows the result of combining tools with talent. As Wayne Gilbert, dean of Faculty and head of Character Animation at Van rts, A notes, advancements in technology are what makes the final image better, and possibly more innovative. Without the right information fed into that technology, it is just a blank piece of paper. "Technology does not create; it enhances what artists create," he says. Students at VanArts are taught the technology used in studios, but more importantly, they are taught to master the fundamentals of artistic creation, which can lead them to artistic discovery. In the case of character animation, Gilbert says, students focus on learning Maya or are in 2D to draw or learn Harmony from Toon Boom. Some do their assignments in Adobe Flash because of prior training. "We ask them to learn the craft and to deliver their creative vision through technology," says Gilbert. At the Media Design School in Auckland, New Zealand, a combination of essential and emerging technologies are used to ensure that students have a strong foundation on which to build their knowledge of industry tools. Oliver Hilbert, senior 3D lecturer, equates the school as being similar, in effect, to a small studio: "We can adapt to new technologies with more ease so that students have an understanding of what's just around the corner," he says. For instance, students learn to use the current industry simulation tools, such as Maya Fluids or Houdini FLIP Fluids, though discussion and demos showcasing the Ionic fluid solver or what position-based fluids can do. Students at the school have access to the Autodesk Content Creation Suites 14 • Education Supplement • July 2013 and Adobe Creative Suite. They also use specialist and proprietary tools, such as Side Effects' Houdini; The Foundry's Nuke, Mari, and Hiero; Panorama's PTGui image stitcher; PixelMachine's TopoGun surface; Blender's CrazyBump; Collada's Xnormal; Pixologic's ZBrush; Chaos Group's V-Ray; CoreCG's MentalCore; and more. Despite the available technology, Hilbert stresses that there is more to learning the craft than learning how to use the software. "Overall, we are controlled but forwardthinking about how to train students with solid fundamentals yet keep up with industry advances," Hilbert adds. Gobelins School of the Image in Paris introduces students to 3D and 2D software as they work on various movie projects during their education, including Maya, Flash, After Effects, Final Cut, and Photoshop. Workshops introduce the students to additional programs for specific learning, such as MotionBuilder for procedural animation. At another French school, Supinfocom, a five-year computer graphics university with campuses in Valenciennes, Arles, and India, art takes precedence, as the students are first taught the very basics and fundamentals of art before they begin applying that knowledge to CGI and animation. For the school's game development program, the students work mainly with Unity. But students in that course of study also must undergo rigorous studies in fine art, which they then apply to their later classes in game development. At the Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg in Germany, each student has a high-end workstation and access to a large renderfarm and all established 2D and 3D software. The school also offers access to professional camera equipment from RED, Arri, and Sony, as well as a motion-capture system with 18 cameras for animation, VFX, and previsualization. According to Marianne Gassner, head of studies, there are 3D printers, a stereoscopic grading suite for finishing and color correction, and a digital cinema for 2D and 3D screenings. In short, the school provides a range of software for the students, and if a tool is required that is not available, a request can be made with the R&D department for it. The Vancouver Film School (VFS) in Vancouver, British Columbia, offers a robust film and game development program. "The technology our students focus on are the tools that are used to create games – not just C#, C++, Maya, and ZBrush, but actual game development tools like Flash, HTML5, the Unreal Development Kit, and Unity," says David Warfield, head of Game Design. In fact, Game Design students select a game engine for their project, usually choosing Flash, Unity, or the Unreal Development Kit. In August, VFS will open a brand-new Animation and Visual Effects campus in a 106,000-square-foot, city-owned space in Gastown. According to Marianne O'Reilly, head of Animation and Visual Effects at VFS, every classroom is designed to optimize the learning experience by giving students access to high-powered software, including a leading renderfarm management system and a 280-degree greenscreen studio. "We stress the importance of being industry-led, so we worked with representatives from the local industry to maximize the space and emulate a true studio experience," says Marty Hasselbach, managing director of VFS. It is clear from talking to a wide variety of education facilities that learning the tools and technologies that are implemented at professional studios is important for students. And while talent cannot be underestimated, neither can the ability to use the latest technical advancements to showcase that talent. Karen Moltenbrey is the chief editor of CGW.