Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/147926
Education Supplement derfarm, greenscreen studio, and a soundrecording studio. John McIntosh, chair of the college's Computer Art, Computer Animation, and Visual Effects Department, points out that SVA Computer Art makes investments in its facilities regularly. Most recently, it purchased a motion-capture system and a camera-control system. "As we invest in our own stage, our interest is not specifically to use motion-captured data in our students' projects. Rather, we are looking at motion-capture systems as a reference system that, when combined with video capture, we expect to have exceptional reference for animation, albeit keyframe or roto, or a hybrid of all three," he says. As for motion-camera control, McIntosh sees it as something of a lost art. As he notes, camera-control systems are nearly unheard of in colleges, yet the ability to make repeatable, live-action camera passes, plus integrate virtual cameras, are essential aspects of visual effects. "Understanding the nature and limitations of working with physical cameras can be a profound discipline for a computer artist," says McIntosh. Another fairly new investment for SVA is in Blackmagic Design's cameras, the first of which was introduced at NAB in 2012, followed by others at this year's trade show in April. Clearly, SVA is on the lookout for technologies that make an impact or have the potential to do so. And, the school is looking at tools that are turning heads, and as anyone in the industry knows, 3D printing has become increasingly popular of late. To this end, SVA students have been work8 • Education Supplement • July 2013 ing with MakerBot 3D printers – for some, a toy; for others, a tool. Becoming Industry-Ready "Staying ahead of the trends to ensure that our students are industry-ready is something we work hard to achieve," says Bobby Beck, CEO/co-founder of Animation Mentor, an online animation and visual effects school that assigns experienced animation professionals as mentors for the students. "Our instructors are all working professional animators who stay in front of industry trends. As a result, they help us to constantly shape and improve our program so that we are teaching to up-to-theminute industry standards." A good example of Animation Mentor's efforts are found in its AMP Studio Production Pipeline, which the school has been developing for the past two and a half years. Starting with the Spring 2013 term, Animation Mentor students are training on the cloud-based professional production pipeline, which is similar to those used by studios. At the heart of the AMP pipeline is a professional-grade distributed asset and shot management tool that allows students to collaborate with other Animation Mentor students around the globe to produce finished films and sequences under the direction of their mentor. The education takes place on the school's Studio Learning Platform — a series of proprietary tools that work together to provide students with the real experience of working on a studio production. "Cloud-based production is the future of how films will be created, and our students are leading the charge," says Beck. According to Beck, Animation Mentor's students are learning so much faster now that they have direct accountability with their peers through these productions. "They all want to do great work, and they all want to help each other," he says. "As a result, Animation Mentor now embodies a full studio dynamic, and that's always been one of our big goals for creating true industry-ready artists. Our students are no longer just working to gain great technical skills – they are also gaining real production experience." Savannah School of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, prepares students for creative careers by providing them with industry-level technology across academ- SCAD's Digital Media Center enables students to train in a real-world studio environment. ic programs. This includes motion-capture equipment, RED cameras, and 3D printers. (SCAD has seven Stratasys 3D printers and one Solid Concepts PolyJet 3D printer for rapid prototyping.) However, it also provides unique access to essential tools. During this past academic year, for example, SCAD forged a partnership with Adobe that equipped students enrolled at all SCAD locations with free, universal access on their personal computers to the full Adobe Creative Suite Master Collection and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Like a number of other schools, SCAD sees the benefit of cross-disciplinary interaction and working within a studio environment. The SCAD Digital Media Center, which opened in the fall of 2009 at the school's Atlanta location, houses academic majors within the School of Digital Media