Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/150396
"LinkedIn is really important. It's not uncommon for us to put a position out there [on LinkedIn] to 20 or so prospects." – Jana Manthei Day, Director of Recruiting, Sony Pictures Animation "LinkedIn seems to be where everybody goes for professional contacts." –Debra Blanchard, President, Fringe Talent "LinkedIn is the one I use the most." – Chris Scanlon, Account Manager, Digital Artist Management "LinkedIn has proven to be a particularly good tool." – Pam Harbidge, Senior Recruiter, Pixar of both seasoned and untried hires. "We're big enough that we really do try to spread it across the board," says Sony's Day, "from senior artists to interns straight out of school." Skill Sets Are studios looking for generalists or specialists these days? The answer is, as in fatter times, a bit of both. At Lumière, "we are prone to hire those with diverse skill sets on smaller projects that tend to have smaller budgets," "At the moment, LinkedIn is great for just searching for artists with certain skills and letting people know what we're recruiting for." –Hannah Acock, Recruitment Manager, Double Negative Despite this overwhelming preference for using LinkedIn to make professional contacts, some recruiters use Facebook, as well. Caution for job seekers is advised here. Facebook is a little more "cute," says Sony's Day. "I always caution artists not to have anything on there they wouldn't want a recruiter to see." Facebook is definitely a tool that Digital Artist Management uses, says account manager Chris Scanlon. But I tell people: "Recruiters can access that information. Keep it PG, and keep it professional." –Jennifer Austin says Zervos. "With larger projects, we hire artists who specialize in their departments." Fringe Talent's Blanchard says much the same thing. "Smaller studios tend to hire generalists. Larger studios have what I call the 'Henry Ford assembly line method.' Everybody is a specialist." ILM tends to hire single-skilled folks, for example. Digital Artist Management's Scanlon says that he has noticed a trend in which studios are farming out particular pieces of a project to Why is SCAD the university for creative careers? ZiosonAPAU_Mech_1 Ryland Loncharich, B.F.A., interactive design game development, 2008, Zioson, Autodesk Maya. According to the Los Angeles Times, SCAD's interactive design and game department is among the top 10 mentioned by industry recruiters. Areae, Blizzard, The Cartoon Network, Electronic Arts, Firaxis, Pixar, Primal Screen, Red Storm Entertainment and Rhythm & Hues Studios are just a few of the top companies that send recruiters to SCAD each year in search of fresh talent. But SCAD students don't wait until graduation to embark on professional careers. The university's strong business partnerships with such companies as EA and the Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker's competition provide ample opportunities for students to build solid portfolios. In addition, SCAD fosters an environment of collaboration. Students frequently work together on original films, animations, interactive games and more—and many of their projects garner awards at film festivals, game competitions and industry conferences. SCAD 1/2 page The university's cutting-edge facilities feature a Vicon motion-capture system, two green screens, a powerful render farm, Pro Tools labs, surround sound mix/mastering rooms, a MIDI lab, HD cameras and much more. Every day, students use the same software that sets the standard in the digital media world. wings_cover02 Joy Zhang, B.F.A., animation, 2009, Wings, Alias Autodesk Maya, Adobe Photoshop. As if all that wasn't enough, SCAD students study with award-winning professors who have garnered recognition from the Oscars, Emmys, Golden Reels and BAFTA Awards, as well as myriad other competitions throughout the world. Add all that together, and it's no wonder that SCAD students move seamlessly from the classroom to the professional world—and succeed so well there. ADMISSION DEPARTMENT P.O. BOX 2072 SAVANNAH, GA 31402-2072 912.525.5100 or 800.869.7223 admission@scad.edu www.scad.edu 21 edusupp7_Feature03A.indd 21 7/8/09 2:24:18 PM