Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/150399
Beyond the Basics Faculty and industry combine efforts and resources to deliver novel, nontraditional tools for an advanced educational experience By Courtney E. Howard 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 evolve, educational facilities are keeping pace through the adoption of novel, nontraditional tools and techniques. Talent and the mastery of a few key software and hardware systems are not enough to solidify a lucrative job or guarantee a career in the increasingly competitive CG landscape. As a result, educators at virtually all levels, from high school to graduate school, are proactively partnering with those in the industry to provide 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 Escape Studios. Escape Studios has added mentored distance-learning courses, online self-directed modules, and recruitment services to its classroom course portfolio to fit what the students need and the industry requires of aspiring artists. m, of os r Students in Savannah College of Art and Design's (SCAD's) Visual Effects program take full advantage of the school's motion-capture studio. • Education Supplement • July 2011 Education Supplement • July 2011 •