Computer Graphics World

12 February 2009 NEWS: DCC•EDUCATION The French Evolution: Digital Reigns The E-Magiciens festival in Valenciennes, France, always highlights the work of talented student animators, but this year, for its 10th anniversary, the city's Cham- ber of Commerce brought something new to the party. First, a new and sepa- rate conference, called E-Creators, that took place in nearby Lille. An outgrowth of last year's game development recruit- ing effort at E-Magiciens, E-Creators is a combination trade show and job fair that attracted video-game developers, design fi rms, animation studios, and others focused on digital creation. Second, the French government announced that it designated the Nord- Pas de Calais region, which includes Valenciennes and Lille, as a "region of excellence" for serious games. That spells money in the form of immedi- ate grants to budding serious games developers, as much as 30,000 euros for prototypes and 150,000 euros for stage-two development. The Valenci- ennes Chamber of Commerce is spearheading the effort and is now soliciting proposals targeted toward applications in transporta- tion, health, and civic law. In addition, the Chamber is continuing its incubation program for all digital content creators by providing a well-equipped space at low rent to fl edgling companies, fi nancial assistance through the Chamber, help fi nding other funding, and a variety of consulting services. The Chamber's goal is to foster companies that will increase the number of available jobs in the area. In other news, Supinfocom, the herald- ed animation school founded by Marie- Anne Fontenier through the Chamber, has expanded into a fi ve-year program. The fi rst two years, as before, provide the students with a foundation in art and animation, and during the last year, as before, the students work together in teams to create a short animated fi lm. But, year three has now split into two. "We wanted to give the students more experience with 3D and one more chance to make a fi lm," says Anne Brotot, deputy director. "Now, in year four, they will each make a one-minute short fi lm." "Yankee Gal," a 3D animation by a team of fourth-year graduation students took the top prize for animated fi lms at the November 2008 E-Magiciens. But, the transition means there will be no gradu- ates or graduation fi lms competing from Supinfocom in 2009. The other big change at Supinfocom is that Fontenier is retiring. Brotot, who direct- ed Supinfocom Arles, will replace her. Supinfogame is also revamping its four- year program to give students a deeper education. Here, though, rather than creating a new fi ve-year program, the school is offering separate upper-level branches for the students' last two years of the four-year program, with one branch bending more toward game design, which would include level design, and the other reaching primarily toward visual creation. –Barbara Robertson Among several groups showing serious games at E-Creators was 3Dduo, which brought a not-so-serious MMO called Leelh, as well as a serious stop-smoking application developed for a French health department and an advergame designed for viral marketing. (Above) At E-Creators, game developer IDEES-3Com demonstrated an interac- tive application for serious shoppers (left) and a training program for delivery- service drivers (right). 3Dduo created the whimsical critter at far left. developers, as much as 30,000 euros for prototypes and 150,000 euros for stage-two development. The Valenci- ennes Chamber of Commerce is spearheading the effort and is now soliciting proposals targeted toward applications in transporta- tion, health, and civic law. In addition, the Chamber is continuing its incubation program for all digital content creators by providing a well-equipped space at low rent to fl edgling (Above) At E-Creators, game developer IDEES-3Com demonstrated an interac- tive application for serious shoppers (left) and a training program for delivery- service drivers (right). 3Dduo created the whimsical critter at far left.

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