The CG industry is huge and a lot of the animation studios are not just looking for "animators" but other CG related jobs, modelers, texture artists, programmers, lighters and a number of other jobs. Dawn Rivera-Ernster (Director, Talent Development, Walt Disney Animation Studios) brought up during a panel discussion, “Bridging the Gap Between Academia and Industry”, that ‘85% of the demo reels we receive are from animators, but the majority of them were not animators.’ This lead to the panel’s discussion, industry is not just looking for “animators”, but for all types of professionals from technical directors to various specialists.
What jobs are out there in the CG industry and are they in your city? Here are two resources that list the jobs buy industry, skills, and region. It gives a realistic view of the industry job market. Are there going to be jobs out there for you and in your city.
Autodesk Education Summit @ SIGGRAPH
Monday, August 11, 2008, 8:30 - 12:30 p.m.
An opportunity for top educators to connect with industry professionals to discuss key industry trends and best practices. The program will include a networking breakfast and presentations from Autodesk executives, educators, and high-profile industry players.
Monday morning started off with the Autodesk Education Summit. Marc Petit (Senior Vice President, Media & Entertainment) lead the summit and spoke about Autodesk’s direction. Glen Entis, 30-year CG veteran, followed Marc and educated us on the history of the CG industry from his perspective. Jonathan Reyes, a recent 3d animation graduate, followed up spoke about his experience as a student and his transition into industry.
Following the key note speakers, there was a panel of industry professionals and post-secondary program directors titled “Bridging the Gap Between Academia and Industry”. The main theme that seemed to develop was that industry has changed.
In previous years, they were looking for just “talent” in specialized areas, but the trend seems to be a de-emphasis on recruiting based on the “Demo Reel” and more of an ‘importance shift’ to a professional with a combination both, “well rounded” and “talented”. What they meant by “well rounded” was that not only one has to have “talent”, but also bring more of a ‘liberal arts’ background, the ability to communicate, work in a team, and most importantly the skills to “Learn”.
How to Build Better ePortfolios
Here is section of an article "How to Build Better ePortfolios" written by Sascha Zuger for Tech Learning.
http://techlearning.com/story/showArticle.php?articleID=196605352&page=1
ANIMATED TEACHING
When Daniel Cornell relocated to Colorado, he left behind a position as tech administrator but regained his passion for teaching in the classroom by taking over computer classes in a Denver public middle school. Seeing a dearth of game design, video editing, or animation offerings in the curriculum, he created his own.Cornell brought his philosophy of "let's open limits and see how far they can take it" to the program. "They were intrinsically motivated by their own interests," says Cornell. "It created a system of perpetual learning." A student determined to create billiard-table animation came for advice on angles and left with a smile and Cornell's old trig book.
Four years ago, Cornell took over as Digital- Evolutions Program Director and Teacher at the Smoky Hill High School in nearby Cherry Creek School District. Knowing a static listing of skills on a resume would do little to impress prospective design colleges or animation houses, he incorporated the creation of ePortfolios into the course. Showcasing work would be an important step to future academic and professional success and he would give his students years of practice to perfect the art.
"Demo reels, or ePortfolios, tend to be the culminating project for all of my classes," says Cornell. "I feel that [I am] prepping them to create their most important demo reel; the reel that will get them their first job."
Cornell's first students graduated this year and proved his point. ePortfolios netted success in the form of national awards, rare paid graphic art internships, and assistant positions to animators for national outlets like Fox and Nickelodeon. Major industries offer exclusive interviews based on the impressive ePortfolios, only to be stunned to see a teenager walk into the boardroom.
Though he recognizes the lure of a position in the field, "I always emphasize the importance of education," says Cornell. The country's most respected art and design colleges approach Cornell to woo his talented students. So far, every graduating student received a scholarship to their choice of the prestigious programs, thanks to the most impressive portion of their application—their ePortfolio.
Sascha Zuger is a freelancer, public radio commentator, and author of Girl Overboard, a young adult novel, under the pseudonym Aimee Ferris.
http://techlearning.com/story/showArticle.php?articleID=196605352&page=1
ANIMATED TEACHING
When Daniel Cornell relocated to Colorado, he left behind a position as tech administrator but regained his passion for teaching in the classroom by taking over computer classes in a Denver public middle school. Seeing a dearth of game design, video editing, or animation offerings in the curriculum, he created his own.Cornell brought his philosophy of "let's open limits and see how far they can take it" to the program. "They were intrinsically motivated by their own interests," says Cornell. "It created a system of perpetual learning." A student determined to create billiard-table animation came for advice on angles and left with a smile and Cornell's old trig book.
Four years ago, Cornell took over as Digital- Evolutions Program Director and Teacher at the Smoky Hill High School in nearby Cherry Creek School District. Knowing a static listing of skills on a resume would do little to impress prospective design colleges or animation houses, he incorporated the creation of ePortfolios into the course. Showcasing work would be an important step to future academic and professional success and he would give his students years of practice to perfect the art.
"Demo reels, or ePortfolios, tend to be the culminating project for all of my classes," says Cornell. "I feel that [I am] prepping them to create their most important demo reel; the reel that will get them their first job."
Cornell's first students graduated this year and proved his point. ePortfolios netted success in the form of national awards, rare paid graphic art internships, and assistant positions to animators for national outlets like Fox and Nickelodeon. Major industries offer exclusive interviews based on the impressive ePortfolios, only to be stunned to see a teenager walk into the boardroom.
Though he recognizes the lure of a position in the field, "I always emphasize the importance of education," says Cornell. The country's most respected art and design colleges approach Cornell to woo his talented students. So far, every graduating student received a scholarship to their choice of the prestigious programs, thanks to the most impressive portion of their application—their ePortfolio.
Sascha Zuger is a freelancer, public radio commentator, and author of Girl Overboard, a young adult novel, under the pseudonym Aimee Ferris.
Autodesk University (AU) User Conference and Exhibition
| For 15 years, Autodesk University (AU) User Conference and Exhibition has brought together educators from around the world to learn from experts—and from one another. Each year, educators walk away with new insights, curriculum resources, and contacts that enhance their effectiveness in and out of the classroom. Be part of it. Read Autodesk President and CEO Carl Bass's personal invitation and make your plan to join us for AU 2008 in Las Vegas, December 2–5, 2008. Connect, Learn, and ShareAU 2008 is the place where Education & Learning customers can:
AU 2008 Conference HighlightsFor a full listing of each day's activities and offerings, see the Daily Agenda At-a-Glance. AU Keynotes
Design Leadership Program The new Design Leadership program will steep you in industry best practices and decipher the markets evolving around you. Indispensable for business managers and decision makers.
PowerTrack Sessions Multi-day PowerTracks offer in-depth "immersion" training in AutoCAD®, AutoCAD® Map 3D, Autodesk Inventor®, Building Design, Civil Engineering, and Industrial Design software and processes.
AU Classes & Labs
Learn More about AU 2008To find out more about AU 2008, please use the contact information below or visit the AU 2008 website. Special Discount for EducatorsQualified educators can save up to $1,000 off the regular conference fee. Please call or email the AU Team to get your discount code—contact information, below.
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SIGGRAPH - My Schedule
Wow! It was an exciting and overwhelming. This was my first SIGGRAPH, and I recommend it to anyone who is in the field or teaching any form of computer graphics. It helps you get an idea of industry direction, latest technologies, what companies are looking for, and what students are doing in post-secondary. I attended a number of sessions, but my favorites were the panel discussions.
I presented a number of times at SIGGRAPH, three times at the HP Stage and then also for a Birds of a Feather lecture on "Where do you Send your High School Graduate?".Hewlett Packard Side Stage
Tuesday @ 4:00 pm
Wednesday @ 10 am
Thursday @ 10:30 am
Birds of a Feather
Wednesday @ 9-10am
Where do you Send your High School Graduate?
Los Angeles Convention Center
Center
Room 511A
So where do you send your students for post-secondary education?
Choosing the right post-secondary school is important and difficult for any degree or career, so it is very important to do your research first. Attending the right school really makes a difference in the animation field, not only for quality of education, but also for the contacts you make. With that said, the demo reel is even more important and Pixar puts it this way, “In fact, in evaluating a prospective Animator, Pixar relies very heavily on the demo reel presented by the candidate. You could say that three things are important in pitching yourself to Pixar (the reel, the reel, and the reel).” So you need to find the school that will teach the right skills to create the best demo reel to get the job one want.
There are tons of 3d schools out there, and new ones popping up everyday. It seems like every college, university and certificate school is jumping on the band wagon and has some type of animation program. So where do students go and is every program the same?
Part 2 continued later . ..
So what do you look for in a school?
There are tons of 3d schools out there, and new ones popping up everyday. It seems like every college, university and certificate school is jumping on the band wagon and has some type of animation program. So where do students go and is every program the same?
Before a student picks a school, they have to start to think about where they want to work, what industry, and more specifically what strand of animation is their niche – modeler, animator, lighter, texture artist, etc. Majority of students don’t really know what they want to do, aside from working at either Pixar, ILM, or Electronic Arts. I don’t know where I found this statistic, but I quote it all the time. They say, ‘3% of all animations jobs are for Hollywood
I see it as five different main options that students have for a post-secondary school.
Certificate school – Examples: Vancouver Film School
Technical school (Associates) – Examples: Westwood & ITT tech
Traditional Art school (4–year) – Examples: Cal Arts,Savanna
University
Technical school (Associates) – Examples: Westwood & ITT tech
Traditional Art school (4–year) – Examples: Cal Arts,
Or
Online Programs which includes all of the above.
There are tons of schools out there and none of them are cheap. One of the things students should look out for, in my opinion, is what I call “Pay Schools”. These schools let anyone attend (paying students) and for the most part provide sub-quality education, but the thing is . . . they let anyone in. I know you have seen those commercials on late night TV . . . ‘I never thought I could make money doing this . . .’
About a year ago, I went to a very interesting panel discussion which turned into a heated debate arguing the pros and cons of an accelerated associate program vs. a traditional program. The panel was made up of six industry professionals from the gaming industry, commercial media, and an animation fields. They all clearly stated that they wanted employees that were well rounded, not just technicians. They wanted them to bring more to the table than just knowing the tool. One mentioned that they were tired of hiring animators who couldn’t even perform basic math, like reading a ruler. At the end, they also agreed that it really came down to the portfolio and what they could bring to the team, almost trumping the degree; which I thought was very interesting.
About a year ago, I went to a very interesting panel discussion which turned into a heated debate arguing the pros and cons of an accelerated associate program vs. a traditional program. The panel was made up of six industry professionals from the gaming industry, commercial media, and an animation fields. They all clearly stated that they wanted employees that were well rounded, not just technicians. They wanted them to bring more to the table than just knowing the tool. One mentioned that they were tired of hiring animators who couldn’t even perform basic math, like reading a ruler. At the end, they also agreed that it really came down to the portfolio and what they could bring to the team, almost trumping the degree; which I thought was very interesting.
Part 2 continued later . ..
So what do you look for in a school?
You need to look at the students work first and fore most. Do students graduate with demo reels and do they look all a like?
Great Pixar link!
I just came across this awesome Pixar Blog. It is basically a blog about Pixar news and events. Check it out.
http://pixarblog.blogspot.com
http://pixarblog.blogspot.com
THE PIXAR STORY- Documentary Coming to Denver and other . . .
THE PIXAR STORY- Documentary will be opening at SIGGRAPH on Tuesday August 12th and then on a nationwide showing, dates below. Here is the press release for the film. Check out the films website:http://www.thepixarstory.com/
Three Bold Innovators Transform Animated
Filmmaking in the Revealing New Documentary
THE PIXAR STORY
Rolls Out Nationwide on
From Academy Award® Nominated Filmmaker Leslie Iwerks
EMERYVILLE, Calif. , October 11, 2007—Starting in the mid 1980s, an exceptional and inspiring trio of innovators, John Lasseter, Ed Catmull and Steve Jobs, combined their gifts in art, science and business to launch a whole new approach to making 3-D animated films and ended up reshaping the face of filmmaking forever. In the new documentary film The Pixar Story, Oscar® nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks takes viewers on a dramatic journey filled with personal sacrifice and fueled by passionate belief in the possibilities of a new medium illustrating how Pixar Animation Studios was born. On
The first in-depth look at the most influential animation studio of its time, The Pixar Story goes behind the scenes of the groundbreaking company that pioneered a new generation of animated feature films. Iwerks uses never-before-seen footage from the Pixar library, along with historic archival animation and first hand accounts by animators, studio executives, directors, producers and voice performers to chronicle the remarkable company that revolutionized an industry. The Pixar Story includes exclusive interviews with some of the key players in the Pixar story including John Lasseter, Ed Catmull, Steve Jobs, George Lucas, Michael Eisner, Bob Iger, Tom Hanks, Billy Crystal, Tim Allen, Brad Bird and more.
In 1984, animator John Lasseter left his job at Disney to join a quiet revolution in filmmaking taking place in
Filmmaker Leslie Iwerks has documented the ongoing events at Pixar on and off since 2001. “In a relatively short period of time, Pixar went from a bootstrap enterprise run by some pretty daring risk takers to a multi-billion dollar corporation that sets the standard for an entire industry,” says Iwerks. “The film is in large part a tribute to their tenacity and creativity, their unwillingness to give in when it seemed impossible to win, and to continue their creative journey no matter how difficult it became.”
Producer, director and writer Leslie Iwerks is a third generation filmmaker from a two-time Oscar® winning family. Her recent documentary short film, Recycled Life, chronicled the thousands of people living and working in the largest and most toxic landfill in
Iwerks’ award-winning theatrical documentary The Hand Behind the Mouse-The Ub Iwerks Story chronicles the life of her grandfather, Ub Iwerks, Academy Award winning motion picture pioneer, and the original designer and co-creator of Mickey Mouse. In addition, she is co-author of a book of the same title, published by Disney Editions in 2001. The Hand Behind the Mouse was honored with the 2002 E.G. Lutz Award for top animation book of the year.
Iwerks also directed, wrote and executive produced “Pixar’s 20th Anniversary Special for The Wonderful World of Disney,” hosted by John Ratzenberger, which aired on ABC on
A companion book to The Pixar Story titled To Infinity and Beyond—The Story of Pixar Animation Studios, by Karen Paik, is based on interviews and research by Iwerks, and is scheduled for release by Chronicle Books in Fall 2007.
SCREENING SCHEDULE
The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company
The Pixar Touch: The Making of a Company by David A. Price is an awesome book, granted I am a geek and kind of obsessed with the animation industry. It obviously gives a more details on the forming of Pixar then Droidmaker: Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution by Michael Rubin, which is another great book, and the early years at Lucasfilm overlap a bit, but also give a different perspective. It opens your eyes a bit to who Steve jobs really is – a businessman and in many occasions considered selling the group, even half way through the production of Toy Story; animation was not his dream. The dedicated Pixar crew keep their vision alive and made Pixar what it is today. The company was originally setup as a hardware and later a software company, but the employees had a different vision. The chapters break down the major events that lead to Pixar today.
Q&A with the author about the book.
What do you need to work at Pixar?
This was pulled directly from the Pixar website: http://www.pixar.com/companyinfo/jobs/career_faq.html
What do you look for in Animators?
One of the most common questions Pixar receives nowadays is, “How can I become an Animator at Pixar?” There’s really no good answer that’s both short and useful, so we’ve put together some information to hopefully provide guidance for people who dream of being involved in the animation process at Pixar.
Pixar places the technology of computer graphics firmly at the service of the art of animation, not the other way around. This priority is expressed clearly in Pixar’s production process, in which the Animators specialize in animation, with virtually all technical concerns handled by Technical Directors.
The implication of this structure and this value system is what Pixar looks for first and foremost in Animators – we want you to be able to bring the character to life, independent of medium. Computer-graphic technical prowess is of course important, but the emphasis is not as strong within the Animation Department. The reality is that computer graphic animators have no advantage over pen-and-ink animators, clay animators, stop-motion animators, etc. So while it’s preferable for someone to have 3D knowledge, it’s not paramount. In fact 3/4 of the Animators on Toy Story were new to computers when hired.
A common question is, “What software should I learn?” The answer is implied by the above: “Software doesn’t matter; learning to animate matters.” Still, you might expect that learning the software that Pixar uses would give you a leg up. However, even this isn’t true: Pixar uses its own proprietary software. Your knowledge of basic animation fundamentals is the foundation for your computer training, not the other way around.
What are the qualities of a good Animator? A Pixar Animator should be able to bring life to any object or character, showing the character’s internal thoughts and feelings through its physical external motion. To do this, the Animator must be a good actor. His or her work should communicate clearly, containing simple ideas with which an audience can empathize. The animation should be entertaining to watch, employing good timing and relying on individualized, believable characters to put forth humor and emotion.
The Animator also needs an understanding of physical motion. Knowledge of weight, balance, overlap, texture, and form should be evident in the work. In fact, in evaluating a prospective Animator, Pixar relies very heavily on the demo reel presented by the candidate.
You could say that three things are important in pitching yourself to Pixar (the reel, the reel, and the reel). Other factors will of course come into play, including collaborative spirit, timeliness, compatibility with Pixar itself; but these issues never even come up unless the reel passes muster.
Of course, the more a reel shows the qualities discussed here, the better.
We want to see your ability to demonstrate a strong sense of acting, more so than movement. Reels that show fast moving space ships, etc. are difficult to judge because we're not able to get a sense of someone’s ability to understand physics and the fundamentals of animation. We would much rather see a simple story line with strong acting. We’re interested in your animation ability – not your ability to model, shade and light.
Acting is the key element and then we review reels to get a sense of weight, timing, staging, physics, etc. People frequently ask if they should include a flatwork portfolio demonstrating their life drawing skills. While this is nice, it doesn’t give us a sense of your ability to animate a character and bring something to life.
There are at least three other issues that can help make the reel a more effective reflection of the person behind it.
First, it can be very difficult to figure out who did what in a collaboration or group project, and correspondingly difficult to evaluate the work, unless there are clearly describable divisions of labor (see item #6 in “Putting Together a Reel”).
Second, it should express what you want to do. The freedom of being in school encourages experimentation and going beyond what you would normally try. However, unless the result shows what you want to do in the “real” world, this tendency does make it harder to see who you “really” are.
Third, realize that whizzy technology is not great art. There’s something about three-dimensional computer graphics that dazzles people until they get lost in achieving this one ray-traced effect, or adding just one more texture map. When you finally wake up and get back to the content, there’s no time left for great animation.
Good animation is clearly visible through almost any technical limitation. In fact, the thrill of great animation is seeing pencil lines or matchsticks and glue come to life; why would it be any different with a computer.
Or, as we never tire of saying: Computers don’t animate. People do.
And in an effort to hit you with even more information, below are some quotes from our Directing and Supervising Animators about what they like to see in reels:
"I'd rather see 15 seconds of amazing animation than 3 looooooooooong minutes of an unwatchable film. Those 3 minutes can feel like an eternity if everything isn't perfect."
"You’re applying for Animation? Well--show me good animation! Show me acting. Show me thinking. Show me a character that is alive. I don't care about lighting, modeling, shading, particle effects, or how clever you are. Blow me away with something I've never seen. An original character with a distinct personality!"
"Do you draw? Are you a good designer? That's great! Make sure it's in your computer animation as well!"
"Animation. Computer. Drawn. Stop Motion. Sand under glass. If your reel kicks arse, we may hire you regardless of the medium. We don't want to see only computer stuff."
"Keep your reel short n' sweet. We watch a lot of these things in reel review so if there's weird, older, not-so-good stuff at the beginning we might pull the tape out before your great stuff! We don't need to see where you came from--we need to know how good you are right now. Edit down to your best stuff."
" The classic animators were inspired by real life and all of the other films around them. And so are we. We're not looking to hire Animation Nerds. We want people who draw from their own other experiences, from live action, and yes, from the Old Masters!"
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