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”.
