Category: Education and Training

Total Training has released WHAT'S NEW IN ADOBE AFTEREFFECTS 5, a new training series covering the new AfterEffects capabilities. Previously, Total Training had produced a complete training study program for the beginning user. In addition, the new series includes tips, techniques, hidden features and tricks. WHAT'S NEW IN ADOBE AFTEREFFECTS 5 stars Brian Maffitt, Total Training chief creative officer, AfterEffects expert and long-time AfterEffects evangelist. "My enthusiasm for AfterEffects is very well known," he said.

Cambridge Animation Systems, the exclusive developer of Animo software, has signed a five-year sponsorship with the Broadcast Educators Association of Canada (BEAC) to award the best student animator and his or her college or university. The total value of the sponsorship is more than CA$100,000. Under the annual program, students will create animation clips up to 60 seconds in length using traditional or digital animation processes. A panel of experts will judge the clips.

Nickelodeon has created its first fellowship program designed to encourage participation from culturally and ethnically diverse new television and film writers. Under the guidance of Nickelodeon production executives, four fellows will get hands-on experience with Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.'s live-action, animated television and feature film divisions for one year. "The fellowship program gives us an opportunity to nurture the talented pool of writers in our industry whose cultural experiences have traditionally remained underrepresented in television and film.

Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design (RMCAD), located in Denver, Colorado, has added a new animation program to its bachelor degree program. Currently, the college offers five other Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Graphic Design and Interactive Media, Illustration, Painting, Sculpture and Interior Design. The schools goal is to delve into the medium of animation as the only interdisciplinary visual art that merges art, writing, storytelling, drawing, design, sculpture, acting, filmmaking, art direction and film directing.

The Art Institute of Los Angeles has received approval from the Accrediting

Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT) to offer

Bachelor of Science degrees in computer animation, graphic design and

on-line media and marketing. Established in 1997 as a branch of The Art

Institute of Pittsburgh, the Los Angeles arm received state approval to

offer baccalaureate-level programs in September, 1999. With more than 850

students enrolled, The Art Institute of Los Angeles also offers Associate

Ontario, Canada-based Sheridan College, one of the leading animation programs in North America, is expanding its facilities with the latest animation equipment including new computers, software, cameras and pencil test systems. For pencil tests, Sheridan has purchased six Video LunchBoxes. Created two years ago by Oregon-based Animation Toolworks, the Video LunchBox captures still images from a video camera and plays back this sequence of images at the same rate as film images or television video.